Sunday Morning
This is a group of men and women of all ages that meet at the Minooka Campus. This diverse group loves people right where they are and welcomes everyone regardless of their history. This Sunday morning group discusses books of the Bible and supports, loves and takes care of each other.
Prayer Sunday
This group meets and prays for the world, nation, city, community, leadership, church prayer requests, every space in the church and every chair. You do not need to sign-up, just show up at the Minooka Campus and go to the meeting room attached to the church office. Prayer is important. It’s a time for you to talk to God. We encourage you to talk to Him as your friend. Tell Him what’s in your heart, what you’re thinking, feeling and struggling with. He wants to hear it all. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. -Mark 11:24 In addition to this Sunday morning group, another way you can connect in prayer is to jump on a weekly call on Wednesday nights, 7:00 PM. Call 515-606-5327 and enter 605392#. Pray out loud, or listen and pray silently. Everyone is welcome – you do not need to be an attendee of The Village. “I am a true believer in the power of prayer and with all that’s happening in the world around us, I invite you to join me in becoming a great Prayer Warrior. This is someone who is willing to commit to daily, heartfelt prayer for others and is willing to pray alone, in pairs, or in groups.” Lilye Sease, Prayer Pastor Read More About Prayer Why Hearing From God Can Be Hard Pray With Purpose When Life Doesn’t Go According To Plan
Dance The Night Away
A prom experience to celebrate guests with special needs. Get ready to dance and have a blast!
Sarah Windham
Hearing you give praise through song is one of Sarah’s greatest joys. She believes God moves through those moments, when we let our guard down allowing ourselves to be vulnerable. It’s her prayer that we can continue to cultivate these moments. She leads the Worship and Tech Teams and manages the service flow across all campuses. Sarah grew up in Carthage, Illinois and attended Burnside Christian Church where her dad was the Pastor. She has a bachelor’s degree in Music Education and has been involved in worship since high school. Sarah lives in Joliet with her husband Luke, son and daughter.
Family Sunday
This Sunday afternoon family group provides a casual, fun, and encouraging atmosphere. Age range is mid 30’s – 50, and they all have kids in a similar age range (8-14), so they are in the thick of the busy family life stage with kid activities. The leaders, Derek and Amy, have a heart for hosting and want to encourage others in this life stage to make spiritual growth a priority. The group focuses on the “serious stuff” (Bible study) for about 45-60 minutes with real conversations about culture, managing businesses, and the challenges of raising kids in today’s world. This group will either dive into thought-provoking questions related to our weekly Sunday messages or choose a topical study through RightNow Media. Kids are welcome and usually hang out together while the adults meet. There is no childcare.
Rachelle Ferguson
Rachelle has been an integral part of The Village since its beginning in 2004. She enjoys serving on the Teaching Team and with Pulse Students. She is passionate about the purpose of the local church and is willing to serve anywhere that the Lord leads to show others that they belong to the Kingdom of God. Rachelle grew up in southern Illinois and attended First Christian Church of Oblong. She attended Lincoln Christian University and Illinois State University gaining a bachelor’s degree in both Bible and Elementary Education. Rachelle lives in Channahon with her husband, Nate, and they have two adult sons and a daughter-in-law.
Emotional Support Sunday
Do you struggle with anxiety or stress? Do you wonder why your anxiety and stress may be difficult to manage. Has COVID impacted this anxiety or made it worse? Anyone is welcome to join this emotional support group via Zoom. Please email us if you would like to join the group. This group will help you gain a better understanding of how anxiety and stress happen in the brain. Learn about tools to manage stress and anxiety and find healing through hearing other’s lived experience of managing their trauma story. You are not alone, and Christ desires we heal in community.
National Day Of Prayer
Do you know the power of prayer? Whether you do or don’t, we’ve got ya covered.
Lilye Sease
Lilye has a passion for prayer and serves as our Prayer Pastor making sure prayer is at the forefront of all we do at The Village. She leads the prayer team as they pray for the world, nation, city, community, leadership, church prayer requests, every space in the church and every chair. Lilye grew up in Mississippi. She attended Charles H. Mason Theological Seminary and has extensive experience as a prayer leader and evangelist. Lilye and her husband, John (Sonny), live in Shorewood.
Young Adults Monday
Food, fun, and friends is what you will find at the Young Adults group. Meet new people, form community and talk about things that are relevant to your generation. Young professionals, college students, young married, and singles ages 18-28 in Minooka/Channahon, Coal City, Seneca and surrounding areas are welcome! This is a social group – a place to come and connect with other people and experience community – a place for food, fun and conversation. You won’t be doing a Bible study here, but you will get a meal, a place that values you, a place to build relationships. Come hang out Mondays, 6:30 PM, at Nate & Rachelle Ferguson’s home in Channahon. If you have any questions, text Rachelle at 815-735-6877. The group is currently going through Rooted and is closed until mid-November.
Celebrate Mother’s Day
✨ Moms deserve to be celebrated. ✨
Bell Road Clean Up
We want to equip you and provide opportunities for you to serve outside the church walls and help others. Help keep our community clean!
Cassi Norman
Cassi’s goal as Connections Leader is to help people experience Life Growth through a range of discipleship opportunities in our church community. She will be working with new guests as well as people that have been around for a while, but haven’t yet connected in a group. Cassie had this to say, “As people grow, may their life reflect God’s love, compassion, and mercy to our community.” Cassi was born and raised in Channahon. She received her teaching degree at the University of Illinois, and came back home to marry her high school sweetheart and begin a family. She lives in Channahon with her husband Tim and three children. They started attending the Village in 2016, and in 2018, they decided to lead a Lifegroup and became very passionate about discipling others through group life.
Spiezio Monday
This Monday group is for people at any stage of life! Check it out for a diverse range of studies, including Sunday message-based sessions and deep dives into the Bible. Everyone is welcome in this group no matter what their church background or Bible knowledge is. There is usually food and drinks. This group is more than just study, it’s a warm community experience. No childcare is provided.
JoAnne Kelly
JoAnne was born, raised, and lives in Joliet. She desires to grow in her faith and to become a faithful servant of God. She grew up going to church, but as she grew older, she lost that connection as everything seemed rote and lacked meaning for her. In 2009, a friend who attended The Village invited JoAnne to join her and she accepted. It was in those first years JoAnne made the decision to accept Jesus as her Lord and Savior. She has a heart for service and started serving early on in the Coffee Center that continues to this day. JoAnne serves as Financial Assistant. She has an AA Degree with a focus on Accounting and has a long history in banking. She has a daughter, a son, daughter-in-law, and a grandson.
Nichole Nyalka
Nichole has a heart for Jesus and carries that passion through in all she does on the Communications Team. She combines her creativity and love of art to lead the Photography Team, design graphics, signage, invitations, Village Gear, and other visual tools to bring more people to know Jesus. Nichole grew up in Wilmington, Illinois. She earned a Fine Arts degree, majoring in graphic design and minoring in photography at University Of St. Francis. She lives in Channahon with her husband, Dan, and four kids.
Embrace Grace
The Embrace Grace group provides emotional, practical, and spiritual support for young women who find themselves in an unexpected pregnancy. The mission is to be a safe and nonjudgmental place for these young women when they find out they are pregnant, instead of the last place they are welcomed because of shame and guilt. It is a 12-week Bible-based support group that teaches about God’s love and grace. At the end, the girls get a baby shower to honor them for choosing life and to help provide for their baby’s needs. For more information, visit embracegrace.com. Watch Testimonials
Par Tee On The Green
Let’s golf, hang out, have fun all while raising money to help our local communities.
Shannon Wujek
Shannon has a heart for Jesus and carries that passion through in all she does on the Communications Team. She oversees Enews, our weekly email newsletter, manages our databases, updates the website and so much more. Her gift for organization ensures we are communicating in a clear, consistent and timely manner. Shannon spent her childhood traveling with her father from coast to coast and then settled in Wilmington, Illinois. She has a big heart to serve the Lord. You may see her onstage when she volunteers on the Worship Team or serving on the Tech Team. Shannon and her husband, Tony, live in Minooka with their two boys.
Moms In Prayer Tuesday
This prayer group is for moms, grandmas, aunts, sisters; the caretakers of any child from Kindergarten through High School in Minooka and Channahon School Districts. They pray for students, teachers, staff and schools during the school year. Childcare is not provided. This group only meets when school is in session and breaks for holidays and summer.
Sarah Becerra
Sarah loves Jesus and sharing the good news with others. Sarah joined the staff after volunteering with the Communications Team and finding she loves utilizing social media to spread awareness about Jesus and The Village Christian Church. She understands that social media is a ministry that has unique opportunities to equip and encourage all people. Sarah enjoys being able to help further God’s Kingdom while using creativity to encourage believers and reach those who are not. Sarah grew up in Morris, Illinois. She earned a Bachelor’s of Special Education from University of St. Francis and a Master’s of Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Lewis University. Her expertise in mental health pairs perfectly with our social media ministry. Sarah and her husband live in Morris with their two canine children, Chase and Rocky.
Stephanie Harrison
Stephanie and her family have been attending the Minooka campus for about 3 years. What started as casually going to church quickly grew into getting involved- first in the cafe, then joining the First Impressions team. Along the way, Stephanie discovered how rewarding it is to help schedule people to serve God and connect them with the opportunities to use their gifts. She is excited to step into additional responsibilities as an Administrative Assistant and help ensure everything runs smoothly behind the scenes so ministry can thrive. Stephanie lives in Morris with her husband, Matt, and their two children. Her family is grateful to be part of what God is doing in the church community.
Tim Juskiewicz
Tim led the Building Team when the church was built in 2004 and now volunteers as our Facility Manager. He uses his construction knowledge and experience as he maintains the Minooka Campus keeping it safe and looking good. Tim grew up in southern Indiana, and was raised in Baptist and non-denominational churches. He studied civil engineering at Purdue University and is employed as an engineer. Tim lives in Morris with his wife, Susan, and two daughters.
Men’s Wednesday
This Wednesday Men’s Lifegroup is for men of all ages who are looking to further their relationship with Christ and have fun while doing it. Whether you have been raised in the church, or just getting started, this group has a place for you. The Bible is our guide as we have good discussions on how it can strengthen us as men. The group is currently going through Rooted and is closed until mid-November.