A Mosaic in Wilmette
Tucked along Skokie Boulevard just south of the Wilmette border, Skokie Valley Baptist Church is a Baptist congregation whose identity is built around unity across difference. Over forty different ethnicities call the church home, and the leadership describes the calling in a single line: to equip a mosaic of disciples to love God and reach their neighbors. The worship services blend contemporary songs, traditional hymns, gospel selections and international worship music, reflecting the mix of generations and cultures that fill the sanctuary on a Sunday morning.
The church sits at 1050 Skokie Boulevard in Wilmette, Illinois, and identifies itself as affiliated with Converge MidAmerica, a regional conference within the broader Converge family of Baptist churches. Five values frame the congregation's life: authentic community that welcomes each individual, a transformative gospel that places Jesus as Lord and Savior, unified diversity, overflowing generosity and a missional identity that sends each person into their everyday world for the glory of Christ.
Sundays at SVBC
Two Sunday worship services bracket the morning, with a Sunday school hour between them. The early service runs from 8:30 to 9:40 a.m., and the second runs from 11:00 a.m. to 12:10 p.m. Both are broadcast live on the church's YouTube channel. Sunday school meets from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m., with children's classes during the full hour and adult and youth classes from 10:00 to 10:45 a.m.
When visitors arrive on Sunday morning, they are directed to a welcome desk on the right as they enter the sanctuary doors. The church office is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the main phone line is (847) 256-1050.
Rooted267: Birth Through Fifth Grade
Children's ministry at Skokie Valley is called Rooted267, a name drawn from Colossians 2:6-7 about being rooted and built up in Christ. The program runs from birth through fifth grade and is led by Jen Getz, the Director of Children's Ministry.
The nursery cares for children under two years old. It is set up as a self-serve space from 8:30 to 10:45 a.m., and is staffed with caregivers from 10:45 a.m. through the end of the 11 a.m. service. A secure child check-in system, a paging system to reach parents in the service and a private nursing area are all part of the nursery setup.
Sprouts serves two-year-olds through kindergarten and meets for Sunday school from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m. and for Children's Church during the 11 a.m. service. The Root covers first through fifth grade with the same schedule, and both programs use age-divided classrooms inside the children's wing with secure check-in and required authorized pickup.
On Wednesday evenings from September through April, AWANA clubs meet from 6:45 to 8:15 p.m. for children age three through fifth grade. Each night includes singing, scripture memory, a Bible story and games, with workbook and award dues of $50 per child. Family Nights bring families with children from age two through twelfth grade together on the first Friday of each month from 6 to 8 p.m. for dinner, discussion and family activities. In the summer, MEGA Sports Camp fills a week with dinner, sports or art training, huddle groups and worship rallies for ages two through fifth grade.
SWITCH: Students in Sixth Through Twelfth Grade
SWITCH is the student ministry, a name that points to the shift from death to life that happens when a person trusts in Jesus. Pastor Ben Nilsen and a team of volunteers lead the ministry. SWITCH gathers on Wednesdays from 6:45 to 8:30 p.m. in The Loft, with games, worship, Bible teaching and small groups. On Sundays, students meet from 10:00 to 10:45 a.m. for discussion-based teaching aimed at building a biblical worldview. Family Nights on the first Friday of the month include students alongside younger siblings.
For college-aged young adults between 18 and 24, OASIS provides ongoing community and faith growth, and a Christian College Scholarship Fund supports students attending schools whose doctrinal statements align with the National Association of Evangelicals.
Adults: Grow Groups, Classes and Stages of Life
Adult life at SVBC is built around small groups and classes. Grow Groups meet in twelve-week sessions for Bible discussion, fellowship and prayer, generally following the previous Sunday's sermon. The fall session begins the week of August 30. Current groups meet on Sundays in Mount Prospect, Deerfield, Morton Grove, Forest Glen, Evanston and on the church campus; on Tuesdays in Evanston East; on Wednesdays in Wilmette and virtually; on Thursdays in Northbrook; and on Saturdays in Evanston for families. Juliet Haddon, the Community Life Coordinator, helps people get connected.
Sunday morning adult classes at 10:00 a.m. include Understanding the Bible in the Gym, Women's Class in Room 109, Another Level in Room 126, Spiritual Formation in Room 113 and a Men's Class in Room 133. Special topics classes are offered seasonally in the sanctuary.
Distinct communities exist for men, women, young adults, and seniors. Young At Heart serves the sixty-and-over crowd with Bible studies, lunches, hymn sings and outings. Men's Ministry and Women's Ministry host events, classes and Bible studies throughout the year. CareNet coordinates care for those who are ill, hospitalized or missing from regular fellowship, supports families through crisis, assists with baptisms and communion, and connects people with Whitestone Counseling Resources for professional help.
Worship Arts: A Blended Sound
The worship arts ministry is led by Worship Arts Director Sherry Rigor, with the Audio Visual Media (AVM) team coordinated by Angela Mitter. Because the congregation includes more than thirty-five nationalities across several generations, the team intentionally weaves together contemporary worship songs, traditional hymns, gospel selections and international worship music. An adult gospel choir performs at the church's annual Easter and Christmas celebrations. The AVM team handles audio, video, streaming and media support for services and other ministries, and the church's livestream reaches viewers via the SVBC YouTube channel.
Global Missions: Beyond Wilmette
The global missions ministry partners with individuals and organizations reaching unreached people groups. Current partners include the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary in Lebanon, where Caleb and Nicolette Hutcherson serve and where Nicolette works with young women at risk; Alissa Bauer, a church planter in Japan; Tim and Lisa Beavis with Carey International Pastoral Training; Keith and Ellen Missel with Training Leaders International; Tim Nash with Reliant Missions in Mexico and the Southwest, planting churches among Yuman indigenous tribes; Bill and Jen Nelson with Africans Reaching Africa; and a ministry in Southeast Asia serving women through love and hope.
Local Outreach: Gospel Eyes on the Neighborhood
The Local Outreach team encourages the congregation to see the surrounding communities through what the church calls "gospel eyes." Volunteers lead a monthly hymn sing at Citadel Nursing Home on the first Thursday of each month from 2 to 3 p.m., organize special service projects and partner with World Relief to help resettle an asylum-seeking couple from Togo in the Chicagoland area.
Beliefs and Affiliation
Skokie Valley Baptist Church holds to a traditional Baptist statement of faith that affirms the Bible as the inspired and authoritative Word of God, the Trinity, the person and work of Jesus Christ, the ministry of the Holy Spirit, regeneration by faith, the universal and local church, baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper as the two ordinances, religious liberty, voluntary cooperation among churches, and the personal return of Christ. The congregation is affiliated with Converge MidAmerica.
The Staff
Pastor Keith Missel serves as Interim Senior Pastor, having spent more than forty years in pastoral ministry and church planting in North America and overseas, including a decade in Mali, West Africa. Pastor Alexander Chu is the Executive Pastor, with a background that includes church planting and missions mobilization and graduate degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Pastor Ben Nilsen leads the student ministry. Pastor Ed Brown serves as Pastor Emeritus after twenty years as senior pastor from 1997 to 2017. Jen Getz directs children's ministry, Juliet Haddon coordinates community life, Sherry Rigor directs worship arts, Angela Mitter coordinates the AVM team, and Pat Nowak serves as Treasurer and Business Manager.