Come Wauk With Us on Lewis Avenue
St. Paul's Lutheran Church sits on a quiet stretch of North Lewis Avenue in Waukegan, Illinois, a few blocks from the heart of the city. The congregation has worshipped at this address in some form since 1930, and the current senior pastor, the Reverend Mark Rollenhagen, began his ministry here on October 15, 2018. Members describe themselves with a play on the city name: "Come Wauk With Us!" That phrase fits a church that gathers both inside its sanctuary and out on the trails of local forest preserves, that offers liturgical worship on Sunday morning and a free clothing closet on Saturday morning, and that takes pride in feeding neighbors and mentoring schoolchildren across the street at Whittier School.
St. Paul's is a member of the Metropolitan Chicago Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and is a Reconciling in Christ congregation, an affirmation that LGBTQ+ people are full and equal members of the community. The mailing address is 824 N. Lewis Avenue, Waukegan, Illinois 60085. The office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to noon, and by appointment.
Sunday Morning Worship and the God Wauks
Worship is celebrated at 9:30 a.m. each Sunday, both in person in the sanctuary and live-streamed on YouTube. Recordings are kept online for anyone who would like to watch later. Holy Communion is offered at every service, and everyone is welcome at the table, including children. Those who prefer not to receive communion are invited to come forward for a blessing. The service follows the Lutheran liturgical tradition, with the choir, handbells, and lay worship assistants helping to lead the congregation. Ushers greet visitors at the door, hand out bulletins, and help direct people forward for communion.
For those who would rather worship outdoors, St. Paul's hosts a monthly service called the God Wauk. On the fourth Saturday of each month, from March through November, members meet at a local forest preserve for a walk, scripture reading, reflection, and Holy Communion, weather permitting. Pine Dunes Forest Preserve is one of the recent meeting places. Locations for each month are posted on the church calendar, and The Epistle, the weekly email newsletter, carries updates as well.
A History That Moved a Building
The congregation was chartered on May 15, 1930, when the Board of American Mission of the United Lutheran Church of America established St. Paul's English Evangelical Lutheran Church and named the Reverend Paul J. Gerberding as mission developer. A World War I-era prefabricated building was erected at the corner of Lewis Avenue and Garden Place, and the Reverend H. Paul Romeis was called as the first pastor. The Reverend Edward A. Voorhees took over the pastorate in 1936.
By the late 1930s the small congregation was outgrowing its space. On January 21, 1937, members made a decision that remains a favorite story: rather than build a new structure, they picked up the entire church and re-faced it toward Lewis Avenue so that more Sunday school classrooms could fit inside. A local councilman named Arron Thomsen dug out the basement at no charge, and the pastor and council members each contributed $200 to cover the remaining costs. The next year, members moved the altar to its current location, added a side entrance facing Lewis, and changed the address from 1920 Garden Place to 900 N. Lewis Avenue.
The 1940s brought a basement dug by what is still remembered as the "Bucket Brigade," and a parsonage on North Elmwood Avenue, with the Reverend Wesley Gallup as the first pastor to live in it. In the 1950s, under the Reverend Alden Salstrom, a new parsonage was built on Garden Place and a new church building was dedicated in 1955 to mark the congregation's 25th anniversary. The Reverend Fred A. Millhouse was installed as assistant pastor, and the Education Unit was added and dedicated in 1964. The original 1930s building was demolished soon after.
A pipe organ was installed in the 1980s to celebrate the 50th anniversary, and handbells joined the music program at the same time. Ground was broken for a new sanctuary in October 1990, and the building was dedicated in 1992. The Reverends Janet Miller and Carol Wasemiller joined as associates during the 1990s. The Reverends Caroline Satre and Brad Davick were called in 2003 to serve as co-pastors, and the 75th anniversary was celebrated in May 2005. Pastors Satre and Davick left in 2017 to serve a congregation in Indiana, and Pastor Mark Rollenhagen began at St. Paul's on October 15, 2018. The 90th anniversary was marked in 2020 with a commemorative book.
Grace, Welcome, and the Lutheran Tradition
The theology taught at St. Paul's is rooted in Martin Luther and the 16th-century Reformation, with the same core of grace that runs through the wider ELCA. The congregation puts it this way: "God loves you and always will. Yep, even when you screw up. Even when you might not be so sure you love God." God's love and mercy are received in the sacrament of Holy Baptism and again in Holy Communion, and members describe these as free gifts that cannot be earned, bought, or deserved. The same statement goes on to say that this free gift does not make anyone perfect, but does allow them to live with joy and hope while working for justice, peace, and the welfare of their neighbors.
The mission statement reads: "To journey with Christ, each other, and the neighbors God gives us, celebrating our common humanity as well as our differences." Members commit to honoring each person's journey with grace and inclusivity, to offering their best and growing even when they make mistakes, to equipping people to use their gifts, and to partnering with others to join God at work in the world. The same statement of welcome is offered in Spanish alongside the English text, making clear that the embrace extends to people of every race, culture, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, social and economic circumstance, and ability.
At every service, the congregation reads a land acknowledgment honoring the Ho-Chunk, Kickapoo, Myaamia, Očhéthi Šakówiŋ, Peoria, and Potawatomi peoples as the original caretakers of the land, and committing the church to remember the past, listen deeply, and lift up the voices of Indigenous neighbors.
Standing for Love
The church's commitment to welcome shows up beyond the membership statement. In a pastoral letter, Pastor Mark Rollenhagen wrote about a Cleveland protest he joined years ago, when thousands of people stood hand-in-hand on the Lorain-Carnegie bridge for 30 minutes in a silent witness for unity and peace. The T-shirt from that day, with the words "Stand for Love" in bold red letters, has become a kind of motto. After a season of political rhetoric that played on misogyny, racism, and fear, Pastor Mark wrote, "Stand for love. Double-down on love, like people's lives depend on it." The letter closes with Paul's words from Galatians: "So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest-time, if we do not give up. So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all."
Music for Four Decades
Music has been a hallmark of St. Paul's for decades. The Sanctuary Choir rehearses on Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. and again on Sundays at 9:00 a.m. before worship, and it sings at almost every service. The choir's repertoire runs from classic and contemporary church music to gospel and spirituals, and prior singing experience is not required. Music Director Ellen Montgomery and Musician/Accompanist Emily Heslinga lead the program. The St. Paul's Pealers handbell choir, directed by Becky Ingram, rehearses on Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m. and rings at celebrational services and regular Sundays alike. The Pealers have a wide range of bells and chimes at their disposal, and no prior music-reading experience is required to join. The annual Music Festival is a long-standing tradition, a sign of how long music has shaped the church's identity.
Lunches, Closets, and Little Free Libraries
Faith in Action at St. Paul's is less a slogan than a weekly rhythm. The Lunch Crew gathers at the church on Wednesday mornings at 9:30 to prepare meals for the Roberti Community House in Waukegan, and more helping hands are always welcome. On the fourth Sunday of each month, the offering is split between ELCA World Hunger and the local C.O.O.L. Food Pantry at 800 W. Glen Flora Avenue, which is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Perishable donations can be dropped off at the pantry directly, while non-perishables can be brought to the church at any time.
Across the street from the church, Whittier School is a long-standing partner. St. Paul's sponsors a Little Free Library at the school, and members volunteer to mentor students. Books for the library can be dropped at the church during regular office hours. The congregation also supports Waukegan to College, a local nonprofit, and gathers dorm supplies each summer for graduates heading off to higher education.
Clothes to You is St. Paul's own free clothing ministry, offering seasonal clothing the first Saturday of each month from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m., except in January and February. Donations of men's jeans are particularly needed, and the closet can only accept clothes and shoes because of limited storage. Partner thrift store Loved Twice Thrift Boutique takes other donated items. A Mission Endowment Team meets quarterly to direct additional giving to local, national, and global work.
Where Children Wiggle
Children are welcome throughout the life of the congregation. Sunday School runs during the school year, and in the summer the service opens with a short message for young children before they return to sit with their families. A Prayground area just to the left of the chancel gives little ones a place to play quietly during worship. The Gathering Room, just outside the entrance to the sanctuary, is a good place for antsy toddlers to stretch their legs, and a connected cry room offers a quieter space for infants and their parents. Diaper-changing stations are available in each first-floor restroom.
Tuesdays, Thursdays, and the Gathering Room
Faith formation for adults takes several forms. Bible & Brew gathers on Tuesdays at 10:00 a.m. from September through May for coffee and conversation around a Bible passage or other Christian reading, with a Zoom option available. A weekly Men's Group meets on Thursdays at 8:00 a.m. at Sunset House Restaurant to discuss books and share personal challenges and successes. Members can sign up to read scripture, lead the Kyrie, or help serve communion as worship assistants, with training offered by Pastor Mark. The Altar Guild meets once a month after worship to set up for services, hang vestments, and decorate for special occasions, and the Ushers keep worship running smoothly on a once-a-month rotation.
Online giving is available through Pushpay, the worship live-stream and recordings live on YouTube, and The Epistle, the weekly email newsletter, can be subscribed to by email.