A Theologically Progressive Voice on the North Shore
Highland Park Presbyterian Church has been worshipping and serving from its corner at 330 Laurel Avenue for more than a century and a half. The congregation occupies a stone-and-slate sanctuary built in 1912, the building that has anchored its identity across generations of change in Highland Park and along Chicago's North Shore. Members describe HPPC as a theologically progressive church within the Presbyterian tradition - one that takes the Bible seriously enough to ask hard questions of it, and that values the life of the mind alongside the life of faith.
What sets the congregation apart is the combination it offers. Sunday worship is traditional, but the theology preached from the pulpit is contemporary and unafraid of politics, empire, and injustice. Music programs of unusual quality share the calendar with rummage sales and Vacation Bible School. A serious adult education program sits beside a robust interfaith pulpit exchange with a neighboring synagogue and a weekly Sunday presence at a Hispanic congregation a few miles south. The result is a congregation that reads more like a small progressive seminary than a typical suburban parish.
Traditional Worship in the Sanctuary
Worship at HPPC gathers in the historic sanctuary at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday mornings. The service is described by the church itself as a traditional worship encounter, and visitors are warmly welcomed to come as they are, dressed however they are most comfortable. The sanctuary is where the community meets to pray, to sing, and to listen to sermons that often run long and reach far.
The pulpit belongs to Pastor Quincy, a minister whose preaching has become central to the congregation's identity. His sermons are not short reflections; they are sustained theological essays that move between Scripture, autobiography, current events, and the witness of contemporary theologians. He has preached through the letter of James for many consecutive Sundays, walked through Holy Week with public political theology, and on more than one Sunday has opened his sermon with raw honesty about his own grief, exhaustion, or fear before moving into the text. Worshipers are used to hearing sermons that name what is happening in the country and ask what faithfulness looks like inside it.
Services are livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel, and recordings of past sermons remain available there as well, allowing members who travel or who are homebound to remain connected to the preaching life of the congregation.
The Sanctuary Sounds Concert Series
HPPC has built a music program that reaches beyond the walls of the church. The Sanctuary Sounds series brings chamber music concerts into the sanctuary itself, with works by composers ranging from Bach and Beethoven to Tchaikovsky and contemporary writers. Pianist Susan Merdinger, who leads many of the concerts, has been joined by violinist Alex Koffman, cellist Martine Benmann, organist Steve Greene, and narrator Karen Kaplan, with the Sheridan Solisti Chamber Orchestra and the HPPC Choir appearing for holiday performances.
Two concerts anchor the year. Sanctuary Sounds: Halloween Haunting, held on a Saturday afternoon in late October, features ghost-themed chamber music and storytelling. Sanctuary Sounds: Holiday Cheer, held the first Saturday of December, draws on Leroy Anderson, Handel, Tchaikovsky, and the work of composer Ilya Levinson, and culminates with the HPPC Choir and Soloists joining the chamber orchestra. The concerts are free and open to the wider community, and they have become one of the ways HPPC opens its doors to neighbors who might never otherwise walk through them.
Steve Greene joined the congregation as Music Director in June 2025 and serves as organist for worship as well as a key collaborator in the Sanctuary Sounds programming.
Faith Matters: The Adult Education Program
Following fellowship on Sunday mornings, the congregation gathers at 11:30 a.m. in the Parlor for Faith Matters, the adult education program formerly known as Adult Forum. The new name carries a double meaning: it is a forum for talking about the matters of faith - Scripture, theology, contemporary issues, and how belief shapes daily life - and it is a reminder that faith itself matters, that it is worth engaging deeply.
Faith Matters is structured as conversation rather than lecture. Members and outside guests lead sessions on books of the Bible, current events, and the work of local organizations. A recent season opened with Bobbie Hinden, Center Director of Family Focus Highland Park, speaking about that organization's work supporting low-income families with young children, expanding bilingual early childhood education, and connecting Latino families in Lake County with vital resources.
On weekday afternoons, a long-running book study meets in the library. The group has recently worked through Elaine Pagels's The Gnostic Gospels, exploring the diversity of belief in the early church and the questions those ancient texts raise about faith, authority, and the nature of God.
The Wider Pulpit: Interfaith Partnership with Makom Solel Lakeside
HPPC has built one of the most visible interfaith partnerships on the North Shore through its annual pulpit exchange with Makom Solel Lakeside, a nearby synagogue. The exchange began as an experiment and has grown into a tradition.
On a Friday in mid-October, members and friends of HPPC are invited to attend Shabbat worship at Makom Solel Lakeside, where Pastor Quincy preaches. The following Sunday, the synagogue's members are welcomed into HPPC's sanctuary, where Rabbi Isaac Serotta preaches. The exchange is described by the congregation as more than a swap of preachers: it is an opportunity to deepen a growing friendship between the two congregations, to learn from one another's traditions, and to offer a public witness to the power of interfaith community.
Beyond the pulpit exchange, the relationship between HPPC and Makom Solel Lakeside has expanded into a broader Interfaith Weekend of worship, learning, and fellowship. Rabbi Serotta has also preached during HPPC's Sunday morning service and led a Faith Matters forum afterward.
A Statement of Solidarity with Jewish Neighbors
The church has issued a public Statement of Solidarity with its Jewish neighbors, declaring that every person bears the image of God and is worthy of dignity, safety, and love. The statement names the rise in antisemitic threats and violence as a grief the congregation shares, and condemns antisemitism in all its forms - spoken, written, or enacted.
Three commitments are central to the statement. Speak Up: name antisemitism wherever it is encountered, online, in conversation, and in public life. Show Up: build relationships with local synagogues and Jewish organizations, attend community events, and offer practical support when asked. Pray and Learn: hold Jewish neighbors in prayer and educate themselves about antisemitism so that their solidarity is informed and enduring. The statement is grounded in Romans 12:9 - Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good.
Sunday Presence at St. James, Highwood
Every Sunday at 12:30 p.m., Pastor Quincy and members of HPPC drive a few miles south to St. James Church in Highwood to be present with the Hispanic community there. The practice is described by the church as an invitation to practice a kind of faithful presence - showing up with humility, consistency, and openness to relationship over time.
The congregation at St. James is not a program HPPC runs. It is a neighbor the church has chosen to walk alongside. Members describe the practice as rooted in a conviction that faith is formed not only by what is said but by where one shows up. Again and again in Scripture, God meets people through presence - through walking alongside one another, sharing life, and learning to see Christ in the neighbor. Members who are interested in attending or learning more are invited to contact the church office.
Children, Youth, and the Generational Rhythm of the Year
Children and youth are woven into the life of HPPC throughout the year. Vacation Bible School runs for one week each June, with mornings from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. in the chapel and on the church grounds. Open to children entering kindergarten through sixth grade, VBS has featured programs like Snowball Mountain Challenge and True North, with a week of Bible stories, crafts, songs, games, and experiments led by Ms. Ginny, who has become a beloved presence in the congregation's children's ministry.
The Sunday after Labor Day is Kick-Off Sunday, when worshipers of all ages are invited to bring backpacks, briefcases, purses, and tote bags to be blessed for the school year and the work ahead. Tags attached to the bags serve as daily reminders to listen well and to provide a safe place for others to grow in faith, love, and learning. A potluck lunch and games for all ages follow worship, and the Christian Education program for children and youth is relaunched for the fall.
In the spring, Confirmation Sunday and the Cape Scholarship presentations recognize the confirmands of the year, and Graduation Sunday combines recognition of the graduates with a church picnic at Memorial Park across the street, complete with lawn games and hot dogs. Sunday Presence at St. James, Highwood also includes young members of the congregation who accompany Pastor Quincy across town.
Men's Breakfast and the Life of Small Groups
On the last Friday of each month, the men of the church gather at 8:00 a.m. at the Country Kitchen for the Men's Breakfast. The gathering is built around fellowship, conversation, and the kind of plain talk that often emerges over a plate of eggs. Regulars and newcomers sit together; first-timers are warmly welcomed.
Beyond the breakfast, small groups of various kinds meet throughout the year - Bible studies, book groups, and discipleship circles. The pastor has spoken of wanting to start a Bible study alongside Faith Matters as a way to give members more opportunities to be known, held accountable, and encouraged in their walk of faith.
The Liturgical Year at HPPC
The congregation marks the Christian year with the fullness one would expect of a Presbyterian church that takes liturgy seriously. On Ash Wednesday, worshipers gather for a service of scripture, prayer, silence, and the imposition of ashes in the sanctuary, marking the beginning of Lent with an honest confrontation of human mortality and the mercy God offers in it.
Holy Week brings a Maundy Thursday Agape Meal, an early-Christian-style meal held in the upstairs dining room that reflects the love and unity of the church as it remembers Jesus' last meal with the disciples. Communion is shared as part of the meal. Good Friday is observed with a joint service; the congregation has worshipped with Trinity Episcopal Church on some years and with Northshore UU Congregation at their Deerfield church on others, joining in solemn reflection and prayer. Easter Sunday brings the community back into the sanctuary for a joyful 10:00 a.m. celebration of the resurrection.
In November, All Saints Sunday invites worshipers to bring a photograph of a loved one who has died, along with a few words about who they were, to be incorporated into worship. The service is shaped as a gathering of the great cloud of witnesses described in Hebrews 12:1, with space for those whose loss is recent and those whose grief has long since softened into gratitude.
Christmas at HPPC includes two services on Christmas Eve. At 4:00 p.m., a Service of Lessons and Carols offers a family-friendly celebration filled with beloved carols and the story of Christ's birth retold in word and song. At 10:00 p.m., a Candlelight Service of Word and Song provides a contemplative gathering welcoming the quiet beauty of Christmas night, surrounded by candlelight and gentle carols.
The Sunday after Christmas, the congregation joins Trinity Episcopal Church for an annual joint service that has become a cherished Christmastide tradition.
Holiday Rummage Sale: A Beloved Tradition
Twice each year, HPPC opens its doors for the Holiday Rummage Sale, a tradition that has become one of the congregation's largest community events and a meaningful fundraiser for the church's ministries. The sale runs across several days in late November and early December, with a closing weekend that includes a Cookie Walk. Bargain hunters from across the North Shore come for clothing, household goods, and holiday baking, and the event is staffed almost entirely by church members and friends.
The rummage sale is part of a wider rhythm of congregational life that includes potluck lunches after worship, Dining Adventures outings to local restaurants, and seasonal celebrations that bring members and neighbors together around food.
Community Outreach: Family Focus and Local Service
HPPC has built a substantial partnership with Family Focus Highland Park (formerly Family Network), the local affiliate of a regional organization dedicated to supporting parents in their role as the first teachers of their children. Through home visiting, parent education, and early childhood development, Family Focus Highland Park strengthens families and builds community connections, with programs that support low-income families, expand bilingual early childhood education, and connect Latino families in Lake County with vital resources.
Family Focus's Center Director, Bobbie Hinden, has spoken at Faith Matters, and members of HPPC have volunteered and supported the organization in various ways. The relationship is one example of a broader commitment to community service that has also included PADS (providing meals through a local program), feeding ministries, and the work of the HPPC Foundation.
The HPPC Foundation: Caring for a 1912 Sanctuary
Behind the scenes, the HPPC Foundation is responsible for ensuring the financial future of the church and, in particular, the preservation of its historic building. The Foundation was started in 1978 by members who made large gifts through their wills and estate plans, and modest gifts have continued to play a role in its growth.
A recent comprehensive engineering study identified approximately $750,000 in repairs and restoration work needed over the next three years and $2.1 million over the next ten years. The largest items include water infiltration of the building envelope (roof repairs and tuckpointing), replacement of the bell tower roof and structural assessment, window repairs, mechanical systems replacement, asbestos abatement, and life-safety and code compliance issues.
The Foundation's purpose is to help HPPC meet capital and other extraordinary expenses not provided for in the annual operating budget. Gifts to the Foundation may be made as cash, appreciated securities, qualified charitable contributions from IRAs, retirement account beneficiary designations, real estate, bequests, donor-advised funds, charitable trusts, life insurance, or annuities. The Foundation currently holds approximately $800,000 in assets and has committed $300,000 of its corpus over the next three years to help fund immediate building preservation needs.
Worship Style, Welcome, and What to Expect
Worship at HPPC is traditional in form - prayers, scripture, sermon, music, and the rhythms of the liturgical year - but the theology of the preaching is contemporary and unapologetically progressive. Visitors are explicitly welcomed to come as they are, dressed however they are most comfortable. The congregation is described by its leadership as a theologically progressive environment where questions are welcomed and where the Bible is studied from an intellectual perspective rather than used to indoctrinate.
Office hours are Monday and Friday from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. The church can be reached by phone at (847) 432-1695, by email at highlandparkchurchil@gmail.com, or by mail at 330 Laurel Avenue, Highland Park, IL 60035. Pastor Quincy can be reached directly at hppcpastor@gmail.com.
A Congregation in the Public Square
HPPC understands itself as a congregation whose faith does not stay inside the sanctuary. The Statement of Solidarity with Jewish neighbors, the Sunday presence in Highwood, the pulpit exchange with Makom Solel Lakeside, and the pastor's regular witness at Broadview all reflect a church that has chosen to be visible in the wider community on questions of justice, pluralism, and human dignity.
Inside the church, the weekly rhythm remains steady: traditional worship at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, Faith Matters in the Parlor at 11:30 a.m., and the monthly Men's Breakfast on the last Friday of the month. Sanctuary Sounds concerts draw chamber music audiences twice a year. Vacation Bible School fills the chapel in June. The Holiday Rummage Sale opens the building to the wider community each winter. And through it all, the 1912 sanctuary on Laurel Avenue continues to host a congregation that takes seriously both the inheritance of historic Christian faith and the demands of the present moment.