Living Word Christian Center, pastored by William S. Winston, is located at 7600 W Roosevelt Rd in Forest Park, Illinois; about 20 minutes from downtown Chicago. It has 4 weekly services: Sunday at 7:00, 9:00, and 11:15. and Wednesday night at 6:30. Corprate prayer is held several times a week. Visit (
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HISTORY:
Originally, Pastor Bill Winston had a vision for a Bible Training Center, which would bring together believers from all backgrounds to learn the truths of the gospel and principles for successful Christian living.
In December of 1988, evangelistic meetings were held at the Quality Inn in Chicago, Illinois with less than 20 members. In 1989, the church moved to a small storefront location at Lake and Pulaski.
As the Word of God moved in the hearts of the faithful, the church grew and moved to 7306 West Madison Street in Forest Park, Illinois in 1990. Leaving the city of Chicago was certainly not a deterrent, and membership quickly outgrew the Madison Street facility. In search of a more suitable, yet spacious building, the church held its first service at the Chez Roué Banquet Hall, also in Forest Park, in 1994. Services were held at Chez Roué until December 1997 when a rapidly growing membership, faith, and obedience to God's Word enabled the church to purchase a 33-acre retail mall that currently houses the Worship Center as well as other LWCC business units. January 1, 1998 marked the first time service was held in the mall location.
In April of 2000, services were held for the first time in the new state-of-the-art auditorium, which has since won an architectural award for outstanding design. (
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Today, with a growing congregation of over 23,000 people, Living Word Christian Center represents a progressive body of Believers whose "active" faith, reverence of, and obedience to the Word of God enables them to converge around a common mission, to bring the saving faith of Jesus Christ to the world through their example, their witness, and the uncompromised Word of God.
CURRENT LOCATION:
In 1997 LWCC formed Forest Park Plaza, Inc. a wholly-owned subsidiary of Living Word Christian Center. Forest Park Plaza, Inc. owns and operates the 33-acre Forest Park Mall, now known as the Forest Park Plaza. In the fall of 1997, Forest Park Plaza, Inc. was formed not only to acquire the mall, but also to create a strong partnership that includes village officials, retailers, and local residents. The partnership's primary goal is captured in the Center's vision to be a place where the integrity of God creates a lasting foundation for success and changes the economic destiny of the people.
The Forest Park Plaza is an ambitious and extraordinary endeavor that represents:
a strong revitalization effort of a once-diminishing retail mall, and
a place where Forest Park residents, as well as other residents in the surrounding communities, can enjoy upscale perks including a multi-purpose community center, a conference center, a retail mall, and a convention center.
Currently, their existing tenants include Ultra Foods, a full-service grocery store, C.W. Price department store, Kmart, Portillos, Taco Bell, Quiznos, America’s Best Contacts & Eyeglasses, Royal Christian Bookstore & Café, Ashley Stewart Clothing, David Samuel Clothing, Hibachi Grill, and U.S. Cellular. Additionally, the mall is the home of Living Word Christian Center’s Worship Center, The Joseph Center® for Business Development, the Joseph Business School, Living Word Bible Training Center, and the Living Word World Missions Center.
BELIEFS (copied from "http://www.livingwd.org/welcome/believe/"):
This church accepts the Holy Scriptures as the revealed will of God, the all-sufficient rule for faith and practice, and for the purpose of maintaining general unity, adopts the following statement of fundamental truths:
1. We believe the Bible to be the inspired and only infallible, authoritative Word of God.
2. We believe that there is one God; eternally existent in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
3. We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, His bodily resurrection, His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in the blessed hope of His personal, visible, future return to this earth to receive to Himself His blood-bought church that it may be with Him forever.
4. We believe that the only means of being cleansed from sin is through repentance and faith in the precious blood of Christ.
5. We believe that regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential for personal salvation.
6. We believe in the redemptive work of Christ on the cross and that it provides healing of the human body in answer to believing prayer.
7. We believe that, according to Acts 2:4, the baptism with the Holy Spirit, with the evidence of speaking in other tongues, is given to Believers who ask for it.
8. We believe in the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian enables them to live a holy life.
9. We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost, the one to everlasting life and the other to everlasting damnation.
10. We believe in water baptism by immersion and observance of the Lord’s Supper.
MINISTRIES:
Living Word Christain center has several conjunct ministries:
Go Hard for Christ Youth Ministry: (
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Living Word Christain Academy: lwc-academy.org/
Tuskegee Christian Center in Tuskegee, AL: (
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Faith Minsters Aliance: (
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Living Word School of Ministry: (
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Project Eden: (
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BUSINESSES owned by Living Word Christain Center aka Bill Winston Ministries:
Joseph Business School: (
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Covenant Bank: (
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Washington Park Plaza: (
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Forest Park Plaza: (
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Royal Christian Bookstores and Cafes: (
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David Samuel: (
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Golden Eagle Aviation: (
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Great Lakes Monetary Consultants: (
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