A Downtown Wheaton Congregation Since 1853
For more than 170 years, Gary United Methodist Church has stood on the north side of Wheaton's downtown square at 224 North Main Street. The congregation occupies a single campus that serves as worship space, children's wing, music rehearsal hall, and mission hub for a church family that grew significantly in 2023 when nearby Aldersgate United Methodist Church merged into Gary, bringing its people, programs, and history with it. Today the church offers two Sunday services (a 9 a.m. traditional and an 11:11 a.m. blended), a deep music and arts program, a slate of children's and youth ministries, and a far-reaching mission network that includes local food pantries, refugee resettlement, Habitat for Humanity builds in Indiana, and scholarships for girls in Cambodia, Kenya, Zimbabwe, and the Chicago area.
Two Sunday Services, One Open Table
Gary Church's Sunday rhythm centers on two very different services. The 9 a.m. service is more traditional, with readings, prayers, a sermon, vibrant music, and a children's message. Communion is celebrated on the first Sunday of the month. The 11:11 a.m. service is a casual, blended atmosphere that mixes church musicians with familiar hymns and newer songs; Communion is celebrated on the first and third Sundays of the month. Both services are livestreamed from the Sanctuary, with recordings posted later in the day.
Children are welcome in the Sanctuary with their families. After the children's message at 9 a.m. and after the Scripture reading at 11:11 a.m., preschool 3s through grade 3 are invited to Kids' Church in the Lower Level. Nursery care for babies and toddlers is available throughout the morning. Between services, Sunday School meets for all ages at 10 a.m. during the school year, and a coffee time called Special Blend runs at 10 a.m. year-round in Commons E and near the Sanctuary.
The congregation teaches that God's table is open to all and welcomes everyone present to participate in Holy Communion, which is served with gluten-free bread and grape juice.
A 1930 Austin Pipe Organ and a Full Choral Program
Music sits at the center of the church's identity. The instrument anchoring the Sanctuary is a 1930 Austin pipe organ built by the Austin Organ Company of Hartford, Connecticut, at an original cost of $15,900. It contained 26 ranks and served the congregation for 60 years without change. In 1990, a solid-state combination action was installed in the console and tonal additions were made. The Bradford Organ Company of Evanston took over maintenance in 2003, a 2006 console renovation added new stop jambs and keyboards, and the organ now contains 45 ranks plus console preparations for three digital ranks in the pedal. A trompette-en-chamade was added in 2011 and first played on Easter Sunday that year; it was revoiced in 2025 and premiered in its new voice on Easter Sunday 2025, then featured at a 95th anniversary Pipe Organ Celebration in May 2025 that brought together former and current Gary Church organists.
The music ministry is led by Director of Music Joshua Velez, a versatile performer and educator who commands genres from classical to gospel, jazz, musical theatre, sacred music, and bomba music of his Puerto Rican heritage. He earned a Bachelor of Music and Certificate in Worship Arts from the Wheaton College Conservatory of Music. The Chancel Choir (high school through adult) rehearses Thursdays from 7:30 to 9 p.m. and leads worship at 9 a.m. Collective Joy!, a praise band and contemporary ensemble for high school through adult singers and instrumentalists, rehearses Thursdays from 6 to 7:20 p.m. and leads the 11:11 a.m. service. A Men's Chorus for tenors and basses meets Saturdays from 9 to 10 a.m. in the Choir Room, twice a month.
Two handbell ensembles round out the ringing program. Good News Ringers is for grades 3 through 6, and Altar Bells, for high school through adult, rehearses Wednesdays from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. in the Bell Room. A Children's Choir for age 3 through grade 5 sings in worship throughout the year. A digital suggestion box invites ideas for hymns, worship songs, and other music, and the Collective Joy! playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify so people can learn the songs sung at the 11:11 a.m. service.
The Stained Glass Windows and the Labyrinth
The Sanctuary is surrounded by fourteen stained-glass windows that visitors can study on a self-guided tour. The Courtyard holds the Gary Church Labyrinth, a spiral walking path of slightly different-colored pavers that draws people for prayer and reflection. Labyrinth facilitator Cathy Smith leads walks throughout the year, including on World Labyrinth Day, when walkers around the world step onto their local labyrinths at 1 p.m. local time to pray for peace. The church teaches that walking a labyrinth is an inward and outward journey where one can recognize the presence of God and find unity and wholeness. In a labyrinth, you are never lost.
Pastoral Leadership and the Aldersgate Merger
Senior Pastor Jonathan Crail is an ordained elder in The United Methodist Church with more than 25 years of pastoral leadership in the Northern Illinois Conference. He previously served Gary Church as an associate pastor from 2009 to 2013, then served as senior pastor of First United Methodist Church in DeKalb, where under his leadership the congregation completed a successful capital campaign and constructed a new church facility without debt. He holds a Master of Divinity from Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary, a master's degree in international affairs focused on Southeast Asia from Ohio University, and a bachelor's degree in political science from Wheaton College. He and his wife Rhodalyne have shared how thrilled they are to be returning to Gary Church.
Pastor Daniel Cochran joined the staff by way of the merger with Aldersgate UMC in south Wheaton. He is passionate about working with others to offer intergenerational worship services, engaging faith formation opportunities, and creative ministries that encourage personal and social transformation through God's abundant grace and radical love. He holds a BA in Religious Studies and Classics from the University of Rochester, an MDiv from Harvard Divinity School, and a PhD in Art History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is the author of Building the Body of Christ, which explores the role of visual art in shaping early Christian communities. An Eagle Scout and avid outdoorsman, he enjoys fly fishing, alpine skiing, tent camping, and traveling with his wife Lauren (an ordained Presbyterian pastor) and their two children.
Jennifer Castino serves as the Welcome Ministry Coordinator, helping visitors and new members find a sense of belonging. Since joining Gary in 2013 she has been involved in many church ministries and especially enjoys teaching Kids' Church and Vacation Bible School.
Gary Kids: From Nursery Through Fifth Grade
Children are a vital part of the faith community, and the church's goal is to partner with families to share the love of God with children and nourish lifelong relationships with Christ Jesus. Carey Williams Bebar, Director of Christian Education, oversees the children's programming with a background in philosophy and theatre that she brings to work with the very young and the young at heart.
On Sunday mornings, Kids' Church for preschool 3s through grade 5 meets in the Lower Level after the Scripture reading at both services. On the fourth Sunday of the month during 9 a.m. Kids' Church, all children preschool 3s through grade 5 are invited to the Lower Level to use their helping hands to help local, national, and global neighbors in a program called Helping Hands. Sunday School for preschool through grade 5 meets at 10 a.m. in the Lower Level, and a special Second and Third Grade Bible class runs through the fall to help students become more familiar with their Bibles.
Camp Gary is a Friday day-camp ministry for preschool through grade 5 offered on school days off, with games, stories, songs, crafts, snacks, and free time, and access to a quiet workspace stocked with coffee and donuts for parents who want to stay. Connect, a Wednesday evening ministry, brings families together for a shared meal, then offers kids Bible-based crafts, games, and music while parents gather for guided conversation about the joys and challenges of raising a family. Family (Day) Camp at Herrick Lake Forest Preserve combines an afternoon of fishing, hiking, games, and a potluck cookout with Family Camp worship. The children's choir sings in worship, and elementary and middle schoolers are invited to serve as acolytes.
Vacation Bible School is a four-day summer program in downtown Wheaton for 4-year-olds through incoming fourth graders, run by vetted adult and teen volunteers, many of them professional educators. Kids travel in small groups of five to eight through stations including Music, Imagination Station, Sticky Scripture, Snacks, Games, and Bible Adventure, with an optional take-home gizmo each day. A $35 per-participant fee covers a VBS T-shirt, snacks, and supplies, with scholarships available.
Gary Youth: Middle School and High School
At Gary Church, youth are the now. The youth ministry, led by the Director of Youth Ministry, seeks to help every middle school and high school student take steps toward a deeper relationship with Christ by building a youth ministry that is both meaningful and safe. The youth director joined the staff in April 2020 after serving as the associate pastor of Christ UMC in Rockford, Illinois, and holds a Master of Divinity from Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary.
Sunday morning at 10 a.m., middle schoolers meet in the Middle School Youth Room to grow in their understanding of the Bible through storytelling, creative reflection, and dialogue. High schoolers gather in the Commons for Special Blend fellowship and a meaningful guided discussion. On weekday evenings during the school year, Middle School meets Wednesdays from 7 to 8:30 p.m. and High School meets Thursdays from 7 to 8:30 p.m., with games, learning, small group, and prayer around a connected monthly theme. The 4:12 Youth Band invites students who play an instrument, want to learn one, or love to sing to lead worship music together, with all skill levels welcome.
The youth program travels for retreats and summer camp, including a fall retreat with the Northern Illinois Conference at Camp Timber-lee in East Troy, Wisconsin, with three modern worship and teaching sessions, small-group discussions, devotional time, two campfires, and activities such as fishing, zip-lining, axe throwing, and access to the science center. Mission trips have sent the youth team to repair homes in Appalachia and to work on a reservation.
Adult Study and Fellowship
Adult education is a major piece of Gary Church's ministry. Carey Williams Bebar oversees offerings for both children and adults, and a wide slate of Bible studies, book discussions, fellowship groups, and topical series runs throughout the program year.
Long-running weekly groups include the Monday evening Old Testament video study, a 12-week series led by Dr. Daniel Somboonsiri that follows Dr. Sandra Richter's framing of the Old Testament as one sweeping story of God's redeeming grace. The Tuesday Morning Study Group, led by Jeff Bray and meeting in Commons A at 10 a.m. from September through May, journeys through the gospels, starting with Mark. The Men's Bible Study, meeting Tuesdays from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Anderson Room, engages Charles Bryant's Rediscovering Our Spiritual Gifts in a six-week challenge. The Women's Bible Study meets Wednesdays at 3 p.m. in the Anderson Room and works through Adam Hamilton's The Holy Spirit before moving into a video program from The Great Courses on Jesus and His Jewish Influences.
The Anti-Racist Book Club meets monthly on the fourth Wednesday at 7 p.m., exploring books and films together. Past selections have included Tricia Hersey's Rest Is Resistance, led by Carey Williams Bebar, and Beronda L. Montgomery's When Trees Testify, led by Elaine McCluskey. The church affirms The United Methodist position that racism is a sin and is incompatible with Christian teachings, and provides a long reading list of books, films, and podcasts as resources for understanding systemic racism in America.
Grief Matters, a small group for people who have experienced grief recently or years ago, meets Thursdays from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. for a season, using resources from Dr. Bill Webster along with other materials.
The Class Meeting, a small group inspired by the Methodist tradition, laughs, prays, and encourages one another in Christ; each group decides its own best day and time. United Women in Faith (formerly United Methodist Women) Circles are small groups that develop supportive fellowship and expand concepts of mission, with options that include the Joy Circle (knitting and stitching), the Susanna Wesley Circle, and a card-making group that meets Thursdays at 1 p.m. in the Heritage Room to send milestone, sympathy, and thinking-of-you cards.
The Walkers & Talkers Fellowship meets Thursdays at 9:30 a.m. in the Commons for coffee and conversation. Methodist Mahjong, a no-gambling, no-pressure version of the game, meets on the second Friday of the month from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Commons. Game Night for bridge, dominoes, and other games runs on the fourth Friday from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Men's pickleball meets Mondays at 7 p.m. in the Activity Center. The Fourth Friday Breakfast meets at 8:30 a.m. at a local restaurant on East Roosevelt Road. A semimonthly men's breakfast gathers on the second and third Saturdays of the month at 7:30 a.m. at Egg'lectic Cafe on North Hale Street. Monday morning golfers play most Monday mornings in the spring, summer, and fall at a different course each week, with a Florida trip in March.
Mission and Outreach: Local, National, Global
Mission is a defining feature of Gary Church, and the congregation's giving consistently ranks in the high five figures for both local and global work. Recent annual totals have included more than $90,000 and nearly $119,000 in mission support.
Local mission partnerships are extensive. The People's Resource Center in Wheaton receives volunteers on Wednesdays from 2:45 to 6 p.m. for food distribution; the PRC also collects rice, dry pasta, peanut butter, diapers in sizes 5 to 7, bar soap, toothpaste, tuna, and soups. DuPage PADS receives supplies in a bin in the Commons. Outreach Community Ministries provides mental health and social services for children, families, and seniors. ESSE (Ecumenical Support Services for the Elderly) provides adult day care, meals, and on-site activities. Bridge Communities offers a transitional housing program focused on self-sufficiency. Midwest Shelter for Homeless Vets is supported with an Amazon wishlist. JUST of DuPage ministers to the incarcerated men and women at DuPage County Jail. Radical Time Out provides a meal and Bible study for former prisoners and their families. CROP Walk raises funds to support hunger needs locally and internationally. Christmas Sharing is a community-wide program of outreach to families and individuals in need.
International and domestic mission partners include Feed My Starving Children, Heifer Project International, Habitat for Humanity, Red Bird Mission School in Kentucky, South Sudan Voices of Hope, the ILJ (Immigration Law and Justice) Network, and United Voices for Children. A long-running partnership with the Habitat for Humanity affiliate in Lafayette, Indiana, sends volunteers to build homes a short drive from Wheaton. The Good Neighbor Team works with World Relief, a refugee resettlement non-profit that started in Wheaton, helping families integrate into the community and providing welcome kits to help set up apartments for incoming families. A common-ground garden at Atten Park in Wheaton grows produce for local food pantries. The Blessing Bag project, started in 2008, distributes vinyl backpacks filled with thermal blankets, gloves, hats, food, first aid products, and a fun game or treat to unhoused people in DuPage County.
Quarterly blood drives collect enough units to save as many as 171 lives in a year, and a steady stream of pop tabs goes to the Ronald McDonald House in Winfield. A youth mission team travels each summer to repair homes in Appalachia. Cookies baked by church bakers raise thousands for missions at the annual Christmas Cookie Walk.
Educate a Girl / Change the World
Educate a Girl / Change the World, which began in 2021, is a Gary Church mission that provides scholarships to help educate girls and young women around the world. The mission has supported students from Cambodia, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Uganda, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique, and the Chicago area, partnering with organizations including The United Methodist Church's Global Ministries' The Advance and Chicago's MyBlockMyHoodMyCity.
Recipients have included a young woman who graduated from Meharry Medical College in Nashville and is now in her medical residency; a graduate of Columbia College in Chicago; one of the first EAG recipients, who completed her Bachelor's degree in International Studies at Africa University in Zimbabwe in 2024 and is now in graduate school there; a young woman continuing her veterinary studies at Michigan State; a student working full time and on track to graduate from National Louis University; and a student who switched to a business focus at a city college and is planning to get certified as a medical assistant. Younger recipients are in preschool, primary school, middle school, and high school in Cambodia, Kenya, Uganda, and South Sudan.
The Gary Homework Club and World Relief Tutoring
A newly expanded tutoring program, the Gary Homework Club, partners with World Relief to create additional volunteer opportunities working with K-5 and grades 6-12 students on homework and academic skills. The program runs during the school year on Wednesdays from 5:30 to 7 p.m. and needs volunteers in four roles: transportation (drivers and adult passengers following Safe Sanctuaries procedures), welcome and set-up support, tutoring, and special activities such as art, crafts, games, or music for 25-minute sessions.
Social Justice and Anti-Racism
The Church and Society ministry at Gary Church embraces the vision statement of The General Board of Church and Society, Living Faith, Seeking Justice, Pursuing Peace. The congregation participates in Wheaton Ally Collective's Picnic with Pride LGBTQ+ family event in June, helping to stuff goodie bags and run a lawn games station at Memorial Park. On June 19, members participate in Wheaton's Juneteenth celebration at Memorial Park.
Western Suburban Christians Against Christian Nationalism, an emerging ecumenical group currently meeting at Gary Church, focuses on education, awareness, networking, and formation, curating a network across Christian denominations to share resources for worship, adult education, and youth programming. The group has hosted Dr. Matthew D. Taylor, senior Christian scholar at the Institute for Islamic, Christian and Jewish Studies in Baltimore, for a presentation on the rapidly changing landscape of American Christian nationalism and Christian extremism.
The Green Team and Creation Care
The Green Team continuously looks for ways to care for God's creation, drawing on The United Methodist Church's Social Principles: Community of All Creation. The team has operated a Styrofoam recycling ministry for several years, with quarterly collection Sundays that send the material to the Dart Container Corporation 24/7 public recycling center in North Aurora. Members are encouraged to bring their own reusable dishes and utensils for all church food and fellowship opportunities, including when they provide treats. The Gary Gardeners maintain and beautify the church's gardens and grounds throughout the spring, summer, and fall.
Membership, Baptism, and the Welcome Statement
Baptism is a sign of God's grace and marks the beginning of a lifelong journey as disciples of Jesus Christ. Persons of any age may be baptized at Gary Church: infants, children, youth, and adults. Baptism of infants and young children is a celebration of promises: God's promise to love and claim us forever, parents' and sponsors' promises to teach the child about Jesus, and the congregation's promise to share in that work. When children reach confirmation age in eighth grade, they are invited to profess their personal commitment to following Jesus Christ. Baptisms take place during a regular Sunday morning worship service (not on the first Sunday of the month, when Communion is celebrated); baptismal preparation involves worshipping with the congregation several times and attending a preparatory session with one of the pastors.
Membership is open to those who complete an Exploring Membership class, where they meet newer folks, ask questions, get better acquainted with pastors and staff, learn what it means to be United Methodist, and learn about the history of the Gary Church congregation. New members are received during worship several times each year.
The congregation's Welcome Statement proclaims that all people are created in the image of God and have inherent sacred worth and dignity, and that following the example of Jesus Christ, Gary Church celebrates people of any age, gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, ability, marital status, life circumstance, and faith background. The mission statement of the church is to grow in joyful faith and serve all in love.
Scouting and Preschool
Troop 35 is chartered at Gary Church, and the church hosts scouting activities for young people in the area. Gary Preschool, founded in 1969, served approximately 2,300 students over 55 years through stories, creative play, and classroom activities before the 3-year-old and 4-year-old classes closed at the end of the 2024-2025 school year. A committee is exploring the possibility of a reimagined program that would better meet the needs of the community.
Visiting Gary Church
First-time visitors will find Gary Church at 224 North Main Street, with the main office open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Parking is available in the church's west lot, including accessible parking spaces. On Sunday mornings, overflow parking is available at the Hultgren Funeral Home lot to the north (when there is no funeral) and the Clare Woods Academy lot at the northeast corner. The building is wheelchair accessible, with an elevator and wheelchair accessible restrooms. Assistive hearing devices and large print hymnals are available in the Sanctuary. Doors may be locked on Sunday mornings when no greeter is posted; visitors can use Door 5, near the parking lot, where a doorbell and phone number provide access. On a Sunday morning you will see everything from suits to jeans, so visitors are welcome to wear what they find most comfortable. The Health Team follows the safety recommendations of government agencies and the Northern Illinois Conference: visitors who are sick are asked to stay home, masking is welcome but not required, hand sanitizer and masks are available in the Sanctuary and at the Welcome Desk, Communion stewards serve individual pieces of bread and cups of juice (with prepackaged juice and wafer cups also available), and fist or elbow bumps are offered in lieu of handshakes.
Sunday morning offerings can be given online, by texting GIVE to (630) 320-0668, or in person. Members are invited annually to share their spiritual gifts and financial resources through the stewardship campaign to help the congregation grow in joyful faith and serve all in love.