Who are we? Travelers, and all that that means. We are people with a hope because we are going somewhere. We have memories of our journey together, tremendous highs and tremendous lows. Some of us have traveled together a long time, some are new at this.

If you have the opportunity to hear some of our traveling stories you will hear much diversity and many themes. Our spiritual backgrounds range from Catholic to Lutheran to mainstream evangelical to Pentecostal, Charismatic, Jewish and, for some, nothing at all. More significantly, our individual journeys have included the mundane as well as addictions, successes, beauty, failures, grief, tragedy and most importantly, redemption. The safety of Community houses them all.

Recognized by some as serving as a "City of Refuge" in Ottawa. It’s a call, a pleasure and a challenge that we embrace. We are increasingly owning that identity and having the pleasure of sharing the story and grace of our journeys to the benefit of others. It’s a call, pleasure and challenge that we embrace!

We are hospitable. That means we are interested in you and your story. There will always be ears to listen, shoulders to lean on. We hope to provide you a place to belong.

Most importantly, we are Jesus followers and members. With gratitude beyond words we seek to know Him better, enjoy Him more fully, and live more closely with Him as our head and we as His body. Filled with His words, the reality of His cross and the fullness of His Spirit, we aim to learn how to lovingly do this journey together.

Would you like to join our journey as travel partners? We’d love to have you along for the ride.

While we are an elder-led body, CCC seeks accountability, guidance and strong connections from a board of overseers. They are Duane Flemming from Christian Community Church in Columbus, Ohio, John Nordstrom Sr. from Christ Community Church in Murphysboro, Illinois, and Paul Cowell from Paint Rock, Tennessee.

John Nordstrom
John Nordstrom has led Christ Community Church for the last 15 years, although he assisted his father for several years before assuming leadership. John’s passion is to see people coming together to become the body of Christ. He believes that as people love one another better, they also love Christ better. John is involved in missions work across the world while remaining greatly involved in the community. He frequently reminds us that Ottawa is a city of many steeple but one church. John also maintains a private counseling practice, yet another gifting and passion. He has been married since 1980 to Glenda for 25 years and together they have raised four children. Besides being known for her culinary skills, Glenda runs the family business of Colonial Apartments and South State Storage.

Executive Pastor Don Maxon
In rural upstate New York, Don  was born into a large family that had just begun to seek God more fully.  As a youth Don felt called to helping other youth find God and was equipped at Houghton College.  After a mission/adventure trip to China, he served three years as a youth pastor and Director of Christian Education only to realize that he wanted to learn more about how to teach from the Bible and how to minister to hurting families.  Having married Janet, his college sweet heart, he moved to Chicagoland to get a M.Div. at Trinity International University in Deerfield.  After a professor encouraged him to train as a counseling therapist, Don simultaneously earned a second masters in counseling psychology.  To make permanent his certificate, they came to Ottawa for “just two years” to work at the hospital.  After a year of commuting 200 miles per trip to their previous church, God changed their life course and their hearts.  God had his own way of showing them there was a FAMILY for them HERE in Ottawa to journey through life with.   Having led the youth ministry at CCC for 8 years as well as the church’s daycare ministry for 5 years, Don now serves youth and hurting families as a full-time mental health therapist with IPD.  As a family, the seven Maxons enjoy getting to know new “journey mates” around a table, a campfire, or on an adventure--sharing stories, sharing life. 

Karl Norem
Karl Norem was raised on a dairy farm the near rural community of Newark, Il. After spending his boyhood in the farm fields of Kendall County he went on to Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, returned home and taught 5th grade for one year before moving to the San Francisco Bay area where he attended a Lutheran seminary for a brief period. He recommitted his life to Christ and went to Bible college in Orange County. He came back to Illinois with the idea of returning to California when he received a job offer from Pleasant View Luther Home in Ottawa and went on a “blind” date with Jane. That settled it, he would stay in Illinois. He took the job at Pleasant View, where he worked for nearly thirty years, serving as Assistant Administrator and then Administrator. He married Jane, bought a house in Ottawa and raised a family.

Karl and Jane have two children. Their daughter, Corinne, teaches elementary school in Plainfield, Il and their son attends Wheaton College. Karl recently retired from Pleasant View and is self-employed part-time. Jane is Head Librarian at Illinois Valley Community College.

Karl and Jane Norem sensed God calling them to be a part of Christ Community Church (CCC) in 1993. For nearly 13 years Karl has been a church elder at CCC. He and his family have been involved in many aspects of the church’s ministry.