Worship
When thinking of a word to describe small Midwestern town populations, one usually comes up with “homogenous.” Yet in those small towns there can be a wide diversity of faiths. When those varied beliefs work together as a community, you get a town like Sycamore. Home to nearly two dozen churches, divided by details yet united in purpose, Sycamore churches are an important part of the community at large.
St. John Lutheran Church has the Christian community spirit, following the 2004 fire that completely destroyed the church’s building. St. John’s Senior Pastor Robert Weinhold recounts how the various churches pulled together to help, and he especially cites St. Mary’s Catholic Church, which sponsored a fundraiser that collected over $25,000 for the St. John congregation. He is also grateful for the way the congregations of Salem Lutheran and Sycamore United Methodist churches provided facilities for St. John choir rehearsals, meetings, funerals, and weddings. “We will always be grateful to the community for the tremendous outpouring of love and support toward the congregation when our beloved building was destroyed by fire.”
St. John’s has given back in many ways. The congregation supports the local food pantry at the Methodist church and provides an annual free Thanksgiving dinner, serving 150-200 people each year from the Sycamore/DeKalb area. In addition, the church was able to provide temporary shelter to more than 30 flood victims last August. St. John’s has organized an annual free block party, and the congregation, along with most area churches, also participates in the annual Sycamore Pumpkinfest parade. Pastor Weinhold also lists the joint Christmas Concert held with Salem Lutheran as a high point of congregational interaction.
For its own part, Salem Lutheran Church also provides a variety of help programs in the Sycamore area. The group is strong on individual support, providing such items as handicrafts, dolls, lap robes, and meals on wheels to the area’s needy. Salem also supports a food pantry, parish nursing team and annual blood drive, as well as providing assistance to Safe Passage, the Salvation Army and World Hunger Appeal.
The community spirit continues in the other Sycamore churches as well, with each contributing in some way to the larger community. For example, the non-denominational Federated Church practices a variety of outreach projects. The Federated Church is affiliated with the United Church of Christ and the Unitarian/Universalist Association. It began in 1927 as a combination of two of Sycamore’s earliest congregations: the First Congregational Church, which was first organized in 1840, and the First Universalist Society, which began in 1853.
According to Pastor Rita Root, the mission of the church is “to foster a welcoming community rooted in spiritual and theological diversity, uniting to build a world of peace and justice.” Following that path, the church welcomes various community groups into the church building, including such groups as Scout troops, Weight Watchers, and 12-step programs. The facility is also used for the DeKalb County Hospice’s bereavement program for children, as well as for senior exercise and cooking classes offered through the community college adult education program. This past holiday season, the church partnered with Hope Haven and Safe Passage to provide Christmas gifts for local families in need. In addition, Pastor Root is a board member on a local youth service bureau.
Pastor Root adds that while there is no comprehensive church council within Sycamore, there is a Progressive Clergy group that includes around 15 pastors from the Sycamore/DeKalb area. The group, which she convenes, meets as needed to examine area social issues that can be addressed by the church.
But while there may be no comprehensive pastoral organization, Pastor Dan Stovall of the Sycamore Baptist Church cites the fact that there are several formal and informal associations among the churches, including the newly-formed Love Inc, an incorporated association of churches with the purpose of meeting the physical needs of people in the area. He also notes that Wednesday mornings see an informal prayer gathering of pastors and para-church leaders from Sycamore, DeKalb, and Genoa. He adds that each Sycamore City Council meeting is opened with a pastor leading the assembled in prayer.
Other churches reach out to the community as well. The non-denominational Mayfield Church is a mission-driven congregation, focusing mainly on hunger relief. To that end, the congregation members volunteer at the DeKalb Food Pantry and participate in the DeKalb County North Crop Walk. In past years, the church has been active with Heifer Project International, and has contributed baskets of Thanksgiving foods to the Salvation Army. The Mayfield Congregational Church proudly proclaims it is an Open and Affirming (ONA) Congregation, welcoming those with alternative lifestyles into its fold. Other non-denominational churches in Sycamore include the Harvest Time Fellowship, the Israel of God Church, and two Church of Christ congregations.
Sycamore is home to community spirit combined with great acceptance of each other’s beliefs. Kevin Kloostermann has lived in Sycamore for a dozen years. As the newly-ordained Bishop of the Sycamore Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, he says, “I’m really looking forward to meeting the other clergy and finding ways for all of us to work together. It’s always been a welcoming atmosphere, and we’d like to continue to promote that idea of tolerance in the community.”
As Bishop Kloostermann says, “I think that’s what this country’s all about—diverse beliefs, religions, and perspectives coming together to find ways to help one another and serve one another.” And it seems those perspectives have all found a mutual place of worship in Sycamore.
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