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Sister Congregation Ministry

Sister Congregation Ministry

Today, as ever, the unity we enjoy in Christ is crucial for our mission in and to the world. To celebrate and encourage this unity, the Central/Southern Illinois Synod established sister congregation relationships, which take different forms depending on upon each congregation’s gifts, circumstances, and context.

Congregations and synod ministries have been randomly paired, and each is urged:

  • To identify an individual to serve as a liaison with the sister congregation (appointed by the congregational council)
  • To pray for one another in worship, at meetings, and at other times

Additionally, sister congregations are encouraged to engage with each other by:

  • Worshipping together in-person or online
  • Creating a video greeting for one another
  • Following each other on social media
  • Participating in Dwelling in the Word together through small groups, committees, etc.
  • Sending care cards to each other’s homebound members
  • Organizing pen pals, such as between Sunday School classes
  • Getting ministry groups together to share ideas and support and pray for each other
  • Hosting a social event or mission project/appeal together
  • Inviting officers or councils to share wisdom and best practices
  • Finding ways to learn about their sister congregation’s history and community
  • Exchanging tools of worship for a period of time (i.e. communionware, processional cross, banners, etc.)
  • Planning a dinner with voting members at Synod Assembly
  • Being creative and coming up with an idea not on this list!

Sister Congregations 2022-23

View a printable list.

CongregationSister Congregation
Advent, MortonFaith, O'Fallon
American, BourbonnaisImmanuel, New Douglas
Bethany, WenonaLutheran Hillside Village, Peoria
Bethel, BartonvilleOur Lord's, Maryville
Bethel, DanvilleFirst, Decatur
Christ, ColumbiaZion, Gillespie
Christ, MonticelloSt. John, Toluca
Christ, QuincySt. John, Bloomington
Epiphany, CarbondaleLutheran Church of the Redeemer, Centralia
Faith and Grace ParishFaith, Jacksonville
Faith, AugustaSt. Matthew, Fillmore & St. Peter, Crescent City
Faith, JacksonvilleFaith and Grace Parish
Faith, O'FallonAdvent, Morton
Faith, WashingtonOur Savior, Pekin
First English, PeoriaImmanuel, Lincoln
First, BeardstownSt. Paul, Roberts
First, DecaturBethel, Danville
First, MurphysboroGrace & Peace, Peoria
Good Shepherd, ChampaignUniversity Lutheran Ministry, Normal
Grace, ChampaignOur Redeemer, Marion
Grace, RankinGrace, Springfield
Grace, SpringfieldGrace, Rankin
Grace, VirginiaSt. Matthew, Urbana
Gutheran Church & Peace, PeoriaFirst, Murphysboro
Holy Cross, DecaturSt. John, Mt. Pulaski
Immanuel, CarthageTrinity, Litchfield
Immanuel, ColfaxWares Grove, Butler
Immanuel, LincolnFirst English, Peoria
Immanuel, MinonkMt. Calvary, De Soto
Immanuel, New DouglasAmerican, Bourbonnais
Luther Memorial, QuincyThree Saints Parish
Lutheran Church Hillside Village, PeoriaBethany, Wenona
Lutheran Church of Mahomet, MahometSt. Paul, Gilman
Lutheran Church of the Cross, MetropolisZion, Clifton
Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, CentraliaEpiphany, Carbondale
Meridian Village, Glen CarbonOur Saviour, Normal
Mt. Calvary, De SotoImmanuel, Minonk
Mt. Moriah, AnnaSalem, Jonesboro & Wartburg Parish
Mt. Zion, LitchfieldMt. Zion, Nokomis
Mt. Zion, NokomisMt. Zion, Litchfield
Our Lord's, MaryvilleBethel, Bartonville
Our Redeemer, MarionGrace, Champaign
Our Savior, BradleySt. Peter, Coatsburg
Our Savior, PekinFaith, Washington
Our Saviour, NormalMeridian Village, Glen Carbon
Peace, SpringfieldSt. Paul, Peoria
Peace, SteelevilleTrinity, Carthage
Pontoppidan, ElliottSt. John, Bremen
Putheran Church of Peace, Mt. VernonTrinity, Canton
Resurrection, GodfreyZion, Mt. Carmel
Salem, JonesboroWartburg Parish
Salem, JonesboroMt. Moriah, Anna & Wartburg Parish
Salem, PeoriaTrinity, Olney
Servants United ParishSt. Paul, Altamont
St. Andrew's, ChampaignSt. Petri, Flanagan
St. James, VandaliaZion, Batchtown & Zion, Loogootee
St. John, BartonvilleSt. Paul, Pontiac
St. John, BloomingtonChrist, Quincy
St. John, Bluff SpringsSt. John, Dorchester
St. John, BluffsZion, Farmersville
St. John, BremenPontoppidan, Elliott
St. John, DorchesterSt. John, Bluff Springs
St. John, HartsburgSt. Luke, Irving
St. John, Mt. PulaskiHoly Cross, Decatur
St. John, SpringfieldSt. Paul, Hillsboro
St. John, TolucaChrist, Monticello
St. Luke, Campbell HillSt. Mark, Belleville
St. Luke, IrvingSt. John, Hartsburg
St. Mark, BellevilleSt. Luke, Campbell Hill
St. Mark's, WashingtonSt. Paul, Forrest
St. Martin of Tours, MascoutahZion, Shipman
St. Matthew, FillmoreFaith, Augusta & St. Peter, Crescent City
St. Matthew, UrbanaGrace, Virginia
St. Paul, AltamontServants United Parish
St. Paul, BensonZion, Mt. Olive
St. Paul, ForrestSt. Mark's, Washington
St. Paul, GilmanLC of Mahomet, Mahomet
St. Paul, HillsboroSt. John, Springfield
St. Paul, PeoriaPeace, Springfield
St. Paul, PontiacSt. John, Bartonville
St. Paul, RobertsFirst, Beardstown
St. Peter, CoatsburgOur Savior, Bradley
St. Peter, Crescent CityFaith, Augusta & St. Matthew, Fillmore
St. Peter, GlasfordTrinity, Macomb
St. Petri, FlanaganSt. Andrew's, Champaign
St.Paul's, ShelbyvilleTrinity, Fairbury
Three Saints ParishLuther Memorial, Quincy
Trinity, CantonPrince of Peace, Mt. Vernon
Trinity, CarthagePeace, Steeleville
Trinity, FairburySt.Paul's, Shelbyville
Trinity, LitchfieldImmanuel, Carthage
Trinity, MacombSt. Peter, Glasford
Trinity, OlneySalem, Peoria
University Lutheran Ministry, NormalGood Shepherd, Champaign
Wares Grove, ButlerImmanuel, Colfax
Wartburg ParishMt. Moriah, Anna & Salem, Jonesboro
Wiley, EllisvilleZion, Walsh
Zion, BatchtownSt. James, Vandalia & Zion, Loogootee
Zion, CliftonLutheran Church of the Cross, Metropolis
Zion, FarmersvilleSt. John, Bluffs
Zion, GillespieChrist, Columbia
Zion, LoogooteeSt. James, Vandalia & Zion, Batchtown
Zion, Mt. CarmelResurrection, Godfrey
Zion, Mt. OliveSt. Paul, Benson
Zion, ShipmanSt. Martin of Tours, Mascoutah
Zion, WalshWiley, Ellisville

Sister Congregation Story:

St. Paul's, Hillsboro & Christ Lutheran, Monticello

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Hillsboro was connected with Christ Lutheran Church in Monticello through the sister congregation program of our synod. Throughout the year, Pastor Stefan Munker and Pastor Julia Rademacher communicated with each other, exchanged information about their congregations, and included members in worship prayers.

When the people of Christ Lutheran Church began to plan for the celebration of their 50th anniversary earlier this spring, they challenged St. Paul’s to participate by conducting a local service project of their choice that would include the number 50. The people of St. Paul’s decided on accepting the challenge by collecting 5 times 50 boxes of breakfast cereal.

A few months later, after weekly announcements with collection updates, and a final shopping trip with Thrivent dollars, the goal was reached. But the project was not completed until St. Paul’s youth group shared a video greeting that showed a domino-chain reaction of 250 cereal boxes. All the donations are being delivered to several area food pantries.

https://youtu.be/pWIeqjeRD34

SHARE YOUR STORIES AND REFLECTIONS!

We'd love to hear what you and your sister congregation are doing. Please submit your ideas and reflections using the online form below so that they might be shared throughout the synod and further benefit Christ's Church!

Fields marked with * are required.

Promotional Flyer

Please distribute this flyer to spread awareness of the Sister Congregations initiative throughout your home congregation. (Also available, a version optimized for monochrome printing.)

https://youtu.be/-I1bdJMayNE

Video: Sister Congregations

Check out this video of Pastor Ryan Anderson as he introduces the Sister Congregation initiative.

Congregation Pairings

Each congregation was randomly assigned its sister. Take a look at this document and see who your sister congregation is!

Central/Southern Illinois Synod
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