Backstage at the Egyptian: Interview with Brendan Nelson

Interview Conducted by: Jessica Hicks – Egyptian Theatre Intern 

Brendan Nelson is the Worship Pastor at Christ Community Church in DeKalb. Christ Community Church will be hosting an event at the Egyptian Theatre on December 16th and 17th called, This is Christmas. We recently sat down with Brendan to talk more about the event as well as the church and his position in general.

Jessica: Tell me about Christ Community Church?

Brendan: Christ Community Church is a multi-site non-denominational church based out of St. Charles, IL. The church was founded in 1984 by Pastor Jim Nicodem, and has now grown to over 5,000 weekly attendees across four locations, including DeKalb. Right now, there are about 850 people who attend the DeKalb Campus. Jessica: How long have you been involved with the church? Brendan: I have been on staff with Christ Community Church for two years now. I started as the “roving” Worship Leader, traveling to a different campus each weekend. In August of 2015 I became the Worship Pastor of the DeKalb Campus. Jessica: Tell me about your position as the DeKalb Worship Pastor? Brendan: As the Worship Pastor, I oversee a volunteer team of about 30 musicians. Along with the other Worship Pastors on staff, we also select the music and service layout for each weekend with our Senior Pastor and Teaching Pastor. This goes along with leading the music at all three services each weekend. Jessica: Why do you think it is important to get involved in the community and host community events? Brendan: As a church, we love to serve our community. We believe God has given each of us certain abilities that we should use to serve others. 1 Peter 4:10 says: “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” We are a family as a church, and that extends to our community as well. We are currently serving meals at Hope Haven, providing mentors to elementary students, helping at the county nursing home, and many other serving opportunities. Jessica: Tell me about “This is Christmas” that will be at the Theatre on December 16th and 17th? Brendan: This is our third annual “This Is Christmas” at The Egyptian, and we are truly excited for this year’s production! This year, Tim Timmons will be joining the Christ Community Church band to sing some carols, and original music of his own. Along with music, there will be plenty of fun throughout the show for both children and adults! Jessica: Why do you enjoy hosting your event at the Egyptian Theatre? Brendan: The Egyptian Theatre has been extremely helpful each year for “This Is Christmas”. Alex and his staff are always available to answer questions, help with set up, or anything else that may come up. We are honored to hold the production at such a historic place in the city of DeKalb.   To buy tickets to the show on December 16th or 17th click here For more information about Christ Community Church go to their website