WELCOME!


Senior Pastor

Kendall Koenig

Associate Pastor

Maureen "Mo" O'Connor

Welcome to LOC!  We are excited to be fully living into our new Church/Ministry Center at 1700 Longmeadow Parkway - and we can't wait to meet you! We are passionately committed to help people find a connection to God and a connection to others.

 

These days our ministry is a hybrid—with worship in person and online.  Our children, youth, and adult programs are primarily offered in person, with some components also actively meeting online. Connecting people to God and to others is our greatest joy!

 

And of course, we are a church that loves to make a difference as Jesus leads us—whether that is raising funds through World Vision for clean water access around the world, or actively supporting our local food pantry responding to needs around the corner. 

 

In this season that is hard for all of us, we invite you to lean into the God who hasn’t given up on our world.  Join us for worship—online or in person--and experience God’s touch.  Or check out our variety of programs for children, youth and adults and see if there isn’t a way that Jesus wants to impact your life in these days.  Join us in this journey!


OUR BELIEFS

WHAT WE TEACH

The Bible:  We teach that through the Bible we hear God speaking to us. Because it is God’s Word, it is our authority in matters of faith and life.
God:  We teach that there is one God, eternally existing in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Jesus Christ:  We teach that Jesus Christ is both fully God and fully human, who by His death on the cross has redeemed us.
The Holy Spirit:  The Holy Spirit's gifts are available and operative today for all Christians.

ELCA

Light of Christ is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), Northern Illinois synod.  The ELCA is a Christian denominations, with about 4 million members and nearly 10,000 congregations across the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

CORE VALUES

We value...
►Grace-filled ministry that meets people where they are at.
►Connecting people

  • with the means to grow in the lifelong journey of following Jesus.
  • in authentic relationships that provide friendship and accountability.
  • in meaningful service, based on their gifts, skills, and passions.

►Worship that is scriptural, sacramental, Spirit-led, and speaks to today.

INCLUSIVITY STATEMENT

At Light of Christ, we invite the Church to grow in its understanding of issues influencing genuine inclusion of all God’s children.

We commit to embrace God’s perfectly designed differences in all people, to actively live out Jesus’ call to love our neighbors, and to foster authentic relationships in our community.

 

To read more about our mission, vision, and resources, CLICK HERE.

 

“Jesus replied, 'The most important commandment is this: Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord.

And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.

The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.'”  

Mark 12:29-31

MISSION STATEMENT: 

Light of Christ exists to Invite people into Christian community, Nurture them in a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ,

so they can faithfully and joyfully Serve Him.

OUR TEAM

Kendall Koenig

Senior Pastor

     Pastor Kendall Koenig has been Senior Pastor at Light of Christ since the fall of 2001. Prior to his calling here, Kendall served two congregations as Associate Pastor at Zion in Rockford, IL, and as a Mission Developer, founding a new congregation in Frankfort, IL. For his pastoral training, Kendall attended the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. And, he spent six months of his pastoral study at the University of Zimbabwe. Kendall is married to Connie, and they have three children; Kaleb, Maddie, and Leah. In his leisure time, Kendall enjoys bike riding, playing basketball, board games, watching sports, and reading.

CONTACT ME

Maureen "Mo" O'Connor

Associate Pastor

Pastor Mo is a rather non-traditional, fun-loving, leader who strives to make worship relevant for our everyday lives and often looks for innovative ways of bringing the sacred and the secular together. She has a serious passion for helping others discover true freedom in Christ while seeking to build bridges between those both inside and outside of the community. Pastor Mo holds an undergrad in Theology and Clinical Psychology from Elmhurst College. She completed her Master of Divinity studies at Northern Theological Seminary and Anglican Studies Degree at Bexley Seabury Theological Seminary. Prior to receiving her call to Light of Christ, Pastor Mo served as head Rector at Calvary Episcopal Church. Pastor Mo has experience in Mission Development, co-founding a multi-cultural non-denominational Church in 2010. In 2015 she founded, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, called Connecting with Love which provided, assistance to at-risk-children in Guinea West Africa. Pastor Mo has two wonderful daughters, Alyssa and Priscilla, a Pitbull named Cleveland, German Shepard named Ocito and two cats, Winnie & Mister. Her hobbies include making others laugh, trying new foods, riding her motorcycle, watching Sci-Fi, and reading up on metaphysics & theology.

CONTACT ME


Josh Jones

Director, Music & Worship Ministries

About Josh

Jennifer Alderson

Director, Welcome Ministry & Communications

About Jennifer

Jessica Adams

Director, Children's Ministries

About Jessica

Kim Carrera

Director, Youth Ministries

About Kim

Jack Belford

Director, Worship Production

About Jack

Yvette Butler

Director, Adult & Serving Ministries

About Yvette

Beca Malmgren

Director, Children's Choirs

About Beca

Vicki Barmore

Financial Administrator

About Vicki

Jenny Tackett-Irwin

Office Administrator

About Jenny

Denise DiSilvio

Director, LOC Preschool


​​​​​​​CONTACT ME

Jennifer Pruyn

Coordinator, Wednesday Night Live! Kids

Candi Neely

Director, Junior High PATH Confirmation Ministry

Mary Darnell

Coordinator of Connections

About Mary

Jennine Rivard

Bookkeeper

About Jennine

Rita Dawson

Wedding Coordinator

CHURCH COUNCIL

Steve Kontos

Council President

Michael Sheridan

Vice President

Jennesa Gober

Secretary

Amy Cianciarulo

Treasurer

Roger Lall

Council Member

John Orlando

Council Member


OUR HISTORY

1985-1990

  • Nov 1985, 1st service in a storefront in downtown Algonquin; over 130 people attended.

  • Mar 1986, our name was selected based on John 8:12: "I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life."  We were first chartered as a congregation of the American Lutheran Church.

  • 1987, 5 acres of land were purchased on Hanson Road.

  • 1988,  moved into the Hanson Road building; LOC members participate in many stages of construction

1991-2000

  • 1993, dedicated a building addition doubling the size of our ministry.

  • 1997, founding Pastor Mike Fish accepts a call to a congregation in Arkansas.

  • 1998 - 2000, Pastor Scott Hove serves as Senior Pastor. 

  • 2000, Pastor Brent Dahlseng provides excellent Interim ministry as senior pastor. 

2001-2010

  • 2001, Current Senior Pastor Kendall Koenig accepted his call to LOC.

  • 2002, Our Invite, Nurture, Serve Mission Statement was claimed.

  • 2003, congregation grows significantly. Congregation begins to study space issues. 

  • 2006, 16 acres of land at the corner of Longmeadow Pkwy & Sleepy Hollow Rd.  was purchased and dedicated.

  • 2007, our current building was put up for sale and capital campaign began for construction of the new building for the new property.

2010-PRESENT

 

  • 2011 - 13, congregation experiments by opening second site at Westfield School.
  • 2015, LOC celebrates 30 years in the community!
  • 2017,  Congregation votes to begin building process.  Forward in Faith Campaign raises $3.6M in commitments to proceed. 

  • 2020, Light of Christ moves into our new campus at 1700 Longmeadow Parkway.