An ELCA Congregation at Home on Pfingsten Road
St. Philip Lutheran Church sits on Pfingsten Road in Glenview, a northern Chicago suburb in Cook County. A congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America organized under the Metropolitan Chicago Synod, the church carries the additional designation of a Reconciling in Christ (RIC) congregation, a public welcome extended by Lutheran communities that wish to affirm the full inclusion of LGBTQ+ members, friends, and neighbors. The building is wheelchair and stroller accessible, with ample parking for visitors and for an unusual seasonal partner: each year, St. Philip reserves parking spaces for students at nearby Glenbrook South High School.
Sunday Worship at the Center of the Week
Worship is at the heart of St. Philip. The congregation gathers each Sunday at 9:00 a.m. for a liturgy rooted in the Lutheran tradition and enriched by a diversity of musical styles, an intentional blend that the staff describes as both formal and informal. Every service includes Holy Communion, and all are welcomed to Christ's table. The congregation practices eucharistic hospitality, offering both wheat bread and gluten-free wafers, and both red wine and non-alcoholic white grape juice. Ushers will bring communion to anyone who prefers to remain in a seat, and those who do not wish to receive are invited to come forward for a blessing or simply stay where they are.
Children are welcome in worship at every age. Services typically include a special children's message, after which kids are invited to Fellowship Hall for Sunday School while the rest of the liturgy continues. There is no dress code, and the invitation on Sunday mornings is to come as you are and to participate as fully as feels comfortable.
From June through August, an additional 8:00 a.m. outdoor worship takes the congregation outside for an abbreviated liturgy of roughly thirty minutes with scripture, music, prayer, and communion. The outdoor service is pet-friendly. Throughout the year, the 9:00 a.m. liturgy is also livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube for those who wish to worship from home.
Faith Formation for All Ages
St. Philip shapes its Christian education around the Revised Common Lectionary, the three-year cycle of scripture readings followed by many Lutheran and ecumenical congregations. On Wednesday mornings during the program year (September through May), a Bible Study meets at 9:00 a.m. to dig into the readings appointed for the coming Sunday. The gathering takes place in the narthex, with coffee waiting and handouts available for anyone who forgets a Bible, and it is open to anyone who wants to join by Zoom.
Adult Forum offers additional learning on Sunday mornings, taking up topics in scripture, faith, social issues, current events, and congregational life. Recent sessions, for instance, have walked through a six-part series called Faith and Civic Life: For the Well-Being of All, examining the relationship between Christian calling and civic participation.
For younger members of the household, the church recommends a small library of children's Bibles and story Bibles suited to different reading levels: the Spark Story Bible, the Whirl Story Bible, and Growing in God's Love for younger readers, and the Good News Bible, the Common English Bible, the International Children's Bible, and the Spark NRSV Bible for older children ready for something more. The NRSV is the translation read in Sunday worship at St. Philip. Special events for kids and families run throughout the year, from Christmas programs for children ages three and up to Family Fun Nights.
Welcoming All into the Building
The building at 1609 Pfingsten Road stays busy far beyond Sunday morning. St. Philip hosts thirteen Alcoholics Anonymous meetings each week: closed meetings Monday through Friday at 12:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., Saturday closed meetings at 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., and an open AA meeting each Saturday at 7:00 p.m. The congregation openly treats the church as a community center for these groups, a role that has long shaped the rhythms of the building.
In partnership with the Alzheimer's Association, St. Philip also co-hosts a monthly Memory Loss Caregivers Support Group for people caring for family members and friends affected by memory loss, whether related to Alzheimer's or another condition. Co-facilitated by a St. Philip member and a licensed clinical social worker, the group meets in-person on the second Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m., with a Zoom option available for those who cannot attend in person.
The St. Philip Clothes Closet, described as a long-standing ministry of the congregation, offers a free, volunteer-run clothing pantry to anyone in the wider community, especially those who shop at the Northfield Township Food Pantry. The closet stocks seasonal clothing for all ages and is open Saturday mornings from 10:00 a.m. to noon. Two volunteers are needed each week to staff it, and donations are accepted during open hours or by arrangement through the church office.
Glenbrook South Parking: A Neighborhood Partnership
A distinctive feature of St. Philip's ministry is its seasonal partnership with Glenbrook South High School, which sits a short drive from the church. Reserved student parking is available on the St. Philip lot during the school year, and applications for 2026-27 permits are accepted through the church. Each permit costs $350, with payment and proof of a valid driver's license and vehicle insurance submitted to the church office. Once payment is complete, a permit is mailed to the student or handed off on-site.
Beliefs, Sacraments, and Life's Big Moments
St. Philip understands itself within the Lutheran tradition. The congregation's stated beliefs rest on the conviction that people are saved by grace through faith in Christ, apart from anything they can do to earn God's love. This grace shapes the church's sacramental life. Baptism is offered to people of any age within the Sunday liturgy, with the gathered community promising to pray for and support the newly baptized. Children typically receive Holy Communion when their parents and pastor agree they are ready, though the door is open earlier for any family that wishes to share the meal. Confirmation, in the form of the Affirmation of Baptism, usually happens around the seventh or eighth grade.
Weddings at St. Philip are open to two people in love, regardless of marital history, race, sexual orientation, or gender identity. The church's funeral ministry walks alongside families through end-of-life pastoral care and helps plan a meaningful service in the sanctuary. Pastoral care surrounds each of these moments, just as it does the bread and wine shared at the altar each Sunday.
Pastor and Staff
St. Philip's pastor is the Reverend Doctor James Moore. A former Professor of Theology at Valparaiso University and the leading organizer of the Midrash Group for Jewish-Christian biblical dialogue, Pastor Moore has lectured in Europe, Israel, and Canada, and has served parishes in Wisconsin and Illinois. He joins the Glenview community as its called pastor together with his wife, Dr. Nova Moore.
The wider ministry team includes Amanda Smith as Communications and Media Coordinator, the keyboardist Grayson Nye as Worship Musician, and Steven Thielman as Worship A/V Tech, who keeps both in-person and online services running smoothly. The congregation is governed by an elected Congregation Council led by President Ron Branstrom, Vice President Nick Lucariello, and Secretary Katie Schick, working alongside a treasurer and other members who connect with the church's ministry teams.
A Mission Rooted in Welcome
St. Philip articulates its mission simply: Fed by the Spirit, we share God's love revealed in Christ with the world. To that end, the congregation commits to including every child of God, gathering for worship, the sacraments, and the study of God's Word, fostering caring relationships inside and outside the building, and serving as God's hands and voice in the world. The Reconciling in Christ designation gives this mission a public form: the church affirms that people of every race, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, age, ability, political affiliation, and religious background are loved by God and by this congregation. The visible sign on the front of the building is direct - God loves you as you are, and so do we.