Two Sunday Services, One Welcoming Lutheran Home in Bartlett
Living Lord Lutheran Church sits at 1044 Congress Drive in Bartlett, Illinois, on Route 59 just south of Stearns Road, and has been a steady presence in this northwest Chicago suburb for more than four decades. As a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and a member of the Metropolitan Chicago Synod, Living Lord grew from a small mission meeting in members' homes in the mid-1970s into one of the larger Lutheran congregations in the Bartlett area. Today the church is best known for its dual Sunday worship schedule, its deep music program, and a Youth and Family ministry that has long been a draw for families throughout DuPage County.
The church's mission statement is short and plain: "We are called, gathered, and sent to live as God's hands and feet in the world!" Everything from Sunday worship to Vacation Bible School flows from that call. Visitors are invited to worship Sunday mornings, with the doors open for a 9:00 AM Traditional service and a 10:30 AM Contemporary service. Both services welcome children, offer quiet bags and children's bulletins with washable crayons, and provide a nursery area where parents can stay with their youngest worshipers while still seeing and hearing the service.
Two Worship Styles on Sunday Morning
Living Lord offers two distinct Sunday services, and most members find their rhythm between the two.
The 9:00 AM Traditional Worship Service draws on the Evangelical Lutheran Worship setting (sometimes called the Red Book). The congregation sings classic and new hymns, and the service is supported by the church's Rodgers organ, played by organist Jonathan Hirtzig, along with regular musical offerings by soloists, instrumentalists, and ensembles. The Traditional service also provides the home base for the Praise Singers choir.
The 10:30 AM Contemporary Worship Service uses creative elements and modern worship music within the seasonal and liturgical rhythms of Lutheran worship. Worship and praise teams, made up of singers and instrumentalists playing piano, guitar, bass, drums, saxophone, brass, woodwinds, and even mandolin, lead the music. The Contemporary service is also the setting for Faith Quest Sunday School, so children in PreK through 6th grade head off to their own programs partway through the service.
Both services are livestreamed on Facebook Live and YouTube Live, and recordings are archived on YouTube. A weekly podcast, hosted at smithic.podbean.com, also carries recent sermons for those who want to listen on the go. Altar flowers can be dedicated in honor or memory of a loved one for $20 by signing up in the Altar Flowers binder in the narthex.
A Music Program Built Around a Hybrid Pipe Organ
Music is central to life at Living Lord. The Rodgers organ at the heart of the sanctuary has more than 40 ranks and a handmade pipe case fashioned by Mark Johnson, and it is a hybrid pipe-and-electronic instrument capable of both traditional pipe organ music and contemporary music using its digitally sampled sounds and MIDI capabilities. A Yamaha Clavinova keyboard supplements the organ at times.
Around that organ and the contemporary band setup, the church runs an unusually full music ministry. The Praise Singers is the traditional adult choir that helps lead the 9:00 AM service and teaches new liturgy and music to the congregation; membership is open to anyone interested in singing. The JOY! Choir is for children in 1st through 8th grade and sings in worship about once a month at one or both services. The Little J's is a weekly parent-and-child music and Bible story program for preschool and kindergarten-age children. A three-octave Bell Choir adds an extra layer of worship at Christmas, Easter, and other special seasons. Special music - soloists, instrumentalists, vocal and instrumental ensembles, and occasional drama or dance teams - is woven throughout the year, and the annual Christmas Pageant, directed by Steve Ricci and his wife Mary Ellen, brings together more than 50 children, teens, and adults to tell the story of Christ's birth.
Faith Quest Sunday School: From Whirl to CrossRoads
Sunday School at Living Lord goes by the name Faith Quest, and it is offered during the 10:30 AM Contemporary service from 10:30 to 11:30 AM. There is no registration fee. Children in PreK through 6th grade are grouped by age, with a parent, guardian, or designated adult required to sign each child in and out at the door.
Whirl is the Sunday school curriculum for PreK through 4th grade. It is a lectionary-based program that walks kids through the seasons of the church year and ties the weekly readings to their daily lives. Each Whirl lesson has five parts: Welcome (opening music, birthdays, and prayer), Hear (Bible story and an engaging activity), Respond (connecting the Bible story to a broader theme), Launch (group sharing, activities, and prayer), and Family Page (a take-home page with seven suggestions for bringing the lesson into family life during the week).
CrossRoads is the pre-confirmation program for 5th and 6th graders. These students dig deeper into God's Word, learn about the sacraments of Holy Communion and Holy Baptism, and begin to ask the bigger questions about who they are and who they want to be as Christians. They also join in worship to receive Holy Communion. CrossRoads is designed to prepare students for the Confirmation journey that begins in 7th grade. Steve Ricci, the Director of Sunday School and Children's Music, oversees the entire Faith Quest program and is the primary contact for families and volunteers.
Midweek, Confirmation, SNAC, and Mission Trips for Older Youth
Living Lord has built a reputation for one of the most active youth and family ministries in the Bartlett area, and the calendar for older children and teens reflects that. Bob Esmail, the Director of Youth and Family Ministries, oversees the work and leads teen Bible studies, weekly youth activities, teen small groups, mission trips, and helps with both Confirmation and Midweek.
Midweek (originally Midweek MANIA - "Ministry And Nutty Indoor Activities") meets twice monthly on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 8:00 PM during the school year for 4th through 6th graders. Kids play games, share snacks, do crafts, and gather for devotions, building friendships with Christian peers before they begin Confirmation in 7th grade. Midweek is held at the same time as Confirmation classes so families with children in both programs can attend together.
Confirmation is the ministry to 7th and 8th graders and is built around small groups, solid Lutheran teaching, and service projects. The program encourages students to build a real relationship with the Lord, form friendships within a Christian community, and serve others. In addition to Confirmation, 7th and 8th graders are invited to join Senior High youth for SNAC (Sunday Night At Church).
SNAC meets on Sundays from 6:30 to 8:30 PM and is open to 7th through 12th graders. Some evenings are spent at the church for topical Bible study and fellowship; other evenings head out for bowling, mini golf, sledding, or other outings. High school students also have the chance each summer to travel on a week-long mission trip, where they might help run a Vacation Bible School or day camp for less-fortunate children, do projects for senior citizens or families in need, or join larger humanitarian efforts around the country. Teens also periodically plan and lead worship services for the whole congregation, giving them a chance to put their faith into practice in front of their parents and peers.
Vacation Bible School and Summer Faith
Vacation Bible School is a cornerstone of the summer calendar at Living Lord. The week-long program is open to children finishing kindergarten through 5th grade, both from the church and from the surrounding community. Caring adults lead groups and run crafts, music, snacks, and games, with the primary goal of teaching children about Jesus and His love and encouraging them to practice their faith in everyday life. Each year, the children contribute to programs such as Lutheran World Relief or local food pantries, so the week ends with both spiritual growth and a tangible gift to those in need. Financial aid is available.
The summer is also marked by the "Jesus With Me" campaign, an activity designed to help young people stay connected to their faith throughout the summer months. Children and families take "Jesus With Me" on their summer adventures, reinforcing the message that even when they are far from home, Jesus is always with them.
Adult Bible Studies, Small Groups, and the Book Club
Adults have several regular opportunities to study and learn together at Living Lord. A Sunday Morning Bible Study meets at 9:00 AM in the conference room from September through April. A Midweek Bible Study meets on Wednesdays at 11:00 AM from September through May and is led by Pastor Kristian. Both groups are open to anyone who wants to dig into Scripture and ask questions.
Small groups are a central part of the church's ministry model. The existing small groups include adult Bible study groups, youth Bible studies, a knitting group, a quilters group, and a book club. The Living Lord Book Club meets monthly at the church and is open to all; details about the current reading and the next meeting are available from the church office. There are also quilting and knitting ministries whose handmade items go to local organizations and Lutheran World Relief.
A History Rooted in Mission Outreach
Living Lord's story begins in the mid-1970s as a small mission congregation that met in members' homes for Bible study and worship. In December 1977, the Rev. Robert Schacht led services held at Eastview School. The next September, the Rev. Bill Bartlett accepted the call as mission developer pastor. Pastor Bill's outreach method was simple: he walked door-to-door through Bartlett neighborhoods and invited people to come and worship. It worked. Although his first service drew just 31 people, the congregation grew to 900 baptized members over the four years he served, and 116 adults and 82 children signed the official charter in December 1978.
The congregation moved to the basement of Bartlett's old Village Hall, and in April 1979, Living Lord entered into official partnership with the Lutheran Church in America (now the ELCA), making April 2009 the 30th anniversary of that partnership. By February 1980 the church had outgrown that space and returned to Eastview School, and in the fall of 1980, ground was broken for a permanent home at the intersection of Congress Drive and Route 59 on land the Lutheran Church in America had purchased in 1963 for mission development. The new building was dedicated in June 1981.
The Rev. Ken Soderlund joined the congregation in December 1982 and guided Living Lord for 18 years as it grew into one of the largest churches in the Bartlett area. By 1988, the original building was bursting at the seams, and an expansion added more Christian education space. In the late 1990s a much larger sanctuary was added, completed in 1999.
Later pastors have included the Rev. Eric Lesher (2000 to 2007), the Rev. Sue Allen (2009 to 2023, who retired in February 2023), and the Rev. Mark Sundberg (interim pastor from June 2023). The Rev. Kristian Johnson was called as Lead Pastor and arrived in July 2025. Originally from Minnesota, Pastor Kristian graduated from St. Olaf College and the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago, served as a youth minister on the north side of Chicago, and spent significant time learning and serving in Tanzania and El Salvador. He served First Lutheran Church / Iglesia Luterana Mi Salvador in Inglewood, California, where he helped the congregation triple in size and start a Spanish-language ministry, and he served Pilgrim Lutheran Church and School for twelve years before coming to Bartlett. His wife is also an ordained ELCA pastor, and the couple has three children.
Missions and Community Outreach
Living Lord's social ministries are organized around the idea of serving rather than being served. The church is a covenant congregation of the Neighborhood Food Pantries, with food distribution handled by partner congregation Resurrection Catholic Parish. The Loving Hands Quilters group makes quilts for the needy both locally through Warm Wishes and other organizations and internationally through Lutheran World Relief.
The congregation has a worship ministry that reaches neighbors living at the Victory Centre of Bartlett, a senior living community in the area. Living Lord members also participate in Habitat for Humanity and Thrivent Builds and lead the Northwest DuPage CROP Walk each year to fight hunger locally and globally. Blood drives, food and clothing and blanket drives, holiday food and gift collections, and other community-outreach initiatives round out the missions portfolio.
Getting Connected, Giving, and Governance
The Congregation Council functions as a board of directors with primary responsibility for spiritual direction, long-range planning, and fiscal responsibility. It is made up of four executive officers (President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary), the lead pastor, and several members-at-large. The current council president is Steve Schwarz.
Members and friends can keep up with church life through the weekly eUpdate newsletter and the church calendar. Sunday services are livestreamed on Facebook Live and YouTube, and recent sermons are also available as a podcast. Online giving is available through a secure Vanco page, and an additional Simply Giving program, sponsored by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, offers a free electronic funds transfer option for regular automated giving.
For those interested in membership, the church offers periodic membership classes throughout the year where prospective members learn about the Christian faith and about Living Lord itself, and develop relationships with other new members, current members, and the pastors. Baptisms at Living Lord are available for infants or children of members or prospective members, infants or children of nonmembers with a sponsoring member, and older members or prospective members who, after preparation and instruction, declare their faith. Weddings at Living Lord are performed for members or prospective members, and the church office can provide a Wedding Planner booklet with details.
Church office hours are Monday through Thursday from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM, and the main phone number is (630) 830-3630. Visitors and members are warmly welcomed at 1044 Congress Drive, a place that has grown from a Bible study in someone's living room to a congregation with a sanctuary built around a handmade pipe case, a deep music program, a thriving youth ministry, and a congregation that continues to look outward to its Bartlett neighbors and to the world.