St. Paul's United Church of Christ sits on Plank Road on the western edge of Elgin, Illinois, a tidy, fully accessible building that the congregation has called home since 2012. The church's story, however, stretches back to October 1875, when the cornerstone was laid for St. Paul's Evangelical German Church at Central and Division in downtown Elgin. That anniversary was celebrated all year long, with special worship and fellowship events running through November 2026.
A Move from Division Street to Plank Road
For more than a century, the church was a fixture at 220 Division Street in downtown Elgin. As the old building aged, maintenance costs climbed past what the congregation could spend on ministry and mission. The members decided that the future health of their ministry mattered more than nostalgia for a structure, and in 2009 they sold the Division Street property. Three years later they planted new roots at 40W720 Plank Road, and in 2017 they made the final mortgage payment. Rooted out in Christ's love and example, the church continues to look for meaningful ways to help it love God and one another by loving neighbor, children, and creation.
What Sunday Morning Looks Like
Worship begins at 9:30 AM and is intentionally traditional in style, with a musical mix of hymns and contemporary songs led from the piano and by the choir. Readings and prayers are projected on screens and printed in a bulletin, so visitors can follow along easily. The congregation celebrates Communion on the first Sunday of every month, and all people of all ages are invited to the table.
During the Prayers of the People, members and visitors share joys and concerns out loud before the pastor lifts them in prayer. Blank yellow index cards sit on the tables outside the sanctuary doors for anyone who prefers to write a prayer and place it in the offering plate. There is no dress code; jeans, a suit, or anything in between are all welcome. Worship wraps up with a spread of treats and coffee (or two) at Coffee Hour, a long-standing chance to meet both new and longtime friends.
Families with children are warmly received. A "Time with Children" moment is built in for kids, and children from Pre-K through Grade 6 are then invited to Sunday School. The nursery, located just down the hall from the sanctuary, is equipped with speakers so parents can listen to the service while staying with little ones. All Christian Education and nursery volunteers receive background checks under the United Church of Christ Safe Church Policy.
Music at St. Paul's
Choir Director Jon Kobel, a lifelong member of the church, leads the choir along with pianist and guitarist Ron Zemke. New choir voices are always welcome; rehearsals run Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8 PM, August through May, at the Mission House. Worship music draws on choir pieces, congregational singing, sing-alongs, and occasional guest vocalists and instrumentalists.
An Open and Affirming Congregation
St. Paul's has been an Open and Affirming church since 2018, formally declaring that all persons are invited to fully share and participate in leadership, ministry, fellowship, worship, sacraments, responsibilities, blessings, and joys of the church family. The welcome names people of every age, race, culture, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, family configuration, economic circumstance, ability, education, and spiritual or religious tradition. Resources for straight allies, transgender and nonbinary allies, and grandparents of LGBTQ+ people are shared openly, and the church participates each June in the Elgin Pride Parade and Festival and holds a Preaching Sunday affirming the image of God in every person.
The Diaper Ministry
Since 2021 St. Paul's has run one of the most distinctive ministries in the area: a Diaper Ministry that collects and distributes diapers to families experiencing diaper insecurity. The congregation has provided over 45,000 diapers to more than 3,500 families and continues to expand the work. Donations of sizes 1 through 6 are gathered on the first Sunday of every month, and financial gifts also purchase diapers, which are distributed twelve at a time at community events.
The ministry partners with the Northern Illinois Food Bank Mobile Market (held the second Tuesday of each month at the Old Sherman parking lot in Elgin, April through October), with EPEL's "Learning on the Go" camps in Elgin parks each summer, and with the Elgin YWCA and Well Child Center. St. Paul's is also active with the Izaak Walton Center Connect and Playgroup. Spanish-language resources on diaper training and readiness are available through the church, alongside English versions from the Illinois Early Learning Project.
PADS, CWS Kits, and the Wider Food Network
Helping to fight hunger is woven through the life of the church. Volunteers provide and serve dinner at PADS of Elgin on the first and third Tuesdays of every month, with options to cook or bake part of the meal, give financially, or serve in person. St. Paul's also serves as a Church World Services Drop-Off site, accepting assembled Hygiene Kits, Period Packs, Kids Kits, and Emergency Cleanup Buckets (or ready-made CWS Party Packs) at the Mission House Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM, by appointment outside those times. Members walk together in the Burlington-Hampshire CROP Hunger Walk, pack meals with Feed My Starving Children, and support Food for Greater Elgin, the All People's Interfaith Food Pantry, and the Northern Illinois Food Bank.
Heritage Fest and the German Table
Every October the church hosts Heritage Fest, a German home-cooked dinner fundraiser first celebrated in 1975 to mark the congregation's 100th anniversary. The tradition now stretches fifty years and counting. Live accordion music, kids face-painting, and a pretzel necklace craft table accompany platters of food, and proceeds support the Burlington-Hampshire Food Pantry and the Elgin CROP Hunger Walk.
Blessing of the Animals, the Blue Christmas, and Other Seasonal Services
The church's calendar turns around several beloved seasonal gatherings. In September, an outdoor worship service gives thanks for creation and invites pets and service animals to receive a blessing; pet food and donations are gathered for Starfish Animal Rescue in Geneva. In December, a quiet Blue Christmas service is held near the longest night of the year for those carrying grief through the holidays, and a Christmas Eve service at 5:00 PM features candlelight, carols, and Communion. Epiphany Sunday in January includes the distribution of unique "star words" to guide prayer through the year. In August, students, teachers, and school personnel bring backpacks and workbags for a Blessing of the Backpacks. Scout Sunday in February or March pairs a pancake breakfast with a blessing of Scouts and Scout leaders. Easter brings a 7:00 AM Sunrise Service, the regular 9:30 AM worship, a community breakfast, and an Easter Egg Hunt for children. In November, All Saints Sunday remembers members and friends who have died in the past year, with everyone invited to light a candle. The Living Nativity, an outdoor presentation with live animals and real people telling the Christmas story, is a free gift to the wider community.
Meditation, Drumming, and Dolan the Therapy Dog
St. Paul's opens its spaces to the wider area in ways that go beyond traditional programming. On the fourth Thursday of each month at 7:00 PM, guided meditation gatherings at the Mission House blend stretching, breath work, essential oils, and the sound of crystal singing bowls. The Fox Valley Drum Tribe meets at the church on the first Saturday of each month from 7:00 to 9:00 PM for community drumming. Dolan, a certified therapy dog, makes visits to members and friends alongside his human companion and appears at the church every fourth Sunday before and after worship; the Calling and Caring Ministry writes back to anyone who leaves him a message.
Calling and Caring, and the Knitters
The Calling and Caring Ministry reaches out to members and friends during difficult times through cards, phone calls, hospital and home visits, and organized help for specific needs. The Knitters and Crocheters of St. Paul's have made more than 375 prayer shawls, knit red baby hats for the American Heart Association's "Little Hats, Big Hearts" campaign, and created baptismal blankets. The group meets quarterly at the Mission House and welcomes crafters of every skill level.
What the Church Believes
At the heart of St. Paul's faith is the ancient affirmation that God calls the worlds into being, creates people in God's own image, saves in holy love, judges with righteousness, and shares the common lot of humanity in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit creates and renews the church, binds in covenant faithful people of all ages, tongues, and races, and calls disciples into service, baptism, Communion, and the struggle for justice and peace. The congregation lives out of Jesus' words in John 13:34: "I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another."
Pastoral Leadership and Practical Details
Pastor Liz was called as senior pastor in January 2020 and also serves on the Committee on Church and Ministry for the Fox Valley Association of the Illinois Conference of the United Church of Christ. A graduate of the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana and Chicago Theological Seminary, she is trained as an Our Whole Lives facilitator for Grades 7-9 and 10-12 and previously served as Associate Pastor for Children, Youth and Families at St. Paul's and as Youth Minister at St. John's UCC in Lyons, Illinois. Office Administrator Joan Kagelstrom coordinates the front office from the Ministry House at 12N268 Switzer Road (the driveway is off Switzer Road, east of the church). Office hours run Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. The building is fully accessible, offering envelopes are on hand at the sanctuary doors, and online giving is available through Tithe.ly. For baptisms, weddings, and funerals, the church office can be reached at 847-628-6118.