Grace Lutheran Church occupies a 25-acre campus at Route 14 and Kishwaukee Valley Road in Woodstock, Illinois. Founded in 1907, this Evangelical Lutheran Church in America congregation is known for a mission that reaches through every part of its life: Sharing God's Grace. The phrase comes alive in Sunday worship at 9 a.m., music ranging from organ and bells to a contemporary band, education from preschool through adulthood, and service that includes food distribution, emergency assistance, sewing and hands-on partnerships.
Grace is rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ and welcomes people regardless of background or previous church affiliation. Its sanctuary and lower level host worship, learning, music, fellowship and service, while the wider campus brings together Scout troops and community groups. Visitors can join worship in person or through the church's YouTube channel, see children included in the service, and encounter a congregation whose history and work remain centered on sharing grace with one another, with Woodstock and McHenry County, and through the wider church body with the world.
A Century on Kishwaukee Valley Road
Grace began early in 1907 when friends from St. John's German Lutheran Church met to form another Lutheran congregation. They wanted their children to worship in an English-speaking church, wanted to share in an insurance program and also belong to their lodge. Frank Foote, Frank Wienke, William Kiel and Malte Schwabe turned that conversation into action by seeking advice from Reverend William Eckert in Racine, Wisconsin. Their inquiry reached Reverend A. C. Anda, western superintendent of Home Missions for the General Council of the Lutheran Church of North America.
Reverend Anda came to Woodstock on March 7 and found enough support for another congregation. On March 17, Grace held its first service in the rented German Presbyterian Church on Washington Street, with 75 people attending. Three months later, on June 23, 115 people signed the charter and newly ordained Reverend Henry Behrens became the first pastor. They named the congregation Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church.
The young congregation soon bought the German Presbyterian building, constructed in 1881, for $2,000. One early improvement was electric lights for $5, and the pastor worked beside the men as they dug out a basement for the heating plant. In 1924, the Ladies' Aid Society raised the $5,000 needed to buy the Moller organ, which remains in the sanctuary at the present location. Grace's growth also reached beyond Woodstock: a congregation in Richmond was begun in 1939, followed by Nativity Lutheran Church in Wonder Lake in 1952.
The third pastor, Reverend Robert L. Hooker, led a major remodeling that added a modern facade and tower, a west wing and an entirely new basement with two kitchens. An educational wing and connecting foyer followed in 1960. By the late 1970s, the aging building and limits on ministry prompted a 16-member task force. The congregation voted in 1979 to relocate, purchased property at Kishwaukee Valley Road and U.S. Route 14, and broke ground in 1983. The new home was dedicated in 1984. An addition dedicated in 1993 brought a parlor, an expanded nursery, two classrooms and Luther Hall, a social hall and gymnasium.
Long-serving pastors helped shape the congregation's life. Reverend Roger C. Kaufman served for 44 years and received an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree in 1938. Amanda Bergstrom, called as associate pastor in 2011, became lead pastor on March 21, 2021.
Rooted in Grace, Open to All
Grace's mission is to gather and serve to Share God's Grace with one another, the community, the wider church body and the world, bearing witness to God's love for all people. Worship, music, education, children and family activities, small groups, outreach, discipleship and leadership all rest on that purpose. The congregation is also committed to partnering with Woodstock, and its ministry with the poor includes both financial support and the time and talents of Grace members.
As Lutheran Christians, Grace teaches that people are saved by God's grace rather than by what they do, through faith alone. Christ's death redeems believers, their sins are forgiven, and the Bible is a guide for faith and life. Grace welcomes people regardless of background or previous church affiliation and calls them sisters and brothers in Christ. It also recognizes other churches as legitimate in God's sight and joins their ministries to relieve suffering, champion justice and care for creation.
Grace belongs to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and to the Northern Illinois Synod, where it is one of the largest congregations. This relationship places its local work within a wider fellowship of churches and agencies that address hunger, education, justice and human services.
Sunday at Nine: Word, Sacrament and Song
Sunday worship begins at 9 a.m. in the sanctuary and continues through the Grace Lutheran Church YouTube channel. The recording remains available after Sunday morning. Grace's worship pattern is gathering, word, meal and sending, centering the service on proclamation of God's word and Holy Communion. Communion is offered at every weekly service. All who believe are welcome to receive it, while anyone without prior Communion instruction may receive a blessing.
Music is central to the experience and takes many forms. The worship music life includes adult and youth choirs, praise teams, children's choirs, a worship band, large-group ensembles and handbell ringers. The Moller organ remains part of the sanctuary. Music can range from traditional Lutheran liturgy and hymns to contemporary songs and Bluegrass liturgy, allowing different styles to share the same Sunday service.
Children are explicitly welcome in worship. A children's message is included each Sunday to share the good news of Jesus with the youngest children. Holy Baptism is offered at designated services during the year for adults, children and infants. The congregation's worship teams include readers, ushers, greeters, communion assistants, altar guild members, children's sermon leaders, coffee ministry volunteers and audiovisual and livestream technicians, giving worship broad active participation.
Faith Learning for Every Generation
Children, Confirmation and High School
Grace's campus is active throughout the week, and its education ministries are designed for each stage of life. Sunday School serves children from age 3 through sixth grade on most second and fourth Sundays from late August through May. Classes begin after the 9 a.m. worship with music, then move into small-group classrooms before dismissal at 11. Occasional off-site service projects are part of the program. Children traditionally receive First Communion in first grade, although families may participate at any age after attending a preparation class.
Confirmation is a two-year program primarily for seventh- and eighth-grade students. Wednesday evening classes from late August through early May combine study, notes, intentional worship participation, service and summer camp as students prepare for the Affirmation of Baptism. The high school youth group serves grades 9 through 12 in a safe, welcoming setting centered on friendship, faith, inclusive activities and fellowship. Preschool, college-age and young-adult learning are also part of the education priorities.
Book Club, Library and Summer Learning
Adults have several ways to study. The Sunday Book Club meets most Sundays from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in the parlor for small-group discussion. Adults can join a committee, lead or participate in a study group, or attend a speaker event. The Grace Library contains more than 2,000 books on Bible history, faith, Christian life, theology, prayer, family life and social concerns, plus more than 500 children's books and Bible-story DVDs. Summer Vacation Bible School, confirmation, high school youth, adult learning and scholarships for religious education round out the education ministry.
Two endowed funds support study after high school. The Readel Memorial Scholarship Fund supports programs whose primary purpose is religious education, while the Allen Memorial Scholarship Fund supports undergraduate students attending accredited Lutheran colleges.
Choirs, Bells, Games and Shared Tables
Music leadership includes organist Janice Burns, Laudate and Chancel Choir Director Carrie Filetti, Cherubs and Joyful Messengers Choir Director Cindy Meyer, Revelation Ringers Director Terry Aavang and Interim Contemporary Band Director Jon Bergstrom. The many ensembles allow participation in children's, youth and adult singing, instrumental music, handbells and contemporary worship. Congregations and committees also support music through sponsorship of weekly bulletins and the presence light.
Grace's fellowship life offers both social gatherings and shared meals. Mahjong groups play on the second and third Tuesdays each month. Pinochle gathers on the first and third Wednesdays at 1 p.m. in Room 101 on the lower level. Pray and Play events use the church grounds for lawn games, board games, snacks and shared meals. Meals and fellowship have included Prime Time dinners, youth fundraisers and funeral luncheons, along with picnics and outings in town. The main committees meet on the first Tuesday at 6:45 p.m., while the council meets monthly and the Endowment Board meets quarterly.
Serving Woodstock and McHenry County
Community work is a major expression of Grace's mission. The congregation distributes thousands of dollars each year to local ministries serving people in poverty and gives time and skills alongside money. Its relationships with local organizations address hunger, health, housing, education, care and justice.
Mobile Food Pantry and Woodstock Food Pantry
Grace and St. Ann's Episcopal manage a mobile food pantry on the second Monday of each month in a South Street parking lot across from Woodstock High School. Northern Illinois Food Bank sends a truck with palletized food, and volunteers sort it, assemble family boxes and load them into cars for neighbors. No registration or proof of residence is required. Boxes can include fresh produce, meat, shelf-stable foods and snacks; Crystal Lake Food Pantry adds produce and bread or bakery items when available, while milk and eggs come through donations from the two churches. Distribution generally runs from 3:45 to 5 p.m. until all food is gone.
Grace members also volunteer at the Woodstock Food Pantry at 708 Washington Street, which operates Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Opportunities include greeting neighbors, filling orders, sorting donations, picking up food from local stores, receiving monthly Food Bank deliveries and helping with special projects. The pantry welcomes cash donations as it seeks a larger location and capital campaign for remodeling.
Emergency Assistance and Winter Needs
The Direct Assistance Program, sponsored by Woodstock Area Community Ministry, operates at Grace on the first and third Thursdays from noon to 3 p.m. for residents of Woodstock Community Unit School District 200. Assistance can address gasoline, clothing, footwear, prescription medicine, car repairs, past-due rent and utility bills. Help is delivered through vouchers or checks to prearranged vendors rather than cash, with dignity and respect as central principles. A winter outerwear collection called Share the Warmth adds clothing support.
Grace's Christmas Family Sharing supports the Family Health Partnership Clinic, Turning Point and ELCA Good Gifts, connecting local and global needs with congregation members. A Mitten Tree collects new mittens, hats, gloves, scarves, socks and underwear for children and adults.
Sewing Circle and Global Care
Grace's Sewing Circle meets on the first and third Tuesdays from 8:30 a.m. to noon. Volunteers quilt for Lutheran World Relief and create lap quilts, crocheted blankets, pillows and bags for older adults and children's assistance facilities in McHenry County. Materials may be donated, and members can sew at church or work at home. Volunteers make hundreds of items each year for local distribution and for people served through Lutheran World Relief.
Education, Health, Housing and Peace
Other partnerships extend Grace's service. Volunteers can tutor children through the Brooke Neighborhood Resource Center and work with Habitat for Humanity on a home build for a low-income family. The congregation supports the Family Health Partnership Clinic for uninsured and underinsured neighbors, Peace 4 All's domestic-violence education and prevention, Lutheran Social Services of Illinois, the Senior Care Volunteer Network and the Volunteer Center of McHenry County. Grace also works with Bread for the World and the ELCA World Hunger Appeal to raise awareness of hunger and poverty and advocates for peace and justice.
Keeping Families Covered diaper distribution is held on the second Monday from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the Woodstock Food Pantry. Family Alliance offers caregiver education, support groups and respite care, while Boy and Cub Scouts meet at Grace. These relationships place worship and fellowship within a wider network of care for families, older adults, students and neighbors across the region.
A Campus Designed for Participation
Grace's welcome includes practical accommodations for people with mobility and hearing challenges. The main level has a drop-off circle, flat entryway, automatic push-panel door, pew spaces for mobility devices, accessible washrooms and an elevator to the lower level. The lower level has a flat entryway, accessible washrooms and the same elevator. Communion is prepared on a flat surface with ample room for mobility devices. Parking lots are part of the 25-acre campus, and the drop-off circle supports a convenient arrival.
For hearing assistance, Grace uses an Auracast system that works with newer hearing aids and earbuds directly. Receivers are also available behind the narthex welcome desk. Grace also hosts weddings shaped around a Christ-centered service, funerals with opportunities for hospitality and funeral luncheons, and community use of its facilities. Luther Hall provides a social hall and gymnasium, while an online request form and usage policy make space available for approved rentals.
From the first 75 worshipers in 1907 to ministries that include worship, education, music, food distribution, financial help, sewing and home-building partnerships, Grace remains centered on its founding conviction: God's grace is shared through word, sacrament, relationships and service.