St. John's Lutheran Church sits at 1617 East Emerson Street on Bloomington's east side, in a complex of buildings that began with a Fellowship Hall dedicated in November 1959 and grew by stages over the next six decades, most recently with a new Worship Center opened in 2022 to mark the congregation's 150th anniversary. Members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Central/Southern Illinois Synod, the people of St. John's gather each weekend for three worship services and stay through the week for music rehearsals, midweek Bible studies, youth programs, quilters packing kits for Lutheran World Relief, and volunteers preparing sack lunches for Home Sweet Home Ministries.
Saturday Evening and Two Sundays: Three Services, Three Shapes
Worship at St. John's comes in three regular weekend shapes. On Saturday at 5 PM, the Saturday Evening Service offers a casual atmosphere accompanied by an instrumental ensemble that includes flute, saxophone, piano, guitar, and mandolin. Sunday at 8:30 AM brings the Traditional Worship Service with formal liturgy and the church's 2,598-pipe Berghaus organ, installed in 2005. Sunday at 10:30 AM is the Contemporary Worship Service, led by a band. All three services meet in the Worship Center on the north side of the building, where cushioned pews, an elevator for those who cannot climb stairs, and hearing devices are all available.
The lectionary shared across services is the Revised Common Lectionary, whose three-year cycle moves from Creation through the early Christian church between September and May each year. Holy Communion is celebrated at every weekend service with wafers and wine, or with individually pre-packaged cracker and juice; worshipers online can stop by during business hours to receive elements that have been blessed. The church is a come-as-you-are place: coats and ties, business casual, jeans, and shorts all show up in the pews. A Nursery staffed for children from birth through age three is available during the 10:30 service, and the Gathering Area just outside the Worship Center holds a Children's Corner with quiet toys and books for extra-wiggly children. Services stream live on the church's Facebook page and YouTube channel.
The hour between services (9:30 to 10:30 AM) belongs to fellowship and formation. Coffee, donuts, and easy conversation fill the Gathering Area during Fellowship Hour, while adults choose between two Sunday-morning study tracks - one a deeper dive into the weekend's lectionary text in the Conference Room, the other a facilitator-led video study in the Loft. Children ages three through fifth grade leave the 10:30 service after the Children's Sermon and head to JoyZone in the Children's Wing, where they return for pickup at 11:30.
From a Coal-Mine Mission to a 150th Anniversary
The story of St. John's begins in 1872, when Dr. T. N. Hasselquist, a professor at Augustana College, organized what was then called the Swedish Evangelical Church at the request of immigrants from Sweden who had come to Bloomington to work in the coal mines. The charter members were 36 adults and 10 children, and during the early years worship was conducted in Swedish by a combination of laymen and Augustana faculty. A Women's Sewing Circle was organized in 1874, the first church building went up at Olive and Allin in 1878, and the first choir formed with 14 members in 1882.
By 1897, the 25th anniversary was marked with 300 members. Young people asked in 1911 for English services one Sunday a month, and in 1923 English became the official worship language; that same year the name changed to First English Evangelical Lutheran Church. A new church and parish hall were built on the same Olive and Allin corner in 1929, served by 143 members. The Daily Vacation Bible School was first held in 1936, a three-manual Barton pipe organ was acquired from the Majestic Theater in 1941, and the name changed again in 1950 to St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church.
The congregation voted in 1955 to relocate to Bloomington's east side at Emerson and Towanda, where the new building - now the Fellowship Hall - was dedicated on November 1, 1959 with 369 people present. The Sanctuary, offices, Sunday School rooms, and a patio were completed in 1965, the first Associate Pastor was called in 1964, and the first two women were elected to Church Council in 1970. The 100th anniversary in 1972 brought 1,576 members. A statue of Jesus, "Come Unto Me," was dedicated in 1975, and in 1982 St. John's became a collection center for Lutheran World Relief and founded its Handbell Choir.
The years that followed the centennial reshaped the ministry. The Saturday Evening Service began in 1988 in the Fellowship Hall, and the same year Noah's Ark Preschool was instituted. A second weekend service, the Community of Joy, was added in 1990. The Parish Life Center was dedicated in 1994 and the Columbarium in 1995. The 1999 "Thrive" program replaced the older confirmation model for grades six through eight, Faith Shares were added in 2000, and the church began its annual Work Camp mission trips in 2001. A 2010 building addition brought more classrooms and ministry space, and in 2022 - the 150th anniversary year - a new Worship Center opened on the north side of the campus, giving the congregation room to gather as one for special services and the high-energy annual One Worship Sunday.
Noah's Ark Preschool at the Heart of the Building
Noah's Ark Preschool has shared the campus for nearly four decades and is woven into the congregation's identity. Its mission: equip children with confidence, engage them through play and learning, empower them to think and explore, and embrace them as God's creation. Director Megan Thoennes oversees classes for children ages two through Pre-K, with multiple sections offered each week so families can choose the rhythm that fits.
Two-year-olds meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays in two sections (8:15 to 10:15 AM and 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM); three-year-olds meet two or three mornings a week; and PreK four-year-olds fill the rest of the week, with the option of a five-day class, a four-day enrichment add-on, or a 4B enrichment track. A typical Noah's Ark day moves from arrival to a Rainbow story time with weather checks, counting, and colors; to Free Choice Time in centers that rotate from block-building to dramatic play, sensory tables, art, writing, and a reading corner; to clean-up, snack (where pouring and table manners are practiced), quiet book time, and music and movement; and finally to dismissal with personal cubbies full of art to take home.
The preschool is grounded in relationships, family, personal faith, safety, and age-appropriate education. Staff respect each family's beliefs while sharing the love of Jesus through example and stories, and create the kinds of family connections that often outlast the preschool years themselves.
Children, Worship Bags, and a Week of Vacation Bible School
Children are welcomed into all worship services at St. John's. Children's sermons are part of every Sunday service, and worship bags filled with quiet toys can be picked up from an usher on the way in. During the school year, JoyZone dismisses children ages three through fifth grade right after the Children's Sermon at the 10:30 service for a Bible story, music, crafts, and games using the Orange Curriculum, with adults and older students leading small and large groups. In summer, Memorial Day through Labor Day, JoyZone takes a break and a different rhythm takes its place: children grab a Pew Project bag on the way into worship and complete quiet activities in the pews.
One week each summer the building is transformed for Vacation Bible School, where children from age five through fifth grade move through hands-on Bible lessons, science experiments, games, and songs tied to that year's theme, in small groups of six led by two adults. Gabriella Fabiano leads the Children's and Junior High Youth staff.
Thrive, CHAOS, and a Week of Work Camp
St. John's walks with young people from sixth grade through high school graduation through two distinct weekly programs and a summer of service. On Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 8 PM, "Thrive" gathers all junior high students in grades six through eight in the Junior High Room for learning, activities, fellowship, and worship led by Pastor Shemiah Curry. Thrive runs every Wednesday from September through early May, except when there is a holiday. One Monday a month from September through early May, "CHAOS" (Claiming Him As Our Savior) gathers senior high students in grades nine through twelve in the Senior High Room for learning, service, and fellowship led by Marvin Rasch.
Each summer the youth ministry takes its 8th-through-12th-grade students and any interested adults on a week-long Group Work Camp mission trip - a hands-on week of repairing homes for people in need that St. John's has taken part in since 2001, traveling across the country to places like Winchester, Kentucky, and hosting a Work Camp in Bloomington/Normal in 2016. The Genesis program gathers junior high students on Sunday mornings during the school year. Confirmation, led by Pastor Shemiah Curry through a Confirmation Hub, is a two-year journey with parent events, a Faith 101 conversation, a 2- to 3-minute Faith Share given during a worship service, a family blessing, and a celebration on All Saints Sunday.
Stepping Stones: Marking the Faith Milestones
Stepping Stones is the family ministries program that recognizes the most important faith-development stages from baptism to graduation. At Baptism, families meet with the Senior Pastor to understand the sacrament and choose a service date, with Baptisms taking place during a regular worship service. Children entering kindergarten receive a special blessing and a Bible during worship. Third graders explore the Bible in a hands-on workshop at the My Bible event and receive their own Bible as a gift from St. John's, followed by a blessing at the 5 PM Saturday service and a reception.
The Holy Communion stepping stone, for students completing fourth through seventh grade, walks parents and children through the history and meaning of communion with workshops that include an Upper Room experience with traditional Passover foods, bread baking, chalice sculpting, and stole decorating. The Confirmation stepping stone is open to students completing eighth through twelfth grade. The Graduation stepping stone - led by Marvin Rasch - brings families together for a Faith 404 conversation, a graduation breakfast, and a special blessing in worship.
Adults, Small Groups, and the Loft
Adult discipleship at St. John's runs through several weekly rhythms. On Wednesdays at 10 AM in the Fellowship Hall during the school year (except the first Wednesday of each month), Senior Pastor David Glesne leads the Faith and Life study, recently working through Esther. On Fridays at 7:30 AM in the Loft, a men's group meets for study year-round; on Saturdays at 4 to 4:45 PM in the Gathering Area, Debbie Whelton leads a book study; and on Mondays, a small afternoon group has gone through recent studies like Melissa Spoelstra's The Gospel of John.
On Sunday mornings between services during the school year, two adult tracks run in parallel - one a Lectionary-based conversation in the Conference Room, the other a video-driven discussion in the Loft - and both skip Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. Small groups are the backbone of adult life at St. John's, with men's, women's, couples', and special-interest groups meeting around town. Anytime study resources are available from the church library, and the congregation subscribes to the RightNow Media streaming library, with free access arranged through Marvin Rasch.
Two named programs add additional layers. Kaffehuset gathers on the first Wednesday of each month from 10 to 11:30 AM in the Fellowship Hall for talks, music, skits, and refreshments about St. John's and the central Illinois community, and Faith on Tap takes the church to a local brewery on Wednesday evenings from mid-June through mid-August. Stepping Stones and Faith on Tap sit alongside Marathon Adult Education, the Friday men's study, and ongoing small groups.
Music in Three Rooms
Music at St. John's reaches into several corners of the building. The Adult Choir and Adult Bell Choir provide special music for worship services and rehearse weekly; new members are welcome, and Walter Stout (Worship Ministries) is the contact for both. The Contemporary Musicians program draws instrumentalists from flute to drums into two different worship bands that support the contemporary service, with singers always welcome to lead as small groups or soloists under Dave Bollmann's direction. A Ukulele Choir welcomes both experienced players and learners, and the group sometimes leads the Saturday evening service. The Berghaus pipe organ with 2,598 pipes anchors the 8:30 traditional service, and a chapel piano stands ready for smaller ceremonies.
Caring Ministries: A Listening Presence in Hard Seasons
The Caring Ministries team, coordinated by Kerri Cordray, walks with people through the kinds of seasons that don't fit neatly on a Sunday bulletin. The BeFriender Ministry launched in 2014 to pair trained volunteers with people experiencing grief, loss, transition, cancer, chronic illness, divorce, separation, abuse, relocation, job loss, depression, imprisonment, the stress of caregiving, parenting challenges, Alzheimer's, financial issues, addiction, or the loss or purchase of a home. BeFrienders are not counselors but companions, visiting typically once a week or two for about an hour, trained in active listening and non-judgmental presence. New BeFrienders complete a five-week training in the spring or fall and gather regularly for small-group supervision.
Around BeFriender sit other expressions of care. The Caregiver team writes cards, makes notes, places calls, and prays. GriefShare is a video-based, 13-week support group for those who have lost a loved one, offered once or twice a year; Journey through Grief sends a set of four short books to the bereaved over the first year. DivorceCare offers peer support during separation. The Sanctuary Course is an eight-session study guide designed in consultation with mental health professionals, theologians, and people with lived experience to help a congregation become a place where those living with mental health challenges feel safe and supported. A Meal Ministry brings food to those who are ill, recovering, welcoming a new baby, or grieving.
Prayer is the foundation of all of it. A Prayer Chain lifts requests confidentially; the Prayer Shawl Ministry gathers twice a month - the second Wednesday at 6:30 PM and the third Monday at 1:30 PM - to knit and crochet shawls, squares, and chemo caps, with all finished items receiving a special blessing before distribution; and a Thursday Prayer Group meets at 10:45 AM on Zoom to pray for members, ministries, the community, and the world.
Hands and Feet in Bloomington/Normal
St. John's has spent decades building close partnerships with nonprofits across McLean County. The congregation has hosted American Red Cross blood drives since 1997, three times a year, and added ImpactLife drives in 2024 to support local hospitals Carle BroMenn and OSF St. Joseph's. Each Thanksgiving, members stock meal boxes for The Big Give alongside Home Sweet Home Ministries, Midwest Food Bank, and Thrivent Financial. Faith in Action provides seniors age 60 and older with transportation to medical appointments, shopping, phone calls and visits, and light home repairs. The Giving Tree program gathers Christmas gifts for individuals and families identified by local social service agencies.
Home Sweet Home Ministries receives both financial support and food throughout the school year, and four to five times a year the Thrive small groups prepare and deliver sack lunches to the shelter. Midwest Food Bank engages the congregation at scheduled evening work dates, with closed-toed shoes required; in 2026 those evenings fall on the second Tuesday of odd-numbered months. Oasis Community Outreach serves McLean County families through food distribution, clothing distribution, and referral networking. Safe Harbor, the local homeless shelter, receives a prepared and served meal from St. John's members one Tuesday a month - six volunteers per night, twelve dates a year.
Quilts, Crops, and Classrooms Around the World
The same impulse to serve that fuels the local partnerships extends across the world. St. John's volunteers provide more than 300 quilts and more than 1,000 school and personal care kits each year through Lutheran World Relief, distributed to people coping with war, disaster, poverty, and disease in more than 34 countries. Each year the congregation hosts the LWR Ingathering, when nearly 100 area churches bring donations to be loaded by volunteers onto a semi-truck for delivery to LWR headquarters. A Tuesday morning quilters group keeps the sewing machines busy year-round in the Fellowship Hall.
Global Refuge (formerly Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service) is the congregation's partner in welcoming newcomers to the United States. St. John's has served as a regional hub for the Hope for the Holidays greeting-card program for five years; in 2025 the congregation wrote 1,125 cards and screened an additional 6,325 from other churches and individuals for a total of 7,450 messages of caring. The Hopedale Growing Project is an ecumenical partnership with Hopedale Mennonite Church in which local farmers plant 34 acres whose proceeds, combined with funds St. John's raises to cover the rent, support agricultural training projects in Zimbabwe and Peru through Growing Hope Globally. The Zambia Pastors' Children Education Fund has helped the 20 pastors of the ELC-Zambia synod pay school fees for their children for seven years, the only congregation contributing. Pastor Kristin Engstrom serves in Madagascar as ELCA Madagascar Country Representative and YAGM Coordinator, and St. John's supports her work through prayer, communication, and financial giving. The congregation also supports ELCA World Hunger, Lutheran Disaster Response, and Lutheran Social Services of Illinois.
Weddings, Funerals, and a Columbarium in the Building
Worship at St. John's extends to the most significant days of a life. Weddings are treated as services of Christian worship; the ceremony follows the order from the Lutheran Book of Worship, with scripture lessons, a homily, vows, the exchange of rings, blessings, prayers, and the Lord's Prayer. Weddings, including same-gender ceremonies, are hosted when one member of the couple is a member of the congregation or the child or grandchild of an active member, and the active member must have been on the rolls for a full twelve months before a date can be scheduled. The Wedding Center fee is $850 for members and includes the Worship Center for the ceremony and rehearsal, an organist, custodial services, and pastoral services. The Chapel is available for smaller weddings of 40 people or fewer for $550, with a piano in place of an organ. No weddings are scheduled during Holy Week, and pre-marital counseling with the presiding pastor is expected.
Funerals and memorial services at St. John's are officiated by the church's pastors; guest clergy and family members may participate. The St. John's Columbarium, dedicated in 1995, offers an alternative to traditional burial for those who choose cremation. Companion niches that hold two urns cost $1,500; a single niche with one urn costs $1,000. Both cover the niche, the urn(s), and engraving at the time of inurnment. Applicants must be members of St. John's or another ELCA congregation at the time of purchase. Wedding coordination, funeral coordination, the columbarium, and a robust facility-rental policy for outside groups are all managed through the church office.
A Stewardship that Plants for the Next Generation
St. John's frames stewardship in the language of a Greek proverb that opens its Endowment Fund materials: "A civilization flourishes when people plant trees under which they will never sit." The Endowment Fund, established in 1982, accepts gifts and bequests and channels the income into three priorities: clergy and leadership development, St. John's missions and benevolence, and special projects - which can include lead gifts to building campaigns. Donors become part of the Legacy Society.
Annual giving takes the form of pledge cards (a 2026 pledge card is shared online) and online giving through the church's portal. Monthly Stewardship News keeps the congregation up to date on finances, Annual Reports are presented each winter at the Congregational Annual Meeting, and the quarterly inTouch newsletter shares results of members' and friends' faithful stewardship. The Congregation Council - nine elected members plus the council officers, with the Senior Pastor serving ex officio - meets on the fourth Monday of each month at 6:30 PM in the Loft, and meetings are open to the congregation. A nine-member endowment board (the Senior Pastor, Council President and Treasurer, and six elected members) invests the fund and distributes income to keep the ministries planted deep.