A Blended Family on Wenmoth Road
Sanctuary Fellowship meets on a quiet stretch of Wenmoth Road on the east side of Batavia, Illinois, not far from the Fox River. The congregation's own tagline captures the room: a blended group of people who love God and each other. That mix is on display every Sunday morning when worshipers fill the building for coffee, Sunday school, and a 10:30 worship service that is also broadcast on Facebook Live.
The church is part of the Assemblies of God fellowship, and its Pentecostal convictions shape both the preaching and the prayer calendar. Style, on the other hand, is refreshingly informal. The dress code ranges from shorts to suits, ties are not required, and a longtime church joke holds that Jesus never wore a tie. Newcomers are greeted at the door, shown around by volunteer greeters, and invited to linger after the service so people can introduce themselves.
What Sunday Morning Looks Like
The Sunday rhythm at Sanctuary starts early and flows into a single, welcoming morning. Three things happen in sequence, each in the same building at 1s430 Wenmoth Road.
- Gathering Grounds Coffee House opens at 8:30 a.m. and runs until 10:00 a.m. The church's in-house barista serves a wide variety of flavored coffees and teas, and the space gives early arrivals a place to talk before classes begin.
- Sunday School for all ages starts at 9:15 a.m. and wraps up by 10:00 a.m. Classes are offered for every age group, and greeters help families with children find the right rooms and the nursery.
- Worship Service begins at 10:30 a.m. and runs to about 11:45 a.m. Music is part of the gathering, and the service is livestreamed on the church's Facebook page so that people who are traveling or homebound can join in.
Visitors who need accessible parking will find spaces close to the door kept open for anyone with mobility needs or young children to carry. Greeters are stationed at the doors and at the Welcome Desk, and they will show newcomers to the nursery, the Sunday school rooms, the restrooms, the sanctuary, and the fellowship area. Many people stay after the service to chat.
Rooted in the Assemblies of God
Sanctuary Fellowship holds to the sixteen Statement of Fundamental Truths of the Assemblies of God. Four are treated as cardinal doctrines that are essential to the church's core mission: Salvation, the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, Divine Healing, and the Second Coming of Christ.
The full statement covers the verbal inspiration of Scripture, the one true God revealed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, the fall of man, salvation through repentance and faith, the ordinances of water baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper, the baptism in the Holy Spirit with the initial physical evidence of speaking in tongues, sanctification, the Church and its mission, the ministry, divine healing as part of the gospel, the blessed hope of the rapture, the millennial reign of Christ, the final judgment, and the new heavens and new earth.
The church's short vision statement reads: To Know Jesus. To Make Him Known. Pastoral teaching at Sanctuary centers on helping people grow deeper in their walk with Christ, grounded in Scripture, and alive in the hope of Jesus as Lord and Savior.
The Pastoral Team
Lead Pastor Kurt Hermes was raised in Batavia and has deep roots in the Fox Valley. He and his wife Jodi have built a life together in the area for over three decades and have raised four children, two of whom are now married, one serving as an officer in the United States Marine Corps, and one pursuing a college degree. Pastor Kurt has served Sanctuary across youth, singles, media, kids, and worship ministry. He stepped into the role of Lead Pastor in 2016, following a mentor who had faithfully led the church for twenty-eight years. His preaching centers on the unshakable truth of God's Word and avoids a watered-down gospel of self-indulgence.
Associate Pastor Brian Hill grew up in Oklahoma in a small country church where his parents served as Assemblies of God pastors. Those early years shaped his love for the church, for God's Word, and for the people who gather week after week to worship, pray, and grow together in faith. He met his wife Cathy while studying abroad in France, and together they now serve the Sanctuary family.
Cathy Joy Hill serves as the Women's and Youth Ministry Coordinator. She carries a passion for helping people, especially women and young adults, grow in their faith and walk confidently in their God-given purpose. She leads the Young Adult Group on the church's Connect page and works alongside her husband in the youth ministry.
Weekday Bible Studies and Midweek Prayer
The teaching that happens on Sunday continues through the week in two parallel small groups that meet at the church's Gathering Place, and in a weekly prayer room that is open all afternoon.
- Women's Bible Study meets every Tuesday from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Gathering Place on the Wenmoth Road campus.
- Men's Bible Study meets every Tuesday from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the same campus.
- Prayer Gathering opens the Sanctuary every Wednesday from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Anyone can drop in, stay as long as they want, and pray for the church, the community, and one another.
Joining a small group is presented as one of the best ways to build authentic community within the church, and the office is glad to help newcomers connect with the group that fits.
Hands and Feet in Batavia: Laundry Love and Missions
Sanctuary describes its outreach as being the hands and feet of Jesus to the world. The most visible local expression is Laundry Love, which meets on the first Thursday of every month from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The team sets up at 138 W Wilson Street in downtown Batavia and helps cover the cost of laundry for people in the neighborhood who could use a hand.
Beyond Batavia, the church partners with more than twenty-five missionaries worldwide and supports local causes with time, energy, and resources. Gifts can be designated to specific ministries or to the general fund, and donations can be made by credit or debit card online, or through the church's Venmo account at @Sanctuaryag1s430.
Men's Breakfast, Children's Ministries, and Youth
Several other rhythms give Sanctuary its weekly shape. A Men's Breakfast gathers on the third Saturday of every month at 8:00 a.m. at 1902 W Fabyan Parkway in Batavia, where men in the church share food and fellowship.
Children's Ministries meet through the Sunday school hour and other programming, with greeters ready to help families locate the nursery and the classrooms. The Youth Ministry, led by Pastor Brian Hill, works alongside Cathy Hill to encourage the next generation. The Young Adult Group, led by Cathy Hill, is another entry point for people in their twenties and thirties looking for community.
Sermons, the Church App, and Staying Connected
Sermons from the Sunday service are posted online, both as video and as downloadable audio files, and a deep archive of past messages stretches back many years. Recent series titles include Be A Blessing To Thousands, Hairy Situation, Daring Greatly, Keeping Your Vow, Great Value to God, Let Your Light Shine, Still Looking, Baptism, No Mistake, and No Longer Impossible. Worship music recordings are posted on a separate music page, and a blog called Clothesline Grace carries short faith reflections from the pastoral team.
Sanctuary also offers its own mobile app, available in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, which keeps the calendar, sermons, and giving tools in one place. The weekly calendar, an events list, and the giving page all live on the church's site, and a password-protected directory is available for members of the congregation. Office questions go to office@sanctuaryag.com or by phone at (630) 879-0785.
For a first visit, plan to arrive a little before 9:15 a.m. for coffee at Gathering Grounds and Sunday school, stay for the 10:30 a.m. worship service, and keep an eye out for the greeters in the lobby. They will take it from there.