On Pierson Street in downtown Crystal Lake, Illinois, the First Congregational Church has been gathering people in song, study, and service for more than 175 years. The congregation belongs to the United Church of Christ and calls itself Open and Affirming, welcoming everyone into the full life of the church. Members describe their community with three short lines: Love God. Love Others. Love Yourself.
Two Sunday Services at Nine and Eleven
Worship is held in the Sanctuary at 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. every Sunday, with services running about sixty minutes each. Both services follow the same order, featuring gospel hymns sung by the congregation, accompanied by organ and special music from the Adult Vestry Choir. Each service includes reading, preaching, prayer, and music; at points the congregation stands, prays aloud, greets its neighbors, sits in silence, or reads responsively. Communion is offered to all on the first Sunday of each month. The ancient Christian practice of receiving an offering is also part of every service, and visitors are warmly invited to give as they feel led.
Greeters and ushers hand out a paper bulletin at the door to guide first-timers through the service. After worship, the church opens Schaper Hall, just outside the left doors of the Sanctuary, for coffee, lemonade, and snacks, along with a Welcome Center for anyone who would like to learn more about life at the church.
Open Minds, Open Hearts, Open Doors
First Congregational Church formally declares itself an Open and Affirming congregation. In its own statement, the church welcomes into a full life of ministry persons of every race, culture, gender, sexual orientation, gender identification, age, physical ability, and economic status. The congregation sees itself as a community of free inquiry and searching, promising to share its experience of faith while inviting others to share themselves in return.
Its covenant statement names the extravagant love of God for all people, the grace and forgiveness embodied in Jesus Christ, and the call to be a living example of Christ's welcome, acceptance, and love. A longer Statement of Faith, drawn from the United Church of Christ tradition, confesses belief in God the Eternal Spirit made known in Jesus, the gift of the Holy Spirit, the call to discipleship and costly service, and the promise of forgiveness, courage for justice and peace, and eternal life.
The United Church of Christ, to which the church belongs, is described by the congregation as a distinct and diverse community of more than 5,000 churches and nearly one million members across the United States, marked historically by its record of firsts and its commitment to extravagant welcome.
Music: A Choir for Every Age
Music is central to the identity of First Congregational Church. The music staff and volunteers have built a layered program that begins with infants and continues through adults, so that entire families can serve together. The Adult Vestry Choir sings at the Sunday services and rehearses on Wednesday evenings. Other adult choirs include the Jubilate Choir and Carol and Chancel Choir, with Ann Tucker serving as Director of Music, Toni Gambini as Bellmaster, and Barb Thorsen and Andrei Liquer as organists.
For the youngest singers, Family Music meets Thursday mornings at 9:30 a.m. for children from birth through age six, with a caregiver. Storytime follows each class. Kindergarteners through second graders are invited to Melody Makers on Sunday mornings. Third through eighth graders may join the Carol Choir or Campana Bell Choir. High school students are welcomed into the Alleluia Sound Choir and the Good Vibrations Bell Choir. Celebration Ringers is the youth handbell choir that rehearses on Wednesday evenings. The church notes that many of its high school musicians grew up in these younger ensembles, and that some current singers are second-generation members of the program.
Children, Youth, and Families
Children and families are described as the church now, not just its future. Programs are designed for every stage of growing up, led by Tyler Iscra, the Director of Children, Youth, and Families.
On Sunday mornings during the school year, infants through three-year-olds are cared for in the nursery, with care available continuously through both services. Children from infants through sixth grade may be signed in to Sunday School before each service; the Godly Play program serves PreK through third grade, and Connect serves upper elementary and middle school. All nursery providers and Sunday School teachers have completed background checks.
Faith Explorers is the elementary youth group for fourth and fifth graders, meeting roughly twice a month on Sunday afternoons for activities such as picnics, bowling, mini golf, roller blading, and games. Junior Fellowship is the middle school youth group for sixth through eighth graders, gathering on Saturday afternoons for outings that have included escape rooms, laser tag, and a winter retreat. Pilgrim Fellowship is the high school youth group for ninth through twelfth graders, meeting Sunday evenings with team building, fundraisers, a fall retreat, and a work tour. For seventh through ninth graders, the church offers Confirmation and Our Whole Lives, an eight-session comprehensive sexuality education curriculum. The two programs rotate year to year.
Wednesdays Together
Wednesday is the church's midweek anchor. The schedule opens at noon with two parallel hour-long adult classes: Adult Faith Practices in the Library, led by Rev. Emily Ann Davis, and an Adult Bible Study in the Chapel, led by Rev. Eric C. Fistler. The current Adult Faith Practices series, called One Anothering, is an eight-week course on how to engage across political difference with a Christ-like posture of hope, courage, and humility. The current Bible Study is called Not My Kingdom.
From 5:00 p.m. onward the building fills with young people and adults. Confirmation meets in the Youth Room, the Celebration Ringers rehearse in the Bell Room, and at 5:45 p.m. a community supper for all ages is served in Schaper Hall. The dinner is followed by an evening round of the same Adult Faith Practices and Adult Bible Study, alongside choir rehearsals for the Carol and Chancel Choirs, the Jubilate Adult Choir, and a final rehearsal block for the Vestry Adult Choir in the Sanctuary.
Midweek Prayer and Adult Fellowship
Tuesdays bring a quieter rhythm. At 6:00 p.m., Prayers for Peace gathers in the chapel for a thirty-minute service of quiet reflection, scripture, and prayer for all those impacted by violence and conflict around the world. The simple format is open to anyone who walks in.
Two Tuesdays a month, the church hosts a Community Lunch at noon in Schaper Hall, where guests bring their own lunch and join others at the table. The second Tuesday of each month adds Young at Heart Game Day at 1:00 p.m., an afternoon of games in Schaper Hall. The third Tuesday brings the Prayer Shawl Ministry to the Library at 1:30 p.m., where knitters and crocheters make shawls for those in need of comfort.
On Thursdays, the Women's Fellowship Luncheon meets at noon once a month in Schaper Hall with a short program and a shared meal. Saturdays include the Men's Fellowship Breakfast, hosted the second Saturday of every month at 8:00 a.m. On the third Friday of each month, the church hosts a Caregiver Support Group in the Library at 1:30 p.m., in partnership with Independence Health and Therapy.
Accessibility and the Buddies Program
First Congregational Church takes accessibility seriously. Trained adult volunteers called Buddies are paired confidentially with children who need a little extra help participating in church programs; the church has welcomed children with hearing loss, Down syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, ADHD, cognitive impairment, sensory issues, and other needs. Accessible bathrooms are available on every floor, with a wheelchair-accessible companion bathroom on the main floor. Directional signs for accessible parking and restrooms are posted around the grounds and inside the building.
A loop system feeds sound directly into hearing aids that are equipped for it, and hearing assisted devices and large print bulletins are available. The chapel entrance is fitted with automatic door openers, and Outside Accessibility Team volunteers are stationed there before services to lend a hand. In the Sanctuary, extra space has been set aside for wheelchairs, walkers, and strollers, with railings on the chancel stairs and a ramp at the back. Additional wheelchairs are kept by the chapel entrance.
Stephen Ministry and Pastoral Care
The church is supported by Stephen Ministry, a program in which congregation members are trained to provide one-to-one Christian care during tough times. Stephen Ministers walk alongside people dealing with the loss of a loved one, hospitalization, divorce or separation, loneliness, unemployment, serious illness, depression, and the challenges of aging. Anyone who would like the support of a Stephen Minister can reach out through Pastor Emily.
Outreach Beyond the Church
The Outreach ministry at First Congregational Church is built around the phrase Leading With Our Hearts. Members support neighbors in need locally, nationally, and globally through their hands, hearts, and treasure. Annual reports track giving to partner organizations and mission projects, and the church invites anyone interested in volunteering to share their skills and interests so they can be matched with opportunities that fit.
A Capital Campaign and the Future
First Congregational Church is currently in a capital campaign with a goal of $3,500,000. The campaign funds building projects on the campus, and pledges and donations can be made through the church's Realm platform. A second annual stewardship effort runs alongside the capital campaign to support the church's general operating budget.
What to Expect as a Visitor
Visitors often arrive with a bit of fear and trembling, the church says, and they hope everyone feels warmly welcomed. Some people come in their Sunday best, others in jeans; the congregation believes God cares more about the state of the heart than the state of the attire. Dress in whatever feels appropriate.
Children of all ages are cherished. Infants through three-year-olds are cared for in the nursery, and children through sixth grade may attend Sunday School. The building is set up to welcome wheelchairs, walkers, and strollers, and greeters at the chapel entrance can help with doors and directions. The Sunday morning sermon is also livestreamed, and recent services, archives, cantatas, and podcasts are available through the church's media page. Visitors who want to take a next step are invited to fill out a visitor form online; Pastor Emily reaches out personally to follow up.
Office hours run Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and the building is on Pierson Street in Crystal Lake, where First Congregational Church has been a spiritual home for more than 175 years.