On Kuhn Road in Carol Stream Since 1966
Lutheran Church of the Master has stood at 580 North Kuhn Road in Carol Stream, Illinois, since 1966, anchoring the middle of the village beside the College of DuPage Community Education Center. Six decades in, the congregation describes itself as a come-as-you-are community of faith where everyone is welcome and Jesus Christ is Lord, made up of families and individuals of all ages and backgrounds. Members and visitors alike are invited to walk through the doors as they are, with a worship life that the congregation calls both lively and reflective of the diverse gifts of the people in the pews.
The church is a member congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, one of nearly ten thousand ELCA congregations across the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, and one of more than 180 congregations in the ELCA's Metropolitan Chicago Synod. Its mission is summarized in a single line: living Christ's message through worship, study, fellowship, and service.
Come-as-You-Are Worship on Saturday and Sunday
Worship is offered twice each weekend. A Saturday service is held at 5:00 PM, and the Sunday service gathers at 10:00 AM. Holy Communion is celebrated at every service. The worship space and liturgies are described by the congregation as reflective of the community and as what most would call traditional, though that single word does not capture the full range of who worships there. Singles, families, and older adults sit side by side, and the liturgy is described as truly the work of the people, with everyone present understood to be a part of it.
All services are livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel, where recordings of recent weeks are posted for those who cannot attend in person. The building is described as accessible, with the parking lot and main entrances arranged to welcome those with mobility needs.
Music as Prayer
Music ministry at Lutheran Church of the Master is led by Michael Benshish, the Director of Worship & Music Ministries, and is built around the conviction that music is a form of praying. Seven musical groups rotate through the weeks, including the bell choir known as the Master's Ringers. From week to week the music and the ensembles change, so that the prelude through postlude of a given service sets the soul in a different place. The intent is that no matter a person's age or musical preference, something in the offering will meet them where they are.
Musicians and singers who want to share their gifts find a home in this ministry. Those interested are encouraged to call the church office to learn how to get involved.
Sunday School on the First and Third Sundays
Children are a visible part of the Sunday morning rhythm. A Nursery Room is available during the 10:00 AM service, and Sunday School classes meet on the first and third Sundays of the month during worship. Students leave with their teachers after the children's message in worship and gather for age-appropriate faith formation built around Bible stories, prayer, and workshops that include stories, games, art, skits, and computer-based learning.
The congregation frames its Sunday School as a support to parents in fulfilling their baptismal vows, offering Christian peer groups for both kids and parents, family fun events, a summer Sunday School, and a Christmas program. The verse at the top of the program page - from 1 Timothy - reminds the children themselves: do not let anyone make fun of you for being young, but set an example for other followers by what you say and do, and by your love, faith, and purity.
A Three-Year Confirmation Journey
Confirmation at Lutheran Church of the Master is a three-year program for middle school students preparing to affirm their baptismal faith on Confirmation Sunday. The curriculum moves through a year in the Bible, a year in Martin Luther's Small Catechism, and a year exploring how followers of Jesus live out their faith in daily life. Classes meet on Wednesdays at 7:00 PM during the school year.
Beyond the weekly classes, students take part in worship, community service projects, retreats, and time together. The class also creates LCM's Paschal Candle each year as a hands-on expression of the resurrection, a project that intentionally ends in a beautiful reveal just before Easter.
Bible Study in Three Shapes
Bible study is offered in three regular rhythms. On Saturdays at 9:00 AM, a group gathers at the church to work through the Book of Acts. On Sundays at 8:45 AM, a Sunday Morning Bible Study meets in the Fellowship Hall to study the day's appointed text with Pastor Dave ahead of the 10:00 AM worship. Once a month, a Women's Bible Study led by Deacon Pat Gerber meets to work through a book of the Bible; the group has been together for ten years and currently studies Joshua by Jen Wilkin, with a cookie exchange at Christmas and a potluck dinner in May.
All studies pause for the summer and resume in the fall. New faces are welcome.
The OWLS of Lutheran Church of the Master
Older-adults Wanting Lunch Served - the OWLS - is the congregation's name for its monthly gathering of retirees and friends. The group was formed in the fall of 2005 in response to the desire of retirees to get together, share a meal, and catch up with each other. Led by group consensus, the OWLS meet on the second Tuesday of the month at 12:00 PM for lunch, brunch, and fellowship. During Advent and Lent they shift to Wednesdays at noon, joining a brief worship service followed by a soup lunch.
The OWLS are open to the community and welcome guests. Past gatherings have included visits from the Carol Stream Public Library, an American Sign Language interpreter who taught basic signs and shared about deaf culture, a trip to Feed My Starving Children in Schaumburg, Diamond Dots craft afternoons, and outings to local restaurants. The group is also a faithful supporter of the Neighborhood Food Pantries' annual Shopping Cart Shuffle 5K.
The Neighborhood Food Pantries at LCM
Since 1999, the Neighborhood Food Pantries have operated out of the Lutheran Church of the Master building at 580 Kuhn Road, distributing food and emergency assistance throughout Northwest DuPage. The pantry's mission is to effectively distribute food and emergency assistance through community and faith partnerships, collaborations, volunteer efforts, and ongoing fundraising.
The pantry uses an Order Ahead system that lets guests shop online from home using a phone or computer. Groceries are packed and ready for pickup on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:00 to 7:00 PM at the church. Eligibility is tied to residency in Bloomingdale Township, which includes the Village of Bloomingdale and portions of Addison, Carol Stream, Glendale Heights, Hanover Park, Itasca, and Roselle, along with unincorporated areas such as Medinah, Glen Ellyn Countryside, Keeneyville, and a small portion of Schaumburg. The pantry's site coordinator is Axel Borja, and the main contact number is (630) 665-5188.
Each year the congregation fields a team for the pantry's Shopping Cart Shuffle 5K run/walk and 100-yard Kids Dash. The team, known as the Banana Splits, has earned multiple first-place awards for largest team and for fundraising, and the event raises tens of thousands of dollars for the pantry's work.
Prayer Blankets and a Prayer Chain
Two prayer-focused ministries complement the congregation's worship life. The Prayer Blanket Ministry meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 6:30 PM. Volunteers make two-yard fleece blankets while praying for the eventual recipients, who are people facing illness, surgery, medical procedures, or grief. Each blanket is presented as a visible expression of care and what the ministry calls a virtual hug. Blankets are never sold, though donations of money or materials are gratefully accepted.
The Prayer Chain is a wider network of members willing to pray for others. Prayer requests can be submitted through an online form, by email to Pastor Dave, or through pew prayer slips, phone calls, or visits to the church office. Requests are then forwarded weekly - or more urgently when needed - to everyone on the email list. The congregation takes seriously the confidentiality of these requests, and prayers of thanksgiving are encouraged alongside prayers for need.
A Building Shared with the Community
The church building is in regular use well beyond the congregation's own schedule. Two other worshipping communities gather in the space: New Jerusalem and Hopewell Nepali, which recently hosted twenty-five worship leaders from the area in the former preschool space. Several area music teachers use the sanctuary for recitals. The Neighborhood Food Pantries operate their pickup program from the building, and the Banana Splits plan their 5K out of the same hallways.
On a single recent Saturday, the building moved seamlessly from one gathering to the next: New Jerusalem's morning worship, a Hopewell Nepali leadership meeting, a food pantry volunteer appreciation celebration, the 5:00 PM LCM worship service, and an evening music recital. The arrangement is a tangible expression of the congregation's sense that the building exists to serve the wider community.
Outreach Across DuPage and Beyond
Lutheran Church of the Master points its members toward a wide network of partner organizations. Locally, the list includes Bridge Communities, which helps homeless families; CASA of DuPage, advocating for neglected and abused children; DuPage PADS, serving people experiencing homelessness; DuPage Senior Citizens Council; ESSE Adult Day Care; Family Shelter Service, for survivors of domestic violence; Habitat for Humanity; Humanitarian Service Project; Literacy DuPage; Lutheran Social Services of Illinois; Marklund; Metropolitan Family Services; Outreach Community Ministries; People's Resource Center; Western DuPage Special Recreation Association; We Grow Dreams; and the Carol Stream Christmas Sharing program.
Nationally and globally, the church supports Lutheran Disaster Response, Lutheran Services in America, Lutheran World Relief, World Vision, and ELCA Global Mission Opportunities. Members are encouraged to give through financial contributions, donations of goods, or volunteering their time.
Stewardship of Time, Talent, and Treasure
The congregation takes seriously the connection between what God has given and how members respond. Its stewardship teaching breaks the response into three parts. Time is given up for others and so becomes a precious, sacrificial gift. Talent is offered as the unique gifts each person has received. Treasure is shared to maintain the building, support ministries, and reach neighbors in need.
Members can give during weekly worship services, set up automatic payments through the Simply Giving Program operated by Vanco Services, mail a check to the church office, or use the Give Plus+ mobile app from Vanco. Online donations are also accepted through My Vanco.
What LCM Believes
The congregation states clearly that it is Christian and Lutheran. With Christians around the world, LCM believes in the Triune God - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - and that God's Son, Jesus Christ, died on the cross for sins and rose in victory over sin, evil, and death to give eternal life.
As Lutherans, members trace their roots back to the Reformation and hold to the sovereignty of God, the authority of Scripture, and salvation by faith in Jesus Christ. The congregation teaches that God calls believers to live in caring relationships with one another, to enjoy and care for creation, and to seek justice in the world.
The core values underneath the church's life are four. The congregation will love and respect all people. It is committed to a growing personal relationship with Jesus Christ. As his followers, members will serve each other and their community. And in response to a loving and gracious God, the congregation will generously support the ministry of the church with time, talents, and financial resources.
Safe Church and Leadership
LCM operates under a Safe Church policy designed to ensure that children are always supervised and accompanied by adults who have gone through background screening. The congregation maintains a Child and Youth Abuse Prevention Program, with forms for acknowledgment and authorization and requests for criminal records verification and fingerprint information available through the church.
Pastor Dave, as members know him, is the Rev. David C. Elliott. Patricia Gerber serves as Deacon Emeritus. Michael Benshish leads the Music Ministries. Ellen Smith serves as Office Administrator, and Kim Calabrese as Recording Treasurer. The Church Council is led by President Jeff Wall, Vice President Ray Pagnoni, Treasurer Robin Harper, and Secretary Kris Flanigan, with Members at Large Sandie Pappanduros, Lori Navarrete, Karen Mason, and Heather Elrod. Copies of Council Minutes are available to members through the church office.
Finding Lutheran Church of the Master
The church sits at the corner of Kuhn Road and Munson Drive in the middle of Carol Stream. From the south, Kuhn Road is reached at the traffic light on North Avenue. From the west, Munson Drive is reached - without a traffic light - from County Farm Road. From the north, Kuhn Road is reached at the traffic light on Army Trail Road. The phone number at the church office is (630) 665-3384, and the email is churchoffice@lcotm.org.
Saturday worship begins at 5:00 PM. Sunday worship begins at 10:00 AM, with the Nursery Room open and Sunday School offered on the first and third Sundays of the month. Whether arriving with children, arriving alone, watching from a hospital bed on YouTube, or hearing the bells of the Master's Ringers through the doors of the sanctuary, the invitation is the same one the congregation has offered since 1966: come as you are.