Joliet church celebrating 150th year with songs, historic tour

“Prayer, partnerships and promise” is the focus for a Joliet church celebrating its 150th anniversary this weekend.

Jake Bradley, pastor of Church of the Good Shepherd Evangelical Covenant in Joliet, said he hopes the community will celebrate with the “small but mighty” church..

“We keep talking about how the [COVID-19] pandemic was difficult. But this was not our first pandemic,” Bradley said. “We went through the Spanish flu. We went through two world wars. We’ve been through all sorts of things, and God was faithful to his promises. We made it together because we partnered with each other.”

[ Ancient tradition at Joliet church on Sunday brings hope for ‘dark times.’ ]

Anyone who is a past member of the church’s youth group is invited to reconnect with former members and youth directors at 6 p.m. Friday at the church.

At 9:30 a.m. Saturday, the church will host a historical tour of the original church building at 410 E. Clay St. in Joliet.

Then at 11 a.m., the church will host a “hymn sing” at the current church location, 2437 Plainfield Road in Joliet.

Miki Kobayashi will play the hymns on a 1941 pipe organ. Sarah Lender-Hawkins, worship leader at Church of the Good Shepherd Evangelical Covenant, will lead the singing.

“God has been faithful to us. We, in turn, want to be faithful to God for the next 150 years. But what are we going to do? Are we going to have a story people are going to want to tell? How do we live until our values today so that, in 150 years, there will be a story worth telling?”

—  Jake Bradley, pastor, Church of the Good Shepherd Evangelical Covenant in Joliet

Lender-Hawkins said the hymn sing will be an hour to 90 minutes program that encompasses music, theology, testimony and a brief history of each hymn.

The dozen or so hymns that Lender-Hawkins range from the 17th or 18th century to 1981 (“That’s my birth year, so I picked that one for myself,” Lender-Hawkins said with a smile).

Lender-Hawkins said she also will sing one hymn in Swedish to honor the Church of the Good Shepherd Evangelical Covenant’s Swedish roots.

Attendees are “more than welcome to sing along,” although that’s not required, Lender-Hawkins said. Still, there’s something about hearing a familiar hymn that inspires people to sing along, she said. People can even pop in for part of the event and then leave.

Lender-Hawkins said music and hymns have the power to bridge generations and cultures.

“Because hymns are based on scripture, they can bring scripture to life through the music,” she said.

The hymn sing also will include fika, which means “coffee and cake” in Swedish, Lender-Hawkins said.

The church will conclude the anniversary celebration Sept. 10 with coffee and fellowship at 9:30 a.m. and a celebration worship service at 10:30 a.m.

In some ways, preparing for the 150th anniversary – the invitations, the decorations – is like preparing for a 50th wedding anniversary where couples renew their vows, Bradley said.

“God has been faithful to us,” Bradley said. “We, in turn, want to be faithful to God for the next 150 years. But what are we going to do? Are we going to have a story people are going to want to tell? How do we live until our values today so that, in 150 years, there will be a story worth telling?”

Bradley said anyone seeking a church home is welcome to be part of that faith story. About 200 people belong to Church of the Good Shepherd Evangelical Covenant with about half regularly attending weekly services, he said.

“If you’re looking for a different type of community, one where you have to know each other and have to learn to weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice, there’s a spot at our table,” Bradley said.

Church of the Good Shepherd Evangelical Covenant timeline

Aug. 10, 1873: The congregation was organized as the Swedish Mission Church. Members met in private homes.

1881: A church was built at 410 E. Clay St., Joliet. Services were conducted in Swedish through the 1930s.

Dec. 10, 1939: The American Sunday School Union began a ministry among Richland area children, which became known as the Six Corners Chapel.

1957: The Six Corners Chapel ministry was turned over to the Evangelical Covenant Church as an outreach ministry for the Evangelical Covenant denomination and the church on Clay Street, then named First Covenant Church of Joliet. The new ministry in the Richland area was then named Calvary Covenant Church

1962: Calvary Covenant Church built the present church structure at 2437 Plainfield Road in Joliet.

May 17, 1970: Calvary Covenant Church and First Covenant Church merged to become Church of the Good Shepherd Evangelical Covenant.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Church of the Good Shepherd Evangelical Covenant 150th anniversary

WHEN: 6 p.m. Sept. 8 (Youth Group Night), 9:30 a.m. Sept. 9 (historical tour (11 a.m. Sept. 9 (hymn sing) 9:30 a.m. Sept. 10 (coffee and fellowship followed by celebration worship service at 10:30 a.m.).

WHERE: The historical tour will be at 410 Clay St. in Joliet. All other events will be at the current church building: 2437 Plainfield Road in Joliet.

ETC: RSVPs to all events are appreciated but not required. Call the church at 815-436-5945.

INFORMATION: Visit goodshepherdcov.org.