On a stretch of South Church Road in Bensenville, Illinois, a small white clapboard sanctuary and a red-brick school building have shared one campus for more than 175 years. Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, founded in 1837 by German-speaking immigrants, still proclaims the historic Lutheran confession in the same tradition it received from its founders, while the attached Zion-Concord Lutheran School has grown into a Classical Lutheran preschool through eighth grade program serving around 130 families. The combined church and school on South Church Road is the heartbeat of a tight-knit LCMS community whose identity is shaped as much by its sanctuary, its cemetery, and its catechism classes as by any Sunday morning.
An 1837 Congregation on the Frontier of the Midwest
Zion's story begins in 1837, when a small group of German Lutheran settlers established a congregation in what was then a rural stretch of northern Illinois. Three years later, in 1840, the church opened its first school, beginning a tradition of parish education that has never been broken. On November 4, 1849, the first dedicated school building was completed and Pastor Brauer installed Henry Bartling as the first teacher; on opening day eight boys and nine girls began lessons with a Bible story from St. Mark 10:13-16, in which Jesus says, "Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not." That text has framed the school ever since.
The early congregation grew quickly into a network of mission schools across the surrounding countryside. In October of 1851 the parish divided into six large parishes that would in turn plant congregations in Elmhurst, Itasca, Elk Grove, Proviso, York Center, Bloomingdale, and Bensenville. The earliest daughter congregation, the Western District organized in January 1849, eventually became St. Paul Lutheran School in Addison. Through these mission efforts Zion helped to establish much of the LCMS presence in the western suburbs of Chicago.
Zion marked its 175th anniversary in 2012 with a year of expanded celebrations that included an outdoor church picnic, the eleventh annual Concord Open golf outing at White Pines Golf Course, and a September 30 anniversary service at which LCMS President Reverend Matthew Harrison preached. A banquet at White Pines followed on November 4, All Saints' Day. Many of the building's current restoration efforts grew out of that anniversary year.
Divine Service in the Lutheran Service Book
Worship at Zion centers on the historic liturgy of the Western church. Every Sunday at 9:00 AM the congregation gathers for the Divine Service from the Lutheran Service Book, the official hymnal of the LCMS adopted in 2004. The Lutheran Service Book contains five settings of the Divine Service, more than 600 hymns, most of the 150 Psalms, and the daily offices of Matins, Vespers, and Compline. Zion uses the traditional settings for the vast majority of Sundays, filling the historic sanctuary with the chanting, hymns, and ceremonial that Lutherans have used for centuries.
The congregation describes its worship plainly: "The focus of Lutheran (Christian) worship is not on what we do, but what the Lord our God does for us as He pours out His love, mercy and grace through His gifts of Word and Sacrament. We do not come to church to first and foremost praise God, we come to receive His gifts and in response honor and praise Him." Holy Communion is celebrated on most Sundays. On the 2nd and 5th Wednesdays of each month, and at every midweek festival that falls on a Wednesday, the Lord's Supper is also offered at the Wednesday evening service.
Midweek worship follows the church year. Throughout the year the congregation prays the Office of Vespers at 7:00 PM on Wednesdays using the readings from the previous Sunday. During Advent and Lent the Wednesday rhythm expands: Matins is prayed at 11:00 AM and Evening Prayer at 7:00 PM. Additional services mark Holy Week, Easter, Ascension, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. Times are posted on the church and school calendar as the seasons approach.
Closed Communion and a Shared Confession
Zion practices closed Communion, meaning that the altar is open to members of Zion and of LCMS congregations in fellowship with it, and to others who have been instructed in the Lutheran faith and have spoken with the pastor or a deacon. The practice is rooted in three convictions the congregation names plainly: a desire to express and celebrate true fellowship among those who confess the same things about the Lord's Supper, fidelity to the historical practice of the Western church, and St. Paul's warning in 1 Corinthians 11:29 that "anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself." Visitors who wish to commune for the first time are asked to speak with the pastor or a deacon before approaching the altar.
The confession that frames Communion is summarized in the congregation's statement of belief. Zion teaches belief in the Triune God: God the Father, creator of all that exists; Jesus Christ His only Son, who for us men and for our salvation became man to suffer and die for the sins of all people and to rise again; and the Holy Spirit, who creates faith through the Word and the right reception of the Sacraments. The congregation is committed to the pure preaching of God's Word, the right administration of the Sacraments, the catechesis of all people in the Christian faith, and liturgical worship consistent with its Lutheran heritage.
What the Church Believes About Marriage, Gender, and Life
The same statement of faith articulates a confessional position on marriage, gender, and the sanctity of life that shapes every program the congregation runs. Zion teaches that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female and that these two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. The term "marriage" is held to mean only the uniting of one man and one woman in a single exclusive union, and sexual intimacy is held to be appropriate only within such a marriage. The statement lists adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, and the use of pornography as forms of sexual immorality.
The same confession holds that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image, from conception through natural death, and that the congregation is therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life. Employees and volunteers at the church and school are asked to agree with and abide by this statement. The statement also emphasizes that every person is to be shown compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity, and that hateful or harassing behavior toward any individual is repudiated.
Weddings at Zion
Zion hosts weddings as a ministry of the congregation and treats every wedding as a worship service. Both the bride and the groom must be professing, baptized Christians, and at least one must be a member in good standing of Zion. Non-Lutherans are required to receive instruction in the Christian faith from an LCMS perspective before or alongside premarital counseling. Marriage is understood to be the lifelong union of one man and one woman.
The ceremony follows the wedding service from the Lutheran Agenda, including the vows, and is officiated by a called, licensed, and ordained LCMS minister. Even the longest service does not exceed 45 minutes, and most services run about 30 minutes. Premarital counseling is required, regular church attendance is expected, and only Christ-centered hymns and sacred music are permitted; all music must be reviewed by the officiating pastor and the church's Cantor. Flash photography of any kind during the service is forbidden, and photographs of the processional and recessional are permitted only by the official photographer. Wedding fees are paid before the rehearsal in accordance with the published schedule.
The Cemetery and the Promise to Stay
On the same campus as the sanctuary and the school sits the Zion Lutheran cemetery, in continuous use for nearly two hundred years. The rules governing the cemetery, last revised effective April 27, 2014, restrict burial to members of Zion and to members of congregations affiliated with it in faith, and require that those seeking burial be using the means of grace at Zion. Former members who relocate outside the immediate vicinity may retain their plots if they remain members in good standing of an LCMS congregation; former members who transfer to a congregation not in fellowship with the LCMS forfeit their right of burial there. Any pastor serving the congregation at the time of his death is offered graves for himself and his immediate family at no charge.
Since August 1, 1909, the practice of disinterring members has been discontinued, and removal or reburial of remains now requires the written consent of the family, the Board of Trustees, and the Board of Deacons. Only headstones or markers are permitted, and headstones with un-Christian inscriptions are not tolerated. Mausoleums and similar structures are likewise not permitted. Plots unused for 25 years by an owner no longer in membership revert to the church. Cremated remains may be buried in a proper container with the permission of the Board of Deacons. The congregation keeps an exact plan of plots in the church office, and an independent record of burials is available online through Find a Grave.
Restoring an 1860s Sanctuary
Maintaining the historic Civil War era sanctuary and the attached school building is an ongoing labor of love, and the congregation treats it as such. The congregation maintains a list of current restoration projects, and contributions are accepted either through special "Restoration Project" envelopes available in church or through the online giving system, with a memo line to designate which project the gift should support.
Completed projects include the school and church roof, repairs to the church entryway, the installation of new church front doors, organ repairs and enhancements, repairs to the church and narthex floor beams and supports, and ongoing work on the stained glass windows, which are restored one set at a time at a cost of $6,300 per window as funds are raised. Active projects include the repair or replacement of the gingerbread ornamental trim, soffit, and fascia around the church roof and bell tower, repair of the church front doors, and new flooring for three classrooms and the stage. Members and friends are invited to support the work with designated gifts.
Zion-Concord Lutheran School: A Classical Lutheran Education
The school is a ministry of the church and the reason many families first walk through Zion's doors. Zion-Concord Lutheran School provides Preschool through eighth grade Classical Lutheran education, state-recognized by the Illinois State Board of Education and nationally accredited by the National Lutheran School Association. The school's stated purpose is to educate the whole child, cultivating spiritual, academic, emotional, physical, and social growth among all students, and admitting students of any race, color, and national or ethnic origin.
Classical Lutheran education at Zion-Concord is built on three ideas the school names Veritas (Truth), Bonitas (Goodness), and Pulchritudo (Beauty). In every subject students are taught not just the right answers but how to reason their way to them. Great literature, history studied in chronological order, primary source documents, and the great hymns of the Lutheran tradition are woven through the school day. Music, art, and poetry are treated as core subjects, not extras. The school day begins with daily chapel for prayer, a reading from Scripture, and a hymn; during Advent and Lent the chapel follows the traditional Lutheran worship forms so that students build familiarity with the liturgy year after year.
The curriculum is organized around the three classical stages of learning. In the Grammar stage of the early grades, students build a foundation of knowledge through songs, chants, games, repetition, phonics-based reading from Kindergarten, Scripture memory, history facts, math facts, and the words of Luther's Small Catechism. In the Logic stage beginning around fifth grade, students learn to reason clearly, analyze original documents, study history in order, and continue their study of Latin, which the school begins in third grade. In the Rhetoric stage of the upper grades, students learn formal writing and essay composition, oral presentations, the careful reading of great books and primary documents, and how to think through their role in the world and how to serve others. Every student also has religion class every day, working through the Bible and the catechism, and 1:1 Chromebooks support the work of every student in grades 1 through 8.
Preschool, Kindergarten, and the Grade School
Preschool is offered as a play-based Classical Christian program designed to help young children discover themselves and their abilities in a setting that points them to the love of Christ. Three-year-old and four-year-old preschool options include three full days (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM), five half days (Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 11:30 AM), and five full days (Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM), with a Late Start Three-Year-Old option for children who turn three after September 1. The school day centers on group time, block play, the book corner, dramatic play, creative arts and writing centers, large motor activities in the gym and playground, and a discovery and sensory table. Kindergarten is offered as a single full-day option, with STEM activities, a 1:1 Kindle Fire program, and a Smart projection board supporting the classroom. The grade school serves grades 1 through 8, with daily chapel, weekly hymn sing, weekly STEM and clubs, athletics beginning in third grade, and the Walther Music Program.
The school also runs a hot lunch program on Wednesdays, with pizza ordered by the month. While food is not prepared in-house, the kitchen is fully certified and inspected multiple times per year by the DuPage County Health Department. Extended Care is available from 7:00 AM to 8:15 AM in the morning and from 3:00 PM to 5:30 PM in the afternoon, charged at $6 per hour for one child or $8 per hour for two or more, billed to the nearest fifteen minutes. Flat monthly rates are also available for families with very regular schedules. Wednesday After School Clubs, sponsored by a different teacher or parent each week, run from 3:00 to 4:00 PM for various grade ranges and include Lego Club, Chess Club, Cooking Club, Arts and Crafts Club, Gardening Club, Bowling Club, and others.
Summer Camp and Beyond
After the academic year ends, Zion-Concord offers a ten-week Summer Camp open to enrolled students and to other families in the area, from June 1 through August 7. The regular camp day runs from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, with Morning Care from 7:00 to 9:00 AM and After Camp Care from 3:00 to 5:30 PM. Activities include sports, playground time, scavenger hunts, Bible lessons, academic reinforcement, movies, theme days, and crafts. Registration is a one-time $25 per child, and the weekly rate is $199 per child, with discounts available for families that commit to the full summer and pay in advance.
Tuition is published annually and is structured in ten equal monthly installments from August through May. For 2026-2027, Preschool and Pre-Kindergarten rates range from $3,900 to $5,900, and Kindergarten through 8th grade rates range from $5,750 for one child to $9,250 for three children, with active member discounts for members of Zion who maintain a 67% or better church attendance (10% off Preschool and Pre-Kindergarten, 20% off Kindergarten through 8th grade). A $400 per child Educational Fee covers textbooks, materials, technology maintenance, and required health screenings; a Registration Fee of $100 per child secures a spot if paid by April 30 and rises to $200 thereafter. The school also offers a need-based tuition assistance program administered through an independent third-party service, with priority given to families who complete registration by June 1.
The People Who Lead It
Pastor Daniel Greg serves as the congregation's pastor and leads worship, preaching, weddings, funerals, catechesis, and pastoral care. Heather Hoy serves as the school's principal. Mark Trapp, a graduate of Concordia Teachers' College in Seward, Nebraska, with a master's degree in curriculum and instruction from Concordia University Chicago, teaches sixth, seventh, and eighth grade and serves as the church's Cantor. Susan Das, a graduate of the College of William and Mary with a minor in religion, teaches social studies in the grade school and leads women's Bible studies at the church. The school office is staffed by Doreane Luszczewski as School Administrative Assistant, and the Before and After Care program is supported by Ashley Martinez and other classroom aides. The PTO is the school's fundraising arm, with monthly meetings on the first Thursday of each month during the school year, and the Ladies Aid of the church oversees the Christmas Bazaar and other projects.
The Year on the Calendar
Zion-Concord marks the seasons of the church and school year with a recurring rhythm of events that draw the wider community onto the campus. In September the school year opens with the annual Bowl-a-Rama, an evening of bowling, dinner, and prizes that raises money for the school. October brings Fall Fest with hay rides, a moon walk, pumpkin decorating, and pulled pork roasted overnight on the playground, followed by Trunk-or-Treat in the church parking lot and the Reformation Celebration, a single Sunday morning service followed by a German-inspired luncheon provided by the Ladies Aid and a movie.
November and December bring the school Christmas program, in which every class has a role in telling the story of the birth of Jesus, and the Ladies Aid Christmas Bazaar, a Saturday craft fair with proceeds supporting the school. January is Lutheran Schools Week, a celebration marked by special dress-up days, career day, movie day, school-wide bingo, and a special speaker, and the VIP Day, in which each student invites a Very Important Person to spend a school day as a guest, beginning with breakfast and chapel. April brings Breakfast with the Bunny, a Saturday pancake breakfast, photos with the Easter Bunny, and an egg hunt. June closes the school year with the annual Church and School Picnic, an outdoor worship service followed by grilled food, games, and a dunk tank. Throughout the year the PTO also hosts a monthly Family Night Out at a local restaurant, a Trivia Night in the school gym, and the Santa Shoppe, Book Fair, and Read-A-Thon fundraisers.
Joining the Worship from Anywhere
For members who travel, who are homebound, or who live at a distance, Zion livestreams the Sunday 9:00 AM Divine Service and rebroadcasts it on Wednesday evenings at 7:00 PM. The livestream is hosted on the church's YouTube channel, and bulletins with the full order of service and hymns are posted online in both a two-pages-per-page format and a larger print format, along with a bulletin insert and a children's guide titled "Kids in the Divine Service" that walks younger worshipers through what they will see and hear. An online service sign-in register invites viewers to leave their name and email so that the pastors can keep in touch. The church calendar is available as a synchronized Google Calendar that can be added to a personal phone or computer, giving families and members the latest information about services, school events, and ministry meetings in real time.
Giving, Memorials, and Stewardship
Zion accepts donations through its online giving system, with a memo line that allows members to direct their gift to the church's general fund, the school, memorials, the restoration projects, the Annual VIP Appeal, or a specific cause. Memorial donations may be made either online or through the church office. The school participates in the Raise Right gift card program (formerly Great Lakes Scrip), in which a portion of each gift card purchase is donated back to the school; orders can be placed through the Raise Right app, at raiseright.com, or on a paper order form available in the school office, with a small stock of cards kept on hand for last-minute purchases. Box Tops for Education is also active at the school, and the PTO distributes gift card order forms, runs the church and school picnic, and oversees other fundraising efforts that support field trips, teacher professional development, technology improvements, and assemblies.
Constitution and Continuity
The congregation is governed by a written constitution, originally approved on June 22, 2008 and revised and approved on October 20, 2019. The constitution opens with the words of 1 Corinthians 14:40 - "Let all things be done decently and in good order" - and lays out the principles and regulations that guide the life of the congregation. It is available in full as a PDF download. The current roster of elders, deacons, and trustees is published in the bulletin, and the congregation operates under the authority of the LCMS and its Northern Illinois District, sharing fellowship with LCMS congregations around the world and sending its students on to Walther Lutheran High School and other area Lutheran high schools.
Almost two centuries after its founding, Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church continues to gather on the same stretch of South Church Road where its founders first worshipped, to teach its children in the same parish school tradition they began in 1840, and to bury its members in the same cemetery that has received them since the early days of the congregation. The sanctuary's stained glass, the school building's classrooms, the cemetery's headstones, and the Sunday liturgy all carry the same Lutheran confession. For a visitor today, the experience is the same one that has shaped the congregation since 1837: historic liturgy in the Lutheran Service Book, the preaching of Christ crucified and risen, the catechism of the next generation, and the lifelong care of the people who belong to it.