Wicker Park's oldest active religious organization seeking donations for renovations
The Wicker Park Lutheran Church prides itself on being an inclusive and welcoming space in the North Side neighborhood. A new fundraising campaign aims to make the church's historic building just as accessible.
The parish has been at the corner of Hoyne Avenue and LeMoyne Street since 1879, making it Wicker Park's oldest active religious and community organization, said the Rev. Jason Glombicki, the church's pastor and president.
The campaign, called " A Place For All ," has nearly reached its $1.4 million goal. The funds will go toward making the church more ADA-friendly with a new accessible entrance, an elevator and new bathrooms. Other planned renovations of the building, which dates to 1906, include preserving the stained glass windows and installing flood protections.
The renovations, which will begin in 2025, are long overdue, Glombicki said.
"Our building excludes people," he said. "Some groups have chosen not to move forward with us as an event space because we aren't ADA accessible."
The upgrades will allow the church to remain an integral and useful part of the community, Glombicki said. Most of the time, the church building is used by outside groups.
"This congregation has always been on the forefront of including more people. And now we're making our building inclusive too," he said.
The campaign will also kick-start the next phase of renovations. The church plans on overhauling its basement community space to accommodate more events and meetings. Currently, the basement is one big room with a small kitchen. That's made it hard to host multiple events at once, and the church has had to turn groups away because of the limited space, Glombicki said.
They're in the process of getting building permits to make four smaller rooms, an industrial kitchen and a proper office for church staff, he said.
'A vital part of Wicker Park'
The campaign is a collaborative effort between the non-religious nonprofit Wicker Park Lutheran Building Friends. The nonprofit was formed last year to support the preservation of the church.
Several historic churches across the city sit vacant or have been converted into condos, including in Wicker Park. That's why it's important to both preserve churches and make them of use to the community, said Tammi Franke, a board member for Wicker Park Lutheran Building Friends.
"It can be hard to find community, to establish connections and to feel invested in the community you live in," Franke said. "It's special to have a place people can go to worship, to attend a community event or to go volunteer and help out fellow community members."
So far, the church has raised $1.1 million. Through the end of September, a congregant at the church is offering to match any donations made, up to $50,000, Glombicki said. Every member of the congregation has kicked in money, with about 40% of the donations coming from the community, Glombicki said.
The church also received a $250,000 grant from the city's Adopt-A-Landmark grant to restore its large flower glass window and other stain glass windows. That work is expected to begin later this year, Glombicki said.
"That just shows how this is a community asset not just for the members of the church. It shows that this is a vital part of Wicker Park," he said. "The community put their dollars where their sentiments are, and that communicates a deeper level of connection, regardless of religion."
The church is more than just a worship space, Glombicki said. Neighborhood groups, 12-step meetings, youth camps, theater groups and concerts are some of the many outside activities held at the church.
"Investing in the church and community center is an investment in Wicker Park, Chicago and the greater Chicago area," he said. "These renovations will make it an even more welcoming and connected part of what it's like to live in Wicker Park."
