Worship at the Center of Lake Forest Life
St. James Lutheran Church sits on the west side of N. Waukegan Road in Lake Forest, about a mile south of Route 176, where a congregation chartered in 1962 now gathers 360 baptized members around one Sunday liturgy at 10:00 am. The morning is built around the Service of Holy Communion, set in a liturgical framework the congregation describes as "the work of the people." Greeters arrive fifteen minutes before the service to welcome latecomers, and a wide circle of lay worship servants fills the chancel alongside the pastor: assisting ministers who lead parts of the liturgy and distribute communion, lectors who read the lessons and chant the Psalm, communion assistants, ushers who hand out bulletins and collect the offering, acolytes and crucifers who light the altar candles and carry the cross, and an altar guild that prepares the paraments, linens, and communion ware before and after each service.
Communion is offered most Sundays, and all baptized Christians who share the congregation's trust that Christ is truly present in the meal are welcome at the table, members of St. James or not. The church belongs to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, which shares full communion partnerships with several other denominations, including mutual recognition of baptism and a shared celebration of the Lord's Supper. Masks are optional for those attending in person.
Parents of young children can drop them at a staffed nursery that is open from 9:00 to 10:30 am. The Sunday service is livestreamed each week, with a full replay posted on the congregation's YouTube channel afterward, and bulletins are available online for those watching from home.
One Sunday Service, Two Musical Voices
Music at St. James is a full ministry rather than a single style. The adult choir, known as St. James Singers, sings on a rotating basis with the congregation's brass ensemble, St. James Brass, and a handbell choir. On the first Sunday of every month the liturgy gives way to a contemporary sound as Damascus Road, the church's praise band, leads worship. Directed by Melinda Voelcker and Greg MacAyeal, Damascus Road draws on a roster of instrumentalists and vocalists and is what many in the area expect to hear when they picture a "contemporary" service at a Lutheran church.
The sanctuary's pipe organ anchors the traditional setting. It was installed in March of 1992, a 24-rank tracker built by Robert Sipe, and is played each Sunday by organist Wendy Unrath. Ryan Ringnalda directs St. James Brass. The music ministry regularly recruits new ringers, singers, cantors, and instrumentalists through the weekly newsletter, and information is available through the worship email.
ProjectFRESH and Lake County Hunger
ProjectFRESH is the congregation's signature community ministry and the most visible work done under the St. James name beyond its own walls. The idea is simple: if shoppers in and around Lake Forest add one extra bag of fresh produce to their grocery cart each week, the church can collect those donations on a single Saturday and deliver them to food pantries serving neighbors in need.
On the third Saturday of every month, between 10:00 am and Noon, St. James becomes a drive-through drop-off site. Volunteers meet cars at the main entrance on N. Waukegan Road, unload bags of apples, potatoes, onions, carrots, bell peppers, jalapeños, celery, green beans, limes, lemons, oranges, grapefruit, cilantro, basil, and oregano, and stack them for delivery later that day. Gardeners are welcome to bring harvest from their own plots, and shoppers who prefer to give cash can make a financial contribution that lets the ProjectFRESH team do the buying on their behalf.
Donations are currently delivered to COOL Food Pantry in Waukegan, NCCP's Family Care Closet in North Chicago, the Midwest Veterans Closet in North Chicago, PADS in Waukegan, Sagrado Corazón in Waukegan, and Church of the Holy Spirit in Lake Forest. The program is run entirely by volunteers, and other congregations interested in starting a similar effort are invited to contact the ProjectFRESH team to learn what has been developed.
A Place for Children on Sunday Mornings
Children ages three through sixth grade begin each Sunday in the sanctuary with their families. After the children's sermon, they leave the pews with the Sunday School teacher, Miss Wendy, for their own classroom time. On the first Sunday of the month, when Damascus Road leads worship, the children stay with their families for the entire service so they can take communion together at the family table.
Sunday School runs September through May, with the program year divided into two semesters. Registration is handled online before a first visit, and Mackenzie Voelcker serves as the congregation's Children's Ministry Coordinator. For the youngest children, the staffed nursery is available every Sunday from 9:00 to 10:30 am, and adult childcare providers have undergone background checks.
The Memorial Garden Next Door
Behind the sanctuary, the St. James Memorial Garden was dedicated in 1999 and offers cremains interments on land adjacent to the church. The project was planned by a committee encouraged by Pastor Tony Danielson, with layouts drawn up in collaboration with Andy Otting of Scott Byron landscaping, and the work was approved by the Village of Lake Forest and shared with immediate neighbors before construction began. Ground was broken in June of 1999 and the garden was finished in late October of that year, with a theoretical capacity of 288 interments. Since its dedication, 45 members have subscribed sites and 40 interments have been completed. Sites of different sizes remain available through the Board of Trustees, which is currently chaired by Detlef Koska.
From Lake Bluff Junior High to a Sanctuary of Its Own
St. James received its charter in January of 1962, with Rev. Edward Hammer serving as mission pastor. The first service was held on March 11, 1962, at the Lake Bluff Junior High School, where 90 worshippers gathered. A constitution was adopted in January of 1963, Lutheran Church Women organized shortly after, and the first confirmation class was held that April.
Groundbreaking for the first church unit came in October of 1964, with the dedication in 1965. Rev. Edward Livingston became the congregation's second pastor in November of 1966, and nine years later, in 1975, G. Anton "Tony" Danielson accepted the call. By the end of 1979 baptized membership had passed 500, and an educational wing was dedicated in November of 1980. Rev. Barbara S. Gazzolo joined the staff in September of 1982. The present sanctuary was dedicated in 1990, and the pipe organ followed in March of 1992.
Pastor Danielson retired in 2000 after 25 years of service, and Richard E. Holmer became senior pastor in July of 2001. Pastor Gazzolo retired in April of 2005 after 22 years, and Pastor Karl J. Hester was called that same month to serve as full-time Associate Pastor until he accepted a call to Portland, Oregon in November of 2007. The congregation marked the retirement of its building mortgage with a mortgage burning ceremony in 2018. After guiding the church through two years of a global pandemic, Pastor Holmer retired on Christmas of 2021. Mark Sundberg served as interim pastor from January through November of 2022, and Amy Gillespie accepted the call as senior pastor that November.
What This Congregation Confesses
The congregation's Confession of Faith names the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and confesses Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. It accepts the canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the inspired Word of God and the authoritative source and norm of its proclamation, faith, and life. The Apostles', Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds are accepted as true declarations of the faith, along with the Unaltered Augsburg Confession as a true witness to the Gospel, and the other confessional writings in the Book of Concord (the Apology of the Augsburg Confession, the Smalcald Articles and Treatise, the Small Catechism, the Large Catechism, and the Formula of Concord) as further valid interpretations of the faith of the Church.
The mission of St. James is summed up in four words: "God calls us to follow Christ, make disciples, and live the Gospel." The longer statement unpacks each clause: Christ wants followers rather than admirers, disciples are made rather than born, and the church exists to be a channel for God's grace in the wider world.
The People Who Run the Building
Senior Pastor Amy Gillespie was born and raised in the western suburbs of Chicago. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Theology from Loyola University Chicago, a Master of Divinity from The Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, and a Master of Social Work from the School of Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago. She is licensed in social work in Illinois and was ordained to the ministry of Word and Sacrament in the ELCA in April of 2016. She brings a particular passion for intergenerational ministry and community engagement.
Supporting her are Alison Rollenhagen as office administrator, Stacy Eppel as director of operations, Mackenzie Voelcker as children's ministry coordinator, Pete Clemens as facilities manager, and Linda Cifuentes as bookkeeper, alongside the music staff already named. The 2026-27 Church Council is led by Tom Ebert, president; Lisa Hilgenberg, vice president; Scott Larson, secretary; and Mark Wanda, treasurer, with Pastor Amy serving ex officio. Building hours are Monday through Thursday, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm.
A Building That Hosts the Wider Community
St. James keeps its doors open to groups beyond its own members. Every Tuesday and Friday evening, local Alcoholics Anonymous groups use free meeting space at the church. The sanctuary, fellowship areas, and Memorial Garden are also used for weddings and funerals, with Pastor Amy happy to talk with non-members about officiating. Outside groups reserve rooms through an online event request form, with Pastor Amy's approval required for any event.
Staying in Touch with St. James
The congregation keeps in touch through a weekly e-newsletter called Connections, a Google Calendar feed of events and worship schedules, an active Instagram account, a Facebook page, and a YouTube channel with the full worship video library and Pastor Amy's sermons. The Church Center app powers the congregation's directory, online giving, registrations, and the rotating worship servant schedule, all of which can be reached from the church's virtual kiosk.