A Place to Belong on Main Street
St. John's Lutheran Church sits on twelve acres a quarter mile south of where Union's first Lutheran sanctuary once stood, on the east side of Main Street in northern McHenry County. From that campus the congregation lives out a simple motto that appears across its materials: "A place to belong and be loved." St. John's identifies as a confessional Lutheran congregation within the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, and the people of the church describe their mission as equipping others to connect with the Triune God, to grow as disciples, and to live out their faith in the church, the community, and the world.
Three weekly worship services, a full slate of Christian education for every age, an Upward Soccer program, and a partnership with missionaries on three continents all flow from that mission. The office at 6821 Main Street is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Three Services, Two Styles
Worship is the rhythm of the week at St. John's. Saturday evening at 5:30 p.m. opens the weekend with a traditional service of hymns and Lutheran liturgy, with music led by organ or piano. Sunday morning begins early with another traditional service at 7:45 a.m., followed at 9:15 a.m. by the Education Hour for all ages, and closes with a contemporary service at 10:30 a.m. with a worship band.
Holy Communion is celebrated on the first, third, and fifth weekends of the month. Both Sunday services include a fellowship time with coffee and snacks, and on summer Sundays the congregation gathers in the outdoor pavilion for a single 9:30 a.m. service. Worship services are livestreamed on YouTube and Facebook so members who cannot be present can join from home.
More Than a Century on Main Street
St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church was organized on September 11, 1887, as a congregation of the Unaltered Augsburg Confession, the doctrinal standard associated with the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod. Reverend J. L. Craemer accepted a verbal call to serve as St. John's pastor, enlarging his parish to include Huntley, Giberts, Marengo, and Union. Early services were held in the Union Town Hall and later in the Methodist Church in Union, all in German.
In August 1901 the congregation voted to buy one acre of land from Carl Warncke and build a church and a school room for fifty students. The church was dedicated on November 24, 1901. A Lutheran day school opened in the fall of 1903 and continued until 1932. From the beginning the pastor taught all eight grades until it became clear that one man could not fairly carry a full-time pastorate and a full-time classroom.
Fire shaped the early decades. On August 22, 1926, lightning struck the church and burned it to the ground; the school survived. A new brick church was dedicated on May 15, 1927, at a cost of $25,535.98. On March 17, 1943, fire again damaged the interior, and services moved to the schoolhouse. On November 24, 1952, a third fire destroyed the entire church and school. A new building rose the same year, and the cornerstone was set in 1952.
Rev. Norman Meyer became pastor on January 26, 1975, and led the congregation for more than three decades. In 1987 St. John's celebrated one hundred years of God's blessings. In 1990 the congregation called and installed Deaconess Lauren Morgan as a commissioned full-time church worker for assimilation, parish planning, youth ministry, and evangelism. By 1994 plans were underway for a new facility on twelve acres one-quarter mile south of the original location at 6621 Main Street. The present building at 6821 Main Street was dedicated on October 29, 2000.
The new campus made room for the St. John's Little Blessings Learning Center, which opened on January 22, 2001, to provide daycare and preschool education. In 2010 Little Blessings added full-day kindergarten. Pastor Meyer retired in 2009 and was named Pastor Emeritus. Vicar Caleb Schauer, who had served his vicarage at St. John's, was called as the congregation's first Associate Pastor on September 17, 2006, and now serves as Senior Pastor. A second Associate Pastor, Timothy Schutt, was installed on July 12, 2009, and served until 2013. Hannah Russell was called as Director of Christian Education in 2019. Mark Novacek joined the pastoral team in 2024 as Associate Pastor.
When the Covid pandemic arrived, the church began livestreaming its services on Facebook, offered daily devotions to members, and held outdoor worship in the pavilion on a regular basis when weather allowed. Sixteen pastors have served St. John's in its more than 120 years of ministry.
Windows Carried Forward
Twelve stained glass windows from the former building now frame the sanctuary. Each panel teaches a piece of the Christian story: a Lamb with Cross Banner and a Book with Seven Seals, reminding worshipers that Jesus Christ holds the course of history in His power; a world with a Shepherd's Staff; the Holy Bible as the revealed and open Word; symbols of Jesus Christ and the Twelve Disciples; a chalice, host, wheat, and grapes recalling the Body and Blood shed for us; a baptismal font with a hovering dove; the Church on the Rock; praying hands echoing Albrecht Durer's famous painting; a cross and crown; a cross on the rock, pointing to safety in Christ alone; and a dove with an olive twig, the peace of Jesus. A final window displays an eagle, the symbol of St. John the Evangelist, whose gaze, tradition says, pierced furthest into the mysteries of heaven.
Children and Youth
Children and teenagers find a full schedule of their own at St. John's. Sunday School meets during the 9:15 a.m. Education Hour with classes for PK through 4th grade, Pre-Confirmation for 5th and 6th graders, Confirmation for 7th and 8th graders, and a Young Adult Bible Study for 9th graders through college students. On Wednesdays from 5:15 to 7:00 p.m., Kid's Krew gathers PK through 4th graders and 5th through 7th graders for dinner, fun, and learning about Jesus. Dinner is free for the whole family.
Junior High Youth Group meets Sunday evenings from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m., and High School Youth Group meets Sunday nights from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. for Bible study, fellowship, and outings that have included bowling and mini-golf. Director of Christian Education Chloe Dahn oversees these ministries.
Upward Soccer
For children from PreK through 5th grade, St. John's runs an Upward Soccer league each spring. All practices and games take place on the church campus at 6821 Main Street. Player and volunteer registration opens in March for the following spring season. Upward's motto, "Play with Purpose," fits the church's broader aim of teaching the next generation about Jesus Christ.
Adults: Bible Studies, Quilts, and Pickleball
Adult ministries give almost every kind of small group a home. Men's Faith Builders Bible Study gathers on Saturday mornings at 8:00 a.m. for coffee and conversation over God's Word. Women's Bible Study meets on Thursday mornings from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. and on Sunday mornings at 9:15 a.m. between services, and the women occasionally serve together, go out to lunch, or take trips together. Intentional Parenting Bible Study meets on Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m. A Young Adult Bible Study also meets on Friday evenings from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. A Sunday Morning Bible Study open to both men and women gathers during the 9:15 a.m. Education Hour.
Joy Group, Jesus' Older Youth, gathers people 55 and older for fellowship and fun, with trips like a tour of Long Grove confectionaries. Quilters meet on Mondays at 9:00 a.m. to make quilts for those in need and to enjoy fellowship together. No quilting experience is required.
Music is woven throughout the church. St. John's hosts a Contemporary Worship Band, Handbell Choirs, Vocal Choirs, and the Traditional piano and organ worship that anchors the early services. Organist Linda Zumpf serves alongside the instrumentalists and singers.
Recreation has its own corner. Pickleball is played Monday through Friday from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. and on some Sundays from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Players may call the church office for details.
Service Beyond the Walls
St. John's sends a crew every third Wednesday to prepare and serve breakfast at the Vineyard in Elgin for those in need, and the church also serves as the home for a Tuesday evening AA meeting at 7:00 p.m. A Lutheran Education Tuition Assistance Program supports church families whose children attend qualified Lutheran schools, with families reporting worship attendance and volunteer hours each year.
Missionaries Near and Far
The congregation supports three missionary families. Dr. Jonathan and Deaconess Cheryl Naumann serve in the Dominican Republic through the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod. The Elaine and Gideon Kurui family serve in Kenya with Oasis for Orphans. A third partner serves with TMS Global. Links for learning more and giving to each are available through the church.
Staff and Leadership
Senior Pastor Caleb J. Schauer has served St. John's since his vicarage year and has been on staff since 2006. Associate Pastor Mark Novacek joined the pastoral team in 2024. Director of Christian Education Chloe Dahn oversees children's, youth, and family ministries, including the Upward Soccer program. Organist Linda Zumpf leads the traditional music program. Together with the church's administrative and operations staff, they keep the ministries of St. John's running week by week for the people of Union and the surrounding territory of McHenry County.