On a hilltop just inland from Lake Michigan, the stone sanctuary of Christ Episcopal Church has stood watch over Winnetka for the better part of a century and a half. The parish traces its roots to 1876, when a small group of Anglican-tradition Christians first gathered in the lakeside suburb and began the work that has continued without interruption ever since. Today, Christ Church - still known locally by its century-old nickname, "the Church on the Hill" - is recognized across Chicago's North Shore for two very different reasons: a deeply rooted music program whose choirs tour regularly to England, and a half-century-old Rummage Sale that quietly moves more than two hundred thousand dollars a year into non-profit ministries serving the wider city.

What ties everything together is a stated commitment to "walking the way of love and building God's kingdom" - a phrase the parish uses to describe itself. Followers of Jesus Christ gather here for worship, fellowship, study, service, and prayer in the Episcopal tradition. The parish's intergenerational character is one of its strongest features: on any given Sunday, third-graders process behind the crucifer alongside retirees who have been members for fifty years, and the same choir that sings at the 9:30 service may have begun its rehearsal in the Primary Choir years before. Now in its 150th year, Christ Church looks back on its history with gratitude and forward to the next generation of ministry.

The Two Campuses: Church on the Hill and the Parish House

Christ Church worships, rehearses, and gathers on two adjoining campuses a short walk apart. The Church on the Hill, at 784 Sheridan Road, is the parish's liturgical center. Its traditional stone sanctuary was dedicated in 1905 and was the gift of the William Hoyt family. The name is literal: the building sits on a rise above Sheridan Road, and from the parking areas one can look down toward the lake. Adjacent to the sanctuary is Church House, which houses choir rehearsal rooms, the McClain Room, the Lea Room, the Club 56 Room, and other spaces used for formation and fellowship. The Churchyard, with its memorial garden overlooking Lake Michigan, surrounds the sanctuary and includes the columbarium and the graves of long-standing parishioners.

The Parish House, at 470 Maple Street, is the parish's administrative home. A Gothic building set back from the street, it contains the offices of the clergy, staff, and Rummage Director, together with Powell Hall and the Christ Church Chapel used for smaller weekday services. Across the street and behind the main building, the parking lot and grounds are the year-round staging area for Rummage drop-off, sorting, and sales. Powell Hall, the chapel, and the lot together make this campus the operational heart of the parish's largest outreach ministry.

Parking at the Church on the Hill is on-street, primarily on Humboldt Street and the surrounding neighborhood. For services and special events, Humboldt Street is one-way heading east, so drivers cannot turn onto it from Sheridan Road; they must approach from another direction. Additional spaces are available at the Lloyd Street Beach lot, accessed from the Lloyd Beach entrance gate on Sheridan Road just north of the church at the traffic light. At the Parish House, the parking lot behind the building is entered from Oak Street, and visitors are asked to park only in the spaces marked "CC," with additional on-street parking available on Maple and Oak.

Two Sunday Mornings of Holy Eucharist

Worship at Christ Church centers on the Holy Eucharist, celebrated every Sunday morning at the Church on the Hill. Both Sunday services use the rites of the Episcopal Church and include the Eucharist; the principal difference is the music.

At 8:00 a.m., a quiet, contemplative spoken service of Holy Eucharist is offered without the full choir. The congregation gathers in the candlelit sanctuary for the liturgy alone, and the service generally concludes around 8:45 a.m. It is a fitting choice for those who prefer a simpler, more meditative Sunday.

At 9:30 a.m., the principal Sunday service takes place: a Choral Holy Eucharist with the full choir singing from the Royal School of Church Music repertoire. The service is livestreamed for those unable to attend in person, with the live stream beginning at 9:20 a.m. Children ages three through second grade are invited to attend Sunday School during the first half of the service and rejoin their parents in the pews at the Peace. The liturgy generally concludes around 11:00 a.m., and everyone is encouraged to stay for the coffee hour that follows.

Both services follow the same Episcopal pattern. The Eucharist - also called the Lord's Supper, Holy Communion, the Divine Liturgy, the Mass, and the Great Offertory - is the principal act of Christian worship, and the term comes from the Greek word for "thanksgiving." Everyone, including children, is invited to receive Communion; a gluten-free host is always available. Those who would prefer not to receive are invited to come forward and receive a blessing, crossing their arms across the chest to indicate that preference. Just before Communion, members exchange the Peace, greeting those around them with a handshake, a peace sign, or a word of welcome as an acknowledgment that everyone present is a beloved child of God.

The service bulletin handed out at the door contains everything needed to follow along, with the readings, the prayers, the responses, and announcements of upcoming events. Visitors are welcome to take one home and to ask any question that arises during worship - the parish takes seriously the idea that liturgy is "the work of the people."

Taizé, Evensong, and Summer in Maple Street Park

Beyond the two Sunday morning Eucharists, Christ Church keeps a steady calendar of contemplative services. On the second Sunday of each month from September through May, the parish gathers at 5:30 p.m. in the candlelit Church on the Hill for a Taizé service. The format is simple and prayerful: readings, prayers, silence, and music weave together in a quiet hour designed to settle the soul at the close of the weekend. Communion is not offered at these services, which the parish suggests can be a particularly gentle introduction to Episcopal worship for newcomers and the curious.

Evensong, sung by the Youth & Adult Choir on selected Sunday evenings at 5:30 p.m., offers a different contemplative experience. The candlelit service features traditional Anglican music for the evening, and an informal group dinner often follows for those who wish to linger in fellowship.

For weekday prayer, the parish maintains two small but steady rhythms. On Wednesdays at 7:30 a.m., the Rev. Rod Quainton leads Morning Prayer in the Christ Church Chapel at the Parish House, a half-hour office suited to the early part of the day. On Tuesdays at 2:00 p.m., the Centering Prayer group gathers in the Lea Room and on Zoom to practice Christian meditation: twenty minutes of shared silence followed by discussion of the method and a continuing reading of David Frenette's The Path of Centering Prayer.

In summer, the parish trades pews for grass. From June through early September, the 9:30 a.m. service moves outdoors to Maple Street Park, just south of the church off Sheridan Road. Parishioners bring their own chairs or blankets for this casual, family-friendly service. Children's activities are set out on brightly colored blankets, and worship takes place surrounded by the beauty of the season.

Music as Prayer: The Intergenerational Choir

The music program at Christ Church is, by the parish's own description, the second pillar of its identity alongside outreach. The intergenerational Youth & Adult Choir now numbers close to one hundred singers across its age divisions, rehearsing weekly in their own groups and joining together to sing at Sunday services throughout the program year. Youth choristers follow the Royal School of Church Music curriculum, developing vocal skills, musicality, and leadership; the repertoire ranges from traditional Anglican anthems to contemporary arrangements.

Organist and Choirmaster Richard Clemmitt has led the program since 1992. Under his direction the choirs have toured both in the United States and in the United Kingdom, and every other year the choir travels to England where it serves as the choir in residence at an English cathedral for ten days. Richard holds a Bachelor of Music from New England Conservatory and a Master of Music from Westminster Choir College, and he is a published composer in addition to his work as a teacher of sacred music.

The Primary Choir, directed by Elizabeth Clemmitt since the fall of 1996, introduces first and second graders to the joy of choral singing. Rehearsals include singing games, puppets, and rhythm instruments, and the children sing an anthem in church services about five times a year. Elizabeth is also the music teacher at Willow Wood Preschool in Winnetka and at Ronald Knox Montessori School in Wilmette. The Handbell Choir adds a further dimension to the program, ringing for services and special occasions throughout the year.

Todd Gresick joined the staff in 2023 as Organ Associate, accompanying the choirs and playing for choral liturgies. He came out of retirement after serving as Director of Music and Organist at Divine Mercy Catholic Parish / Sacred Heart Church in Winnetka, and he holds Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in organ performance from the University of Michigan.

The parish's philosophy is that music is itself a form of prayer: it awakens the soul, draws worshipers closer to God and to one another, and invites the whole assembly into beauty. Anyone interested in joining a choir - even with little or no choral background - is welcomed.

Children, Youth, and the Builders Cohort

Formation for the young is woven into every Sunday at Christ Church. The professionally staffed Church Nursery is open during Sunday morning services and other special events, and three professional childcare providers care for infants and toddlers in the dedicated nursery at Church House. Families are warmly invited to bring their small children into worship, and a soft play area in the sanctuary makes space for the wiggles of the very young.

Children's formation is led by Melissa Durbin, Director of Children's Ministries. Melissa has been on staff since July 2013, after eleven years as a parishioner and ten years as a Church School leader; she previously worked in advertising and now anchors her work in the parable of the mustard seed, in which the tiniest of seeds grows into a shrub large enough for the birds to nest. She holds a B.A. in English from Miami University and is trained in the Godly Play curriculum used across many Christian denominations.

On Sunday mornings during the 9:30 service, Good Shepherd teachers work with the three's, junior kindergarten, and senior kindergarten children, while True Vine teachers work with first and second graders and Children's Chapel teachers lead third and fourth graders. These groups meet once or twice a month. Children's Chapel offers a Godly Play-style encounter with the stories of the faith, and Kids Connection provides a monthly program for third and fourth graders on Sunday afternoons. The Sunday School program gathers children during the first half of the 9:30 service, and the children rejoin their families in the pews at the Peace.

Club 56 is the parish's weekly pre-Confirmation program for fifth and sixth graders, meeting Wednesday evenings from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the Club 56 Room. Each gathering includes pizza, games, a Bible story, and prayer, with the explicit goal of being a space where every young person feels included and uplifted.

Confirmation is a two-year journey for youth in grades seven and eight, designed around the Church's Tradition and the questions of why Episcopalians worship the way they do. Confirmation Class meets Sunday mornings during the formation hour; confirmands gather in large group discussions and in small break-out groups led by adult mentors, with space for questions and the honest expression of doubts. The preparation culminates in the bishop's laying on of hands at Confirmation, Reception, or Reaffirmation, all offered annually at the parish.

The Youth Group, led by Director of Youth Ministries Wendy Samuel, brings seventh through twelfth graders together for monthly gatherings that include meals, fellowship, and service. Wendy grew up in the Caribbean and has taught high school theology in Boston, Florida, and most recently in Chicago; she holds a Master's Degree in Pastoral Ministry from Boston College and a degree in Business Administration from the University of the Virgin Islands. The youth also participate in a summer Service Trip each year - in recent years to Central Appalachia through the Appalachia Service Project, helping make homes warmer, safer, and drier for families in need.

The Builders Cohort fills a more recent gap in the parish's ministry. Open to adults roughly twenty-five to forty-five years old, the cohort gathers for fellowship, service projects, and the kind of hands-on work that builds both parish life and local muscle - including unloading pumpkins for the parish's annual pumpkin patch and celebrating with well-deserved pizza afterward.

Adult Formation: Prayer, Study, and Conversation

Adults at Christ Church find a generous range of small groups and study circles. Three weekly gatherings anchor the formation hour.

Friends in Faith meets Mondays at 9:00 a.m. in the Lea Room and on Zoom. The group opens with prayer for each person on the parish prayer list, observes ten minutes of silent prayer or meditation, and then gathers for discussion on a spiritual topic presented by a member.

Women's Bible Study meets Thursdays at 9:30 a.m. in the Lea Room. Described by the parish as "not your grandma's Bible Study," it welcomes women of every background to engage with scripture, theology, the Episcopal tradition, and lived experience in an interactive format that prizes openness and intellectual honesty. The current reading is Spirituality, Contemplation, and Transformation: Writings on Centering Prayer by Thomas Keating and others. The group is facilitated by The Rev. Dr. Gloria Hopewell.

Connections: Faith, Unfiltered meets Sundays at 10:45 a.m. in the McClain Room. Hosted by Amanda MacDonald and Nat Samuel, the series invites parishioners to share how faith shows up in their lives outside of Christ Church - at home, at work, with family, and in hobbies. Guest speakers from the parish and from the wider community join the conversation most weeks.

Refresh & Connect meets one evening a month for a learning activity followed by refreshments and conversation. Past gatherings have included guided movement and other hands-on explorations of stillness, rhythm, and presence. The program is open to all parishioners and their friends.

For those drawn to contemplative prayer, the Tuesday Centering Prayer group offers a regular rhythm of silence and study, and a Parish Prayer List is supported through Friends in Faith and through the parish's pastoral care network.

Rummage and the Wider Outreach Network

Rummage is the oldest and largest faith-in-action ministry of Christ Church. Held for more than ninety-five consecutive years, the twice-yearly sale is organized by a separate volunteer leadership and is intentionally run at no profit to the parish. The funds it raises - more than two hundred thousand dollars a year in the decade prior to the pandemic - are distributed entirely to non-profit partners making the world a better place.

The operation is year-round. Donations are dropped off, sorted, and stored at the Parish House on Maple Street, with volunteers contributing many hours of work between sales. Rummage is, in the parish's words, the oldest of the many ways that Christ Church reaches beyond its own walls.

Around Rummage the parish has built a broader network of local partnerships, including:

• A Just Harvest, a community-based organization addressing hunger in the Chicago area.
• New Trier Food Pantry, serving neighbors facing food insecurity on the North Shore.
• Family Promise, supporting families experiencing homelessness.
• St. Leonard's & Grace House, reaching out to men and women living in shelters through the diocesan Episcopal Charities organization.
• Christmas Angels, a long-standing parish program through which parishioners adopt hundreds of families each Christmas.
• Benevolence Grants, the parish's direct giving to community partners throughout the Chicago area.
• Global Mission, with international outreach focused on long-term partner relationships in southeastern Mexico and South Sudan.

Altogether, this network of local and global partnerships is one of the defining marks of the parish. As the parish describes it, every member is called by God to the work of love, and many find their way into that call through service beyond the church walls.

Sacraments and Pastoral Care

Christ Church observes the historic sacraments of the Episcopal Church with care and with attention to the seasons of a human life. Baptisms are celebrated in the presence of the full congregation, often with family gathered around the font or - in the case of one longtime parishioner's grandchildren - in the lake nearby. The parish welcomes any and all persons into the new life of Christ through the outward sign of water and the inward grace of God.

Confirmation, Reception, and Reaffirmation are offered annually for those seeking to affirm the vows made at their baptism, to be received into the Episcopal Church from another tradition, or to recommit themselves to those vows after a season of distance. All three are accompanied by a guided period of preparation and self-examination.

Marriage is celebrated as a public vow aided by the prayers of the gathered community and strengthened by the grace of God. The Episcopal Church recognizes marriage equality, and Christ Church offers two wedding venues: the historic chapel on Maple Street and the main church on the Hill.

Burial and memorial services are held in the church and the Churchyard memorial garden, which overlooks the lake and holds the columbarium and the graves of long-standing members. The parish is honored to mark the passing of a loved one in light of the resurrection, and Romans 8:38-39 - "neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers... nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" - is a verse frequently read at these services.

Pastoral Care at Christ Church is the parish's quiet ministry of presence. Volunteers provide rides to medical appointments, prepare meals for those in recovery or grief, and bring Communion to those who cannot worship in person. In times of need, the parish comes together to support one another.

Clergy, Staff, and Parish Life

The Rev. Matthew Hanisian is the tenth Rector of Christ Church, beginning his tenure in June 2023. He came to Winnetka after seven years as Rector of St. Martin's-in-the-Field Episcopal Church in Severna Park, Maryland, and earlier served as Associate Rector of St. Alban's Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C. and on the faculty of St. Stephen's and St. Agnes Episcopal School in Alexandria, Virginia. Matthew is a graduate of Indiana University (B.A. in Journalism for Advertising) and Virginia Theological Seminary (M.Div.). He has served on the boards and commissions of the Dioceses of Virginia, Washington, and Maryland, and is the son of an Episcopal priest. His sense of humor and love of people are part of what endears him to the parish.

The Rev. Rod Quainton serves as Assisting Priest. Rod joined Christ Church in April 2014 with his wife Nanci Priest, after twenty-five years in ordained ministry and a previous seventeen-year career in banking. He retired in 2013 as Executive Pastor of First United Methodist Church in Birmingham, Michigan, after fourteen years on that staff, and previously served three Episcopal parishes in Texas and Florida. He also served as Program Director at the Center for Ethics and Values at Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston. Rod holds a B.A. from Yale, an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, and a Master of Divinity from the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest in Austin.

Richard Clemmitt, Organist and Choirmaster, is responsible for the entire music program. Melissa Durbin is Director of Children's Ministries. Wendy Samuel is Director of Youth Ministries. Elizabeth Clemmitt directs the Primary Choir. Todd Gresick is Organ Associate. The non-clergy staff supporting parish life includes Michelle Sweeney as Parish Administrator, Cindy Lyman as Financial Manager, Karen Forsberg as Rummage Director, Julie Salako as Communications Specialist, Jim Caldwell as Facilities Manager, and Mario Ruiz as Sexton - a role he has held since 1996, having first walked into Christ Church through the back door of the Rummage operation at the invitation of parishioner Georganne Chalmers. Mario is married to Lucila, who directs the Childcare room on Sunday mornings, and their sons Emmanuel and Pieter both sang in the Youth Choir.

Many of the parish's ministries are lay-led and depend on a deep bench of volunteers. Vergers carry a ceremonial staff and help the services run smoothly. Acolytes - even those with no prior experience - carry the cross, the Gospel book, and the torches. Lectors and intercessors read the lessons and lead the prayers. Chalice bearers assist the priest at Communion. Ushers welcome visitors at the door. Altar Guild prepares the worship space. Flower Guild arranges the weekly floral offerings. Videographers run the streaming system and cameras that make the livestream possible. Training is offered for each of these ministries.

Visiting Christ Church

Christ Church makes a particular effort to welcome newcomers, and the experience is designed to be simple. There is nothing required to prepare in advance: an open heart and a desire for community are all that are asked. On dress, the parish is unfussy: "you will see various styles on display at any given moment," and visitors are invited to come as they are. The service bulletin handed out at the door includes everything needed to follow along, including the responses and the Eucharistic prayers.

Children are welcome everywhere. The professionally staffed Church Nursery is open during Sunday morning services and other special events, and the sanctuary itself includes a soft play area for small children. Older children attend age-appropriate formation during the first half of the 9:30 service and rejoin their parents at the Peace. Communion is open to all, including children, with a gluten-free host available; those who prefer a blessing may cross their arms across the chest to indicate that wish.

For those joining from afar, the 9:30 a.m. Sunday service is livestreamed, and a full archive of recent services is available on the parish's YouTube channel. Each week's bulletin is posted online as well. Coffee and conversation follow the 9:30 service in the Prevost Cloister, with gluten-free and kid-friendly treats offered, and a calendar of weekday study groups, contemplative prayer, formation for children and youth, and seasonal fellowship events is available for those who want to go deeper. The parish office, located at 470 Maple Street, is reachable at (847) 446-2850 and at admin@christchurchwinnetka.org.