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First Congregational Church of Wilmette is a congregation open and affirming of all people who seek to follow the God revealed in Jesus Christ. Ours is a church where people of all ages are welcome to gather with their faith and their doubts, bringing their questions, creativity and energy for spiritual growth and service. FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH AT A GLANCE
OUR MISSION We, the members of First Congregational Church of Wilmette, strive to be a reconciling, healing community, seeking to bind together followers of Jesus Christ for the purpose of joyfully worshipping God and serving God’s vision of peace, justice, and well-being for all creation. We are committed to the transforming message of Jesus who proclaimed Good News to all people and responded to pressing human needs by healing the sick, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, liberating the oppressed, and confronting the powers of injustice. We are committed to ecumenical cooperation with all individuals, organizations, and institutions working toward the wholeness of humanity. We are committed to assisting persons in developing a personal relationship with God, in discovering their spiritual gifts and enabling them to serve others with their gifts. Adopted 1995
STAFF
Rev. Stephanie J. Perdew, Senior PastorStephanie has been senior pastor of First Congregational Church since November 2004, after serving as our associate pastor from 1996 to 2003. A native of Lincoln, Nebraska, Stephanie was ordained in the Lincoln Association of the Nebraska Conference, United Church of Christ. She earned her B.A. in religion and women’s studies from St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota, and her M.Div. from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, Evanston, Illinois. She is a Ph.D. candidate in Liturgical Studies and Christian Origins at Garrett-Evangelical. Her memberships include the North American Academy of Liturgy and the Colloquium on Violence and Religion. A past chair of the Wilmette Interfaith Religious Leaders Association, Stephanie is a co-author of The Work of the People: What we do in Worship and Why (Alban Institute, 2007). She will be serving as the Lilly Teaching Fellow in the Arts of Ministry in Worship at the University of Chicago Divinity School during spring semester 2009. 
Adam Ericksen, Youth MinisterOriginally from Forest Grove, Oregon, Adam earned a B.A. in religious studies from Linfield College, McMinnville, Oregon and a Master of Theological Studies in theology and ethics from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, Evanston, Illinois. His Master’s thesis was titled Love and Nonviolence in Christianity and Islam. In addition, Adam has completed coursework in K-12 secondary education at National Louis University. 
Kathleen Cetrone, Director of Children’s MinistriesKathleen “Kat” Cetrone joined the First Congregational Church staff as director of children’s ministries in July 2008. Kat received her B.A. with K-9 teaching certificate from Trinity International University in 2006. She has served in many capacities with the Avoca School District 37, including special education paraprofessional, summer school coordinator and assistant to the director of pupil services. In addition, Kat has taught in the Center for Talent Development at Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, and has served as a teaching associate at Chiaravelle Montessori School, also in Evanston. First Congregational Church children know that Kat creates a learning environment where creativity, individuality and attention to ritual and story make faith come alive. 
Kurt Mockenhaupt, Director of MusicKurt is director of music and organist at First Congregational Church. He plays for all worship services, and directs the Chancel Choir and Handbell Choir. With 30 years of church music experience, Kurt served three churches before coming to First Congregational: Granville Avenue United Methodist Church in Chicago, Berry Memorial United Methodist Church in Chicago and St. Timothy’s Lutheran Church in Skokie, Illinois. Kurt holds a Bachelor of Music in Education from DePaul University and taught general music (K-8) for eight years. He is a member of The Agape Ringers, an auditioned community handbell ensemble from the greater Chicago area, and has served on the state committee for Area VIII of The American Guild of English Handbell Ringers (AGEHR). 
Lisa Boggess, Assistant Youth MinisterLisa holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Illinois Wesleyan University and has been a private voice teacher, choir and handbell choir director, and taught taught general music at a private elementary school. For two and a half years she was Program Director for Outdoor and Retreat Ministries of the Northern Illinois Conference of the United Methodist Church, where she developed and led programs for youth and children of all ages. Lisa was also a writer for the 2006 New Earth national camp curriculum. 
Rev. Dr. David Hogue, Men’s Ministry FacilitatorDavid leads a monthly men’s gathering and an annual men’s retreat. In addition, he periodically presides in worship and preaches on Sunday mornings. Ordained in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), David is a pastoral counselor and Professor of Pastoral Theology and Counseling at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, Evanston, Illinois, where he teaches courses in pastoral care and counseling, marriage and family counseling, ritual studies, and theology and science. His most recent book Remembering the Future, Imagining the Past: Story, Ritual, and the Human Brain (Pilgrim Press, 2003), draws on the brain sciences for a deeper understanding of worship and pastoral care. 
Teresa D. Northcut, Church AdministratorTeresa has served as First Congregational’s church administrator since 1999, providing administrative support to the pastor, staff, trustees, ministries, congregation, and other organizations. In addition to managing the church office, she coordinates scheduling, facilitates building needs and supervises the custodial and maintenance staff. Prior to her arrival at First Congregational Church, Teresa served as administrative support to the chair of the department of Neurobiology and Physiology at Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, and as church administrative support staff at the First Church of God Christian Life Center, also in Evanston, where she has been a member since 1988. Her volunteer work in the community includes 12 years working with “Partners,” a teen parenting program mentoring teen mothers at Family Focus, Our Place, now the Weissbourg-Holmes Family Focus Center in Evanston. Diane Stephens, Spiritual Director in Residence Diane is an independent spiritual director. Since 2005, she has been seeing individuals one-on-one at the church, in a continuing process of spiritual formation, guidance and discernment. She is also a retreat leader, having led several of the women’s retreats at First Congregational. An ordained Elder in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Diane serves as affiliate faculty in spiritual formation at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, Evanston, Illinois, where she earned her M.A. in spiritual formation. She holds a B.A. in religion and English from Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, and is a member of Spiritual Directors International, North American Academy of Liturgy and Society for the Study of Christian Spirituality. Inquiries, or appointments for spiritual direction can be made directly with Diane at DWSwriter@aol.com. CONGREGATIONAL LEADERSHIP The members of First Congregational Church are the governing body of the congregation. Members of the congregation meet twice each year to conduct the business of the congregation, and at other specially called meetings as needed. Upcoming congregational meetings include the Annual Budget Meeting on Sunday, January 18, 2009, and the Annual Business Meeting on Sunday, May 17, 2009. Board of Trustees The congregation’s Board of Trustees is responsible for the stewardship of the church building and finances, as well as for the management of the church between semi-annual meetings. The board meets on the third Tuesday of each month at 7:15 p.m. in the Library Lounge. Class of 2009 Steve Austin, Past Moderator Ann Brundage Trish Nealon Class of 2010 Gretchen Alexander, Moderator Lynn Ledford Suzie Van Cleave Class of 2011 Tom Hirsh David Martensen Jordan Peters, Vice Moderator Church Clerk Melanie Mallin Church Treasurers John & Ann Molyneaux Assistant Treasurer Nancy Metzger Subcommittees of the Board of Trustees Personnel Committee Ann Brundage, chairperson Gretchen Alexander Steve Austin Stewardship Committee Charles Ieuter, chairperson Lars Greiner David Miller Donna Williamson Finance/Investment Committee John Molyneaux, chairperson Laura Bokhof David Howell Ann Molyneaux Keith Ross Building and Grounds Committee Suzie Van Cleave, chairperson Liz Ferrari, gardening coordinator Facility Renovation Committee Steve Austin, Project Manager Robin Baugher David Burnham Jeff Riemer Suzie Van Cleave Capital Campaign Committee Bill Ieuter, chairperson Ann and John Molyneaux, chairpersons Thomas Minar, executive chairperson Bob Pfutzenreuter, honorary chairperson Nominating Committee The Nominating Committee proposes a slate of Trustees and Nominating Committee members to the congregation each May. The Nominating Committee works with the staff and various ministries of the church to assist members in finding ways to volunteer and serve in the congregation. Mike Hoover, chair Margie Boyd Judy Gibson Jenny Higgins Merry Juell Peg Kocian Carla Lindsay Jeff Mathis Susan Morris WHAT MATTERS To find out our members and friends' ideas about What Matters at First Congregational Church, please click here. PARTNERS IN FAITH United Church of Christ First Congregational Church is affiliated with the United Church of Christ, also known as the UCC, which came into being in 1957 with the union of two Protestant denominations: the Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian Churches - each of these the result of two earlier unions. Each of the historical denominations contributed to the current identity of the UCC. We are a uniting church as well as a united church. Expressions of the unity of the church are as diverse as there are individuals, but the common thread that runs through all is love. To learn more about the United Church of Christ, please visit www.ucc.org Congregation Sukkat Shalom First Congregational Church is proud to share worship and educational space with Congregation Sukkat Shalom, led by Rabbi Samuel Gordon. This partnership in faith, which began in 1997, was recognized by the Chicago organization Inspired Partnerships in May 2000, when our congregations received the “Best Use of Shared Space” Award. Congregation Sukkat Shalom worships in the Sanctuary for Shabbat on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings. In the chancel area of the Sanctuary is the Ark for the Torah, which was commissioned by the congregation. The building is also used for bar and bat mitzvahs, High Holy Days and other Jewish holidays and liturgical events. Members and friends of First Congregational Church are welcome to join Sukkat Shalom for worship at any time. In addition to sharing space, our congregations live out our partnership by co-hosting a variety of activities and worship services each year. Watch our website, Sunday bulletin and monthly newsletter for more information about other events. To learn more, contact Congregation Sukkat Shalom at www.sukkatshalom.org. “For me, the relationship of Congregation Sukkat Shalom with First Congregational Church is not just about a shared building or shared programming. We use our distinctive vocabularies of Judaism and Christianity to explore our shared commitment to creating a better world, a community of faith that cares about each other, and groups of friends who learn, study and grow together. Through this encounter of two faith communities, we have found that our spiritual lives have been made more meaningful and our respect for and understanding of our differences have helped deepen our lives.” -Rabbi Samuel Gordon, Congregation Sukkat Shalom Edisto Island Outreach Center Edisto Island Outreach Center, a volunteer-based service agency, opened in October 2003 with the purpose of responding to the needs of residents of Edisto Island, South Carolina, with practical help and referral services aimed at meeting basic needs and equipping people with the tools to improve the quality of their lives. On-hand services and referrals to other agencies address education, employment, transportation, health care, senior citizen needs, housing, and emergency financial aid. Two members of our congregation, Steve and Claudia Austin, helped to found the Outreach Center. Our congregation’s commitment to Edisto Island began with a mission work trip undertaken by the senior high youth of First Congregational Church. In the 1980s, they traveled to Edisto Island and worked through the Rural Mission Institute to carry out home repairs for local residents. Our youth returned full of enthusiasm about the people they had met on the island, where the major population of African American residents are descendents from the original Gullah settlers. Since then, First Congregational has offered an annual Family Work Camp during Wilmette schools’ spring break. Our Senior High youth often take their summer mission trip to the island. In 2008, they offered a day camp for island children at the local elementary school. In 2006, our congregation made an ongoing commitment to support the Edisto Island Outreach Center Scholarship Fund. Each year, we provide $5,000 toward scholarships for island youth who are engaging in post-secondary job training or college. The Raven Foundation Founded by First Congregational Church members Suzanne and Keith Ross, the Raven Foundation is a not-for-profit educational organization that seeks to foster an understanding of social influences and positive ways of addressing conflict by advancing the awareness of René Girard’s insights into mimetic theory among the general public. Briefly, mimetic theory states that, because humans are naturally social creatures, we influence each other in a variety of positive and negative ways, including what we desire and how we interact with each other. The foundation reads and studies current events, books, movies, politics, business, sports and family life through the lens of mimetic theory to create educational resources for everyday use by teachers, government officials, attorneys, executives, religious professionals, therapists, parents and others who have an interest in resolving conflict with justice and peace. Among the foundation’s resources are curricula, study guides, summaries of presentations and books by experts on mimetic theory and its everyday applications. The recently released The Wicked Truth: When Good People Do Bad Things, authored by Suzanne Ross, makes use of the characters and language provided by the Broadway musical, Wicked, to introduce the concepts of myth, scapegoating, violence and acquisitive desire. Headquartered in Glenview, Illinois, the Raven Foundation periodically provides educational offerings at First Congregational Church. For more information, please visit www.ravenfoundation.org. Also in our Building Wilmette Community Nursery School (WCNS) Boy Scouts Troop 2 Educational Resources Godly Play Church School Curriculum The Thoughtful Christian Jesus Seminar/Westar Institute Chicago Theological Seminary, U.C.C. Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary Colloquium on Violence and Religion The Alban Institute Mission and Social Justice Agencies Connections for the Homeless Interfaith Council for the Homeless Interfaith Housing Center of the Northern Suburbs Community Renewal Society Protestants for the Common Good The Warming House Spirituality Taizé Practicing our Faith Renewal in the Wilderness HISTORY The First Congregational Church traces its roots to the 1870s and the beginning of the Village of Wilmette. In 1870, a train station was established, linking the North Shore with the City of Chicago and allowing the growth of Wilmette as a commuter village. A year later, residents formed a Protestant Evangelical Alliance with professors from Garrett Biblical Institute in Evanston (now Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary) serving as the Alliance’s first preachers. In 1872, the Village of Wilmette incorporated, and on June 3, 1875 First Congregational Church was founded at the home of A. T. Sherman, 1136 Greenleaf Ave., with 19 members. The Chicago Association of Congregational Churches immediately recognized the founding of First Congregational Church of Wilmette; on June 13, 1875, Dr. J. E. Roy preached at the first communion service and presented the congregation with a communion chalice from the Congregational Church of Oak Park. Three years later, in 1878, our congregation called its first pastor, Rev. Edward P. Wheeler. Over the next five years, the congregation met at the one-room schoolhouse where Central School now stands (10th and Central Streets). The first church building was constructed on 11th St. in 1883, across the street and down the alley from our present church building. In 1895, Mrs. Mary Gates donated a triangular plot of land at the southwest corner of Lake, Wilmette and 11th St., and on April 4, 1904 the congregation broke ground on the existing Sanctuary/Pilgrim Hall structure. On January 1, 1905 the first worship services and Sunday school were held in Pilgrim Hall. Four years later, the sanctuary and basement were complete. Other highlights of our ministry and mission include:
Set among the historic houses of the Village of Wilmette, First Congregational Church sits comfortably among its neighbors. Constructed in the Tudor Revival Style, a derivative of English Renaissance buildings of the 16th and 17th centuries, it was designed to be direct and unpretentious. The exterior, built of a combination of wood, brick and stucco, is simple and humble. Its residential scale and character blend with the surrounding neighborhood. Inside, the sanctuary is extensively trimmed in oak with craftsman detailing which creates a warm and glowing setting for worship. The intimate quality of the space is enhanced by its small size and slightly tilted floor that brings all corners of the congregation together around the table in worship. The adjacent Pilgrim Hall serves as the congregation’s primary fellowship and meeting space and can accommodate overflow sanctuary seating when the operable wall that separates the two rooms is raised. The stained glass features representations of the four gospel writers, the eight gifts of the land of Israel (Deuteronomy 8: 7-10), and the alpha and omega (Revelation 21: 6), as well as images of lilies, roses, vines and branches in the arts and crafts style. The church was designed by an architecture firm that is the outgrowth of the firm of Patton, Fisher and Miller. Several architects flowed into and out of the firm around the turn of the 20th century, and so the exact constitution of the partnership at the time of First Congregational’s design and construction is not definitively known. Patton and his various partners were known for education and library architecture and completed two other church buildings of note in the Chicago area - Pilgrim Congregational Church in Oak Park and Morgan Park Church of God in Christ. First Congregational’s original building, including everything north of the Wilmette Avenue entrance, was begun in 1905 and completed in 1909. “What I love about this building is its utter lack of pretension” -Walter Eckenhoff, Eckenhoff Saunders Architects OPEN AND AFFIRMING In 1985 the General Synod of our denomination, the United Church of Christ, called on member congregations to prayerfully consider becoming “Open and Affirming” churches. The “Open and Affirming” designation indicates that a church is explicitly and intentionally welcome of all persons regardless of sexual orientation. First Congregational Church became an “O&A” church in 1989, one of only 16 in the Chicago area. Since 1989 we have lived out our Open and Affirming faith by supporting openly gay and lesbian seminary students, celebrating their ordinations and performing marriage commitment ceremonies in our sanctuary. |
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