Sister Congregation Ministry - Central/Southern Illinois Synod

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.

Congregation	Sister Congregation
Advent, Morton	Faith, O'Fallon
American, Bourbonnais	Immanuel, New Douglas
Bethany, Wenona	Lutheran Hillside Village, Peoria
Bethel, Bartonville	Our Lord's, Maryville
Bethel, Danville	First, Decatur
Christ, Columbia	Zion, Gillespie
Christ, Monticello	St. John, Toluca
Christ, Quincy	St. John, Bloomington
Epiphany, Carbondale	Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, Centralia
Faith and Grace Parish	Faith, Jacksonville
Faith, Augusta	St. Matthew, Fillmore & St. Peter, Crescent City
Faith, Jacksonville	Faith and Grace Parish
Faith, O'Fallon	Advent, Morton
Faith, Washington	Our Savior, Pekin
First English, Peoria	Immanuel, Lincoln
First, Beardstown	St. Paul, Roberts
First, Decatur	Bethel, Danville
First, Murphysboro	Grace & Peace, Peoria
Good Shepherd, Champaign	University Lutheran Ministry, Normal
Grace, Champaign	Our Redeemer, Marion
Grace, Rankin	Grace, Springfield
Grace, Springfield	Grace, Rankin
Grace, Virginia	St. Matthew, Urbana
Gutheran Church & Peace, Peoria	First, Murphysboro
Holy Cross, Decatur	St. John, Mt. Pulaski
Immanuel, Carthage	Trinity, Litchfield
Immanuel, Colfax	Wares Grove, Butler
Immanuel, Lincoln	First English, Peoria
Immanuel, Minonk	Mt. Calvary, De Soto
Immanuel, New Douglas	American, Bourbonnais
Luther Memorial, Quincy	Three Saints Parish
Lutheran Church Hillside Village, Peoria	Bethany, Wenona
Lutheran Church of Mahomet, Mahomet	St. Paul, Gilman
Lutheran Church of the Cross, Metropolis	Zion, Clifton
Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, Centralia	Epiphany, Carbondale
Meridian Village, Glen Carbon	Our Saviour, Normal
Mt. Calvary, De Soto	Immanuel, Minonk
Mt. Moriah, Anna	Salem, Jonesboro & Wartburg Parish
Mt. Zion, Litchfield	Mt. Zion, Nokomis
Mt. Zion, Nokomis	Mt. Zion, Litchfield
Our Lord's, Maryville	Bethel, Bartonville
Our Redeemer, Marion	Grace, Champaign
Our Savior, Bradley	St. Peter, Coatsburg
Our Savior, Pekin	Faith, Washington
Our Saviour, Normal	Meridian Village, Glen Carbon
Peace, Springfield	St. Paul, Peoria
Peace, Steeleville	Trinity, Carthage
Pontoppidan, Elliott	St. John, Bremen
Putheran Church of Peace, Mt. Vernon	Trinity, Canton
Resurrection, Godfrey	Zion, Mt. Carmel
Salem, Jonesboro	Wartburg Parish
Salem, Jonesboro	Mt. Moriah, Anna & Wartburg Parish
Salem, Peoria	Trinity, Olney
Servants United Parish	St. Paul, Altamont
St. Andrew's, Champaign	St. Petri, Flanagan
St. James, Vandalia	Zion, Batchtown & Zion, Loogootee
St. John, Bartonville	St. Paul, Pontiac
St. John, Bloomington	Christ, Quincy
St. John, Bluff Springs	St. John, Dorchester
St. John, Bluffs	Zion, Farmersville
St. John, Bremen	Pontoppidan, Elliott
St. John, Dorchester	St. John, Bluff Springs
St. John, Hartsburg	St. Luke, Irving
St. John, Mt. Pulaski	Holy Cross, Decatur
St. John, Springfield	St. Paul, Hillsboro
St. John, Toluca	Christ, Monticello
St. Luke, Campbell Hill	St. Mark, Belleville
St. Luke, Irving	St. John, Hartsburg
St. Mark, Belleville	St. Luke, Campbell Hill
St. Mark's, Washington	St. Paul, Forrest
St. Martin of Tours, Mascoutah	Zion, Shipman
St. Matthew, Fillmore	Faith, Augusta & St. Peter, Crescent City
St. Matthew, Urbana	Grace, Virginia
St. Paul, Altamont	Servants United Parish
St. Paul, Benson	Zion, Mt. Olive
St. Paul, Forrest	St. Mark's, Washington
St. Paul, Gilman	LC of Mahomet, Mahomet
St. Paul, Hillsboro	St. John, Springfield
St. Paul, Peoria	Peace, Springfield
St. Paul, Pontiac	St. John, Bartonville
St. Paul, Roberts	First, Beardstown
St. Peter, Coatsburg	Our Savior, Bradley
St. Peter, Crescent City	Faith, Augusta & St. Matthew, Fillmore
St. Peter, Glasford	Trinity, Macomb
St. Petri, Flanagan	St. Andrew's, Champaign
St.Paul's, Shelbyville	Trinity, Fairbury
Three Saints Parish	Luther Memorial, Quincy
Trinity, Canton	Prince of Peace, Mt. Vernon
Trinity, Carthage	Peace, Steeleville
Trinity, Fairbury	St.Paul's, Shelbyville
Trinity, Litchfield	Immanuel, Carthage
Trinity, Macomb	St. Peter, Glasford
Trinity, Olney	Salem, Peoria
University Lutheran Ministry, Normal	Good Shepherd, Champaign
Wares Grove, Butler	Immanuel, Colfax
Wartburg Parish	Mt. Moriah, Anna & Salem, Jonesboro
Wiley, Ellisville	Zion, Walsh
Zion, Batchtown	St. James, Vandalia & Zion, Loogootee
Zion, Clifton	Lutheran Church of the Cross, Metropolis
Zion, Farmersville	St. John, Bluffs
Zion, Gillespie	Christ, Columbia
Zion, Loogootee	St. James, Vandalia & Zion, Batchtown
Zion, Mt. Carmel	Resurrection, Godfrey
Zion, Mt. Olive	St. Paul, Benson
Zion, Shipman	St. Martin of Tours, Mascoutah
Zion, Walsh	Wiley, Ellisville

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.

Sister Congregations 2022-23

Sister Congregation Story:

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

Promotional Flyer

Video: Sister Congregations

Congregation Pairings