Bloomingdale Church has been a presence on Glen Ellyn Road in Bloomingdale, Illinois for more than forty years. From a small group of families who first met in a local public school in 1978, the congregation has grown into a multi-building campus that serves both its members and the wider community through Sunday worship, programs for every age, and a separate outreach facility known as the Hope Center.
Four Decades on Glen Ellyn Road
The church traces its beginnings to April 2, 1978, when a few families from Lombard Bible Church and Blanchard (Wellspring) Alliance Church joined together to plant a new congregation in the Bloomingdale area. By July 1979 the church had moved onto the present five-acre parcel at 264 Glen Ellyn Road, a site that includes a small brick farmhouse still used as a parsonage for one of the pastoral staff.
The congregation expanded in stages. A sanctuary was built in 1984, followed by a large activity center in 1989 with a vision of providing a safe, active place for the youth. In 1995 the sanctuary was doubled in size and new classrooms were added, including what is now the 264.Coffeehouse. A 2007 construction phase added larger group meeting rooms, additional kids classrooms, a small library, an elevator, and more parking.
Dr. David and Marina Riemenschneider served as the lead pastoral couple from the church's founding until their retirement in 2024, and under their leadership the congregation helped launch several other churches and supported the ordination of more than a dozen assistant pastors. The current lead pastor is Jay Manguba, who joined Bloomingdale Church with his wife Faith and their two children after more than twenty-five years of leadership experience, including eleven years in vocational ministry. Pastor Manguba is a graduate of Moody Theological Seminary and holds a Masters in Ministry Leadership.
Sundays at 10:30
The church gathers for a single family-friendly worship service on Sundays at 10:30 a.m., running about sixty minutes. A typical service includes singing with lyrics projected on the wall so that anyone can join in, prayer, Bible reading, the collection of an offering (entirely voluntary, especially for guests), a personal story from someone in the congregation about what God has done in their life, and a roughly thirty-minute sermon from the Bible about Jesus. Newcomers are never asked to stand, raise a hand, or pray out loud.
The music is described as vibrant and modern, with traditional hymns and older worship songs mixed in to reflect the diversity of the community. Weekly set lists are posted on the church's Spotify page ahead of services. Each weekend, sermons are recorded and posted online so anyone can catch up later.
Before the service, the church offers an Adult Education hour from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. Current courses include a study through the Book of John and a Young Families class that focuses on how the Bible applies to parenting.
The Hope Center: Meeting the Needs of Neighbors
In a separate building at 260 Glen Ellyn Road, the Hope Center extends the church's mission beyond its walls. The center hosts a wide range of recovery, support, and care programs, most of which are free and open to anyone in the community.
Among the recurring programs are a 12-step faith-based recovery group on Saturday evenings, an Alzheimer's and caregiver support group on second Sundays, Divorce Care on Wednesday evenings, Grief Share on Wednesday evenings, a Widows Care group on Saturday mornings, and "Out of the Dark," a trauma-informed support ministry for women healing from abuse. The center also offers a three-week CAP Money budgeting course and free childcare during that course, plus affordable legal clinics on second Saturdays run in partnership with Administer Justice.
The Hope Center is directed by Nanette Scoville, who also serves as the church's International Worker Liaison, connecting members with missionaries supported by the congregation around the world.
Kids, Teens, and Young Adults
Children are woven into the life of the church from infancy. Noah's Ark Nursery welcomes children from birth through age three on Sunday mornings at both 9:00 and 10:30 a.m., with separate rooms for infants and crawlers and for toddlers. Parents check children in at a secure desk and receive a matching security tag for pick-up.
BC Kids offers Sunday School at 9:00 a.m. for ages three through third grade, and Children's Church during the 10:30 service for ages three through fourth grade, where children play games, gather in small groups for prayer and friendship, and hear a Bible story. PAK (Pre-Adolescent Kids) meets Sundays from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. for fourth through sixth graders in a dedicated room at the back of the building. The kids' ministry also includes Sunday Kids' Club and a free annual Day Camp each summer for kids in first through sixth grade, with drama, games, music, and skits.
Teens in grades seven through twelve have their own rhythm. Friday nights from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. are reserved for the Coffeehouse Youth Community Center, a hangout space with an open gym, games, and special events. On Sunday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., students gather for youth group to dive deeper into the Bible and build fellowship. Periodic retreats and mission trips round out the year.
Young adults ages 18 to 30 gather every other Thursday from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. in the Coffeehouse for Bible study and Christ-centered fellowship.
Men's and Women's Ministry
Men's ministry centers on two Saturday rhythms: an 8:00 to 8:30 a.m. prayer gathering in the South Lobby for prayer and fellowship, and Saturday Men's Serve on the first and third Saturdays from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m., which begins with a short Scripture lesson and prayer before breaking into teams for hands-on service projects.
Women's ministry, led by Donna Freeman, includes a Tuesday morning Bible study at 9:00 a.m. and a Tuesday evening study at 6:45 p.m. in Common Grounds, both currently working through the Book of John. A monthly Women's Craft & Laugh night on the third Friday gives women space to work on personal projects like scrapbooking or quilting alongside one another.
Other regular gatherings include a Legacy Potluck dinner on the second Saturday of each month at 4:00 p.m. in Common Grounds, and Re:generation, a discipleship and recovery program.
Worship and the Arts
The worship ministry is led by a team of instrumentalists and vocalists, supported by an A/V team that runs the sound board, presentation software, and lighting, plus a Drama Team that presents topical dramas to illustrate biblical truths and a Creative Media Team that produces videos and other media for services. The worship team's stated mission is "to sing the Truth, and to sing it as though it were true," inviting the whole congregation to lean in, sing out, and dig deep into the words being sung.
Beliefs and Practices
Bloomingdale Church is a member congregation of the Christian & Missionary Alliance (C&MA), a global association of more than seventeen thousand churches in over seventy nations. The church subscribes to a doctrinal statement covering the Trinity, the person and work of Jesus Christ, the full inspiration of Scripture, salvation by grace through faith, the indwelling and sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, healing through prayer, the priesthood of all believers, the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's Supper, the bodily resurrection, and the imminent personal return of Christ.
The church observes two ordinances. Communion, also called the Lord's Supper, is celebrated monthly, generally on the first weekend of the month, and is open to any believer who has received Christ as Savior. Baptism is by immersion and offered about three times a year; the church teaches that baptism is an outward symbol of an inward change rather than a prerequisite for salvation. Child dedication is offered three times a year (January, Mother's Day, and fall) as a public covenant for parents to raise their child in a Christ-honoring home.
The church also teaches that marriage is a sacred, lifelong covenant between a man and a woman, and offers premarital counseling, officiating pastors, the use of the sanctuary, and a wedding coordinator for couples who wish to be married there. Counseling requirements include one-on-one meetings with a pastor or mentor couple and the Focus on the Family "Ready to Wed" curriculum.
Giving and Partnerships
The church describes its mission as "to help people know Jesus Christ as Lord by being a worshiping, praying, learning, caring, and outreaching community." Members and friends can give online, by check, by bank bill pay, or through a Qualified Charitable Distribution from an IRA. Designated funds include the General Fund, Benevolence Fund, Building Fund, Hope Center Fund, Family Empowerment Centers Chicago, and Alliance Missions. The Missions Fund supports a roster of international workers, including Jim & Becky, Jenni, Mark & Kora, Stuart & Rebecca, Matt & Christine, Eric & Krisy, Wil & Katie, and Barry & Patty. Easter brings the annual Passion Project, a tradition of giving toward special local and global initiatives.
Locally, Bloomingdale Church partners with Marquardt Middle School, Bloomingdale Park District, and DuJardin Elementary School. The congregation is known in the wider community for its free summer Day Camp, its children's and teen ministries, its men and women groups, and its always-busy parking lot.
Planning a Visit
The church sits on a five-acre parcel at 264 Glen Ellyn Road in Bloomingdale, with free parking both in front and behind the building. Front-row parking is reserved for those who have difficulty walking, since the front entrance has a wheelchair-accessible ramp and a shorter path to the sanctuary. The rear entrance leads quickly to an elevator that opens onto the sanctuary floor before the staircase.
Guests are welcome to dress however they feel comfortable. The congregation spans the spectrum from Sunday-best to Bears-game casual, and the church is clear that God cares more about the heart than the outfit. Bibles are provided for anyone who needs one. Anyone is welcome to participate in any element of the service, or simply to sit and observe.
A worship service is held every Sunday at 10:30 a.m., with Adult Education at 9:00 a.m. Children, teens, and nursery care are all available, and the Hope Center offers a wide range of support programs throughout the week for anyone in the surrounding communities.