Houses of Worship: Living the Faith

Organized religion played a major role in the settling of Illinois and continues to impact our region in many ways. We enjoy highlighting places of worship and their work both at home and abroad.

Kaneville United Methodist Church • Est. 1848 

46W764 Main Street Road, Kaneville, (630) 557-2353, kanevilleumc.org

In 1848, a small church was built by the Methodists of Blackberry Township after previously meeting in a school house in nearby Lone Grove. The congregation grew quickly and their small building became too small. In 1875, the present church was built on the same location for $4,297.10. 

In 1904, the memorial windows inside the sanctuary were replaced with ornate stained glass. The congregation’s celebration of the building’s 100th anniversary, in 1975, included a pageant and activities as well as the addition of an outdoor worship center, where congregants still gather on warm Sundays. 

Always connected to their small, rural community this congregation gives back in many ways.

Members volunteer at the Elburn Food Pantry on the first Thursday of each month. Their newest outreach program is in collaboration with the Blackberry Creek School in nearby Elburn, where members support at-risk families with mentoring.

In light of COVID-19 restrictions, the church is limited to online-only worship every Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on its Facebook page, facebook.com/kanevilleumc.

Village Church of Barrington • Est. 1961

1600 E. Main St., Barrington, (847) 381-5221, vcbweb.org 

In the early 1960s a group of Barrington-area Christians met with the Evangelical Free Church of America to look at establishing a local congregation. The Barrington Evangelical Free Church opened in August 1961 with worship, a Sunday school program and a youth club. 

In 1965, the church established a permanent home and bought 5 acres on Main Street. It was rebranded as the Village Church of Barrington in 1967. A gym and high school meeting rooms were added in 1969 as the number of youth members grew. In 1975, the congregation started building a new sanctuary to seat 500 or more people in one room. 

Today, the church engages with its community and the world through multiple ministry partners, including By the Hand Club for Kids, an outreach to inner-city kids; Kids Hope USA, an in-school mentoring program for local youths; and NCS Nationwide Chaplain Services, which supports emergency responders and their families. This December, members have worked with By the Hand Club for Kids to produce Christmas gift and tree distribution to needy families. 

Services are held Saturdays a 5 p.m. and Sundays at 9 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. Services are also presented online via the church’s Facebook page, facebook.com/villagechurchbarrington.