From a Hoffman Estates House Church to Schaumburg Road
Our Saviour's United Methodist Church traces its roots to a small house church of about a dozen young adults gathered in the then-new community of Hoffman Estates. In March 1958 the group was chartered as a Methodist church with 85 members, and with the support of the Methodist Conference and a group called Church Builders the congregation built its first sanctuary on Golf Road. Thirty-five years later the church had outgrown that site and moved to its present home near the southwest corner of Schaumburg Road and Plum Grove Road, where it has continued to grow as an inclusive community of faith serving the village of Schaumburg.
Sunday Morning Worship at 9:30
One Sunday morning service is held each week at 9:30 AM, both in person and livestreamed on the congregation's YouTube channel. The worship bulletin is also posted online, and the order of worship follows a traditional pattern: a prelude on organ, a welcome and prayer from the pastor, a hymn from the United Methodist Hymnal, the Passing of the Peace, Prayers of the People with the Lord's Prayer, an offertory, a hymn of response, a Prayer of Dedication, a choral or handchime anthem, Scripture reading, a sermon, occasional Holy Baptism, a closing hymn, and a postlude. Recent services have drawn on familiar hymns such as Wonderful Words of Life, Give Thanks, Help Us Accept Each Other, and God of Grace and God of Glory, with organ music ranging from classical settings to arrangements by Tracey Craig McKibben and Benjamin Knoedler. The chancel choir and the Chancel Chimers handchime ensemble lead music most Sundays, with additional special music at Christmas and during the summer.
Visitors are warmly welcomed and invited to sign the attendance pad, fill out a Connect Card and place it in the offering plate or the office, and stay for coffee hour afterward. There is no stated dress code; members and guests come as they are comfortable.
Family Ministries and Sunday School
Sunday School runs during the 9:30 AM worship service for children from infants through eighth grade. The nursery for children infant through age 2 requires advance registration with Family Ministries Director Krista Schalberg. Toddlers and kindergarteners use the Frolic Preschool curriculum, a year-round program designed to keep young children engaged with age-appropriate Bible foundations. Grades 1 through 4 use Grow, Proclaim, Serve, a curriculum that connects the Bible to children's everyday lives. Grades 5 through 8 use Grow Curriculum, a year-long, customizable, gospel-centered plan with thirteen themed teaching series covering identity, wisdom, friendship, and following Jesus, paired with a discipleship strategy centered on four key spiritual habits.
Family Ministries also aims to host one family event a month so that children, parents, and the wider congregation can connect and grow closer to God together. Recurring favorites include Bible Buddies, S'more Family Fun, Trunk or Treat, Deck the Halls, the Christmas Pageant, Parent's Night Out, the Easter Egg Hunt, and Vacation Bible School. Our Saviour's is a Safe Gatherings Ministry, meaning that adults working with children and youth have completed screening and training.
Summit Youth Ministry
Summit is the congregation's ministry for students in grades 6 through 12, meeting on Sunday evenings at 6:00 PM under the leadership of Student Ministries Director Martha Walker and a team of adult volunteers. The program is intentionally built as a safe, welcoming space where teenagers can be themselves, ask honest questions, and discover what faith looks like in everyday life. Weekly gatherings include food, games, teaching, small groups, worship, laughter, and plenty of time to connect with friends and trusted adult leaders. Beyond Sunday nights, Summit students take part in local service projects, mission trips, and outreach opportunities throughout the year. The Summit theme for the year is LEGO MY EGO, a year-long challenge to recognize where pride, comparison, insecurity, control, jealousy, and the need for approval can crowd God out, and to make more room for God in friendships, families, schools, decisions, faith, and everyday life. Less ME. More GOD.
Weekly Study Groups for Every Season of Life
Adults of every age find a place to grow in faith through the church's small-group offerings. Director of Discipleship Tim Alexander leads a Wednesday evening book discussion group. A Men's Study Group meets on Mondays at 7:00 PM. A Women's Sermon Study Group meets on Tuesday evenings at 7:00 PM over Zoom. The Journey is a small group for young adults ages 18 to 30, meeting on Wednesdays at 7:00 PM in person and over Zoom.
On Wednesday mornings a separate group of crafters gathers at the church to paint, make ornaments, design cards, and do light woodworking, socializing as they work. In November the group joins with the local chapter of United Women in Christ to put on the annual Holiday Bazaar, with proceeds supporting a wide circle of mission partners.
Music and Fine Arts
Music is a long-standing strength of the congregation. The chancel choir and Chancel Chimers lead worship most Sundays, and additional ensembles and soloists offer special music at Christmas and during the summer. Director of Worship Ministries and Organist Ricardo Pedroza directs the instrumental and choral program from the organ console, while guest soloists and ensembles round out the musical life of the church, including recent performances such as the 2024 Spring Cantata.
Missions Close to Home and Around the World
Our Saviour's has a long history of mission engagement, and there are opportunities for both youth and adults to serve locally and around the world. Adult and youth mission trips have carried members to Haiti, Ethiopia, Peru, Panama, and Mexico as well as to domestic locations. The congregation partners with a wide circle of agencies including Midwest Missions, UMCOR, WINGS, the Community Crisis Center in Elgin, Kenneth Young Center, Meals on Wheels, PADS of Elgin, Packages for Patriots, the Bhare Foundation for autism, Phil's Friends, Gigi's Playhouse, Kids Above All, the SOS Fund, and Mary Martinez' Homeless Mission.
Closer to home, the church hosts BSA Troop 392, Cub Scout Pack 100, Venture Crew 392, and Troop 392g as part of its ministry. The congregation also partners with AA groups and other local organizations and welcomes inquiries from anyone wanting to get involved.
The Fourth Sunday Food Fund and the Prayer Chain
On the fourth Sunday of every month a special collection is taken to purchase food for the Schaumburg Township Food Pantry, which then distributes the food to neighbors in need. The congregation also maintains an email prayer chain of more than 300 members who lift up prayer requests shared with the church, and anyone with an email address can be added by writing to the prayer email.
Caring Ministries and Stephen Ministers
Caring Ministries at Our Saviour's extends God's love through practical acts: providing meals for families in crisis, visiting people in the hospital, sending cards, making phone calls, and spending time with members who need encouragement. The congregation also offers Stephen Ministries, a lay caring ministry in which trained Stephen Ministers provide one-to-one Christian care to people experiencing grief, divorce, job loss, chronic or terminal illness, or relocation. Coordinated by Joyce Kiepura, Stephen Ministries is spiritual support and a complement to, not a substitute for, professional counseling.
The Memorial Garden
Just beyond the main building, the Celebration of Life Garden provides a walled outdoor space for the interment of cremains of eligible deceased members, with landscaping, bench seating beneath an ash tree, and a sky window framing the ever-changing sky. The garden also serves as a quiet gathering place for many of the smaller celebrations and reflections of church life.
An Inclusive Welcome and a Faithful Mission
At Our Saviour's, all people are welcomed regardless of age, race, color, mental and physical abilities, nationality, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, political party, educational background, economic background, ethnicity, or religious tradition, as full participants in the life and work of the church. The congregation has adopted a Declaration Against Racism affirming that racism is incompatible with Christian teaching and has publicly committed itself to recognizing, addressing, and dismantling all forms of racism. It upholds the United Methodist call to Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors and invites everyone to join hands in building the beloved community.
The congregation's stated mission is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world, growing each day by worshipping God, loving one another, and serving others. Pastoral leadership rests with Senior Pastor Heewon Kim, supported by a staff team in worship, family, student, and communications ministries and a council of lay leaders who chair the work of committees and boards. Giving is offered both through the Sunday offering plate and online through Tithe.ly.