A Triangle of Land at Courtland and Prospect
Park Ridge Community Church sits on the triangle of land where Courtland and Prospect Avenues meet, an address the congregation has called home since 1877. The current red-brick Georgian sanctuary was built in 1951, replacing the original Gothic meeting house that early settlers had constructed on the same plot in the 1870s. Across nearly two centuries, PRCC has stayed rooted to this single corner of Park Ridge, growing from a small gathering of river-portage settlers into the oldest church in town and the oldest Congregational church in Cook County.
From 1843 to Today: A Federated, Independent, Ecumenical People
PRCC traces its beginnings to 1843, when a small group of settlers along the Des Plaines/Chicago River portage set aside their denominational differences and began meeting for worship at the local schoolhouse. By 1848 they had built a meeting house near Dee and Talcott roads, and in 1868 Rev. J. H. Laird became the first permanent minister, formally affiliating the church with the Congregational tradition. In 1913 the congregation briefly federated with the Methodist Church for four years before reorganizing as an independent community church in 1917.
The 1920s brought what has been called the church's "community house era." Senior Minister Charles Clayton Morrison, editor of the Christian Century, helped launch the Great Hall (the Community House) in 1925. Rev. Orvis Fairlee Jordan's 35-year pastorate beginning in 1922 expanded that building into a hub of educational, service, and social programming for the wider Park Ridge community. Successive long-tenure ministers deepened the congregation's commitment to ecumenical roots and individual spiritual growth, and by the late twentieth century the church had strengthened its ties with the United Church of Christ while continuing to govern itself in the classic Congregational manner.
The 175th anniversary was celebrated in 2018, the year Rev. Carol Hill was called as Senior Pastor after the August 2017 retirement of Rev. Dr. Brett W. McCleneghan. Since then, the bylaws have been revised, church management systems upgraded, Christian education expanded (including a congregational trip to Greece), annual sermon themes instituted, and the youth ministry grown.
What the Congregation Believes
PRCC's 1961 Statement of Purpose reads in part: "We desire to associate ourselves in a fellowship of the Christ Spirit and covenant to accept one another in diversity of faith, supporting each other in love and respect." The church teaches that "Unity with God is the goal, Jesus Christ is our way, the Bible is our greatest resource, and the Church is our visible, sustaining fellowship." Members bring a wide variety of Christian backgrounds to the pews, and the congregation has committed to respecting that diversity in how it talks about God, creation, and salvation.
In 2022 the congregation added a Statement of Inclusion, Welcome, and Belonging affirming that all people are made in the image of God and explicitly valuing people of every age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, economic circumstance, family structure, ability, and faith tradition. That same year the church voted to become officially Open and Affirming under the United Church of Christ, joining the UCC's wider work through Accessible to All (A2A) and WISE for Mental Health initiatives.
Two Sunday Mornings, Two Different Moods
Worship at PRCC happens twice each Sunday, year-round.
At 8:30 am, a smaller, more acoustic service gathers in the Crego Chapel during the school year and on the lawn of the Memorial Garden in summer. Music is led by Andrew and Angie Weber on guitars and mandolin, and worshippers are invited to bring their own blanket or chair when the service moves outdoors. If weather turns bad, the 8:30 gathering relocates indoors.
At 10:00 am the full Sanctuary worship takes place, a traditional service anchored by the Chancel Choir under Director of Music Ministries Sasha Gerritson, with soloists and guest musicians throughout the year. Children and Youth Sunday School follows the Children's Message at the 10:00 service, and several Sundays each year take on a special character: a Youth Service, a Folk Music Worship, an Inter-generational Celebration, and a Jazz Worship service. Most weeks, however, both services run on schedule, with the entire congregation together at Coffee Hour in Jordan Hall at 11:00 am.
Communion is served on the first Sunday of every month and on additional holy days. The table is open to all Christians who wish to know the presence of Christ and share in the community of God's people, including children at the discretion of their parents. Grape juice is used so that all are welcome. A three-week Holy Communion class is offered each year to prepare second graders for their First Communion.
Both services are livestreamed on YouTube, with bulletins and lesson links posted afterward in the Worship Series Archive.
Nursery, Children, and Sunday School
Every Sunday morning and at many church events, nursery care is available for children up to age five. The nursery is staffed with two caregivers, located downstairs, decorated with a Noah's Ark mural, and operates on a strict sign-in and sign-out security protocol.
Children from birth through fifth grade are welcomed into a Sunday School program overseen by Director of Children and Family Ministries Kate Joyce, a longtime congregation member who holds degrees in elementary and special education. The 9:00 am Sunday School hour on first Sundays of the month (and the post-Children's-Message time at 10:00 am on other Sundays) includes Bible lessons, music, and adapted programming for children with a broad range of physical and mental abilities. Social buddies and aides are available for families who need extra support.
Two milestone classes round out the children's ministry: My Communion, a three-week class preparing second graders and older for first communion, and My Bible, an eight-week course for third graders and older that ends with each child being presented with their own Bible during a Sunday service. The Christmas Pageant in mid-December draws children from preschool through high school, with even babies playing cherubs carried in by teen angels.
Youth in Grades 6-12
Middle and high schoolers have a full slate at PRCC. After the Children's Message at the 10:00 service, youth gather in the Library for Sunday School, with their own engaging curriculum (on first Sundays they begin at 9:00 am and then stay for worship and Communion). On Wednesdays they can join Wacky Wednesday Open Gym from 2:30 to 3:30 pm for snacks, homework help, and games, or Youth Choir from 3:30 to 4:45 pm under Sasha Gerritson.
Confirmation is a two-year journey for students in seventh grade and up. Co-led by Pastor Carol and Pastor Mollie with a team of mentors, the program meets for four intensive Sunday sessions each program year (October, November, December, January, February, March, and April), with Confirmation Sunday falling on the final Sunday in April. The class blends doctrine, theology, practical faith, and membership with guest speakers, service projects, and fellowship.
A week-long Youth Mission Trip, organized in collaboration with Praying Pelican, sends the high school group each summer to combine "Relate" and "Restore" service projects in communities affected by natural disasters. Scholarships are available so that the cost (about $1,500 per person, including flights, meals, and lodging) does not prevent participation.
Music That Fills the Sanctuary
Music is one of PRCC's deepest traditions. The Chancel Choir rehearses on Thursdays from 7:30 to 9:00 pm in the Choir Room and sings at the 10:00 service from September through May. Director Sasha Gerritson, also a full-time professor of opera and music theory at Northeastern Illinois University and former assistant to Maestro Daniel Barenboim, selects repertoire that aligns with each week's worship theme. The choir's recent highlight was a June 2026 trip to the Tuscany International Music Festival, where members joined choirs from around the world.
Bells on High, the handbell choir directed by Sandy Bowen, rehearses Thursdays from 6:30 to 7:30 pm in the Sanctuary Balcony and rings several times a year. Throughout the year, guest string quartets, bands, instrumentalists, and ensembles enrich worship, with Jazz Sunday, Folk Sunday, and visiting soloists long-standing traditions.
A 1909 Tiffany-style stained glass panel, originally from the former First Christian Church of South Bend, Indiana, anchors the altarpiece as the focal point of the Sanctuary. Beneath it, a baptismal cross inlaid into the narthex floor uses the number eight to mark new life and to send worshippers outward to every point of the compass.
Adult Faith Formation and Bible Study
Adults 18 and older find a year-round slate of study, discussion, and fellowship through the Adult Ministry Team. A Wednesday Night Bible Study from 7:00 to 8:30 pm has most recently worked through the book of Romans, blending biblical and Twelve Step approaches to spiritual wholeness.
Small groups include a Men's Discussion Group (recently studying John Ortberg's "Steps" on weekday mornings), the Kindred Spirits Cafe (a Tuesday lunch-and-program gathering in Jordan Hall), and a long-running Thursday morning Men's Breakfast in the Church Library. Knitting Knights, a needlework circle, makes soap bags for homeless ministry, prayer squares for college students, and seasonal hats and scarves.
A "Super Sunday" model launched in October places children, youth, and adult classes together from 9:00 to 9:50 am on the first Sunday of the month, with rotating guest presenters, before everyone joins together for communion at either the 8:30 or 10:00 am service.
Stephen Ministry: A Listening Presence
Since 1993, PRCC has run a Stephen Ministry program, training laypeople to provide confidential one-on-one Christian care to anyone going through grief, illness, divorce, depression, spiritual struggle, or any other life transition. Stephen Ministers complete over 50 hours of specialized training, are matched with care receivers of the same gender, and meet weekly for as long as the relationship is helpful (most often twelve to eighteen months). The program has served more than 100 members and friends across its three decades and is open to non-members as well.
Two annual special services fall under Stephen Ministry's umbrella: a Grief and the Holidays presentation by Rainbow Hospice between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and a Service of Remembrance on or near All Saints' Day that honors members and friends who have died during the past year.
A Yoga Tradition That Gives Back
One of PRCC's most distinctive offerings is its three-times-weekly yoga program, held in the Great Hall/Gym and accessible from the back door of the church (an elevator serves those who cannot manage the stairs). Traditional Yoga meets Monday evenings at 7:00 pm under Grace Curtis, and Chair Yoga is offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10:15 am under Cindy Klimmeck. Each class runs about an hour and fifteen minutes of light exercise, relaxation, and reflection.
The suggested donation is $5 per class, or $2 for seniors. Every eight weeks the participants vote to direct that money to a different local or international nonprofit. In more than 18 years of operation, the program has raised over $135,000 for 94 charities.
Anonymous Recovery and Community Groups
A Women's Alcoholics Anonymous group meets at the church every Wednesday at 10:00 am, providing a regular, open-door recovery meeting in a familiar space.
Sacred Milestones: Baptism, Weddings, Funerals
PRCC hosts baptisms, weddings, and funerals as core parts of its ministry. Baptism, normally integrated into Sunday morning worship, is described as "an outward and visible sign of the grace of God," and PRCC recognizes the validity of all baptisms, so no rebaptism is required.
The sanctuary seats roughly 200, and weddings are open to both members and non-members who wish to be married in a Christian service. A detailed Wedding Manual is available to couples planning ceremonies, with Pastor Carol overseeing the planning.
Funeral and memorial services can take place in the sanctuary, at a funeral home, or at a committal site. Pastors help families select readings and music and shape a liturgy appropriate to their loss. Memorial gifts, often given in lieu of flowers, fund specific projects on the church's wish list (recent projects have included Sunday school wing carpeting, garden landscaping, and a security system upgrade).
Serve: Loving Lunches, Sunday Suppers, Food, and Refugees
Outreach runs deep at PRCC. The congregation partners with Loving Lunches, a local nonprofit, preparing 160 sack lunches each month for distribution to people experiencing homelessness and food insecurity in Chicagoland. Volunteers of all ages are welcome, with kids under 13 accompanied by an adult.
Through the Park Ridge Ministerial Association, the church participates in Sunday Night Suppers at First United Methodist Church on Touhy Avenue, cooking and serving warm meals several times a year for 50-75 guests in need. The team gathers at the PRCC kitchen at 11:00 am, prepares the food, transports it across town, and serves and cleans up at the host site.
Two food pantries operate in and through the church: a small Free Outdoor Food Pantry, accessible 24/7 from the church grounds, and a monthly collection for the Maine Township Food Pantry, which serves over 400 families each month. CROP Hunger Walk efforts each fall (walked in memory of longtime member Bill Zoellner) keep a quarter of the funds raised local for the Maine Township pantry and direct the rest to hunger relief and clean-water projects worldwide.
Volunteers cook a monthly dinner in the PRCC kitchen for Lincoln Park Community Services' Interim Housing Program, which serves over 300 adults experiencing homelessness each year. Once a quarter, the Christian Outreach Committee also provides a catered meal for the Ronald McDonald Family Room at Advocate Children's Hospital in Park Ridge, supporting families with hospitalized children. A partnership with Exodus World Service drives the congregation's refugee ministry, which has included diaper drives, baby showers, housewarming events, and learning visits.
Medical Lending Closet
For more than two decades, the Medical Lending Closet has loaned walkers, wheelchairs, bath chairs, raised toilet seats, crutches, transfer benches, commodes, and similar equipment on a short-term, no-fee basis to anyone in the greater Park Ridge community, regardless of church membership. Loans are made for up to three months, with extensions possible. The Closet is staffed entirely by volunteers and is open Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 9:30 am to noon, reachable at (847) 823-3164 ext. 20. Visitors enter from the church parking lot via the door across Butler Place and ring the bell for service.
Social Justice, Creation Care, and Mental Health
The Social Justice Team works to be a resource and catalyst for justice and equality in the congregation and wider community, with active threads in accessibility, mental health, and creation care. PRCC is engaged in the UCC's Accessible to All process (A2A), auditing its physical and attitudinal welcome for people with disabilities, and is pursuing WISE for Mental Health certification, which commits the congregation to welcoming, including, supporting, and engaging those with mental health experiences. The Creation Care team promotes education, energy efficiency, waste reduction, recycling, composting, sustainable purchasing, and advocacy for land-use and policy change.
Governance, Leadership, and Annual Life
Following Congregational polity, the members of PRCC determine worship practices, mission, outreach, budget, and staffing. The Board of Directors is composed of officers, committee chairs, and pastors. An Executive Committee handles day-to-day operations. Members serve as Ushers, Christian Outreach, Finance, Welcome/Membership, Youth, Trustees, Fellowship, and Arts and Decor teams, with rotation built into every role. The Annual Meeting on the first Sunday of May reviews reports from officers, nominates lay leadership, and conducts any business requiring a congregational vote. Annual Reports going back to 2018 are published online.
The Building Itself
The sanctuary is rich with detail worth seeing. A bas-relief of Christ with arms outstretched, sculpted in the early 1950s by longtime Park Ridge resident and PRCC member Eugen Romeo, hangs in the Crego Chapel, where its lighting happens to cast a profile reminiscent of a child, which is why baptisms are often requested there. Outside the church office, a second Romeo bas-relief titled "The Reformers" combines six figures from Christian history: John Knox, Alexander Campbell, Martin Luther, Roger Williams, John Wesley, and John Robinson, each with a quotation beneath. The stained glass altarpiece, a Tiffany-style panel depicting the baptism of Christ, was originally installed in 1909 in the former First Christian Church of South Bend, Indiana, and came to PRCC through the gifts of the Steiner and Ady families.
Envision PRCC: A Capital and Endowment Campaign
The congregation is in the middle of an Envision PRCC campaign, working toward a $1.5 million goal across three pillars. Foundations of Faith ($728K) supports building needs on the horizon, including stabilizing the internal structure of the steeple, replacing elevator hydraulics, updating bathrooms for accessibility, and interior painting. Faith in Action ($500K) funds future ministries, including the Angel Fund, Disaster Response, Scholarships, and Youth and Children programs. Legacy of Faith works to grow the Endowment Fund to at least $1 million, securing future ministry through bequests and planned gifts. A pew dedication program, at $500 per pew in either the Sanctuary or Chapel, allows members and friends to honor loved ones or "simply to the glory of God" while supporting the campaign.
Joining, Giving, and Staying Connected
Membership is open to anyone wishing to make a public covenant with the congregation. The process begins with an information-gathering session and concludes at a Membership Sunday when new members come forward during worship and are welcomed by the whole church, followed by a New Members' Reception. Anyone is welcome to participate in the life of the church without becoming a member.
Giving can be made online, by texting GIVE to (847) 908-9088, through Zelle to giving@parkridgecommunitychurch.org, by direct ACH transfer, by mail, or by dropping a check at the office. Beyond regular giving, members can support memorial gifts, special appeals, designated funds (Angel Fund, Capital Replacement Fund, Contingency Fund, Music Ministries Fund, Youth Scholarship Fund, Outreach Fund), and legacy planned gifts.
The office at 100 Courtland Avenue is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Pastors' days off are Friday and Saturday. The monthly newsletter CC News, archived back to 2022, and the public calendar keep the wider community informed of everything from Bible study sign-ups to Christmas Pageant rehearsals.