1. Who owns Christian City?
Christian City is a conglomerate of nine 501 c 3 not-for-profit corporations and, as such, is owned by the community. It is governed by a volunteer board of trustees.

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2. Is Christian City a religious organization?
The mission of Christian City is to minister to the needs of families with particular emphasis on children, the aged and infirm.  We minister by providing residential, health and social services according the principles of the Christian faith. 

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3. Do you have to be a Christian to take advantage of the services provided at Christian City?
No. Christian City ministers to all people based on their need, not their religious beliefs. 

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4. Do you have to be a Christian to work at Christian City?
No. However, Christian City delivers all services in accordance with the principles of the Christian faith.  All employees must support and promote our core values and perform their duties in a manner consistent with those values. 

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5. Is Christian City connected with a specific religious organization?
No. Christian City was founded by a consortium of what is commonly referred to as Independent New Testament Christian Churches which banded together to help organize and establish a ministry to children and ultimately to the aged and infirm. All these churches are independent churches without a central denominational authority. Each church has a “congregational” form of government.  Through the years, many churches of all denominations have joined in the continued support of Christian City. Christian City is non-denominational in its orientation.

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6.   Does Christian City have a church on the property?
No. Christian City encourages residents to be active members of their own community of faith. However, we recognize that, as people age, it becomes more difficult for them to participate in off campus activities. So, Christian City provides opportunities for worship at various times during the week at times that would not generally conflict with activities of the church community.  For example, various churches in the community participate each week in providing a worship service at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday afternoon. These services are generally provided by Christian Churches. However, in addition to these central services, various community churches provide alternative services. For example, there is Catholic Mass, and services for Methodists and Baptists who prefer their particular expressions.

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7.  How much does it cost to live at Christian City?
It depends upon what services are needed. The costs are different for each component. Life Lease patio homes vary in price depending upon the features of the patio homes, their age and size. Our apartments are on a sliding scale so charges are dependent upon the financial capability of the resident. Our health care facilities vary widely based on the services needed. The best way to find out about costs is to visit our admissions office where your specific needs can be discussed.

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8.   Is there a waiting list for residency at Christian City?
Some of our facilities maintain a substantial waiting list. Other facilities turn over more quickly so opportunities are more plentiful.  Much depends upon the level of service desired or needed. Since this changes from time to time, the best way to explore your options is to contact our admissions office for a consultation.

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9.   Is Christian City licensed to perform its services?
Yes.  Our Children’s Village, Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Sparks Inn Assisted Living Facility and medical services are all licensed.  Our apartments are subject to the rules and regulations dictated by the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Our independent living patio homes do not require a license to operate.  All our facilities are made available on a non-discriminatory basis.

10.  Why does Christian City need money? Doesn’t Christian City receive money from the government or insurance companies?
Christian City provides a broad range of residential, health and social services to more than 1,000 residents every day of the year. Providing these services is expensive. Fortunately, there are sources of funding that cover a large percentage of our cost of operations. Among these are Medicare and Medicaid, the Veterans Administration, and the Department of Family and Children’s Services.  Some revenue is derived from private insurance and user fees.

Unfortunately, revenue from insurance and the government is insufficient to cover all of our costs. Therefore, we provide a substantial amount of “uncompensated” care.  In other words, we provide many services for which we receive no compensation from the recipient, an insurance company or the government.

To maintain our commitment to a high level of care, we generally staff our facilities and provide many services at a level higher than required by our regulatory authorities.  Unfortunately, we are not reimbursed for it.  The result is that we operate on a very low or no margin of revenue above expenses.

Most residents of Christian City are not what one might consider wealthy. The vast majority of our Nursing and Rehabilitation residents are on Medicaid or Medicare. One half of our independent retirement residents live in apartments subsidized by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The children in our Children’s Village bring no assets with them. Only about one half of the cost of operating our Village is covered by the Department of Family and Children’s Services. We do not have enough revenue to adequately reinvest in our physical plant.

The good news is that we are a group of not-for-profit, charitable organizations that are able to receive donations from the public sector on a tax deductible basis. This allows us to enlist the help of individuals, businesses, foundations and other charitable organizations to help us provide services to the needy people of this community.

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