Welcome to First Presbyterian
First Presbyterian of La Grange is an active and vibrant community of faith filled with people who are excited to know you! Situated in historic La Grange, Illinois, our congregation draws members from neighboring communities such as Brookfield, Western Springs, La Grange Park and others. Our worship is a blend of traditional and contemporary styles. Our care and support ministries nurture our members and the relationships within our church.
FPCLG also participates in community outreach and multi-faceted family programs such as adult education, TUXIS high school youth group, Cross Trainers middle school youth group, Faith Forest elementary Sunday School, Noah’s Ark preschool and a variety of social, small groups.
We invite and welcome all. Come for a visit...stay for a journey!
Pastor’s Message
REACHING UP. REACHING OUT. REACHING YOU.
Inviting! That’s the first word of our mission statement and where everything begins.
The people of The First Presbyterian Church of La Grange, IL (FPCLG) are dedicated to an ever-expanding circle that welcomes all, regardless of gender identity, social background, ethnicity, race or spiritual history. Our desire is to invite and welcome all who seek the presence of Christ in faith, fellowship, learning and care.
Our Communion table is open to anyone, regardless of religious tradition or spiritual condition;
The sacrament of baptism welcomes infants, children and adults celebrating God’s ongoing call through Christ’s invitation to know God’s love as God’s own children;
Our Confirmation program includes youth from our own church and from the community who explore the decision to affirm their faith in Christ;
The celebration of marriage is open to all who seek to seal their covenant-promise as life partners in the company of a faith community honoring their love and life;
Our fellowship, music and educational programs are open to all who seek to enrich their spirituality through friendship, creativity, imagination and community.
Presbyterians believe in service to the whole community, not just their own members. We also believe that spirituality without service is incomplete. Jesus taught that the love of God is made real when shared as love of neighbor. So, for the love of God, we seek to touch others with dignity, fairness, welcome and compassion. Through the Mission and Outreach page of this website, you can see how those principles are expressed through programs; but if you join us in worship, you will discover the heart of the Gospel.
Come visit us on Sundays at 10 a.m.
We’re having a great time being Christ’s church in a Presbyterian fashion right here in La Grange, and we may just be your next community of faith.
If you have questions, email me at jkrogh@fpclg.org or stop by on Sundays—I should be there.
Grace and Peace,
Jonathan B. Krogh, Pastor
Monday’s Musing
Start your week with an insightful letter from Pastor Jonathan. The Monday Musings touch on current events, literature, film and many other thought-provoking mediums. You can find the latest letter here.
Our Staff
Pastoral Staff
Rev. Jonathan B. Krogh, Pastor
Pastor Krogh has been our pastor since 2016 and continues to serve the congregation’s mission of inviting people into a life of meaning and purpose in Christ. A skilled communicator, Jonathan provides dynamic sermons challenging the congregation to see every moment as a God-given opportunity to receive and share grace, love and fellowship.
Born in Omaha, Nebraska, the youngest of five children, Jonathan’s parents, Oakley and Lottie Krogh, raised their children in a home filled with faith, music and bad jokes. Sensing a pastoral calling at an early age, Jonathan came to the University of Chicago pursuing a degree to complement his future ministry. Completing a BA in sociology, he remained at UChicago for two master’s degrees.
Jonathan loves to sing and work with his hands and continues his family tradition of off-beat humor. His wife Danette (Dani) passed away May 2025 after a long bout with cancer. Together they had four grown children and six grandchildren. Jonathan continues to reside in Chicago’s West Morgan Park neighborhood and grapples with the new challenge of cooking for one.
In addition to pastorates in Peotone, Kankakee and Morgan Park, Chicago, Jonathan has served as pastoral supply and moderator in St. Anne, IL, UChicago’s Rockefeller Chapel and in Chicago’s Bridgeport and Roseland communities. Jonathan served as a Pastoral Associate for Evergreen Park Ministry, a free ecumenical pastoral counseling center. He was also Director of Mission at Chicago’s Fourth Presbyterian Church. In addition to congregational ministry, Jonathan has served as a chaplain at the University of Chicago Hospitals and the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (now Shirley Ryan AbilityLab). As an educator, he has served on the teaching faculty at the University of Chicago Divinity School and as adjunct faculty for two other area colleges; he is also a certified mediator and executive coach. In 2009, he published The Joshua Factor: Leadership Principles from an Ancient Warrior, Xlibris Press.
Rev. Noris Cabán, Parish Associate
Noris comes to FPCLG with almost 30 years of pastoral ministry. She works in conjunction with the Deacons to provide compassionate care for those in the congregation, during their times of need. She is bilingual, bicultural and a native of Puerto Rico. Noris is a resident of La Grange Park. She and her husband, Jim Orders, are the parents to Lorenzo and Oscar. Noris loves to read, cross stitch and bobbin lace.
Office Administration
Jen Stockbridge, Administrative Assistant
Jen and her husband Paul have been church members since 2000. They served as editors of the Church & Home newsletter for six years, and Jen joined our staff in 2005. She has also volunteered with children’s ministries, the Vacation Bible School Planning Team, the Communications Committee, the Congregational Nominating Committee and the Scholarship Committee. She graduated from DePauw University with a major in education and a minor in psychology, received a Masters degree from National-Louis University and taught elementary school for seven years.
Tamara Gump, Office Administrator
Tamara (Tami) Gump is the newest addition to our FPCLG staff and comes to us with over 20 years of legal and administrative experience in government service. Tami is a long-time resident of La Grange Park and parishioner at St. Francis Xavier, where she is active as a volunteer, teaching Religious Ed to sixth graders. She and her husband, Jonathan Gump, are the lucky pet parents to three rescues: a dog, Josie, and two brown tabby cats named Vinny and Mona Lisa. In addition to her love for animals, Tami loves cooking, reading and gardening.
Richard Foulke, Church Accountant
Rick joined our staff in July 2021 as Church Accountant. He is a graduate of Purdue University and has an MBA degree from Indianapolis University along with many years of experience in accounting and as Treasurer and Trustee of a non-profit organization involved in education and research. Rick moved to Elmhurst in 1986 with his wife, Lucinda, where they still reside. Rick and Lucinda have three grown children.
Children’s Ministry
Kelly Higgins, Director of Christian Education
Kelly graduated from the University of Illinois and received her Masters in Education from Pepperdine University. She taught third grade in Beverly Hills, California, and fifth grade in Lincoln Park. She and her husband Rob moved to La Grange in 1996, where they raised their three children, Ben, Will and Kate. While her children were young, Kelly volunteered at their school and at FPCLG. She began subbing at their elementary school and took on many long-term assignments over the years. Recently she has served as a Student Teacher Supervisor for the University of Illinois.
Sheri Benson, Nursery Caregiver
Sheri grew up in Western Springs and has lived in La Grange for 28 years. She has been faithfully serving in the Nursery at FPCLG since 2000! Sheri loves interacting with the children. In her free time, she enjoys needlework, especially cross stitch, and reading.
Lynn Perez-Tamayo, Nursery Caregiver
Lynn has worn many hats throughout her life (and moved around quite a bit!). Born in NY, she grew up in the Bay Area of California, worked as an RN in Northern California, then headed to the other side of the country (NC… to be with family) where she met and married her husband, Anthony. They had two boys while living there (Peter and Sam), then moved to La Grange Park for two years, then back to NY for two more years and finally landed in La Grange! Lynn has always tried to stay physically active (she’s run the Chicago Marathon) and practices yoga and walks in nature while listening to podcasts. She enjoys the fact that being with the little ones in the FPCLG Nursery keeps her on her toes!
Music Ministry
Jason Fahrenbach, Director of Music Ministry
Jason conducts the Sanctuary Choir and Praise Team and coordinates the direction of the Handbell Choir and children's music. He has conducted the Sanctuary Choir in works such as Saint Saens’ “Christmas Oratorio,” Mozart’s “Missa Brevis” and Vivaldi’s “Gloria.” Jason is also the Music and Drama teacher at Sauganash Elementary School in Chicago. He holds his Bachelors in Music Education from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, where he studied with Dr. Joe Grant and Dr. Chester Alwes, and his Masters in Education from North Park University. Jason currently resides in the Mayfair/Old Irving neighborhood of Chicago with his wife, Jayme McCullough.
Tyler Kivel, Organist
Tyler holds a Master of Music degree in piano performance and literature from the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana. He earned his Bachelor of Music degree from Central Michigan University, with an emphasis in Collaborative Piano and Organ. Tyler has given performances as a soloist and chamber musician performing internationally. He was awarded the John N. Irwin Memorial Scholarship along with other competition-based awards, including his Carnegie Hall debut in April.
Tyler was the “principal” keyboardist with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, playing the mighty Casavant Organ at Symphony Center. Moreover, he studies with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s premier orchestral keyboardist, Mary Sauer. As a soloist, Tyler has been featured with the Lakeshore Symphony Orchestra and the CMU Symphonic Wind Ensemble. He made his Chicago debut as the musical director of Thrones! The Musical Parody based on the hit television series Game of Thrones. Aside from his musical endeavors, Tyler enjoys working in organ restoration with Jeff Weiler Inc. restoring the king of instruments. In his off time, Ty enjoys taking classes at The Second City and suggests that everyone “play with joy.”
Rev. Doreen Sterba De Zur, Director of Handbell Choir
Doreen directs the handbell choir at our church for both youth and adults. She has taught general music in both public and parochial schools while maintaining a private piano studio for over 30 years as well as directing children’s and youth choirs in the school systems and in churches. She also has given piano concerts throughout the Midwest and in the Yucatan. Doreen was ordained in 2015 in the PCUSA as a teaching elder, having completed her M.Div. degree in 2014. She serves as Chaplain for Plymouth Place Senior Living. One of her additional passions is hands-on mission involvement both within local areas and in Mexico. Doreen and her husband Brad enjoy downtime with their rescue beagles, Laska and Gracie.
Henry Sybrandy, Organist Emeritus
Henry graced the keyboard at our church for 43 years. In the summer of 2021, upon receiving the announcement of Henry’s retirement, the Session immediately conferred upon him the title Organist Emeritus in recognition of the congregation’s profound gratitude for his dedication, professionalism and artistry. Providing accompaniment for over 3,000 worship services, several hundred wedding ceremonies and memorial observances, not to mention thousands of hours in rehearsal with various choirs, it is impossible to overestimate Henry’s contribution to divine worship at FPCLG. To learn more about Henry, our Aeolian-Skinner organ and to listen to the service celebrating Henry’s appointment to Organist Emeritus click here.
Property
Gregory McDaniel, Director of Property Maintenance
Greg has worked as a carpenter/cabinet maker for over 30 years, starting in 1985. He learned many useful skills through his experiences on the job and from being a homeowner. Now, he is able to utilize those skills to fulfill his duties as our property manager. Greg and his wife Paula became members of our church in 1995 and were married in our Sanctuary, and both of their daughters, Elodie and Abigail, were baptized and raised here. The family lives in Hickory Hills.
Session
FPCLG has a team of people, elected by the congregation, to serve as leaders for the church’s spiritual, financial and interpersonal wellbeing. This team guides the church’s decisions on worship, budget and pastoral care.
Deacons
Deacons are a nominated team of people who focus on the care and service to others. This team ministers to our congregation through a variety of practical and hands-on approaches such as prayer, in-home visits, meals and social gatherings.
Our History
Heritage Museum
As part of our 100th Anniversary celebration, the Heritage Museum was founded in 1991 to preserve the rich heritage of First Presbyterian Church of La Grange. As the original committee so poignantly expressed: “History matters. A church that forgets its past, loses its future.”
In 2014 the museum was closed and dismantled due to water damage. In the fall of 2019, it was decided to bring the museum “back to life.” In January 2021, Session approved the allocation of capital funds for the remodeling and renovation of space across the hall from its original location. On Sunday, October 23, 2022, we celebrated the Grand Re-Opening of the museum in observance of FPCLG's 132nd anniversary on October 27.
If you would like to support the Heritage Museum Restoration Project through donations or memorials, please visit our Online Giving page to make your pledge.
The following church history was compiled from Session notes and recollections of many of our members. We are indebted to those who kept our history alive.
The First Presbyterians in America…
It is hard to say when the first Presbyterian congregation was founded in America. It may have been as early as 1672. In the late 1600s, economic problems and religious persecution prompted many Scotch-Irish to migrate to America, and most settled in the Middle Colonies. They were joined by those migrating from Puritan New England. Soon there were enough Presbyterians in America to organize congregations.
1683 Photo of First Presbyterian Church in America
The first ministers were recruited from Northern Ireland, including Francis Makemie who is known as the “Father of American Presbyterianism.” Rev. Makemie came to the colonies in 1683 to serve as the minister of a congregation formed on Colonel Stevens’ plantation, Rehoboth, in Coventry Parish, Maryland, on the banks of the Pocomoke River. Rev. Makemie built the first Presbyterian church in 1706 on land near the river which is now known as Pocomoke City, Maryland.
During these days, we find the first signs of inter-congregational structure based on John Calvin’s beliefs that the “church is a community or body in which Christ only is head and all members are equal under him.” Along with six other ministers, Reverend Makemie organized the first Presbytery in America in Philadelphia in 1706, and in 1709, the first synod (Association of Presbyteries), the Synod of Philadelphia, was formed.
In 1789 the first General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the USA was held in Philadelphia. The assembly adopted the standards of the church that have remained through the years; and with some modification, as the foundational expression of Presbyterian faith and policy, these standards were adopted by the reunited Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in 1983.
We invite you to continue reading through the sections below to learn about the founding, growth and life of First Presbyterian Church of La Grange.
The Presbyterian Faith Comes to La Grange
The Building of our First and Second Churches
The Educational Wing—“If You Build It, They Will Come”
The Building of our Current Church
Our 100th Anniversary / The 21st Century Dawns
“Inviting People into a Life of Meaning and Purpose in Christ” / And Then the Pandemic…
Art & Architecture
Our Church Today
Our church today is a reflection of our Christian faith. The very structure of our church (and the parts which compose it) possesses symbolic meaning, either as the product of history or architectural design. In the time of the early Christians, and in subsequent centuries, many people could not read. The church found it could tell the Good News pictorially, in a direct and stirring appeal to the visual sense. Unlettered people thus could see as well as hear the Word. Gradually there developed a rich store of symbols, many which we use today.
Church Symbolism
Our study of the symbolism of our church begins as we stand on the broad steps leading up to the glass doors of the narthex. The Steps suggest the Christian pilgrimage—the pathway of Christians who seek to worship God and learn his ways.
As we look up, we see the Celtic Cross at the gable peak of the church façade, where it announces in stone that this is the church of Jesus Christ. “I, if I be lifted up, will draw all of them unto me.” (John 12.32) The circle in the Celtic Cross signifies eternity, the eternal quality of redemption.
The doors symbolize the open way to salvation. “I am the door,” said Jesus. “If anyone enters by me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” (John 10.9) The doors open to welcome all who come into the church to worship, learn and serve.
The Bronze Panel above the door reinforces the invitation of the doors. The panel’s central figure is Christ with arms extended, inviting all to “Enter His Gates with Thanksgiving.”
The Narthex, or vestibule, is the outgrowth of a long historical development. The word “narthex” is of Greek origin and means “rod.” The Greeks used it as a name for the giant fennel, a rod-like plant. In the ancient Christian churches, which were constructed after Christianity emerged from hiding, “it was customary to have an outside court where the unbaptized catechumens (Jews, converted heathens and others preparing for admission to membership) were permitted to stand and hear the first portion of the service of Holy Communion. They looked through the openings between the columns (rods), which separated them from the congregation. Hence, the use of the term “narthex” for “outer court.” With the growth of the unrestricted entry into the churches, the narthex served no further ritual purpose after the 13th century.
In the Nave, the essentially Gothic character of the First Presbyterian Church of La Grange is apparent, for in developed Gothic architecture the nave is the main body of the structure. “Nave” comes from the Latin word “navis”, meaning “ship.” It was so called to suggest the imagery of the ship of the church being tossed about the stormy seas of persecution, heresy and schism and yet reaching its destination. The blue stained glass windows that frame the top of the nave on each side reflect the waters upon which the ship was thrust.
The Center Aisle of the nave symbolizes the path down which the Christian moves toward God.
At the end of the nave is the Chancel (pictured below). The transition from nave to chancel is marked by a change in the floor level (four steps up in the La Grange church). The body of believers as represented by the people in the nave—the church struggling and fighting to keep true to the faith and maintain the vitality of the church—becomes in the chancel the church triumphant. In the chancel is celebrated man’s victory over sin and death through Jesus Christ.
The word “chancel” comes from the Latin word “cancellus”, meaning “latticework.” The early churches separated the altar from the nave by a low parapet or open railing (cancellus). In our church there is no distinction between those who serve at the Communion table and in the pulpit and the people. Ours is a priesthood of all believers, in which clergy and laity work together in all things, including worship.
