Sonia McDonald- Director of the DeKalb Outreach Center
October 27, 2020
Christ Community Church purchased a building in DeKalb a while ago and has used it as an outreach center for the DeKalb area. It has been used on and off for community events, but now has a hired director to explore its full potential!
Meet Sonia McDonald! She is excited to start forming her vision for how God can use this building in the Pleasant Street neighborhood of DeKalb to meet the needs of the surrounding community. We thought a simple Q&A would help people get to know her and why she chose to join the Community Impact team.
1. Christ Community Church is blessed to have you join the team! Tell us a little bit about yourself and how God led you to Christ Community.
Hi, my name is Sonia McDonald and I moved here to Illinois from Wisconsin at the end of last year with my family. We relocated to Illinois for my husband to accept a position as the new Student Ministry Pastor at Christ Community’s Aurora Campus. This is what led me to Christ Community Church! My husband’s name is Gus and together we have one son named Isaac. I recently began to take up fishing with my family. To my surprise I loved it, and caught my first fish this summer! I love the holidays and our family traditions such as apple picking in the Fall, and collecting Christmas ornaments every year for our Christmas tree. In my spare time I love to watch The Office and more recently the Mandalorian, but only because of baby Yoda!
2. How have you seen Christ preparing you to take on the DeKalb Outreach Center?
Before this position I worked at Teen Challenge, a drug rehabilitation program as the Education Coordinator. I learned how drug addiction caused brokenness and through Christ, a life can be restored through discipleship. One of the beauties of this program was that it continued my exposure to people from different socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. I’ve also had the privilege to work with youth in the inner city and other diverse populations as well.
3. What is your vision for the DeKalb Outreach Center?
My vision for the Outreach Center is to become a common place and resource for people in the community. I would love to see a place where people from all walks of life can come and feel safe to partake in what God has provided the Christ Community Church Outreach Center, both as a resource and a place where we can all exchange our ideas and grow.
4. What do you believe is the greatest need that the DeKalb Outreach Center can meet?
As with any community, the biggest need right now is for the depiction of the gospel to enter the hearts and minds of people so their lives can be transformed. As an Outreach Center, It is my hope that we can begin to fulfill the spiritual needs of people in the community both by interacting with them and getting to know them. But most importantly, to show them the unconditional love of Jesus and that he died for their sins.
5. Tell us about any connections you have made already (if any) that can help you as you start with the Outreach Center.
As with any outreach that you’re doing in the community, those connections take time. Therefore, I plan to be at the DeKalb Campus as well as the Outreach Center and in the community to get to know the people.
Thanks for your words, Sonia! Christ Community Church anticipates many new friendships, connections, and partnerships with the surrounding community of DeKalb.