On a quiet stretch of Galusha Avenue in Warrenville, a small sign marks the drive into a brick building where a church has shaped its life around one weekly act. Each Sunday morning, the people of Grace Church of DuPage gather for what they call a covenant renewal service, a structured dialogue in which God speaks through Scripture and the congregation answers in prayer, song, creed, and supper. Around that Sunday hub, the church has built a remarkable range of ministries: a year-round curriculum of expository preaching through whole books of the Bible, a steady stream of original hymns and psalms composed by members of the congregation, a biblical counseling practice, weekly AWANA clubs for children, a youth coffeehouse for students, a capital campaign to renew the building, and a roster of international partners that stretches from the Czech Republic to the Philippines.
A Church with a Single Sentence of Purpose
The purpose statement of Grace Church of DuPage reads: We exist to magnify the worth of God by exalting the Savior, equipping the saints, and extending Christ's kingdom. The vision prayer, drawn from the Sermon on the Mount, asks that God develop this body into a community of worshipers that bears much fruit as they live and proclaim the gospel with authenticity and passion. Seven values shape that pursuit: love God with all the heart, preach the truth and authority of Scripture, pray according to God's Word led by the Spirit, proclaim the life-changing message of the gospel, shepherd individuals and families toward maturity, rest in the completeness of God's sovereignty, and do all to the glory of God.
Members are asked to commit to one expression of four rhythms: corporate worship, a small gathering, in-church service, and outreach. The four commitments echo Acts 2:42-47, Ephesians 4:15-16, and Matthew 28:19-20, and the church treats the four-part pattern as a practical map for how a Christian should be embedded in the life of the body.
The Shape of Sunday Morning
During the academic year, the Sunday rhythm opens at 8:15 a.m. when women of the church meet in the Fireside room for thirty minutes of prayer for the body and for the upcoming service. At 9:00 a.m., adults and children gather for Sunday School classes across the building. The corporate worship service begins at 10:30 a.m. in the Sanctuary. From Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend the summer schedule moves the service to 9:30 a.m., and Sunday evenings at 6:00 p.m. feature the Outdoor Devotional and Tailgate BBQs.
The service itself is described as a God-glorifying, Christ-exalting, Spirit-empowered, cross-focused celebration of the gospel of the crucified, risen, and returning Lord. The leadership's stated aim is that worship here be doxological in content and purpose, dialogical in nature, dramatic in shape, and a doing of something together rather than a collection of individual prompts. The order of service moves through a recognizable arc: a Call to Worship gathers the people, followed by congregational songs of response, a Scripture reading, prayer, a Confession of Sin, a Word of Assurance, the singing of praise, the reading and preaching of the Word, a Profession of Faith, prayers of the people, the Lord's Supper, and a Benediction that sends the congregation back into the week. A written order of worship is available for download so visitors can follow along.
Communion is celebrated every Sunday morning. The bread and the cup sit at what the church calls the climax of the service, a present foretaste of the marriage supper of the Lamb described in Revelation 19:9. Believer's baptism is observed occasionally on a Sunday morning or evening. Dress is described in plain terms: If you prefer shorts or a suit, that's fine by us. God is seeking those who would worship in spirit and truth, dress code aside.
Preaching Through Whole Books of the Bible
If the central act of Sunday morning is covenant renewal, the central labor of the preaching ministry is the systematic exposition of whole books of the Bible, interspersed with occasional topical series. The pastor/teacher typically works through a New Testament book passage by passage, walking the congregation through the text over many months, then moves to another book. Recent and current series posted to the sermons archive include a sustained walk through the book of Hebrews (running through most of 2025 and into 2026 under the series title Jesus Is Better), a series on the Gospel of Luke through Advent 2025 and into 2026, and a 2026 summer series on prayer titled Teach Us to Pray that works through texts such as Luke 11:1-13, Ephesians 3:14-21, Colossians 1:9-14, 1 Thessalonians 5:17, Romans 8:26-27, Acts 4:23-31, and the prayer psalms.
Preaching is shared among the pastoral team. Pastor/Teacher Dr. L Daryle Worley carries the bulk of the pulpit ministry, while Associate Pastors Kipp Soncek and Nick Conner, along with lay preachers and visiting guests such as Steve Leston, Wes Karsten, Dave Patty, and Nick Conner, round out the rotation. Sermons are recorded and posted online. They are organized by date, by Scripture, by series, by speaker, and by topic. Visitors who cannot attend in person can access the livestream and sermon archive online.
Grace Original Music: A Catalog of Congregational Song
One of the most distinctive features of Grace Church of DuPage is its catalog of original music. The minister of worship and assistant pastor, Daryle Worley III, has composed dozens of new songs, hymns, and psalm settings that are introduced in Sunday worship and then made available for personal and family devotion. The list runs from By Faith in Christ I Walk with God (set to a text by John Newton) and Praise You More and More (Psalm 71) to a guitar version of O Lord of My Salvation (Psalm 88) first shared on Good Friday, an Ephesians Benediction (3:20-21), a setting of Psalm 51, the Good Friday song Save Us, Lord, and a reworking of Charles Wesley's Weary of Wandering from My God. Settings of the Lord's Prayer, a new tune to Christopher Wordsworth's Hark the Sound of Holy Voices, and an Irish-tinged Clay join the catalog, along with collaborations with Carmen Korda and music from Elizabeth Korda, Kim Hobbs, and Larry Klasen.
The recordings are pulled directly from the Sunday morning livestream and capture the real-time arrangements of the worship team. Lead sheets and chord charts are posted alongside each song. A separate archive, released under the Worley Folk name, is available through streaming services. For those who use Spotify, the Grace Church of DuPage account curates a weekly playlist called Songs of Grace drawn from the songs used in corporate worship.
The music ministry is led by Worley III with Kirsten Pearson as principal pianist and vocal coordinator, and Larry Klasen as instrumental coordinator. Pearson came to Grace Church in 2010 while studying piano at Moody Bible Institute and has since completed the Mission Training Academy. Klasen, a trumpeter who has served the church since 1989, holds a degree in instrumental music education from Illinois State University. The philosophy of music and worship is laid out in a detailed position paper that articulates ten principles, including the priority of doctrinal accuracy in song texts, the importance of musical skill and preparation, the responsibility of those who lead to live lives of holiness, and the conviction that congregational music should serve the gathered body first and the livestream second.
A House of Prayer
Prayer is woven into the weekly schedule. On Sunday mornings during the academic year, women meet in the Fireside room from 8:15 to 8:45 a.m. to pray for the church and the morning service. On Wednesday evenings at 7:15 p.m., the congregation gathers in the Sanctuary for Lessons and Prayer, a brief season of Bible teaching followed by extended prayer for the life and work of the church at home and around the world. Men's Discipleship Groups meet in the mornings for prayer and the study of Scripture. Various prayer teams, coordinated through the pastoral office, lift up concerns of the body.
The church publishes a weekly Prayer Sheet that gathers praises and prayer requests for the persecuted church, the nations, the country, the community, and the church family. The Prayer Sheet is included in the Monday Grace Weekly email. A global prayer page links worshipers to the Josiah Venture prayer room, which mobilizes 365 days of 24-hour uninterrupted prayer for the youth of Central and Eastern Europe. A page of Global Outreach Updates allows partners around the world to post field reports and prayer points.
Forming the Next Generation
Children and students are a major focus of weekly ministry. Sunday School for children meets at 9:00 a.m. during the academic year. AWANA clubs for kids from age three through fifth grade meet on Wednesday evenings at 7:00 p.m. during the school year. A 2026-2027 AWANA calendar runs from September 16, 2026, through April 28, 2027. The summer Vacation Bible School rotates through themed weeks: in 2025, Wonder Junction; in 2026, Emerald Crossing: An Irish Adventure through Psalm 23. Operation Christmas Child is organized each October, with the church distributing empty shoeboxes and a suggested list of items, then collecting filled boxes for delivery to a regional Samaritan's Purse drop-off point.
The RENEW Student Ministry gathers middle and high school students on Wednesday evenings at 7:00 p.m. in a Coffee House format that includes discussion, food, and time together. The 2026-2027 series, Question Everything, is described as a series that aims to explore and answer the questions being asked by those deconstructing their faith. The Coffee House runs from September 16, 2026, through May 19, 2027.
Two young adult ministries run in parallel. 1824 serves college-age adults from 18 to 24, while One21 serves young adults ages 25 and up. Both meet through the week, often in homes, for fellowship, study, and prayer.
Women, Men, and the Family of Grace
Women's Ministry holds an annual Fall Ladies Bible Study and a Summer Ladies Book Club, plus the weekly Sunday morning prayer gathering. The Music Ministry supports Women's Ministry events with worship leaders drawn from the church body. Men's Ministry gathers men around a Saturday Men's Breakfast, where a study of Colossians titled Hidden With Christ is underway, and a Men's Retreat that in 2026 meets at Bureau Gravity in Aurora for an all-day program of biblical teaching, fellowship, and shared meals. Men's Discipleship Groups meet in the mornings for prayer and Bible study, and the Great Doctrines of the Bible: Biblical Life Development class series is offered primarily under Men's Ministry, occasionally opened to the wider church family.
Community Groups, sometimes called Small Groups, are the basic unit of life together beyond Sunday morning. They meet in homes across the area and on the church campus, and they are described as designed to be for people of all ages and stages in life. Our goal is simply to follow Jesus together. The four Sunday evenings of the academic year are given to four different rhythms: the first Sunday is Scripture and Song, a service of song, brief devotional, and personal testimony; the second Sunday features Community Groups meeting in homes; the third Sunday is Family Dinners prepared by the Fellowship Team; the fourth Sunday is set aside for In-Home Hospitality, when members are encouraged to invite someone from church they do not know well into their home or to a local restaurant, or to reach out to unbelieving neighbors and friends.
Grace Biblical Counseling
Grace Biblical Counseling is a formal ministry of the church, overseen by Associate Pastor Kipp Soncek. The ministry's stated conviction is that the Scriptures are sufficient to address the problems of life, that human problems flow from the thoughts, actions, attitudes, and intentions of the heart, and that the Holy Spirit is the agent of lasting change. Counseling is offered for those struggling with a range of personal, relational, and spiritual issues. Counselors on the team include Jeff Lair and Judy Shoup. The ministry is affiliated with the Biblical Counseling Coalition, and training events are open to the public for those who want to learn to use God's Word in the lives of those who are struggling.
Local Outreach and Special Needs
The Local Outreach ministry organizes a number of practical service efforts. The church is an approved agency for Cars of Hope, a ministry of Community Christian Church in Naperville, and helps individuals involved at Grace who need reliable vehicles or repair assistance to connect with the program. Special Needs Ministry hosts free Movie Events in the church gym, complete with a free concession stand, movie characters, and themed decor, plus Game Day Events featuring bingo, giant battleship, parachute games, crafts, and music. The events are not drop-off events; participants with special needs must be accompanied. The B&G (Buildings and Grounds) Crew cares for the physical plant. Quest Mentoring pairs adults with young people for one-on-one discipleship. Hospitality and Welcome Teams greet visitors on Sunday mornings, and an Adoptions by Grace ministry supports families walking through adoption.
A flag football league for the community runs each fall. The 2026 season opens September 19 with a 4-on-4 format, six-team maximum, a seven-game schedule plus a Top 4 playoff, and Saturday morning games at 8:00 a.m.
Global Outreach and the GO Team
Global Outreach is led by Associate Pastor Nick Conner, who oversees the GO Team, a volunteer support team that arranges housing, transportation, and ministry opportunities for visiting workers, coordinates care packages, and spreads prayer updates. The church partners with Josiah Venture, Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, and other agencies working in Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, Southeast Asia, and among indigenous peoples in North America. Notes from the field range from Ukraine updates after the outbreak of war, to prayer requests for partners in Armenia and Georgia, to building project reports from Ron Hutchcraft Ministries.
A sister church network includes congregations the church considers like-minded in doctrine and philosophy of ministry, as well as churches pastored by current and former staff. The list reaches from Bethel Baptist Church in St. Charles, Illinois, and Rock Valley Bible Church in Loves Park, Illinois, to Crossway Chapel in North Aurora, Bethel Baptist in Wilmington, Delaware, First Presbyterian Church in Hinckley, Minnesota, Gospel Fellowship of Sussex in Wisconsin, and Zionsville Fellowship in Indiana; internationally, the network includes the Assemblée Biblique du Bassin d'Annecy in France, Bible Church of Kelowna in British Columbia, the Church of the Brothers in the Czech Republic, Blessing Church Chemnitz and the Free Evangelical Bible Church of Meine in Germany, Grace and Truth Congregation in Israel, Divine Grace Bible Church in the Philippines, and Madison Reformed Church in Indiana.
Project Illuminate: A Capital Campaign for the Building
Grace Church of DuPage is currently working through a capital campaign called Project Illuminate, an effort to complete sixteen facility projects over three years with a goal of $800,000. Completed and in-progress projects include a new playground, a replacement of the Sanctuary, gym, and hallway lighting, new video displays, and the installation of bottle filling stations in the Christian Education wing. A future slate of work includes metal siding repairs over the CE wing, a lobby refresh, Sanctuary carpeting, an office remodel, a gym loft curtain, upgraded gym control systems, gym acoustical treatment, and new cement work at the main entrances. The campaign is led by a Prayer Team (Russ Streff), a Communication Team (Matt Freeman and Doug Gilmour), a Project Management Team of Deacons, a Financial Team (Matt Kosten), an Appraisal Team (Ethan Meadows), and a Service Team (Scott McClain). Pledges and one-time gifts can be made online.
Visiting Grace Church
Grace Church of DuPage is located at 27W344 Galusha Avenue, Warrenville, Illinois 60555. The church office is open Monday through Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and on Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., and by appointment. The office number is 630-393-7344, and the general email is info@gracedupage.org. The church is part of a network of evangelical and Reformed congregations in Chicago's western suburbs, with sister churches within driving distance at Bethel Baptist in St. Charles, Bible Baptist in Romeoville, and Crossway Chapel in North Aurora, and partner ministries across the country and around the world.
Visitors are invited to sign the Friendship Register on Sunday morning and to pick up a Friendship folder. The Grace Church of DuPage app, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play, carries sermons, events, and a giving portal. A weekly newsletter, Grace Weekly, arrives in inboxes each Monday with the sermon, announcements, and a link to the Prayer Sheet. The church's full library of resources, including the Doctrinal Statement, Position Papers, an Apologetics page, and a Questions and Theology archive, is available.
For those who cannot be in the sanctuary, the Sunday service is livestreamed, and the sermon archive, organized by date, Scripture, series, speaker, and topic, is available at gracedupage.org/sermons. Giving is available online at pushpay.com/g/gracedupage. Newcomers who want to take a next step can request a Starting Point class or an introductory conversation with the pastors through the office.