100 Years In The Making: St. John's UCC To Mark Historic Milestone

MOKENA, IL — St. John's United Church of Christ in Mokena is celebrating 100 years in its current building, and the public is invited to attend the festivities, highlighted by the unveiling of the original 1922 and 1987 time capsules from the church's cornerstone.

The festivities will start with a church service at 9:45 a.m. Oct. 2 at St. John's UCC, located at 11100 2nd St. in Mokena. The service will be followed by a brief outdoor ceremony removing the original 1922 and 1987 time capsules from the church cornerstone. Attendees will be able to view the contents of both time capsules.

A reception following the outdoor ceremony will feature of look at the church's history, from its roots that date back to its founding in 1862 to the present day, according to Brenda Guendling, who is on the St. John's UCC committee responsible for putting the event together and also serves as the church photographer.

A booklet on the history of St. John's UCC by Mokena's resident historian Matt Galik will be available to purchase for $15. A downloadable, digital version will also be available for $10, Guendling said.

Not only will attendees get a visual representation of the church's timeline, but they can also get a taste of the past with cookies made from recipes that have been handed down from the past 40 years by members of the church.

"It's really been a great journey, and we're not even done yet," Guendling said.

For more information, visit the St. John's United Church of Christ website.