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What is MGCC Presbyterian?
MGCC Presbyterian is Morton Grove Community Church, a Presbyterian community church in Morton Grove, Illinois. It describes itself as an inclusive congregation that welcomes people of all faiths, creeds, races, sexual orientations, gender identities, and backgrounds, and it is explicitly LGBTQ+ friendly. Founded in the early 1950s, the church presents itself as both historically rooted and willing to evolve.
Its main weekly gathering is a Sunday worship service at 10am. The church also offers worship via Zoom and notes that services are held at a log cabin in Skokie. Beyond worship, its calendar includes team meetings, World Communion Sunday with lunch packing for homebound neighbors, a Women's Circle discussion group, and monthly Eucharist services followed by packing bag lunches for unhoused neighbors through the Niles Township Respite Center.
If you are considering a visit, start with the Sunday 10am service or ask about the Zoom link. If you want to get involved rather than just attend, the recurring lunch-packing and discussion groups are the clearest entry points. You can learn more at MGCC Presbyterian.
What can I expect at a Sunday worship service at Morton Grove Community Church?
Sunday worship at Morton Grove Community Church (MGCC Presbyterian) is a 10:00 am gathering that is explicitly designed to be inclusive: the church describes itself as LGBTQ+ friendly and welcomes people of all faiths, creeds, races, sexual orientations, gender identities, and backgrounds. Services are currently held at the log cabin in Skokie, with a Zoom option available as well. Music is part of the experience — the site shares samples of the music you would hear on Sunday mornings — and sermons from Reverend Beth are available by request.
A few things to know before you go:
- Time and place: Sundays at 10:00 am at the log cabin in Skokie; Zoom is offered "like always" for those who cannot attend in person.
- Communion: On the first Sunday of each month, the service includes the Eucharist, followed by packing bag lunches for unhoused neighbors through the Niles Township Respite Center — so you can stay after worship if you want to help.
- Special Sundays: Some weeks have a theme, such as World Communion Sunday, which combined a special worship service with lunch-packing for homebound neighbors.
- Beyond Sunday: The church also runs team meetings (Mission Team, Prayer & Care Team) and a Women's Circle discussion group, so there are ways to get involved beyond the service itself.
If you are deciding whether to visit, the practical next step is to check the upcoming events list on MGCC Presbyterian before a Sunday, since the schedule sometimes shifts (for example, team meetings at 10:00 and 11:00 am, or a Women's Circle at 10:00 am). If in-person attendance feels like a big step, start with the Zoom link for worship, then try the log cabin on a first-Sunday service when the Eucharist and lunch-packing give you a natural way to meet people.
How can I attend MGCC Presbyterian services remotely via Zoom?
MGCC Presbyterian offers remote worship through Zoom, so you can join Sunday services without traveling to the Chicago area. According to the church's website, worship services are held Sundays at 10am, with in-person gatherings at a log cabin in Skokie, Illinois, and Zoom available "like always." The site provides a "Zoom link for worship" on its home page, so the practical first step is to visit MGCC Presbyterian and look for that link under the worship or events information.
What to expect
- Services start at 10am on Sundays.
- The same service is offered in person and via Zoom.
- The community describes itself as inclusive, welcoming people of all faiths, creeds, races, sexual orientations, gender identities, and backgrounds.
- Sermons from Reverend Beth are available by email request if you want to catch up or sample the teaching style first.
A simple plan for your first remote visit
- Check the website shortly before Sunday for the current Zoom link and any schedule changes.
- Join a few minutes early to test your audio and video settings.
- Participate as much as you are comfortable with—listening is fine, and many churches also allow chat or spoken participation.
- If you enjoy the service, consider the monthly Eucharist and lunch-packing events, or the women's circle and team meetings listed on the site, some of which may also have remote options.
If you are unsure whether a particular event is hybrid or in-person only, email the church before attending; that is the most reliable way to confirm Zoom access for anything beyond the main Sunday service.
What is the Barmen Declaration and what does MGCC's new version say?
The Barmen Declaration is a Reformed Christian statement from 1934, written in Germany as a rejection of the Nazi-backed German Christian movement. Its central claim is that the church belongs to Christ alone and must not be absorbed into a political or ideological program. MGCC Presbyterian's page says the congregation studied it during Lent 2026 and then wrote its own version as "public theology" for a contemporary context.
What MGCC's version is for
The page presents the new declaration as a local, practical statement of belief rather than a historic reprint. It applies the Barmen tradition's core move — refusing to let any earthly power claim ultimate loyalty — to issues MGCC's community names today. The page does not reproduce the full text; it links to a "READ" item, so the specific wording must be read there.
How the two compare
| Barmen Declaration (1934) | MGCC's new version | |
|---|---|---|
| Context | Church resistance to Nazi-aligned German Christians | A Lent 2026 congregational study in Morton Grove, Illinois |
| Scope | A confessional statement for the wider church | A local public theology for MGCC's own context |
| Purpose | Reject state ideology as a source of church authority | Name contemporary loyalties and commitments the congregation affirms |
| Access | Widely published | Linked from MGCC's site; full text not on the home page |
Who it is for
Anyone weighing how a historic confession translates into present-day congregational life will find it useful: members preparing for discussion, visitors curious about what this church actually stands for, or other congregations considering a similar study. It is also a concrete example of a church defining itself publicly rather than only through worship times.
Next step
Read the linked declaration text on MGCC Presbyterian and compare its claims against the 1934 Barmen theses. A useful test: ask which modern powers or loyalties each statement is refusing to let claim final authority, and whether the language names them plainly enough to guide a decision.
How can I participate in MGCC's Bread for our Neighbors lunch-packing ministry?
Participate by attending the first-Sunday Eucharist service, then staying afterward to pack bag lunches. MGCC Presbyterian describes "Bread for our Neighbors" as combining communion with service: worship on the first Sunday of each month, followed by packing lunches for unhoused neighbors through the Niles Township Respite Center.
What to do
- Check the church calendar for the next first Sunday and confirm the location; the site notes worship is held at the log cabin in Skokie, with Zoom services also available.
- Attend the 10am service, or join via Zoom if you cannot be there in person.
- Stay after the service for the lunch-packing; no special role is described, so newcomers can likely help with assembly, packing or setup.
- If you want to bring a group, donate supplies, or need accessibility details, email the church first so the team can plan quantities and space.
A practical scenario: someone who works weekdays could attend the 10am Sunday service, stay 30–60 minutes to pack, and treat it as a recurring monthly volunteer slot rather than a one-off event.
Decision criterion: if your priority is hands-on volunteering, the post-service packing is the direct route; if you mainly want to support the ministry without attending, ask the church whether supply donations or other help are useful.
Next step: visit MGCC Presbyterian and look for the event listing or contact email to confirm the next date, start time and whether lunch-packing happens every first Sunday.
What is the log cabin in Skokie where MGCC holds services?
The log cabin in Skokie is the physical location where MGCC Presbyterian holds its Sunday worship services. The church describes itself as a Presbyterian community church based in Morton Grove, Illinois, and notes that services are held at the log cabin in Skokie, with Zoom worship also available. Sunday worship is listed at 10:00 am.
If you are planning to visit, check the church's site ahead of time for the current Zoom link and any location updates, since the page mentions both in-person and online options. You can start here: MGCC Presbyterian.
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