Christ Community Church

Hello and thank you for checking out our website. My name is Ken Bieber and I would like to invite you to worship with us at Christ Community Church. I’ve been here since January 2008 with my wife, Carla, and six children. We’ve enjoyed the family-like feel of the church, and the sincere faith of its members.

Describe the worship service at Christ Community Church:

The service has both traditional and contemporary elements, with the emphasis on preaching the Bible as the Word of God. You’ll find a mix of different ages, from small children to retirees, all worshiping together in fellowship. The children have their own special time downstairs during the sermon.

Where are you from?

Carla and I are both from Michigan, but spent time overseas in Taiwan and China as missionaries. Carla also either went on or led mission trips to Africa and Eastern Europe.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

You’ll find me drawing (working on a graphic novel), hiking, playing with my kids, reading books on theology, missions, culture, history, and graphic novels.

How do you pray?

I find it best to pray while going for a long walk. Jesus did a lot of walking, and other Christians through history have found it helpful to trek and pray at the same time. But in the morning, I’ll usually pray with reading Scripture in my study. My family also tries to have a time of prayer together in the morning and in the evening before bed – but with little kids, we keep this short.

Tell about your faith journey:

I grew up in a Christian home. My dad left the business world to attend seminary and become a minister when I was ten. I saw in my parents’ example the call of Christ over all of one’s life. I didn’t come into an active faith, however, until I went to college, where I came to know Jesus both as Savior and Lord. Through the ministry of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, I was discipled as a follower of Jesus and trained as a leader. Through the years since, I’ve seen the sovereign hand of God active in my and my family’s life. That doesn’t mean everything has been easy (by no means!), but God is faithful.

Describe your educational and vocational background:

I studied history and world religions at Western Michigan University. After teaching English for a year in China, I returned to West Michigan and married Carla. Studies at Calvin Theological Seminary came next, where I first earned the Master of Theological Studies and then later received the Master of Divinity degree. Between those two degrees, I spent time in Taiwan where I studied conversational Mandarin Chinese.

My ministry experience has been both abroad in Asia and in churches and college ministry in Michigan. Carla and I recently both served with a church plant in Grand Rapids where I led the musical worship and she oversaw the children’s ministry. We’re excited to now be using those skills here. I also worked with a Christian publisher for a year and a half – so that’s helpful in being familiar with the ministry resources used in a church.

What is your favorite food?

I can’t decide between pizza, BBQ ribs, nachos, steak, and Hong Kong BBQ pork, so I’ll just list them all.