Respecting Our Elders, Growing Healthy Families, Blessing Our Children
5051 West Gunnison Street Chicago, IL 60630
773-283-5557 info@edenuccchicago.org
Worshiping Sundays at 10:00 a.m.
Worshipping Sundays at 10:00 a.m.
Our Congregation
History
In the spring of 1914 a number of pastors of the Evangelical Synod responded to the spiritual and community needs of the Volga German immigrants in the northwestern part of Chicago. Thirty-four members of families attended a meeting held in an abandoned carpenter shop held on the corner of Gunnison and LaVergne Avenues on the present site of the United Brethren Church (formerly Calvary Methodist Church).
On May 9, 1914 the Deutsche Evangelish Lutherischen Eden Gemeinde* was organized following customs of their Russian homeland. The next day, the church applied for membership in the German Evangelical Synod of North America, and within two weeks the first pastor was called, lots at Gunnison and LeClaire were purchased and the cornerstone for the first church was laid. The cornerstone for the present building was laid in 1928, and the Educational Wing cornerstone was laid in 1957.
In 2022, we rededicated our sanctuary, organ and ministry after a $300,000 capital campaign. We're on a journey to "embody sanctuary for a new day." As a member congregation of the United Church of Christ, we affirm that God is still speaking!
* Previously known as Eden Evangelical Lutheran Church, our name is officially and legally Eden United Church of Christ.
Today
Now, we're leaning into a second century with hope and commitment to build on the solid foundation they laid: a community called by Jesus Christ to meet the needs of its neighbors. Blessed by the legacies and lessons of the past, we are embracing the future by discerning how we can best be a blessing today. This means through our worship, study and service of our neighborhood and beyond.
Oh, and our congregation is small, friendly, and serious about Faith, Food, and Fellowship.
Read more on this site about our investments in youth, our worship and, other upcoming events, and exciting ways we’re sharing our building with good causes. We’re being intentional about honoring the past, even as we pay attention to the present and live out hope for the future.
Our Mission Statement
We remember and honor the past. We look ahead to where our ministry can go to bring God's plan into our lives. In love and obedience to God, we share the gospel of Jesus Christ through worship, service, and outreach.
