Redeemer Lutheran Church has stood at 6801 North Allen Road on the north side of Peoria since 1949, anchoring a campus that includes a sanctuary, classrooms, a preschool, and an outdoor pavilion for the wider Central Illinois community. The congregation belongs to The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and frames its life around a simple motto: "We Worship. We Witness. We Serve." Within a short drive of nearby neighborhoods and the broader Greater Peoria Area, Redeemer is known for a full slate of weekend services, an established preschool, and a deep bench of ministries for every age from toddlers through seniors.
A Saturday Evening and Two Sunday Mornings of Worship
Redeemer offers three Sunday services and a Saturday evening service to fit a variety of schedules and worship preferences.
Saturday at 5:30 p.m. and Sunday at 8:15 a.m. are traditional services built around the Lutheran liturgy. The order of service follows the historic Christian pattern, with well-loved hymns supported by organ music, scripture readings, confession and absolution, and a sermon.
Sunday at 10:45 a.m. is a contemporary service that features more singing, is less formal, and focuses on a single theme woven through every element of the morning. A worship band leads alongside the music ministry, and the entire service centers on one idea so that worship, readings, and message all line up.
An Education Hour fills the gap between services on Sunday morning from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., offering Bible study for adults, a youth Bible study, and Sunday School for children.
Holy Communion is celebrated on the first, third, and fifth Sundays of each month. In keeping with Lutheran practice, the church teaches that in the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the body and blood of Jesus Christ are truly present for the forgiveness of sins. Visitors who wish to participate are asked to have been baptized, instructed in the Biblical teaching of communion, and to agree with Redeemer's confession of faith. Anyone with questions can make an appointment to talk with a pastor.
For those unable to attend in person, both Sunday services at 8:15 and 10:45 a.m. are livestreamed through Redeemer's online worship page, and sermons are available to revisit afterward. Childcare in the nursery for children ages 0 to 3 is offered during all services, including the seasons of Lent, Advent, Christmas, and Easter, as well as at some special events.
First-Time Visitors
From the moment they arrive, visitors are greeted at the door by an elder or pastor and invited to stop by the visitor desk just inside the lobby. A greeter can answer questions, hand over a visitor packet, and point the way to a Bible study or Sunday School class.
Activity bags with small toys, coloring pages, and stickers are available by the sanctuary doors for families with small children, and a staffed nursery is offered during services for ages 0 to 3. Coffee and breakfast snacks are shared between services, giving newcomers a chance to meet members of the congregation in a relaxed setting. The most convenient entrance for those coming to worship is the first entrance by the carport and steeple.
Sunday Morning Education Hour and Sunday School
The Education Hour, held from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. on Sunday mornings, is the backbone of mid-morning formation at Redeemer. Adults gather for group Bible study in several formats: a general Bible study open to all ages, a Bible study designed for parents of young children, and a high school youth Bible study. Children from age two through junior high attend Sunday School.
This year's Sunday School curriculum walks through how God restores His people, with new Bible stories explored each week. Lessons include games and activities that help children form friendships with other children and adults at Redeemer. A current unit calendar and memory work pages are available for families to download, and registration is open online.
Children's Ministry from Nursery Through Fifth Grade
Redeemer's Children's Ministry is coordinated by Jennifer Anders and serves children from birth through elementary years. The team partners with parents as children grow in faith, with the goal of helping each child learn more about Jesus.
A staffed nursery welcomes infants through age 3 during services, and Sunday School classes begin at age 2. Throughout the year, special events like Children's Day Camp give children entering fourth and fifth grade a multi-day experience at Camp Great Oaks, with games, swimming, fishing, boating, archery, and Bible study, plus a cookout and closing devotion for the whole family each evening. The cost of camp is free, and friends are welcome to join.
The safety of children is taken seriously. Every volunteer working with children and youth has completed a background check, signed Redeemer's Safe Church Policy agreement, and completed Illinois DCFS Mandatory Reporter training, with each step renewed every three years.
Junior High Weeklies and a Two-Year Confirmation Path
Junior high students in sixth through eighth grade meet in two weekly settings. On Sunday mornings from 9:40 to 10:30 a.m., they gather in the Jr High Room off the Life Center to explore books of the Bible and learn how to apply them to daily life. Sunday evenings from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. bring the group back together for a light dinner and a CONNECT-focused night with three goals: connect with God, connect God's Word with their lives, and connect with other students. The fourth Sunday of each month is set aside as party night, with games and relationship-building activities.
Confirmation at Redeemer is a two-year curriculum open to anyone in grades six through nine, totaling twelve in-class units along with worship notes, service events, and fellowship. First-year students meet Sunday mornings from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. in room 711. Second-year students meet Wednesday evenings from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the Jr High Room off the Life Center. During Lent and Advent, the second-year class shifts to follow a 6:00 p.m. Wednesday worship service, with class running from 7:00 to 7:45 p.m.
Jr High Camp is held each summer at Camp Great Oaks for youth currently in fifth through seventh grade, with Bible study, a high ropes course and zipline, swimming, fishing, archery, boating, hiking, games, and crafts.
High School Youth Group and Bible Study
High school students have their own rhythms. Youth Group meets Sunday evenings from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., with Christ, food, music, games, and service on the agenda. One off-campus event is scheduled each month, including bowling nights, game nights, and paintball.
On Sunday mornings, high schoolers are invited to a Youth Bible Study from 9:35 to 10:35 a.m. in the basement, where topical studies walk through literature, media, and current events. Donuts are usually on hand.
Every three years, the LCMS Youth Gathering brings thousands of youth and adults together for five days of study, worship, service, and fellowship. Redeemer's youth fundraise year-round to attend, with proceeds from the annual Golf Outing going in part to support youth mission trips and the Gathering.
Sixty Plus, Men's Ministry, and the LWML
The Sixty Plus Group offers a monthly potluck lunch with a featured speaker from September through May, gathering in Miller Hall at 11:30 a.m. on the second Thursday of the month. Attendees sign up on the bulletin board in the office hallway. A separate but overlapping 50+ social group adds outings to local restaurants, wineries, and seasonal events throughout the year.
Men's Ministry at Redeemer brings men of all ages together to share Christ, grow in faith, and encourage one another through social activities, service events, small groups, and mission trips. A standing event is the Men's Hog Roast each fall in the Redeemer Pavilion, with a car show, bags and cornhole matches, a whole hog from Raber's, and s'mores around the campfire. Axe throwing nights, Peoria Chiefs outings, and Euchre tournaments round out the calendar. A Facebook group and an email distribution list (menofredeemer@gmail.com) keep men connected throughout the year.
Women's Ministry has two branches. Dorcas Circle meets in Miller Hall on the second Monday of each month at 1:00 p.m., September through May, sewing quilts for Lutheran World Relief, supplying baby quilts to Lutheran Social Services, hosting funeral dinners and Lenten meals, and taking on other projects for the congregation. Lutheran Women in Mission (LWML), the official women's auxiliary of the LCMS, focuses on affirming each woman's relationship with Christ, encouraging women to live out their Christian lives in active mission ministries, and supporting global missions. Two LWML organizations meet at Redeemer: Dorcas Circle and Women of Redeemer. Both collect "mites" to support national and international mission work.
Music Ministry: Choir, Praise Band, Brass, and Bells
The Music Ministry at Redeemer is led by Scott Ibe and aims to give God the congregation's highest thanks and praise through a wide variety of musical offerings. Musicians of every skill level can find a place to serve in the choir, the Praise Band, Redeemer Brass, or Jubilee Bells, the handbell choir. The choir and Praise Band support both traditional and contemporary services, while Redeemer Brass adds a festive note to special services and seasons.
Each December, the church hosts the Peoria area TubaChristmas concert, a community event featuring more than 100 local musicians. The annual Advent Wreath Activity, held the Sunday after Thanksgiving, brings the whole church family together to create a wreath for each household, with crafts, snacks, and carols while learning about the Advent candles.
Redeemer Preschool and Childcare
Redeemer Preschool & Childcare has been serving Peoria-area families for more than 65 years. The program offers care for infants, toddlers, and preschool-aged children from age two through Pre-K, with staff who nurture children's interests and introduce them to new areas for discovery and exploration. Christian education is woven into the program both inside and outside the classroom.
Sue Skahill serves as Preschool & Childcare Director, with Louisa Pummill as Assistant Preschool Director. Office hours for the preschool and the church are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
A Supporting Role for Concordia Lutheran School
Redeemer is a supporting congregation of Concordia Lutheran School, a nationally accredited K-8 elementary school that has served the Peoria area for 50 years. Concordia is led by a loving and committed faculty and staff, holds students to the highest standards in academics and conduct, and equips students for lifelong Christian discipleship. Members of Redeemer are given tuition assistance to send their children to Concordia. The school is supported by Redeemer along with two other local LCMS churches.
Care Ministry and the Food Pantry
Care Ministry at Redeemer is committed to meeting people where they are in times of crisis, offering hope in Jesus Christ alongside practical help. The ministry uses Redeemer's food pantry, offers very limited financial assistance, provides referrals for counseling, prays with those in need, and shares the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ. Care Ministry is supported solely by prayer, donations, and memorials.
The Redeemer Food Pantry is open Mondays from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. and Fridays from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. Volunteers are always needed to load and unload donations, pack and hand out bags, and greet visitors at the front desk. Fresh Produce Drives held several times each summer invite the congregation to bring extra bags of melons, berries, oranges, broccoli, peppers, and other whole fruits and vegetables to be distributed through the pantry.
The Sandy Wilson Memorial Scholarship, established in memory of a young woman who was the first member of Redeemer to attend a Synodical teachers' college, awards scholarships to students pursuing education and provides student loan relief. The scholarship program is funded by donations from the congregation.
Local Outreach Through Dream Center Peoria
A central rhythm of Redeemer's year is "Serve the City," a Saturday-morning partnership with Dream Center Peoria. Volunteers meet at the Redeemer parking lot at 7:15 a.m. and head into the city to take on assigned projects, from landscaping to cleaning to repairs. A "Serve the City" t-shirt is required for security, with shirts available for $10 for those who don't already have one.
Other local connections include the Companions of Hope outreach, an LCMS-supported ministry for caregivers and those with long-term illnesses or debilitating limitations. Companions are trained through Cancer Companions and Our Journey of Hope programs and offer prayer, one-on-one visits, Bible study, and connections to community resources.
Mission Partners in Tanzania, Italy, Thailand, India, and Florida
Redeemer's Missions Board supports a network of international partners through The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and related organizations.
In Tanzania, Tiffany Smith serves with Lutheran Bible Translators as a Community Engagement Specialist based in Shinyanga, working alongside the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania to bring Scripture to the Datoga people in their Taturu language through Oral Bible Storytelling. Rev. Bryan and Deaconess Keah Payne serve as LCMS missionaries in Tanzania, where Bryan teaches at a new seminary in Shinyanga and Keah supports the deaconesses of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania's South-East of Lake Victoria Diocese. Cheryl Kruckemeyer serves as Business Manager for the KKKT Lutheran Medical Dispensary in Shinyanga, combining Christian values with healthcare and offering transportation, food, clothing, and prayer to those in need.
In Italy, Rev. Jason Steffenson and his wife Anna Marie serve as LCMS missionaries. Jason is a theological educator and church planter and also teaches with the Luther Academy in Riga, Latvia. Cody Mock supports the online program of Luther Academy in Latvia, providing tech expertise to train future Lutheran pastors across continents and supporting other tech projects in Eurasia.
In Thailand, Nate and Shannon Ackerman serve with The Jesus Film Project, sharing the Gospel on film in more than 2,180 languages.
In India, Redeemer partners with India Transformed to sponsor children, equip women through the ARISE! empowerment program, and support community transformation projects. Redeemer recently sponsored the executive office for Brother John Peter on a new college campus dedicated to leadership and education.
At home in the United States, the Missions Board supports Pelican Church and Community Center in Naples, Florida, planted by Pastor Mark Eisold and his family after they began missionary work in Lima, Peru. Pelican Ministries includes a Spanish ministry under Reverend Orlando Ramirez, several Hispanic and Haitian missions across a 39-mile area in southwest Florida, English classes, legal immigration resources, youth and deaconess programs, and a five-year growth strategy. Redeemer members travel on an annual mission trip to Pelican.
What Redeemer Believes
Redeemer Lutheran Church teaches a classical Lutheran understanding of the Christian faith, summarized on its Beliefs page.
- God is one, true, and only, revealed in the Bible as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - the Triune God. This Triune God created all that is and continues to do so, loving His creation and desiring to live in relationship with what He has made.
- Sin has thrust the world into degradation and death, causing physical death and eternal separation from God.
- Jesus is God's Son and the answer for sin. He stood in our place and took our punishment, and through His death and resurrection we are forgiven and given new life both now and forever.
- The Holy Spirit is given to those whom God saves. The Spirit gives faith, gives gifts, and produces fruitfulness in the life of the believer.
- The Bible is God's Word to us. It contains everything God wants us to know about Him and His way of salvation, and God speaks through Scripture by using men to pen the words He intended.
- Baptism is not just water, but water connected with God's Word that personally delivers the gift of forgiveness purchased at the Cross of Christ. At Baptism, a person is adopted as a child of God.
- Communion is the bread and wine given in remembrance of Christ's death on the cross. In Communion we are also given Jesus' body and blood with the bread and wine for the forgiveness of sins.
Redeemer teaches that salvation is by God's grace alone, made manifest through faith alone in Christ's atoning sacrifice, and revealed to us through Scripture alone.
Joining the Congregation Through Discover Redeemer
Redeemer invites newcomers to take their time getting to know the congregation before joining. The membership page recommends attending all three worship service styles, joining a Bible study during the Education Hour, and possibly sitting in on a small group for at least three months.
Once someone decides to join, the church offers Discover Redeemer, a class that meets several times a year on Sunday mornings during the Education Hour from 9:30 to 10:25 a.m. The class introduces Lutheran history, Redeemer's beliefs, and a chance to build relationships with pastors, staff, and other new members. New members are then received into membership during a Sunday morning worship service, confessing faith in Jesus and in the doctrines of the church.
Weddings, Baptisms, Funerals, and Hospital Visits
Redeemer considers weddings a Christ-centered privilege and responsibility, walking with couples through more than 200 hours of marriage preparation. The church provides premarital counseling, a Wedding Coordinator, and the Director of Music Ministry to support engaged couples. At this time, the marriage preparation process is available only to members of Redeemer; a wedding handbook is available for download online.
Baptism is one part of a person's faith journey of Celebrating Christ. Through Baptism, a person is given grace, the Holy Spirit, and a brand-new life in Jesus. The church invites families to schedule a baptism online.
For those facing illness or hospitalization, Redeemer contacts the three Peoria hospitals every day to check on members who have been admitted. Communion can be brought prior to surgery or during a hospital stay, and prayer requests may be submitted for the congregation.
When a member dies, the pastors want to be notified early in the process so they can minister to the family. Redeemer's sanctuary is available as a place for the celebration of the resurrection and the hope of everlasting life for those who die with faith in Christ.
Senior Pastor, Staff, and the Board of Elders
Pastor Chip Winter has served as Senior Pastor at Redeemer since graduating from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, in 1988. He holds a BA in Integrated Studies from the University of Nebraska and previously served Salem Lutheran Church in Tomball, Texas, where he met and married Jami Durrett in 1990. Pastor Winter's family includes two children, Mary and Chase, and grandchildren in Omaha, Nebraska.
Jeff Shoumaker is the Director of Missions & Small Groups. After receiving his ministry degree, Jeff served in St. Petersburg, Florida, and DeWitt, Iowa, before making Peoria his home. He also serves Christ in the East Bluff neighborhood.
Scott Ibe has directed music ministry at Redeemer since 1996, supporting musicians and helping them discover gifts they didn't know they had. He is supported by his wife, Lorraine, and their three children, Roxanne, Vincent, and Trisha.
Jennifer Anders is the Children's Ministry Coordinator, having grown up in the Chicago suburbs and graduated from Concordia University Chicago. She came to Redeemer in 2005, took a break to be a stay-at-home mom, and returned to Children's Ministry a decade later. She and her husband Jon have three children: Nathan, Lydia, and Bethany.
Scott Treptow is on the youth ministry team, recently married to Amanda Treptow, a teacher at Concordia Lutheran School.
Sue Skahill directs Redeemer Preschool & Childcare with more than 20 years of early childhood experience and serves alongside Assistant Preschool Director Louisa Pummill.
Connie Davis leads Care Ministry after retiring from Peoria Public Schools in 2024 and has been a member of Redeemer since 2011.
The Board of Elders, chaired by Nate Gregg, shepherds the congregation's spiritual life. Other elders include Dennis Mack, Jim Voelker, Geoff Greenwood, John Steinwedel, Clarence Carr, Troy Schmick, and Nicholas Warnecke, with Mike Gudat also serving.
Worship services, the food pantry, and the church office are all centered at 6801 North Allen Road. Those who want to follow along from home can watch the livestream and support the ministry through online giving.