OVERVIEW
We are a non-affiliated Baptist church with a strong Scriptural and evangelical emphasis. Our congregation is diverse in its background and traditions. We tend to focus on those things which unite evangelical Christians rather than on those which narrowly divide.
Our church strives to be a friendly, caring community of believers that functions as a family. We have ministry for and by all ages with cross-generational interactions. We also seek to strengthen and support the families within our congregation through our ministries and programs.
We seek to be a place of healing in Christ's love for those who are hurting and a place of growth and equipping for service in Christian living. While our faith and relationship with God is individual, we also recognize the importance of learning, growing, and serving together within a local church body.
OUR BELIEFS AND PURPOSE
The following statements from our Confession of Faith and Constitution outline the purpose and some of the beliefs of our church. But they only begin to describe who we are. We pray that through the words of this Profile you will sense God's leading and work among us for His glory.
We believe that mankind is sinful both by nature and by choice, and that God reconciles the sinner to himself by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ alone. We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, given by the Holy Spirit through inspired men, are the Word of God, and therefore are the supreme authority for our faith and life. (Statements from Confession of Faith)
The PURPOSE of this church shall be to declare and demonstrate the gospel of Jesus Christ to its constituency, its community, and to the world. It shall provide the vital experiences of worship, fellowship, growth, and ministry in order to make its calling effective. (Constitution, Article II)
PROGRAMS AND MINISTRIES
Worship - Our worship services seek to bring glory to God through praise, thanksgiving, prayer, and preaching from His Word. We currently have one primary time of corporate worship on Sunday at 9:30 a.m.. Congregational singing, both hymns and choruses, corporate prayer, choir anthems or other special music, sharing as a community, and learning from Scripture, all contribute to this time of worship. Average attendance during the Sunday morning service has been 365 over the past year with a range of 288 to 650.
Sunday School - Sunday School, is our most comprehensive program for teaching and nurturing the Christian life. Classes are provided for nursery through adult, and run concurrently with the worship services. Attendance in Sunday School has averaged approximately 200 during the past year.
Music - Our music ministry seeks to motivate and facilitate Christians to worship God. Recognizing the depth of worship music from the past, it is our desire to blend past with present. Our music is expressed in a diversity that is both purposeful and appropriate. Congregational singing includes hymns, spiritual songs, and contemporary choruses.
The Chancel Choir participates in the 9:30 a.m. Sunday morning worship service and presents several concerts each year. The Worship Team (vocalists and instrumentalists) are also involved. Various instrumental and vocal ensembles participate periodically in the worship services and in special programs. During the summer, Sunday morning services begin with a twenty minute pre-service concert featuring a variety of soloists and ensembles.
Missions - Our church is strongly committed to the support of missions. We provide partial support for twenty-five (25) American families or individuals serving in eleven (11) countries, and seven (7) foreign nationals serving in their own countries. Approximately one third of our total church budget goes to direct support of missionaries and mission agencies. Thirteen of our currently supported missionaries grew up in or were members of our church. Our missionaries are involved in evangelism, church planting, church leadership training, youth work, medical services, mission aviation, Bible translation, services to the urban poor, and a wide variety of support activities.
In addition to financial support, we (a) publish a monthly summary of prayer letters and mission information for our congregation, (b) maintain regular communication with our missionaries through correspondence, telephone and personal contact, (c) sponsor several mission emphasis weekends each year, with opportunities for the missionaries to speak to the whole church and to meet informally with small groups or individuals, (d) encourage regular prayer support for our missionaries, and (e) have a strong and continuing involvement in inner-city outreach to urban poor. We also provide support for some of our people to participate in special mission activities and short-term mission projects.
Small Groups - A number of small groups function in our church including men's, women's, and mixed group Bible studies, discipleship groups, and a Wednesday evening prayer meeting group. We believe that small groups are an important means for developing Christian growth and maturity. Over one half of the adults in our congregation are involved in a small group.
Men's and Women's Ministries - In addition to several Bible studies, programs for women include service projects, inspirational evenings, retreats and prayer support group. Men's activities include Bible studies, breakfasts, several sports programs, and an annual retreat.
Youth Program - The goals of
our active youth program are to lead young people to Christ and to develop
commitment to Christ and maturity in the Christian life. Junior and senior high
activities include Tuesday evening meetings with games, singing, and a time for
learning. There are also monthly socials, retreats, conferences, ministry
opportunities, and small discipleship groups. The Tuesday evening senior high
group averages thirty (30) youth while the junior high group has twenty (20).
Approximately 50% of these youth are from families outside our church.
Boys' and Girls' Clubs - A club program, involving more than one hundred (100) children, is offered on Wednesday evenings for grade school children. Activities include games, crafts, Bible studies, and field trips.
Vacation Bible School - A Vacation Bible School is held one week each summer for children age 3 through sixth grade. VBS has been a means of community outreach providing an introduction to Jesus and the Bible in a fun-filled environment. This summer over three hundred (300) children attended VBS with 80% from families outside our church.
Library - The library provides a wide range of material for reference, devotion, study, and spiritual growth including Christian fiction and non-fiction books, biographies, periodicals, videos, and audiocassettes for all ages.
Building Resources - In 2003, a major $5.9 million addition and renovation was completed. The existing facilities were completely upgraded. The addition included a new sanctuary and audio visual system.
Church Governance
- We have a congregational form of church governance which allows both men and
women to serve in all elected offices.
HISTORY
Our church was founded in 1912 by several resident families. In the beginning, it was a store front meeting house for Sunday morning worship and a neighborhood Sunday School. When the church was two years old, the congregation voted not to join the Baptist association, but rather to remain an independent autonomous church which it is to this day.
The ministry developed under many able pastors. In 1943, the church welcomed Billy Graham as pastor. Beginning during his 21 months at the church, "Songs In The Night," a well-known Sunday evening radio vesper service, was broadcast from the church.
Lloyd Fesmire pastored the church from 1945 to 1965. He continued the radio ministry of "Songs In The Night." During this time, the church's commitment to missions grew and a new sanctuary was built.
Art Brown came to the church in 1967 and retired in 1989. His pastorate brought an increased missions emphasis, particularly through outreach in the inner city. The radio program was passed along to Moody Church, where it continues to this day. A building addition was completed in 1975 housing classrooms and a Community Room. Art's ministry also strengthened a love and tolerance for other Christians resulting in the current diversity of denominational backgrounds within our congregation.
Dick Norwood pastored the church from 1989 to 1993. Under his pastorate, an informal contemporary Sunday evening service evolved and a small group intensive Bible study program was begun.
John Beukema, came to the church in 1996 and served until November 2005. A second worship service began in 1998. This continued until construction necessitated our move from the building in September 2001. For seventeen months worship services were conducted at the Western Springs Christian Reformed Church. Church offices and weekday programs were carried out in the First Baptist Church of LaGrange. The church returned to the new facility in January 2003. A tremendous amount of blessing from God was experienced, in spiritual and numerical growth, as well as ministry impact under Pastor Beukema's leadership.
Our present Pastor, Dean Monkemeier, began to serve the church in June 2007. He serves with our Youth Pastor, Mark Sisler and our Minister of Music, Terry Strandt.
FINANCES
The ministries of the church have been supported by a growing level of giving. In the last ten years the General Fund Budget has grown from $300,000 and $670,000. In the same period, the Mission Budget has gone from $140,000 to $215,000. The Mission Budget has consistently been directed to missions programs outside our local church, in accord with a longstanding tradition of personal and financial involvement in missions.
Balances in the general and designated funds fluctuate from year to year, but have usually been, and are now, positive. Historically, there have been no formal programs for stewardship, relying on the individual believer to determine his or her level of giving. The faithful financial supporters of the church are also found on the lists of faithful supporters for many individual missionaries, parachurch organizations, and Christian service ministries.
DEMOGRAPHICS -- THE CHURCH AND ITS COMMUNITY
Our church is located in the suburb of Western Springs which has a population of 12,000 and lies 15 miles west of Chicago. The community is over 100 years old and is lined with mature trees and single family homes. It was recently rated the second most desirable place to live of all the Chicago suburbs.
The population within three miles of the church is 95,497 with the average and median age of 40. Family structure in the area is largely married couples with and without children. The immediate area is highly educated with an average household income of over $100,000. The racial makeup has remained the same and is predominately white. Regarding religious affiliation, the two highest percentage groups are Roman Catholic (24%) and No Preference/Not Interested (13.5%). Baptist (8.6%) ranked sixth in a five mile radius.
Our congregation is reflective of the community in education, income, and racial make-up. Within our church, the largest age groups are 35 - 54 (33%) and under 20 (29%), and we consistently have had a significant number of families with young children. Our church has a history of welcoming attenders and participants from multi-cultural backgrounds. There has been a consistent membership of 250-300 and the majority of our congregation are very active in the life of the church.