About our church
You'll find our name says a lot about us.
- Lombard
- We're located in the Lilac Village at the corner of Meyers Road and 22nd, proudly serving Lombard and the surrounding communities.
- Christian
- We claim salvation by grace, through faith, in the name of Jesus. We seek to obey Him in every area of life through our Christian values.
- Reformed
- We are rooted in that period of church history known as the “reformation” when the Bible was rediscovered as our guide for what we believe and how we live.
- Church
- We are part of the body of true believers, from all ages, who have recognized and confessed their faith in the one, true God.
Our beliefs
We are a community of believers who follow Jesus Christ
We are a congregation in the Christian Reformed Church of North America.
As Christians, we share a common commitment to the Triune God as confessed in three historic Christian creeds: the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed. Together we are united in praise and thanksgiving to God the Father, Creator of the universe, God the Son, Savior and Lord, and God the Holy Spirit, the Comforter and Counselor of God guiding us in the Bible’s grace and truth.
As Reformed Christians, four key Biblical concepts reveal the reality of God, the person and work of Jesus, and the meaning of faith.
Church
Church reminds us that faith, though personal, is not private. My identity in Christ is affirmed, defined, and nourished as a Christian sister or brother, belonging in the church of Jesus.
Covenant
Covenant is the way the Lord God relates to creation. Our relationship with God is not contractual or transactional, but by the Lord who makes promises and keeps them. Made in God’s image, the life of faith is not merely personal, confined to thoughts in our minds or a personal piety, but lived out loving God, neighbor, and the church by covenant keeping in all our roles, relationships, and responsibilities.
The Kingdom of God
The Kingdom of God refers to the Triune God’s sovereign rule and providential care throughout creation. Faith is not lived out merely at Sunday worship or serving in my church community. It brings the law of Christ into labor and leisure, Sunday school and day school, creation care and biblical justice, institutions and neighborhoods.
Union with Christ
God is not simply an idea, a notion in your mind, or a personal take on life. Christianity is not merely a worldview. God is personal. Christian faith is not a religion, it is a faith relationship. Jesus knows you by name. And we are created with eternity in our hearts, a deep yearning to be loved by God and to love God, to be known by God and to know the Lord, and to recognize that no one is merely mortal. We are united to Christ by faith so that Christ lives in us and through us, and all that Christ has is ours in him.
These Reformed accents are confessed in three Reformed confessions by which we are guided and formed in our following of Jesus: the Heidelberg Catechism, the Belgic Confession, and the Canons of Dort.
Key Bible passages: Matthew 16:18–19, Psalm 105:8, Hebrews 9:15, Mark 1:15, John 15:4–5
To learn more, read our Guiding Biblical Principles for Worship.
Weekly worship
Everyone is welcome at the table
In person at 2020 S. Meyers Rd, Lombard · Watch the live stream
Order of worship
To help follow our service, an Order of Worship is made available. We also use projector screens which make it easy for anyone to follow along. Although all our members love to help answer any questions for our guests, there is a designated Welcome Center for any additional assistance.
Children
We have several ways to assist those with young children. For infants and toddlers, we offer a fully staffed nursery in addition to a designated cry room for parents who choose to remain with their child. For children 3–6 years of age, we offer a special Children's Worship where children are dismissed partway through our service to attend their own special time of worship.
Communion
We celebrate communion throughout the year in accordance with the liturgical church calendar. Guests are welcome to join with us in this celebration of grace as a confession that Jesus is your Lord and Savior if they wish.
After the service
Refreshments are served in the Fellowship Hall after every Sunday service. All are welcome to join us in fellowship. During the school year, Adult Education classes are held after fellowship time.
- Hearing impaired equipped
- Visually impaired equipped
- Service dogs welcome
- Gluten free communion
- Greeters to assist
Our staff
The people you'll meet on a Sunday morning
Rev. John H.
Lead Pastor
Pastor John has served as a minister of the Word and sacrament in the Christian Reformed Church of North America for 39 years. Twenty-three of those years were spent serving in Alberta, Canada. He is completing his sixteenth year of service here at Lombard CRC.
I grew up in Oak Park, Illinois, the hometown of Ernest Hemingway and then later Paul Harvey. Their stories say a little bit about the life of faith and human struggles to believe in Jesus and live by God’s grace. Ernest Hemingway left his faith relationship with Jesus. Paul Harvey encouraged his listeners to renew their faith in Jesus.
As I pastor people I understand that faith is difficult. There is so much that works against trusting the grace of God. But I know that each of us is made for God, and for a full life with God. This happens by God’s grace through faith alone.
Faith is all about nurturing a living relationship with the Lord. I invite you to belong to our church community. Because through worship, praying together, serving together, and practicing the spiritual disciplines our greatest desire is realized. Our heart’s desire is to be fully known, and yet fully loved. And this is what Jesus promises by his cross and resurrection. Here we experience Jesus, and are shaped to live for the glory of God.
Rev. Bobby M.
Pastor of Intergenerational Life
I have been involved in vocational ministry inside the church since 2010. The time I've spent establishing and leading multiple ministries has resulted in me growing more passionate about God's role for the church. My greatest desire is that others would deeply know and experience Christ's incredible love and that the church would be the community that fosters this knowledge and understanding as it relies on Christ's leadership.
In 2024, my wife, our two daughters, and I followed God's call as we moved from the Grand Rapids area to join the community of Lombard CRC. In June of 2024, my wife gave birth to our third child, a baby boy.
I enjoy playing golf, basketball, and running, as well as rooting for the Dallas Cowboys and Duke basketball.
Joel J.
Worship Director
I've been serving in local churches since 1997, leading worship and preaching in a variety of denominations. During that time, God has led our family on a fascinating journey to urban contexts, cowboy territory, college campuses, international cafés, and sprawling suburbia. It’s been an adventure serving the Lord! Along the way, because of my passion for creativity and theology, I’ve also taught courses like Creative Writing, Christian Bible, Reading the New Testament, and World Religions at local Christian colleges.
By God’s generosity and my family’s support, I studied at Taylor University, Ball State University, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and Asbury Theological Seminary. My interests include baseball (Braves!), basketball, poetry, chess, video games, songwriting, and BBQ.
- Sara K. Office Manager
- [Name] Maintenance Supervisor
Our denomination
Part of something larger than ourselves
Lombard CRC belongs to the Christian Reformed denomination. Our denomination is involved in many areas: missions at home and abroad, disaster relief, and social issues.
Our history
Three cities, one congregation, since 1912
The beginning
Our congregation's roots can be traced back to May of 1912 when members from the First Christian Reformed Church of Chicago and Douglas Park Christian Reformed Church saw the need to start an English speaking church, since most of the churches in the Dutch community performed their services in their native language. Sixteen families began gathering at a store front at 2231 12th Street in the Dutch community known as West Chicago; by September the congregation had grown to forty-three families. On October 3, 1912, the Twelfth Street Christian Reformed Church became an official congregation under the leadership of Rev. J. H. Mokma.
Initial growth
The church grew quickly, outgrowing the storefront within two months, and leased a nearby church until construction of a new building was complete. The name was changed to the Third Christian Reformed Church of Chicago. The church continued to grow at that location for 10 years.
Moving west
As its members started to expand to the western suburbs of Chicago, the congregation decided they would sell their property and move west to Cicero. On November 22, 1925, the First Christian Reformed Church of Cicero held its inaugural service. The congregation thrived in Cicero for over fifty years. It became known as a progressive church, open to change, which attracted lots of young people and families.
Lombard roots
During the 1960s the westward expansion continued, and when the Christian school relocated to Elmhurst, a lot of families with young children followed suit. In 1969 the congregation acknowledged that a tough decision would have to be made. After prayer and research, our current property was purchased in Lombard. In 1976, under the leadership of Rev. John T. Ebbers, First Christian Reformed Church of Cicero became Lombard Christian Reformed Church.
One hundred years
In October 2012 we proudly celebrated our 100th anniversary. Read the article in the Lombardian.
Continued blessings
Lombard Christian Reformed Church has been in Lombard for fifty years now. This community has formed, challenged, and shaped us into the congregation we are today. Lord willing, we will continue to grow and evolve with this community while making an impact for many years to come.
Come as you are
We're dedicated to making our members and guests feel as welcomed and comfortable as possible.
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