A Naperville Congregation with Deep Local Roots
Grace United Methodist Church sits on a ten-acre campus at 300 East Gartner Road, about a mile and a half south of downtown Naperville, in DuPage County, Illinois. The address is the third home of a congregation that traces its life back to 1834, when German-speaking settlers from Ohio and Pennsylvania began meeting for prayer and Bible study in the schoolhouse on Scott's Hill. Within three years, fifteen of those families organized themselves as a class of the Evangelical Association - the first such class in Illinois.
The class grew into a brick church on Van Buren Street, hosted the General Conference of the Evangelical Association more than once, and eventually split along factional lines in the late nineteenth century. Within ten months the splinter group took the name Grace Church, and on a single worship service raised the entire fifteen hundred dollars needed for its first building at the corner of Benton and Loomis streets. In March 1891 Grace Church held its first service there. That is the year still celebrated as the founding.
The congregation outgrew that building and moved in 1909 to a brick sanctuary at Ellsworth and Van Buren. A suspicious fire gutted the interior in 1923, and the members rebuilt while meeting at North Western College, now North Central College. After the Evangelical Association reunited with the United Evangelical Church in 1922, and later merged with the United Brethren in Christ in 1946 to form the Evangelical United Brethren Church, Grace found itself part of a new denomination each time. When the EUB and the Methodist Church merged in 1968 in Dallas, the Naperville congregation became Grace United Methodist Church.
Three Naperville churches - Grace EUB, First EUB, and First Methodist - had been sharing two blocks in old downtown. In 1965 the membership voted to relocate, and ten families of the congregation purchased the Gartner Road site and donated it to the church. Ground was broken in 1969, the building cost roughly nine hundred thousand dollars, and the first service was held at the new Grace Church on February 21, 1971. By 1985 the membership numbered more than 2,100.
Today Grace UMC belongs to the Prairie Central District of the Northern Illinois Conference of the United Methodist Church. Its mission is forming disciples of Jesus who further the Kingdom of God, and its vision is to gather in Christ, grow in love, and go to share. The congregation has been serving Naperville and the surrounding communities for more than a century.
Three Sunday Mornings, Three Ways to Worship
Worship is the heart of life at Grace, and the church deliberately offers three Sunday morning services that give members and visitors a choice of style without forcing anyone to drive across town. All three services share the same sermon and message.
The 8:00 a.m. service is held in the Sanctuary and follows traditional liturgy with the creeds and weekly Communion. It is, as the church describes it, the service many remember from growing up. Two choirs - the New Life Singers and the Grace Bell Ensemble - alternate Sundays. Communion is offered every week.
The 9:00 a.m. Gathering takes place in the Activity Center and is led by the Grace 9Gathering Praise Team. Microphones, projection screens, and current praise and worship music shape the experience, and Communion is offered weekly. Worship Coordinator Lynn Leitzen leads from the platform with a rotating roster of vocalists and instrumentalists.
The 10:30 a.m. service returns to the Sanctuary for traditional worship with classical elements. It is the service that is livestreamed on YouTube each week, so it can be joined from anywhere through the Digital Campus. Communion at this service is celebrated on the first Sunday of each month. Communion at Grace is open to everyone - no membership is required, no age requirement applies, and the elements are grape juice rather than wine, with gluten-free options available.
Worship online is genuinely a full option. Beyond the live 10:30 stream, the Digital Campus hosts recorded services that can be watched any time, along with virtual groups and prayer support. Anyone joining from home is invited to let the church know they worshipped online through a simple form on the site.
A Sanctuary Built Around a Reuter Pipe Organ
Behind the music at Grace is a Reuter pipe organ, Opus 2222, with three manuals and forty-one ranks of pipes. Installed in 2005, it has shaped the sound of the Sanctuary ever since. Principal Organist José Rosado joined the music staff with the conviction that he had been called to play the organ from the time he first saw and heard one in person at age eleven. His work at Grace is rooted in the Lutheran tradition of robust congregational singing and the Anglican and Episcopal tradition of choral music and chant.
The Sanctuary also holds a Hearing Assistance Loop System that works with hearing aids and cochlear implants equipped with a T-Coil, allowing those with hearing loss to clearly hear the worship services and events in the Fellowship Hall. Visitors who use a T-Coil can switch it on and follow the service without additional receivers.
Music for Every Age and Voice
Music ministry at Grace is unusually broad for a single congregation. The Chancel Choir, the largest vocal ensemble, sings classics, hymn settings, and gospel at the 10:30 a.m. service and at special concerts and holy days. It rehearses on Thursday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. and is directed by Dr. Peter Jarjisian, who joined Grace after retiring as Director of Choral Studies at Ohio University.
The Grace Praise Team leads contemporary worship at the 9:00 a.m. Gathering, rehearsing on Tuesday evenings from September through May. Three handbell choirs cover nearly every age. The Grace Bell Ensemble for adults plays the first Sunday of each month and rehearses Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. The youth ensemble, Joyful Ringers, and the advanced RingTones both give advanced players a place to grow, directed by Debbie John, who teaches handbells to anyone interested in learning.
For children, the Cherub Choir serves kindergarteners through third graders, and the Junior Singers serve fourth through seventh graders. Both rehearse on Wednesdays. Treble Tikes Pre-K introduces three- to five-year-olds to music twice a week. Children and youth choirs present two musicals each year and often lead worship. Instrumentalists of any age who are practice-ready are invited to accompany or lead worship as well.
The church describes its choirs as ranging in age from four to adult, with members singing side by side. Sherri Nagy has accompanied the Junior Singers for twenty years. The Reuter organ, the bell choirs, the chancel choir, and the children's ensembles together give Grace one of the more layered music programs in the area.
Children and Family Ministries
Children are welcomed at every service, and the church provides nursery care for infants and toddlers throughout the Sunday morning. Children's Worship Bags in the Sanctuary include a "Worship Wonder" sheet, bulletins tied to each week's scripture, and quiet items for small hands. A Quiet Area in the back of the Sanctuary and Activity Center offers space for families to observe together, and the Gathering Space screens the 10:30 livestream for those who need a more active environment. A separate nursery classroom is available for children through age six with its own age-appropriate lesson.
Faith formation for children happens during the 9:15 to 10:15 a.m. Faith Formation Hour. Children two years old through fifth grade use the Grow curriculum in age-appropriate rooms, and youth in sixth through twelfth grade meet together in Room 234. Sunday Fundays, held on the third Sunday of each month in Fellowship Hall, are VBS-style themed mornings open to children who are three years old and fully potty trained, and to youth who want to help lead.
KinderTot is a Monday-morning program for children under kindergarten and their favorite adults, with themed play, music, story, prayer, and time to build friendships. Vacation Bible School is held each summer. Pastor Kim Neace, the Pastor of Children and Family Ministries, oversees the whole program, drawing on a background in elementary education and a master's degree in children and family ministry from Bethel Seminary.
Grace Youth Ministry
Grace Youth Ministry, known as G.Y.M., serves youth in grades six through twelve. Its tagline - God-Centered, Youth Oriented, Mission-Focused - captures the conviction that youth are the church now, not just the future. On Sunday mornings the group meets at 9:15 a.m. for faith formation, and on Wednesday evenings from September through April the group gathers from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. in Room 234, beginning with a simple dinner from 6:00 to 6:30 p.m. and continuing with a life application devotion, games, and fellowship.
Mission is a defining feature of G.Y.M. Each summer, junior high youth spend three days serving Chicagoland organizations through Hope @ Home, while senior high youth, college students, and adults travel out of state for the Side x Side week-long trip. Past destinations have included Omaha, where the team has worked alongside Habitat for Humanity. Confirmation for seventh through ninth graders begins in October and culminates on Confirmation Sunday each spring. A new Youth Praise Team welcomes instrumentalists and singers of every level to lead worship together.
Gaye Lynn Loufek, who grew up in a small southern Illinois Methodist church and came to Grace in 1994, directs both youth ministry and missions. Her office is a hub for everything from Trunk-or-Treat to the youth mission trip calendar.
Parent's Day Out
Parent's Day Out (PDO) is an outreach preschool program of the church, held on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., August through May, following the District 203 school calendar. Children ages one through four spend the morning in a caring Christian environment with music, indoor and outdoor gross motor time, snack, crafts, story and circle time, cooperative free play, and diaper changes or bathroom time. Children do not need to be toilet trained.
The classroom ratios are one adult to four children for one- and two-year-olds and one to six for three- and four-year-olds. All staff receive annual training and certification in First Aid and CPR. Tuition is $32 per day per child, due the first week of each month. PDO uses the secured Children's Center entrance and serves families from the Grace congregation and the wider Naperville community. Director Becky Clark and Assistant Director Stephanie Smith lead the program alongside eight part-time teachers.
Open Doors for Special-Needs Families
Open Doors Ministry exists to make Grace a more accommodating church home for families with children or other loved ones who have physical, emotional, cognitive, or behavioral needs. The ministry began with a focus on Sunday school and youth activities and has grown into a broader effort that walks alongside families from their first visit.
Open Doors reviews each child's unique needs in confidential conversation with the family, develops a resource plan for that child, trains teachers and youth leaders in carrying out the plan, and, in some cases, provides one-on-one support by trained buddies. A lending library in the Grace church library carries resources on spiritual education and accommodations for families with special needs. Educational seminars on opportunities for service are open to the congregation and the wider community.
Rhonda Antoniolli, who has years of experience working with individuals who have specialized needs, serves as the Open Doors Ministry Coordinator. Together with the Children's and Youth Ministries, Open Doors ensures that the church's programs can welcome children of all abilities. The church building itself is fully handicap accessible, with handicap parking, ramps, accessible seating and bathrooms, and an elevator.
Adult Faith Formation and Small Groups
Adults at Grace can find a faith formation option for nearly any stage of life. On Sunday mornings at 9:15 a.m., four Sunday school classes meet. Questors discusses contemporary living issues, religious history, and Biblical studies. The Forum Class offers a spirited study of scripture along with guest speakers. Hearts on Fire gathers for fun but challenging conversations around faith and discipleship. Portico Connections welcomes parents whose children are in Faith Formation, and people coming from any of the three worship services, for an hour of study and fellowship. A separate Men's Christian Leadership Cohort Group meets from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. on Sundays.
Weekday studies include Temple Builders, an exercise and strength training group that meets Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 9:00 a.m. in the Activity Center; the Sisters Study, a women's Bible study on Mondays at 1:00 p.m. in Room 254 and on Zoom; the Practicing the Way study based on John Mark Comer's book, meeting Monday evenings at 6:00 p.m. in Room 226 and on Zoom; Disciple Bible Study on Thursday mornings; and Parenting with Grace Mom's Group on Tuesday evenings. The Working for Racial Justice Group meets on the second Monday of the month at 7:00 p.m. in Room 254 and on Zoom.
Fellowship groups include the Tuesday afternoon Prayer Team conference call, the Over 50 Fellowship, Guys Gathering Together for men, the Grace Community Builders small-group rotation, two movie discussion groups, the United Women in Faith book discussion group, the Prayer Shawl Ministry, the Quilt Group, and the Grace Gardeners, who tend the church's landscape beds. New Rhythms: Making Space for Grace, a six-week worship and small-group journey, runs periodically through the year. Amplify Media is a digital faith formation resource Grace subscribes to, with videos for adults, children, and youth.
United Women in Faith
The Grace unit of United Women in Faith has roughly 130 members and is part of about 50 units in the Prairie Central District, about 300 units in the Northern Illinois Conference, and over 24,000 units nationwide. It belongs to the World Federation of Methodist and Uniting Church Women, with organizations in more than 71 countries. The unit's purpose is to know God and experience freedom as whole persons through Jesus Christ, to develop creative supportive fellowship, and to expand concepts of mission through participation in the global ministries of the church.
Women meet monthly from September through May, with a general unit meeting on the first Tuesday of the month at 10:30 a.m. in Fellowship Hall. Four circles - Martha-Esther, Mary, Priscilla, and Sarah - meet periodically for study, fellowship, and service. A Quilt Group meets every Monday morning at 9:30 a.m. in the Fireside Room, producing hand-quilted quilts for missions, including an annual Mission Quilt that is displayed at the Mistletoe Marketplace. A book discussion group meets on the fourth Wednesday of the month at 12:45 p.m. with a Zoom option, and a Prayer Shawl Ministry meets on the third Thursday evening of the month at 7:00 p.m.
The Mistletoe Marketplace, held each November, is the unit's signature fundraiser, with handcrafted items, quilt items, a quilt drawing, a cafe, baked goods, and a silent auction. Every dollar raised supports women, youth, and children through local, national, and international mission projects. Jaci Tschirhart serves as the unit president.
Mission Across the Region and the World
Grace supports more than fifty local, national, and world-wide missions each year with both money and hands-on service. Hesed House in Aurora, the second largest homeless shelter in Illinois, has been supported since the early 1980s. Grace volunteers cook and serve roughly 140 hot meals and 100 sack lunches on the second Tuesday and Wednesday of each month, both at the church kitchen and at the shelter. After the Hesed House facility expansion in 2024, the church scaled up its grocery drives and food preparation to serve more guests.
Grace has also partnered with Habitat for Humanity Fox Valley and more than twenty other area churches to build affordable homes in the Aurora community. The church provides construction support, monetary support, and prayer commitment through the Faith Build, and serves as the foundation-laying team for each home. Helping the Hungry efforts include monthly food collections for four rotating area food pantries - Common Pantry, Loaves & Fishes, Aurora Interfaith Food Pantry, and Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry - plus participation in the Feed My Starving Children MobilePack each year at Benedictine University in Lisle. Other regular partners include Heifer International, the Souper Bowl of Caring, Kids Above All, and RAO25.
On the third Saturday of each month from 10:00 a.m. to noon, the Racial Justice Team partners with The Neighbor Project in Aurora to refurbish rental properties and prepare them between families, helping low- and moderate-income working families reduce debt and save toward homeownership. The church also supports the Used and New Coat Drive for Mattie's Mitten March each fall, collecting winter coats and accessories for distribution throughout the surrounding communities. National and international grants through United Women in Faith in 2024 supported partners including UMCOR disaster relief, the Henderson Settlement, McCurdy Mission, Red Bird Mission, Rosecrance, Bridge Communities, Hesed House, the Kids Above All, and others.
Racial Justice: Becoming a Beloved Community
Grace's Racial Justice Team works to keep racial justice at the forefront of the congregation by increasing awareness, fostering relationships, and encouraging active engagement in confronting racism. The team's work is grounded in Micah 6:8 - to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly - and in the vision of the Beloved Community, affirming that all are one in Christ. Meetings are held on the second Monday of each month from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. in Room 254 and on Zoom.
The team shares official statements from United Methodist Church bodies such as the Council of Bishops, the General Commission on Religion and Race, and the General Board of Church and Society. Article IV of the UMC Constitution, ratified by General Conference in 2025, declares that the United Methodist Church commits to confronting and eliminating all forms of racism, racial inequity, colonialism, white privilege, and white supremacy in every facet of its life and in society at large. The team circulates a reading list that includes works by Brenda Salter McNeil, Latasha Morrison, Ijeoma Oluo, Layla F. Saad, Isabel Wilkerson, Heather McGhee, Michelle Alexander, Bishop Michael Curry, Jemar Tisby, and others, alongside a growing collection kept on the bookshelf outside Room 254.
Grace Cares and Pastoral Outreach
Grace Cares is an outreach ministry of volunteers who make in-person visits and phone calls to members who are unable to participate in person. When reasons of health, age, or circumstance keep someone from attending, a volunteer steps in to maintain the sense of community that comes from being part of a church family. Richard Newell, a former hospice social worker, directs the ministry. The Prayer Team also gathers by phone conference each Tuesday at 3:00 p.m. to pray over requests forwarded to the church, for staff, for the church family, and for the country. Prayer requests can be submitted online.
The Grace Church Foundation
The Grace United Methodist Church Foundation was established in 1992 as a separate nonprofit to think toward the church's future. It identifies and develops opportunities for planned giving, encouraging members to remember Grace in their wills and trusts. Since its founding the Foundation has provided more than $2.6 million in support to the ministries and missions of the church. Gifts have funded major building projects like the 2018 and 2019 renovation, including the Gathering Space and the updated Children's Center, and they sustain the Rodney Lacy Garden, the Faith Build through Fox Valley Habitat for Humanity, and education and training endowments for staff and youth.
The Foundation maintains a Legacy Society for members who include the Foundation in their estate plans or who have made living gifts. Planned giving options include bequests under wills and trusts, beneficiary designations on retirement accounts and life insurance, charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, donor advised funds, and gifts of securities and real estate. The Foundation Board, including President Charles Gregory, Vice-President John Abe, Treasurer Scott Skooglund, and members Tim Ford, Gina Gramarosso, Melissa Hoekstra-Hecht, Scott Oats, and Jenn Wills, works with outside financial advisors to manage gifts.
Pastoral Leadership
Rev. Cindy Marino has served as Senior Pastor since 2015. A lifelong Methodist from Belvidere, Illinois, she is a graduate of Michigan State University and Arizona State University with a degree in social geography and planning, and earned her M.Div. from the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary, where she received the John Wesley Prize for academic excellence and the VanDerZyl Preaching Prize. She often reminds the congregation that ministry is all about relationship - one in Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world.
Rev. Sophia Carno joined the staff as Associate Pastor on July 1, 2026, having served since 2019 as Associate Pastor at Chicago Temple, the First United Methodist Church in Chicago. Originally from South Korea, she is currently a doctoral candidate in Ministry at San Francisco Theological Seminary, with a dissertation focused on spiritual practices for individuals who have experienced trauma. She considers preaching and the sacraments of Communion and Baptism some of the most profound moments in the life of the church.
Pastor Mark Himel serves as Welcoming Pastor, with responsibilities for welcoming and engaging new members, men's mentoring, leadership training, long-term financial planning, and preaching. A former CEO of Damian Services Corporation and a graduate of the University of Louisiana, he holds a Master of Arts in Mission and Discipleship from Dubuque Theological Seminary.
Rev. Kim Neace serves as Pastor of Children and Family Ministries. She holds a background in Elementary Education from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Master of Arts in Children and Family Ministry from Bethel Seminary, where she graduated top of her class. She was commissioned in 2011 and ordained in 2013 as a Deacon in the United Methodist Church after decades of ministry in a variety of areas.
Getting Connected
Grace United Methodist Church is located at 300 East Gartner Road, Naperville, Illinois 60540, with office hours Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to noon. The phone number is 630-355-1748 and the general email is hello@peopleofgrace.org. The Parent's Day Out office can be reached at 630-355-6146. Online giving is processed through Pushpay, and members and visitors can log in to the church database through Grace Connect.
Anyone interested in learning more about membership is invited to attend worship services, participate in the life of the church, and meet with Pastor Mark Himel at their convenience. Membership is described as a covenant to uphold the church by prayers, gifts, service, and witness, rather than a requirement for participation. Holy Days observed include Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter Sunday, the four Sundays of Advent, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and a Thanksgiving Eve service. Baptisms, weddings, funerals, and memorial services are available, and a New Member Request Form is on the website.