Elmhurst Calls-Steve Sutherland First Baptist Church of Elmhurst

First Baptist Church of Elmhurst

They say a church represents a community. I would have to say that First Baptist Church of Elmhurst achieved more than just representing a community, it was another home for anyone seeking it! The Church can be seen from the corner of York Road and St. Charles Road in Elmhurst. This pretty colonial church called to all who passed it corners to come and see inside what God is building in this wonderful community called Elmhurst. You felt welcomed by the beautiful Elm trees surrounding the church and the parking lot to come in and visit.

We had a tradition at the church called Harvest Home which was like Thanksgiving Dinner with the whole church in a fall setting with all the pies and desserts too. This fellowship time together knitted the people with and without family’s and shared in a loving time together.

 The music was amazing and the teens served and helped with a few adults supervising. This one event reached out to a community in a very effective way through great food and fellowship with one another. Elmhurst became home, when the church became a home for me, in Elmhurst.

When I was young we had boy’s stockade/brigade and Pioneer Girls. Stockade was lead by Mr. Dave Hendrickson. Everything was tremendous and gigantic to him. When we brought fifty boy’s to Stockade he would make a big six foot Sunday carved out of a log lined with foil, five different ice creams, seven different toppings and Zowie (Drink with six different sodas and fruit drinks).  We made checkerboards with Mr. Hill. So, many fun projects you didn’t want to miss. Game time was over the top and usually included bombardment. They had a camp called Camp Kaskitowa where he would make giant popsicles from coffee cans made of you guessed, five different flavors on a broom stick handle.

Mr. Hendrickson was kind to every boy. His smile was contagious. He was three of my friends Dad. He always headed up our father and son banquets with guest speaker, songs, prayer, games and food. J.C. Martin the catcher for Cubs, Sox and New York Mets went to our church. We always had amazing speakers like Doug Plank Roland Harper, Don Kessinger and more. We sang, John Jacob Jinglehimmer Schmidt and Oh Mrs. Shaney.

We had amazing pastors at our church. Robert Dugan had us looking up words. He baptized me in junior high. Don Bjork gave us the power of small groups. Pastor Knopp was an amazing teacher and a real pastor who would sit and talk to all ages.

We played basketball and softball against rival churches like Addison Bible and Grace Bible. We had Sunday Park. Summer Concerts in the park on Sunday night for the whole community. I have many fond memories of pot luck suppers and picnics in the park. Summer Bible Camps at York Woods and Senior Carl Hendrickson would bring ice cream cups to all the youth and helpers. The youth choirs and brass ensembles we played in. Tony Ilardo who led the singing on pick your favorite hymn on Sunday nights. Wally Volkman gave us root beer barrel candy after his testimony every week, about God saving him when he landed in his parachute in the trees of Germany.

I would like to share with you about to amazing youth high school pastors who gave everything for Christ. First would be Jerry and Jane Worshum. Jerry and Jane gave to our amazing high school group by loving us where we were. Jerry challenged us to bring our friends and our attendance went up to over a hundred guys and girls.

 We had service weekends raking leaves, retreats, Mini-golf, Campus Crusade Haunted Houses, Polaroid parties, ice skating at Woodfield mall, progressive dinners, Cubs Games, Sox Games, Great America, Tubing in the snow, so many fun events. Jerry and Jane opened their small apartment to us where they raised Jana and Jennifer at Elmhurst College where they were dorm directors too! We literally crashed their home week after week and were always greeted with hugs and smiles. Jerry was initiated from the guys a lot with too many practical jokes to mention.

 That kind of love in the Elmhurst Community attracted our friends from York High School with all kinds of Faith backgrounds. They came week after week and Jerry had a message to help us grow closer to God. We read our Bibles and met in small groups and got to know and trust one another. Amazing friends I have known from third grade and new friends I just met or invited to come that visited our church for the first time. We are so thankful for Jerry and Jane Worshum who pastors a Grace Church in Racine, Wisconsin.  Jerry’s son in-law Tim is at my current church and has been praying for me for over five years now. Small world!

Pete and Rhonda Struhbar had some big shoes to fill eventually taking Jerry and Jane’s place in the high school ministry. They had the same open door policy and we visited their home every other day as well. Always welcome and smile and hugs. God blessed our church with such rich and giving people in the Elmhurst community. We did have to endure many three point sports related sermon examples, but we knew he would teach us how to grow in Christ love. I still hear and write to them each year and thank them.

Remember doing here’s the church, here’s the steeple open the door and here’s all the Elmhurst people! I admit I changed the last part of the hand thing. First Baptist Church in Elmhurst people changed my life forever! I know that a life grounded In Christ can reach out to a community and a world. Christ has changed our world through the life of the people in that colonial Baptist church in Elmhurst, Illinois at York Road and St. Charles Road where everyone was welcomed.