From a Paxton Cabin to a Limestone Sanctuary
The Congregational Church of Batavia traces its roots to 1835, when a small group of pioneers formed the Presbyterian Church of the Big and Little Woods at the cabin of Thompson Paxton, six miles southeast of what is now Batavia. By 1840 the congregation had built its first Batavia home, a shared meeting house on what is now Route 31, north of Wilson Street. In 1845 the church confirmed its anti-slavery stand by joining the Congregationalists and becoming the Congregational Church of Batavia. That interest in social justice, the congregation notes, is characteristic of the church as it exists today.
Local limestone, cut and laid by members of the congregation, was used to build the historic New England style structure that still stands at 21 South Batavia Avenue. The sanctuary was completed in 1856, and over more than a century and a half the building has been added to and renovated to make room for a growing list of ministries. The challenges of the twenty first century are different from those of 1835, the church says, yet the needs of people are as great as ever.
Sunday Mornings: Blended Worship in Word and Song
Worship is held every Sunday morning at 10:00 AM in the limestone sanctuary. The service blends traditional and contemporary styles and draws together prayer, music, scripture readings, and a sermon. Communion is celebrated on the first Sunday of every month and on Christmas Eve, Ash Wednesday, and Maundy Thursday. The table is open to anyone who confesses Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, including visitors and members of other denominations.
Children of all ages are welcome in worship, and parents are encouraged to bring quiet activities and a snack. The service is livestreamed on YouTube, and recordings of past services are posted to the church's YouTube channel so anyone can watch later. AudioFetch is available in the sanctuary, an app that streams the service through hearing aids or Bluetooth headphones. AudioFetch supplements a built-in telecoil option for many hearing aids and was funded through a recent capital campaign.
Communion and a Place for Children in the Pew
The church takes seriously the practice of sharing the Lord's Supper. Communion is open to all who acknowledge their need of Jesus and sincerely seek to love and serve God. Children are welcome at the table if their parents feel that they understand the significance of eating the bread and drinking the juice or wine. Communion services are scheduled for the first Sunday of each month, Christmas Eve, Ash Wednesday, and Maundy Thursday.
Nursery care is offered during worship for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, with consistent attendants and church volunteers who have cleared background checks. Children from age three through fifth grade attend the opening of worship with their families, are dismissed for Sunday School after the Passing of the Peace, and rejoin the congregation on Communion Sundays.
Nurturing Faith From Nursery Through Confirmation
The children's ministry at the Congregational Church of Batavia rests on a single rule - treat everyone as a child of God. Programs are Biblically based and built around Bible stories, crafts, games, and group activities, with a curriculum from Illustrated Ministry for Sunday School. The aim, the church says, is to nurture a love for God and a love for others and to encourage each child's development of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
A Midweek Meetup for elementary and middle school students gathers every other Wednesday from 6:00 to 7:30 PM during the school year, with mission projects, music, games, and conversation about faith. The calendar of Special Activities and events includes Vacation Bible School, the children's choir, family park and gym nights, an Advent workshop, family picnics, and participation in community events like Batfest and the Egg Hop.
Confirmation is open to students in eighth grade and above and runs from fall to May, ending with a Confirmation service. The program combines Wednesday night meetings, group conversation, mission work, and worship participation. The church puts it this way - the goal is not to give young people all the answers but to help them build the skills for a lifetime of faith.
The Middle School Youth Group for sixth through eighth graders meets on Wednesday nights, twice a month during the school year, with adult mentors forming the backbone of the program. The High School Youth Group, known as Smallies, is open to ninth through twelfth graders and centers on small-group time, mission work, and opportunities to participate in worship. Adult volunteers for both programs are screened and trained.
A Place of Music for Every Voice
Music is woven through nearly every Sunday at the Congregational Church of Batavia. The Chancel Choir sings at most 10:00 AM services from September through June, rehearsing on Wednesday evenings at 7:15 PM in Paxton Hall. The choir is open to anyone from fifth grade up who loves to sing, and singers can commit to a few Sundays rather than the whole season.
A Men's Choir and a Women's Choir each sing roughly once every two months, rehearsing on Saturday mornings before their anthem. A Children's Choir, open to children from age three through elementary school, teaches songs a cappella using solfège - the Do-Re-Mi system made familiar by The Sound of Music.
Director of Music Vicki Linich leads the staff and worship team in planning seasonal worship themes, directs the Chancel Choir, and schedules vocal and instrumental music for the services. Yajing Li, who goes by Lily, serves as organist and pianist. She holds two master's degrees in music from Northern Illinois University and teaches piano in the wider area.
Adults Growing in Faith Together
Adult Christian education has long been part of the life of the Congregational Church of Batavia. A fall adult education series brings outside presenters into the church for fellowship and learning on topics that range from Christian nationalism to early Christian writings. A four-week course led by Rev. Dr. John C. Dorhauer, author of Steeplejacking, has unpacked what Christian nationalism is and why it is a serious concern. Other recent offerings have included a two-session course on death, grief, and living well led by death doula and grief educator Kim Rich, and a study of the Gospel of Thomas and other early Jesus sayings with Dr. Michael Graves of Trinity Christian College.
The Men's Bible Study meets each Saturday at 8:00 AM by videoconference. For more than twenty-five years, the group has studied books of the Bible and Christian books recommended by its members. Since 2014 the men of the Bible study have contributed more than fifteen thousand dollars to mission outreach, including the Batavia Interfaith Food Pantry, Suicide Prevention Services, Tri-City Family Services, disaster-recovery efforts, refugee relief, and the Kay Angel Children's Home in Jacmel, Haiti.
A Women's Bible Study meets on Tuesday mornings, and Pondering with Pastor Paige offers drop-in conversation on Wednesday evenings. The church also shares Rev. Dr. Terry Gallagher's 48 Steps to a Sustainable Way of Life as a study resource for environmental justice.
Justice, Outreach, and the Batavia Legal Aid Clinic
Service to neighbors in Batavia and beyond is woven into the life of the church. The Outreach Team supports organizations like the Association for Individual Development, Fox Valley Habitat for Humanity, and the Batavia Interfaith Food Pantry with financial gifts and volunteer work. The church collects hundreds of pounds of non-perishable food and household supplies each year. Nationally, members contribute to the United Church of Christ disaster relief fund. Internationally, the church supports Growing Hope Globally, which helps farmers in under-resourced countries grow crops, and UCC mission partners who drill wells in African villages.
The Justice and Witness Team, established in 2008 and 2009, focuses on the root causes that create the need for relief. The team has worked on environmental issues, gun violence, interfaith awareness through an annual dinner co-sponsored with the Batavia Islamic Center, suicide prevention, and the Aurora Pride Parade. Through the Fox River Valley Initiative, members have helped decriminalize mental illness, train law enforcement in mental health response, develop affordable housing, and address gun violence regionally and nationally. Congregation members were involved in starting the Batavia Interfaith Food Pantry more than forty years ago and have long contributed ten percent or more of their income to outreach.
The crown jewel of this work is the Batavia Legal Aid Clinic, opened in May 2021 in partnership with Administer Justice. The clinic serves low-income neighbors - including single parents, senior citizens, veterans, and others - with free legal consultations and has helped nearly one hundred people. The clinic is open from 5:30 to 8:00 PM on the second Tuesday of every month; appointments are required and can be scheduled through Administer Justice or by calling 855-818-4554.
Batavia Nursery School and Scout Troop 43
Two long-running programs are housed in the Congregational Church of Batavia building: the Batavia Nursery School and Boy Scout Troop 43.
The Batavia Nursery School was founded in 1974 by church member Jeannie Fisk, a mother who could not find a preschool for her own child. Now a non-profit preschool open to children of all faiths, the school teaches the whole child through a multi-intelligence curriculum and offers Pre-Kindergarten and enrichment programming in alphabet, math, science, and food and fitness. The children collect food for the Thanksgiving basket, donate hats and mittens to the Giving Tree at Christmas, and sing for the congregation each year. Some of the original students of the 1970s have since enrolled their own children.
Boy Scout Troop 43 has been chartered by the church since 1913, when it was known as Troop 3 under Pastor T. H. Higginbotham, and has operated continuously as Troop 43 since September 1, 1972. The troop meets in Paxton Hall on most Monday evenings, with monthly camping trips, a week-long summer camp, and high-adventure trips for older scouts to places like Philmont in New Mexico, the Florida Sea Base, and the Boundary Waters of Minnesota.
An Open and Affirming Vision for the Whole Community
The Congregational Church of Batavia is part of the United Church of Christ, formed in 1957 when the Evangelical and Reformed Church united with the Congregational Christian Churches. The congregation has declared itself Open and Affirming and lives out the UCC tagline, whoever you are and wherever you are on life's journey, you are welcome here.
The congregation's vision statement, prepared in May 2019 and titled Vision2025, sets out four principles: to live out the welcome in concrete ways, to value growth in faith through worship and lifelong learning, to serve as the hands and feet, and heart, of Christ, and to remain flexible enough to embrace necessary change. The vision includes a long-term goal of an endowment fund to cover renovation and repair of the church facilities without incurring debt. Many members tithe, and the church has long contributed ten percent or more of its budgeted income to outreach.
The church is a Five for Five supporter of the United Church of Christ, backing all four annual UCC special mission offerings and Our Church's Wider Mission. Members pray for the world beyond Batavia and serve it. The children collect food and mittens at Thanksgiving and Christmas. The Outreach Team writes, we are committed to serving as the hands and feet, and heart, of Christ, empowered by the generous support of members and friends.
Visiting the Congregational Church of Batavia
The Congregational Church of Batavia is located at 21 South Batavia Avenue in Batavia, Illinois. Worship is held Sunday mornings at 10:00 AM in the sanctuary, and the service is livestreamed on YouTube for those who cannot attend in person. The historic limestone building dates from 1855 and includes AudioFetch and a telecoil option for hearing aids in the sanctuary. People who attend often wear what is comfortable, the church says - wear what you want, what makes you comfortable.
Office hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM, and Wednesday from 8:30 AM to 11:00 AM. The pastor and staff can be reached by phone at 630-879-1999 or by email at office@congregationalchurch.org. The church maintains an online directory through Realm and publishes a monthly newsletter called The Tower. Gifts can be made online through Realm, by texting CCOB and any amount to 73256, or by pledge. The building is available for weddings, funerals, baptisms, and facility rental for groups that fit the church's priorities.
Pastor Paige Wolfanger, a graduate of Chicago Theological Seminary who has been ordained for about two decades, shares her life with her wife, their son, and three Great Danes. She describes herself as a Bible geek and a lover of justice, and she co-hosts the Pod Be With You podcast with Rev. Aaron James.