CHURCHES Cross Evangelical Lutheran Church & School Celebrates 140 Years


In the fall of 1881, 15 families founded Cross Evangelical Church and School on what is now the southwest corner of Rt. 47 and Ament Road. “It was a one-room school


building,” says Pastor Erik Gauss, who came to the church in 2006. “It was a schoolhouse during the week and a sanctuary on the weekend.” Now celebrating its 140th year,


Community Christian Church 129 S. Commercial Dr., Yorkville 224-828-0676


communitychristian.org


Cross Evangelical Lutheran Church & School


8609 Route 47, Yorkville 630-553-7335 hiscross.org


New Life Church


3205 Cannonball Trail, Yorkville, 630-553-0200 nlcyorkville.org


Restore Church 8710 Rt. 71, Yorkville restorechurchyorkville.com


St. Patrick’s Catholic Church 406 Walnut St., Yorkville, 630-553-6671


stpatrickyorkville.org


Trinity Church United Methodist 2505 Boomer Lane, Yorkville 630-553-7645 trinityum.net


Yorkville Congregational United Church of Christ 409 Center Pkwy., Yorkville 630-553-7308 yorkville-ucc.org


Trinity Church United Methodist


Cross, like many other churches and schools, has geared up this past year to fight the Covid 19 pandemic by following state and federal guidelines for group meetings and sanitation. On the church side, Pastor Gauss says, they had been fortunate to have started online streaming worship services a year earlier for congregants who traveled and were stay-at-homes. From March until July, when in-person services began again, everyone had to use this service. For those who still prefer on-line viewing, Pastor Gauss says the service is available via the church’s website at hiscross.org or on YouTube or Facebook. “In the summer we offered outdoor


worship every other week, and we are bringing those back in May, the first and third Sundays.” As for the school, Paul Groffon, principal, said they had to figure out how they could make it work to have as many kids as possible in school. He said they came up with a plan to have on-site kids divide their day between time with their teacher and sychronized learning with an instructional assistant. Tey also offer a hybrid option for half-days in school and then at-home learning, or all at-home, and they installed an out-door pavilion that enables them to spread children out the required six feet during warmer weather. “We don’t have to worry about


rain,” Principal Groffon said. He said they followed social distancing and mask guidelines, and installed plexiglass in group learning spaces, and sanitized the classrooms several times a day. “It worked out very well,” Principal


Groffon says. “We were blessed. We had a case here or there, but we didn’t have any outbreaks.” Tey also bought new laptops or tablets for each of the school’s 220 K-8th grade students, to use at home if needed, an up-grade for their computer lab.


“Our plan is to innovate going


forward,” says Pastor Gauss. “We will take the best of what we’ve learned and use it as we go forward.”


Chamber ribbon cutting at the new Cross School pavilion. Photo courtesy of Jerry Bannister Photography for the Yorkville Chamber of Commerce.


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