On the corner of Benton and Washington Streets in downtown Naperville, a limestone church with stained glass and a bell tower has watched over the neighborhood since 1906. Inside, the congregation that owns it is much older than the building. First Congregational Church of Naperville traces its roots to 1833, two years after the town was established, making it the oldest organized church in DuPage County and the second Congregational church in Illinois. Members of the United Church of Christ, the congregation calls itself a community of love and justice and lives out those words: actively denouncing discrimination, caring for each other, the community, and the planet, and taking concrete steps to prove it.
From 1833 to a Landmark Sanctuary
The first worshipers at First Congregational met under a tree. After that they gathered in homes, barns, schools, and even a tent, before completing a frame church in 1846. That first structure stood on land donated by Captain Morris Sleight, whose gift carried two stipulations: there would never be a burial ground on the site, and the church would always have a bell tower. The frame church served for sixty years before being replaced by the present limestone sanctuary, which was dedicated in 1906 and stands today as a distinguished example of Gothic Revival architecture, with stained glass windows crafted by local artisans.
A parsonage was added in 1884 and removed in 1929 to make room for a Parish Hall adjoining the church, which was dedicated in 1930 with Sunday School classrooms on the ground floor and housing for the pastor's family upstairs. Further expansion in 1979 added the Community Room and basement classrooms. In 2025 the congregation decided to seek landmark status for the building, and on February 17, 2026, that status was granted, making First Congregational the first church in Naperville to receive such recognition. The decision reflects what the congregation describes as its commitment to preserving its heritage and honoring the architectural beauty, rich history, and ongoing mission of a community that has shaped Naperville for nearly two centuries.
The Stained Glass Who Is Who
Many of the windows in the sanctuary honor Naperville figures who belonged to the congregation and shaped the city in its early years. The largest, Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, was created in memory of member George Martin, whose daughter Caroline Martin Mitchell donated the land that became Naper Settlement, Centennial Beach, Central High School, and the Naperville Cemetery, among others. Another window honors Judge Hiram H. Cody, Sunday school superintendent for twenty-five years, who legend says ran across the street wearing only his nightclothes during the Civil War to ring the church bell and alert the townspeople as armed veterans from Wheaton tried to move the DuPage county seat.
A third window remembers James Lawrence Nichols, a German immigrant orphaned at age eight who became a popular professor at what is now North Central College. His wife, Elizabeth, fulfilled his dying wish by funding a public library in Naperville, "so that no boy or girl should be without books, as he had been." Member Jim Fancher leads a tour of the windows on video for those who want to look closer at the craftsmanship and the stories behind the glass.
Sunday Morning at Ten
Worship is the heartbeat of the church, and it happens once a week: Sunday at 10 a.m., in person and online. Greeters are on hand from before the service begins, and the sanctuary fills with a printed bulletin that lays out the morning. Each service includes prayer, song, scripture readings, and a sermon. There is an offering, but many members give electronically, so visitors are not singled out. Communion is offered on the first Sunday of each month, and the congregation makes clear that the communion table is "the table of God, not of First Congregational," and that all are welcome to participate.
The church describes itself as a progressive congregation with a traditional worship service. Music is integral to that service, drawing on a wide repertoire from the baroque to modern compositions, with gospel music, spirituals, and large-scale works all part of the rotation. The service also includes a children's moment near the beginning, after which children preschool through fifth grade leave for Sunday School while the rest of the congregation continues with worship.
Coming as You Are
The church's guidance to first-time visitors is simple: come as you are. Some people wear dress clothes, some wear casual clothes, and others are more comfortable in jeans. On Sundays, visitors can park in the lot on the north side of the church or in adjacent lots, including the Guidepost Montessori School parking lot unless otherwise marked. Street parking is available, and the Van Buren Parking Deck can be entered from Benton Avenue just west of Washington Street for additional capacity. The main entrance is at the corner of Benton and Center, with accessible entrances off the parking lot. The sanctuary is closest to Center Street, while the Community Room is nearest to Washington Street.
After the service, fellowship time takes place in the Community Room at the west end of the building. Coffee, treats, and conversation are waiting, and the instruction for newcomers is to just follow the crowd.
Nursery, Sunday School, and Confirmation
The nursery opens at 9:45 a.m. and is staffed through the end of the worship service by trained, paid, and experienced caregivers. It is located on the north side of the church, between the Community Room and the sanctuary, and ushers are happy to point the way. The nursery cares for infants and toddlers through age three, and parents who prefer to keep little ones with them in the pew are welcome to do so.
Elementary Sunday School is for children from Pre-K through fifth grade. Children begin the service with their families and are invited forward for Children's Time as part of the worship service, then head to Sunday School at approximately 10:15 a.m. The program is described in the voices of the children themselves: "I love Sunday school because I love the crafts and Bible stories," says one, and another adds, "I love Sunday school because I like playing." For middle and high school students, a Youth Group meets twice a month during the school year at the beginning of the worship service. It is a parent-led cooperative that gives young people chances for fellowship, outings, service projects, and plenty of fun. Confirmation, usually during eighth or ninth grade, is a year-long program that guides youth deeper into the Bible, the history of the United Church of Christ, and their own faith.
Safety is taken seriously. The church follows a Safe Church Policy that requires background checks and training for all staff and volunteers who work with children.
A Music Program for Every Age
Music at First Congregational is built around several ensembles, each one designed to make room for a different kind of musician. The Chancel Choir, open to high school students and adults, sings music from the baroque period to modern compositions, including gospel, spirituals, and large-scale works. The choir provides music for worship about three times each month from September through May, plus Holy Week services, Christmas Eve, and a special Lenten music program. Rehearsals are held on Thursday evenings.
The Handbell Choir is multi-generational, ranging from third graders through people in their eighties and beyond, playing a three-octave handbell set to enhance worship. Some musical training and a basic sense of rhythm are recommended. For those who would rather ring chimes than bells, the Chimeringers prepare music that is just as enjoyable and a little easier. The children of the congregation make up Joyful Sound, providing introit music on the first Sunday of most months, rehearsing on Sunday mornings before Sunday School class begins, and adding their voices and percussion to the service.
The Spirit Band, open to high school students and adults, provides contemporary worship music at Spirit Fest in August and a few other times during the year. Vocalists, guitarists, and percussionists are welcome. The Chancel Band is open to all ages and anyone who has ever played an instrument in a band or orchestra and would still like to play in an ensemble. Rehearsals are usually held the Saturday before the Sunday on which the band plays, and the band provides music for worship about four times each year. Director of Music Christopher Lorimer, a member of the congregation since 2003 and the music director since 2011, is the person to speak with about finding the right ensemble.
Six Core Ministries
The church is part of the national body of the United Church of Christ but operates independently as a local congregation. It owns its own building, calls its own pastor, and runs its own governance through a Council of Ministries that includes the pastor, a moderator, a treasurer, a secretary, the chairs of the six core ministries, and a member-at-large. The Council meets monthly to set goals and priorities and to make sure they happen. Representatives of other groups and individual members are welcome to attend and participate.
The six core ministries are Christian Education, Community Life, Stewardship, Missions and Social Action, Trustees, and Worship. Christian Education selects the children's curriculum, recruits Sunday School teachers, plans youth activities, and offers short-term and ongoing programs for adults. Community Life organizes coffee hours, potlucks, lunches and dinners out, small groups, book clubs, and social outings, and runs the Caring Ministry that assists with food, rides, and companionship when needs arise. The Prayer Team prays for those facing difficult times, and Community Life also welcomes new members and helps them step into the life of the church.
Stewardship encourages members to share not only financial resources but time and talents, conducting the annual pledge campaign and highlighting the giving of time and talent in bulletins and newsletters. Missions and Social Action is the church's engine for justice work, described in more detail below. Trustees are responsible for building and grounds, personnel policies, and financial management, managing investments and endowments and overseeing projects large and small. The Worship Ministry coordinates greeters, liturgists, scripture readers, the sound and video streaming teams, sanctuary preparation, communion, music, and special events.
Social Activities That Bring People Together
The church has long been a place where members and visitors get to know each other outside of worship. Activities throughout the year typically include a Chili Cookoff, Ladies' Lunch, Lunch Bunch, Meet-Greet-and-Eat, Men's Discussion, Men's Lunch, Music With A Mission, parties of all kinds, a Prayer Team, Women's Book Club, and Women's Spiritual Gathering. Each October, an intergenerational group of families, couples, and friends joins other communities of faith for the CROP Hunger Walk, raising money for hunger relief locally and around the world.
The weekly newsletter, The Leaflet, keeps members informed, and an active Facebook page shares the same news with a wider audience. The events calendar is updated regularly, with seasonal offerings that vary from soup luncheons and stewardship brunches to concerts in the sanctuary.
Missions and Social Action
The congregation has a long history of service and social justice activism that reaches back to the abolitionist movement and the Underground Railroad. Today the Missions and Social Action Ministry leads the church in work that includes environmental action, food and clothing drives, holiday gift drives, Naperville Pride Fest, the Ronald McDonald House, DuPage Pads, the Illinois assault weapons ban, supporting refugee families in conjunction with World Relief, and monetary and hands-on support for a partner congregation in Angola.
Recurring drives include a styrofoam recycling collection, a sneaker sweep, and food staples drives for the West Suburban Community Pantry. The food staples most needed are canned tuna and chicken, peanut butter, canned beans, spices and oil, whole grains, rice, pasta, canned fruits and vegetables, salad dressing, and toilet paper. Diaper drives have partnered with the West Suburban Food Pantry, which at one point was providing one hundred boxes of diapers and two hundred packs of wipes every month.
Music With A Mission, founded by Music Director Christopher Lorimer, offers free performances in the sanctuary on a seasonal basis to make the musical arts more accessible to more people, with a goodwill offering at each concert benefiting a community nonprofit.
Open and Affirming Since 1997
First Congregational has officially been an Open and Affirming (ONA) congregation of the United Church of Christ since 1997. The church's commitment to LGBTQIA+ inclusion reaches back decades and has shaped its public witness. The congregation has hosted Youth Outlook, the first and longest-running social service agency in Illinois solely dedicated to supporting LGBTQ+ youth, since 1998. In 2005 the church called an openly lesbian associate pastor, the Rev. Katie Morrison. Members have marched in local Pride parades, and in 2019 the church participated in its first blessing of a gender transition. The UCC itself was the first mainline denomination to call for marriage equality in 2005.
The church's theology, in the words of its own statement, is that every single person was created in God's sacred image, and so the more diverse the community, the more it honors that image. The result is a congregation that welcomes people regardless of age, gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, ethnic background, socio-economic status, or physical and mental abilities, "for all of you are one in Christ Jesus."
Community Partners in the Building
The church building at 25 East Benton serves as a sanctuary and a hub of activity for groups, clubs, and organizations, several of which are housed there at greatly reduced or no rent as part of the church's commitment to them. Current partners include:
- Community Access Naperville (CAN), which works to empower people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to work in, contribute to, and enjoy their community.
- Music with a Mission, which offers free performances in the sanctuary and directs its goodwill offerings to community nonprofits.
- Say No to Coal, a non-partisan coalition that the church is proud to be a founding member of, dedicated to sustainable energy solutions that protect Naperville's families and businesses and the planet.
- Youth Outlook, the Illinois agency dedicated to supporting LGBTQ+ youth through drop-in centers, caregiver and parent support, community education, and professional development.
The Building and Its Spaces
The church's stone sanctuary seats up to 250 people for weddings, memorials, recitals, and similar events. Its curved wooden pews with padded benches, stained glass windows, air conditioning, and sound system have welcomed community gatherings for more than a century. It can be rented for $150 an hour.
Below and beside the sanctuary, the church offers a number of other spaces for events, meetings, and film or photo shoots. The Community Room, a large, recently remodeled space with a video projection system, wireless microphones, a full-service kitchen, and ADA accessible restrooms, holds 125 people at tables and chairs, 175 in theatre style, or 200 for a standing reception. The Clark Rooms offer a flexible classroom and meeting space that can be rented as one large room or split into three sections. The Fireside Room, with a decorative fireplace, seats about 10 in a circle and up to 25 in classroom seating. The Library, recently remodeled, seats 10 around an executive conference table and includes a large flat-panel display. Three classrooms, each about 400 square feet, are also available for rent, with kid-friendly furniture and a piano in the music room.
The building is ADA accessible, and a parking map is available to visitors. Barbara Bailey, the church's administrative assistant and building manager since 1998, also serves as the church's wedding coordinator.
How to Give
The church's mission is supported in three main ways. Online giving can be done through Zelle, using the address fccfinance@loveandjustice.org, for direct, fee-free transfers, or through Continue to Give, a secure platform for churches and nonprofits with a small fee. Cash or check can be placed in the collection boxes during every worship service or dropped off or mailed to the church office. The church also accepts planned and legacy gifts, including bequests, stock and securities donations, and real estate.
The People Who Lead
Pastor Kari Nicewander holds a theology degree from Harvard Divinity School, where she studied the intersection of religion and public policy. She served as an ordained minister in several congregations, including eight years as Senior Minister at Immanuel Congregational Church in Hartford, Connecticut, and lived for three years in Lusaka, Zambia, working on HIV/AIDS education. Kari was a founding member of the Greater Hartford Interfaith Action Alliance, where she led three successful legislative campaigns on housing, educational equity, and criminal justice reform. She is a certified racial justice trainer and has written for numerous publications, including the contributing-author volume Trans-Kin, which won the 2013 International Book Award for LGBTQ Non-Fiction.
Christopher Lorimer, Director of Music Ministry since 2011, has sung professionally in the Chicago area for over forty years. He teaches voice at Wheaton College, maintains a private voice studio, and has served on the board of the Chicago Chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing. He and his wife Valerie live in Naperville and have two daughters.
Denise Majewski, the Christian Education Coordinator, brings a background in communications, sociology, public service management, and social work to her work with the church's children and youth programs.
Sue Flaatten, the organist and accompanist, is a graduate of the University of North Carolina and an active member of the American Guild of Organists, currently serving as registrar of the Fox Valley chapter. She has been part of the music team since 2010.
Barbara Bailey has been the church's administrative assistant and building manager since 1998, coordinating newsletters, bulletins, annual reports, building issues, and rentals, and serving as the church's wedding coordinator.
Amy Ervin, the bookkeeper, holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Elmhurst College and works part time at the church alongside part-time roles at churches in Oswego and Aurora.
What We Believe
First Congregational's own statement of faith is brief and direct. The congregation welcomes all who come to its place of worship and whose desire is to praise God and to seek Christ, and it describes itself as having an accepting, caring, and nonjudgmental spirit, renewing faith and restoring power for living. A central foundation of the church is a dedication to justice and peace issues, and the motto "love and justice" is lived out through concrete action on hunger, immigration, gun violence, LGBTQ+ rights, the environment, and racial equity.
As members of the United Church of Christ, the congregation belongs to a progressive Protestant denomination shaped by Congregationalists, Christian churches, and Evangelical and Reformed traditions, committed to the freedom of individual conscience in interpreting doctrine and scripture, bound together in covenant to walk together in community. The denomination was the first to ordain an African American, a woman, and an openly LGBTQ+ candidate, and the first to call for marriage equality in 2005. Its still-unfinished motto, "God is still speaking," is a reminder that faith is a living conversation.
Getting Involved
Newcomers are invited to drop in for a Sunday service or to fill out one of the black "Welcome Pads" in each pew to share contact information. Several times a year, the pastor holds classes for newcomers to learn more about the church and its traditions. Members and friends alike are welcome at any of the social activities, book clubs, prayer team, small groups, or service projects that take place through the year. The office is open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 630-355-1024.