The people of Ravenswood UCC are young and old.  Families and single people.  Folks from the neighborhood and some who drive in from the suburbs to attend the church of their ancestors. 

We are a predominantly middle-class congregation located in the Ravenswood neighborhood between NorthCenter and Lincoln Square.  We welcome persons from all cultures, races and backgrounds.  Our small size means no one is lost in the crowd.  We invite you to visit and see what we mean......

• We are a welcoming church.  We believe that no matter who you are, or where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome at Ravenswood UCC.

•  We are a loving church.  This means caring for one another, and sharing life’s joys and life’s sorrows together in Christian community.

•  We are a church of disciples.  We take as our inspiration the life and lessons of Jesus Christ, and seek to follow his teachings and example.

•  We are a church that honors all of God’s creation.  We believe that we must work for a more just and peaceful world.

•  We are a church that encourages one another in spiritual growth and connection to God.

•  We are an Open and Affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ.  We welcome persons of all races, ages, abilities, and sexual preferences.

Reverend Jason W. Coulter has been pastor of our congregation since January of 2006.  Pastor Jason is a graduate of Macalester College, and recently completed his Master's of Divinity at Chicago Theological Seminary.  Before entering the ministry he worked as a union organizer for UNITE, helping working people attain justice and dignity in the workplace.

Pastor Jason is a native of West Bend, Wisconsin and a life-long member of the United Church of Christ.  His interests include cooking, baseball and spending time with his family at the beach near their home in Rogers Park.

Some thoughts on church and the divine from our pastor:

"Church is more than a place to go on Sunday morning.  At its best, it is a community that lives and breathes with the seasons of life."

"No theological concept is more important to me than grace.  The grace that we receive from God and the grace that we extend to one another are like water, we need them to survive."

"The biggest question Jesus poses to us today is not, 'are you born again' but 'what have you been born for?'  I believe the best answer comes from the prophet Malachi who said God requires that we, 'Do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with our God.'"

Ravenswood UCC is a proud member of the United Church of Christ —a community of faith that seeks to respond to the Gospel of Jesus Christ in word and deed. The UCC was founded in 1957 as the union of several different Christian traditions and is one of the most diverse Christian denominations in the United States. 

The UCC tends to be a mostly progressive denomination that unabashedly engages heart and mind.  

To learn more about the ucc, visit http://www.ucc.org/about-us/

Ravenswood United Church of Christ has been a witnessing community of faith in the city of Chicago since 1887.  Our church was founded by German immigrants who brought their faith in God and their passion for service with them from Germany.  The first name of the church was Evangelishe Johannes Gemeinde (St. John’s Evangelical Church).  In its early years the church saw remarkable growth from a small community worshiping in a borrowed chapel, to a congregation of 640 adults and 450 children! 

In May of 1895 the congregation purchased a church property on the southeast corner of Mohawk and Dickens in Lincoln Park.  St. John’s Evangelical Church worshiped at this space for 28 years until the migration of the German community northward in the city prompted them to consider relocating the church.  In 1922, under the leadership of Rev. Alfred E. Meyer who served the congregation for 34 years, a cornerstone for Ravenswood Evangelical Church, was laid, and the community constructed the beautiful building on the corner of Pensacola and Hoyne that is our home today.

Ravenswood Church weathered the difficult times of the Great Depression, sent its sons and daughters to service in World War II, and welcomed them and a number of new immigrants home after the war.  During this era the church hosted many social events, sponsored theatrical productions and held sporting events in its gymnasium.  It was a dynamic and active congregation in the Ravenswood/Lincoln Square neighborhood.

In the 1960’s and 1970’s the church began to experience a decline, as more families moved to the suburbs and the neighborhood experienced a transition.  Since then we have been a smaller congregation sustained by the dedication and sacrifice of our members and friends.  As we move into the future we remain filled with hope and confidence that there are many more chapters to our church’s story, and we look forward to what God has in store for Ravenswood United Church of Christ as we approach our 125^th Anniversary in 2012!