First Congregational Church prides itself on a long tradition of active community service and involvement. Some examples of our participation include:

The Self-Help Closet & Pantry of Des Plaines - First established in the basement of the church in 1971. Today it is housed in its own facility in Des Plaines and is an important city resource serving over 350 Des Plaines families in need each month.

Des Plaines CROP Walk - “Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty” - a fundraiser for fighting hunger.

PADS Program - “Public Action to Deliver Shelter” – This program provides temporary shelter, transitional and permanent housing for the homeless.

Through Project Survivor, the church’s refugee ministry, we deliver “Welcome to America” packs to newly arrived refugee families in the Chicago area, providing them with household supplies and basic food staples.

First Congregational Preschool - An accredited preschool that is operated at the church and has been in business for over 50 years.

We are located in downtown Des Plaines, about 45 minutes from Downtown Chicago, at the corner of Marion and Graceland Avenues.

We believe in:

Authority of the Scriptures - The Bible is the ultimate rule of faith and practice.

Doctrinal Freedom - Each person has the freedom and responsibility to read, study and understand the Christian faith without having to accept a particular doctrine, dogma or confession of faith.

Christian Unity - All Christians are sisters and brothers in Jesus Christ and are bound together by God's eternal love.

The Trinity - We understand the nature of God is expressed through the language of the Trinity. We speak of God as a Father and Creator, as revealed in Jesus Christ and as a Divine, Holy Spirit that dwells within each person.

The Church - For us, the church is a group of people united in Christ through worship, benevolent work, fellowship, learning and living their faith daily.

Two Sacraments - We recognize two sacraments instituted by Christ: Baptism and the Lord's Supper. Special ceremonies include Confirmation, Marriage, Burial and Ordination.

Open Doors - Our church practices an open Communion. All who love God are invited to share the Eucharist.

The origins of First Congregational Church can be found in the 1830’s in several small congregations whose members were settled over a large geographic area in the sparsely inhabited prairies around the Des Plaines River. By the 1860’s, several Congregational families in Des Plaines were meeting regularly, sometimes in homes, sometimes in the two-room schoolhouse. Early in 1868, the Maine Congregational Church at Brickton (now the city of Park Ridge) proposed that the Des Plaines congregation unite with them to support a minister. The Rev. J.H. Laird accepted the Call to serve the two congregations, with the added responsibility of formally establishing a church in Des Plaines. The task was accomplished on October 24, 1869.

The original church was built in 1871 and extensively enlarged in 1899. The present 48,000 sq. ft. building dates from 1929. The building houses a sanctuary which seats 550, a large Fellowship Hall with a stage, staff offices, two parlors, two Sunday School chapels, a youth room, a choir room, extensive kitchen facilities and numerous classrooms. An electric wheelchair lift provides access for the handicapped.

A congregational polity forms the basis for church government. Officers and Boards are elected at an Annual Meeting each June. The administrative structure consists of a Congregational Council and the following boards: Diaconate, Mission, Music, Children, Youth, Growth & Membership, and Property. A Finance and Stewardship committee oversees the church budget, and a Personnel Committee serves as an advisory body for personnel related matters. Most boards meet on a monthly basis, and all share in the total ministry of the church.

From its humble beginnings in 1869, with a membership of thirteen people, First Congregational Church grew to more than 1,200 members in the early 1980s. Membership today is 538 with another 185 non-members who are affiliated with our congregation. Sunday School enrollment totals 81 children. Active church members tend to be older and long-time members, although there is a growing group of younger families becoming involved in the activities of the church. Overall, they think of themselves as being theologically moderate to liberal.