St. John Church is an inclusive, welcoming congregation of people seeking to follow Jesus' "Great Commandment" to love God and neighbor. For over a hundred years, this congregation has offered quality worship and ministry to the Arlington Hts. area. Three ministries deserve particular mention.

1. Children, Youth, and Families. As our mission statement says, the congregation was founded to "raise children in Christian faith." This is still our mission today. The most important people in our church are children and youth. Our Sunday School, youth fellowship, children's and youth choirs, and confirmation programs make that evident. Check them out on the Ministries Page. Even though children and families are at the center of our mission, we warmly welcome single people and couples without children.

2. Music. We are blessed to have two outstanding handbell choirs for youth and adults, two children's choirs, and a FUN! adult vocal choir. We also celebrate our three-manual pipe-augmented Rodgers digital organ. Take a look at the Ministries Page for more information.

3. Care. Members and friends of our congregation who are homebound, sick, bereaved, or otherwise in need are likely to get a visit from both the pastor and a lay member of the church. If you are interested in helping with this ministry, or if you need care, call our church office at (847) 255-6687.

St. John Church is a part of the United Church of Christ, a "mainline Protestant" denomination. With roots in the Reformation, the UCC is a close theological cousin to Reformed, Presbyterian, and Lutheran churches, but not very different from United Methodists and Disciples of Christ. We are the United Church of Christ, not the Church of Christ, a fundamentalist denomination. Only our names are similar!

Although we generally embrace the classic doctrines of the Protestant Reformation, members of our church come from many religious backgrounds and hold a wide range of theological and social views. Our central belief is in the Lordship of Jesus Christ, but we welcome people with religious questions and doubts, as well as those who may have had hurtful experiences in less open-minded churches. At St. John Church, all are invited to formulate beliefs that are authentic for themselves. While we believe that the local, historical, and ecumenical church provide helpful guidance in this process, we honor individual faith journeys, encouraging people to think for themselves and interpret the Bible in the light of reason and personal experience. We affirm that through the Holy Spirit, God's revelation to humanity has not ended. As our denomination's national advertising campaign declares, "God is still speaking." As important as beliefs are, it is just as important how one lives one's faith every day by "doing justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly with our God." (Micah 6:8b) To learn more about the United Church of Christ, please visit the UCC website.

As for myself, I have been an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ for 23 years.  I grew up in Decatur, Illinois, and graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University (B.A., international relations) and Harvard Divinity School (Master of Divinity).  All the churches I have served have been in Illinois: Beecher, Chicago (two congregations), Winnetka, Wayne, Champaign, West Chicago (two congregations), and Arlington Hts.(two congregations).  From 1988-1994 I served as a United Church of Christ missionary in Zimbabwe, working as a chaplain at four church-related high schools.  I was called to St. John in October 2003, and hope to stay for many years!  My partner and I live in Palatine where we are raising our eight-year-old grandson and eleven-year-old Shetland sheepdog. 

I welcome the chance to meet you - in person, on the phone, or by email. My day off is Monday, but feel free to call any other time: (847) 255-6687. My personal and confidential email address is JeffreyUCC@comcast.net. Every Sunday I send my sermon and a weekly prayer to online friends and members. If you would like to be added to that list, let me know. I am also available for weddings, funerals, memorial services, and other services.

God bless!

Rev. Jeffrey Phillips, Pastor