A Mission Church on North Allen Road
Northwoods Community Church sits at 10700 N Allen Road on the north side of Peoria, Illinois, a strip that thirty years ago was cornfields and country roads and is now threaded with homes, schools, and young families. That transformation is the single fact the leadership returns to again and again: the neighborhood arrived, and a church that once set out to reach 150,000 people without a relationship with Jesus now sits in the middle of that mission field. Pastor Jon and a team of staff and volunteers lead a contemporary, Word-and-Spirit congregation that holds two Sunday services on the Peoria campus, maintains a second campus in nearby Canton, and runs an online campus at northwoods.online that reaches well beyond Central Illinois.
The church describes itself with one defining sentence: "Inviting broken-world people to experience complete freedom in Christ Jesus." Everything else - the children's wing, the student center, the prayer tower, the church-planting pipeline, the global mission budgets - is built to serve that goal.
How the Church Started and Where It Is Headed
Northwoods Community Church began in 1990 with a vision to reach the 150,000 people in the greater Peoria area who did not have a relationship with Jesus and needed a church home. More than three decades later, the church continues to flourish and impacts thousands of lives every week. Originating in Peoria, campuses now also serve the surrounding community in Canton, and the online ministry reaches many thousands more through the web, social media, and streaming - not only in Central Illinois but all around the world.
A current initiative called Now Is the Time gathers giving and pledges to update the building and grounds so they remain an inviting space for a neighborhood that is steadily filling in. The campaign frames the work as a way to "ensure that our building and grounds remain an inviting space where we can share the hope of Jesus with our neighbors." Quarterly update letters and a downloadable companion guide walk members through the project details, the prayer guide, and the giving options.
What Northwoods Believes
The church's Statement of Faith is built around eight anchors: God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; humanity created in God's image but separated by sin; eternal life or eternal separation; Jesus Christ as the Son of God, sinless, crucified, risen, ascended, and returning; salvation as a gift received by faith; the eternal security of the believer; the Holy Spirit as present in every Christian and the giver of power, understanding, and guidance; and the Bible as God's Word, "truth without any mixture of error."
Five values shape how the church acts on those beliefs. An Evangelistic Heartbeat keeps the focus on reaching broken-world people (Luke 19:10). A Word and Spirit Culture holds Scripture as authoritative while pursuing the power of the Spirit (Matthew 22:29). Forgiveness and Freedom calls believers to walk in freedom from bondage (Luke 4:18-19). Empowered People means every member is equipped and entrusted to serve and lead (1 Peter 4:10). And a Grander Vision calls the church to live beyond itself for kingdom impact (Matthew 28:19-20).
Northwoods is a member of the Fellowship of Evangelical Churches, and the leaders identify with a traditional Christian view of marriage, gender, and sexuality rooted in a literal reading of Genesis 1-2 and several New Testament passages. They also affirm that "God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin" and that every person is to be treated with "compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity." The full statement is part of the church's hiring and volunteer expectations.
Sunday Worship, and Joining From Anywhere
Two services meet on the Peoria campus at 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM. The music is contemporary and performed with excellence, "sounds like what you hear on the radio." Teaching is clear and Bible-rooted. The dress code is casual: "don't feel like you have to look any different on Sunday than you do other days of the week. Come as you are." The auditorium is filled with chairs, and the pastoral team regularly reminds the room that one of their goals is to see every one of those chairs represent a new church planted somewhere in the world.
Communion is held once a month, usually on the first weekend. Ushers pass trays of bread and juice during the service; online attendees are cued to grab their own elements so the whole church takes communion together. The pastor leads the moment and briefly walks through the meaning of the bread and the cup.
Baptism is celebrated three times a year at what the church calls Baptism Sunday. Near the end of each service, Pastor Jon (or, on some Sundays, Pastor Cal) invites everyone being baptized to the front, and volunteers guide them to the Chapel to change, then to the auditorium or, when weather allows, a lake for the baptism itself. A dark shirt and dark shorts are recommended (and loaner clothing is on hand), and carafes of water are always available for anyone who medically needs to avoid immersion.
Live translation and closed captioning are streamed through the Interprefy app during the teaching portion of every service. Listeners choose between English audio and translation in Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), Hindi, Portuguese, Spanish (Latin), Telugu, or Vietnamese, and can switch on English or translated captions with the "CC" button. When the translation channel is inactive, headphones carry the live music feed. The whole service is also livestreamed on northwoods.online, with replays available on demand. A Roku channel and an Apple TV app put the same feed on a television screen, and a free iOS and Android app keeps notifications, giving, the message archive, and prayer requests in one place.
Northwoods Kids, from Nursery Through Fifth Grade
"Where the hearts of kids connect with the heart of Jesus." That is the working definition of Northwoods Kids, which serves children from birth through fifth grade during both Sunday services on the Peoria campus. The wing includes an early childhood area for babies and toddlers, an elementary area, a "moms only" nursery with a live video feed of the service, an indoor playground, a group room, and an atrium that connects everything. Chapel-style teaching rooms with both high and low seating host the older elementary groups, and the Wilhelm House gives the ministry a permanent home of its own on the property.
Safety is built into every step. Parents and children each receive matching badges with a paired security number; the children wear name tags during the service and the parents keep the matching tag, which must be presented for the child to be released back. Only parents, guardians, or adult family members may pick up a child, and Northwoods Kids personnel match the badges in person. Every volunteer and staff member has been through interviews, reference checks, and national background checks, and trained volunteers keep watch in every area. A Discovery Land ministry for children with disabilities shares the same safety protocols and runs from a dedicated Facebook page.
Programming is age-tailored: songs with movement, age-appropriate crafts and games, and Bible stories calibrated to each level. The curriculum's first job is to make sure every child hears that "God loves him or her," with the expectation that the Holy Spirit will often do the rest. The team also builds out a parent resource hub with conversation prompts ("Did you have fun?" and "What did you learn about God?"), parenting classes, family events, and a Vacation Bible School every summer. Open positions during the past year show the level of investment: a Family Ministries Volunteer Associate, a Family Ministries Event Associate, and a Nursery Associate for ages birth through 24 months.
Middle School, High School, and Wednesday-Night Converge
Preteens in grades 6 through 8 have their own program called Northwoods Middle School, which meets every Sunday on the Peoria campus alongside the main services. The rhythm is zany team games, contemporary worship, a teaching time from a guest speaker, and then small groups where trained volunteers walk through the questions students actually have. The music is the same kind played in the auditorium and on the radio, with the explicit rule that everything is "clean, positive, and uplifting."
High school students in grades 9 through 12 come together in Northwoods High School, a separate ministry focused on live worship music and pastoral teaching that engages students' heads and hearts. Students who don't yet follow Jesus are explicitly welcome, and every message is aimed at "what students are facing in their daily lives." A Ministry Shadowing Program lets interested students spend one-time sessions alongside an experienced volunteer or staff member to test whether ministry might be a calling.
All Northwoods students in grades 6 through 12 are also invited to Converge, a Wednesday night meeting at 6:00 PM on the Peoria campus. Converge adds a midweek rhythm of games, hangout time, teaching, and small groups, and special events and retreats run throughout the year to keep the calendar full.
Adult Groups for Every Stage of Life
The adults of Northwoods connect through a network of small groups that meet in homes, on campus, and online. Groups gather around shared geography, life stage, or topic with the conviction that "life change happens best in community." A Small Group Finder on the myNorthwoods portal lets newcomers search for an open group, and the church is constantly recruiting hosts and leaders.
Beyond the open network, five stage-specific communities hold their own Bible studies and events throughout the year. Men's Groups gather men to develop character and bold leadership, particularly at home and at work. Women's Groups invite women "into a personal and passionate relationship with Jesus Christ," built around shared study, prayer, service, and friendship. The 20s & 30s community serves single and married adults who want a smaller landing place inside the larger church, with service projects, topical studies, and socials. 55+ Connection brings together people who are retired or near retirement to serve together inside the church and out in the community. A weekly email digest for each of these groups keeps members current on events.
The Core Classes: Four Steps, Alpha, Get Free, Doing What Jesus Did
Adult formation at Northwoods runs through four signature courses that everyone is encouraged to walk through at some point. They are also the pipeline into membership and serving.
Four Steps is a four-session online class that orients new attendees to the history, beliefs, and values of Northwoods, introduces spiritual gifts and the S.H.A.P.E. profile, and ends with a connection meeting that opens the door to membership and the volunteer team. It is a prerequisite for serving anywhere in the church.
Alpha is the classic introduction to Christianity for anyone still asking the big questions. Each session starts with a shared meal, moves into a video, and ends with a small-group discussion. Midway through, an optional Weekend Away deepens the friendships that have been forming around the table.
Get Free is an eight-week course built around freedom ministry, addressing false thinking, emotional wounds, and bondage that hold people back. Each week combines biblical teaching, worship, and small-group processing around identity in Christ, the process of life change, and hearing God's voice.
Doing What Jesus Did is a 19-week class that trains followers in the practices of the Christian life - sharing faith, hearing from God, praying for the sick, resisting the enemy, and living in step with the Holy Spirit. Participants are placed at a table group for the duration of the course and step out together to practice what they are learning. Testimonials from past participants describe boldness in everyday prayer as the most common takeaway.
Other classes, listed on the More Classes calendar, cover marriage, finances, and living out purpose, among other topics.
Prayer, Fasting, and the Prayer Tower
Prayer is treated as one of the ministries of the church, not an afterthought. A prayer team is available at the front of the auditorium after every Sunday service for anyone who wants immediate prayer. "Get Prayer" appointments offer about an hour of in-depth personal ministry with a small team. Two weekly gatherings, the Prayer Room, meet on the fourth floor of the Prayer Tower: Tuesdays from 6:00 to 8:00 PM and Fridays from 12:00 to 1:00 PM. Deliverance appointments with a trained team and Elder Prayer appointments are scheduled on request, and a Book of Prayers plus a Pray First booklet help members build a daily prayer life outside the building.
The church teaches fasting as a Christian discipline. The church teaches that fasting is biblical, restorative, self-disciplining, and clarity-giving, and includes type-by-type guidance on complete fasts, selective (Daniel) fasts, partial fasts, and soul fasts that trade social media or entertainment for prayer. Children's participation is built around age-appropriate sacrifices (TV, video games, sweets, a favorite family activity) and prayer lists organized by family, school, church, missionaries, and neighbors. A printable fasting-tips card and a printable Bible reading plan are free for the asking.
Care Ministry: Support Groups, Pastoral Help, Weddings, Funerals, Assistance
The Care Ministry office, reachable at 309-243-2776, is the front door for several of the most personal services the church offers.
Support Groups use nationally recognized curricula and meet on a regular cadence. DivorceCare and DC4K serve adults and children walking through divorce. GriefShare offers a community for those grieving the loss of a loved one. Single & Parenting groups support single parents, and Pure Desire groups address sexual integrity and purity.
Pastoral Care and Assistance covers hospital visits (the church is on call 24 hours a day through a Pastor-On-Call option on the main phone line), financial assistance requests reviewed against a written benevolence policy, and a counseling referral list of vetted local providers. Hospital calls during business hours go to 309-243-1550; after hours, the same number rings through to the Pastor-On-Call line. The Care Ministry also helps families plan funerals, both at the church and at other locations, and helps couples who want to get married at Northwoods by sending them a wedding packet and connecting them with the wedding coordinator and the Marriage Prep course.
Church Planting: The Every-Chair-A-Church Goal
Church planting is the headline mission of Northwoods. The goal, written out plainly, is to see "20 regional churches in the United States and 3,000 churches around the world" planted by the year 2030. Senior leadership calls this the Every Chair A Church initiative and pitches it directly to the congregation: "What if every chair at Northwoods represented a church planted around the world? It can happen when global pastors have access to the resources they need."
Domestic planting targets include Surprise, Arizona (Tribe City); Moline, Illinois (Pathway); Fort Worth, Texas (Fort Worth Bible Church, Southside Fellowship); Galesburg, Illinois (The Ascent); Kansas City, Missouri (Living Streams KC); Phoenix (Kingdom Culture); Burleson, Texas (Bold City); Anoka, Minnesota (Salt & Light); and Boise, Idaho (Inheritance). Each plant is supported through a five-phase process that covers exploration, DNA design, team-building, launch, and ongoing leadership.
Global partnerships are coordinated through ECAC (Every Chair A Church) and stretch across five continents. Northwoods teams travel to Brazil (Manaus, Rio de Janeiro, and Paraná) to serve with Igreja Presbiteriana de Manaus, ILAN, and ZOE; to India to assist Zion Evangelical Ministries in Visakhapatnam with children camps and pastor training and Hope Partners International in Ajmer with women and children rescued from trafficking; to Vietnam with the Church Planting Institute and Dr. Hendrik Vorster; to Zambia with the Africa Church Planting Initiative, where congregants serve as Planter Advocates; to the Dominican Republic alongside Solid Rock International; and to Israel and the West Bank with Immanuel Church in Bethlehem, the Hamayaan Congregation in Kfar Saba, and Seeds of Hope in Jericho.
Several individuals supported through Northwoods serve in long-term mission settings under organizations like Navigators, Campus Crusade for Christ International, WorldVenture, Poetice, and West Eurasian Bible translation efforts. Funding is open: the church teaches that planting a single church can begin at about $3,650 to support a planter for one year, with options to contribute, complete the next plant, or fully fund a new plant in any given region.
Local Missions in Peoria and Beyond
The local missions team works alongside partner organizations rather than running its own parallel programs. Dream Center Peoria receives volunteers at the emergency shelter, thrift store, youth programs, and summer programs; the Peoria Campus is also a drop-off location for the Dream Center's Hope Store of free clothing and household items. Midwest Food Bank enlists volunteers to gather and distribute food, prepare meal packets, and pack relief shipments. South Side Mission offers food, shelter, clothing, mentoring, and home repair projects. Pathway Ministries (formerly Peoria Rescue Ministries) provides emergency services, recovery programs for men and women, pregnancy and parenting services, counseling, and vocational assistance. Adult & Teen Challenge: Greater Midwest brings volunteers alongside men fighting addiction through thrift store work and an annual fundraising banquet. Operation Christmas Child is supported year-round by packing volunteers at M.H. Equipment and collection volunteers at Northwoods each November.
The church also supports a number of parachurch organizations that complement local ministry. LifeWise Academy provides released-time religious instruction in public schools. Good News Club of Child Evangelism Fellowship hosts after-school Bible clubs in Peoria. Safe Families for Children keeps kids safe during a parent's crisis by surrounding the family with vetted volunteers. The Christian Center uses athletics, recreation, and activities to share the gospel. Peoria Christian School weaves Scripture into every subject alongside weekly chapels and service opportunities. Local missionaries named by the church include Bill and Stacey Allison with Cadre Missionaries, Mickeisha Armstrong with Young Lives, and Sadey Rose with Youth for Christ.
Generosity and Giving
The General Fund pays for the day-to-day operations of the church and its ministries. Beyond that, money can be directed to Special Projects (highlighted ministry needs) and Church Planting (domestic and global plants). Online giving uses a platform with encrypted payment security. Legacy and asset gifts, including stocks, bonds, and beneficiary designations on life insurance or trusts, are handled by the Finance Department.
Givers can view annual contribution statements and recurring schedules online, with electronic statements available after January 20 of each year and paper statements mailed by January 31. The Now Is the Time campaign offers a one-time Courageous Gift, a Consistent Gift spread over 25 months, and a Creative Gift for non-cash assets, all described as additions to regular tithes and offerings.
What It Looks Like to Walk In
Anyone new to Northwoods is greeted by a New Here team whose kiosks make it easy to grab a gift, ask a question, or schedule a connection meeting. Greeters walk first-time families down to the Northwoods Kids check-in desk and personally escort them to their child's classroom. For visitors who can't attend in person, the Online Campus at northwoods.online functions as a full worship experience, with live and replay video, interactive chat, an online community, private prayer help, and online giving. Baptisms, the Four Steps class, and all major ministries are open to online attendees, even when they happen in the Peoria auditorium.
Children's programming happens at both Sunday services, students gather on Wednesday nights, prayer fills Tuesdays and Fridays at the Prayer Tower, and small groups fill the rest of the week in homes and on campus. English, Mandarin, Portuguese, Telugu, Vietnamese, Hindi, Arabic, and Spanish visitors can plug their own headphones into a smartphone and follow the message in real time. From its beginning as a small gathering with a vision for 150,000 neighbors, Northwoods Community Church has grown into a multi-campus, multi-language ministry with a global footprint - and the leadership talks, plainly and often, as if the best years are still ahead.