Little Antioch church to celebrate 100 years
The Rev. Tim Squier exudes pride when he talks about his small group of parishioners at St. Ignatius of Antioch Episcopal Church.
In its 100 years, the church has not grown much from the 35 members when it began. However, while they are small in number, the flock pulls together to help the larger community with anything from a fish fry to helping a family recover from tragedy, Squier said.
“We are a small church that dreams big, and we achieve those dreams,” said Squier, who has led the church since 2008.
Today's membership families of 50 to 60 people will celebrate 100 years of worship and service Saturday, July 11. The day will begin with a Mass at 10 a.m. conducted by Bishop Jeffrey Lee of the Diocese of Chicago, followed by a luncheon at the Antioch VFW.
The celebration will mark 100 years exactly since the first service, which was conducted by the Rev. Edward White. Back then, average weekly attendance was 35 members and an average weekly offering of $5.20, Squier said.
The church's history dates to December 1916 when parishioners raised the needed $2,000 to purchase a building at 977 Main St. That building — it dates to 1863 and is one of the oldest structures in the village — was constructed by the Campbellites, who first settled and named what is now the village of Antioch.
By 1918, the property was valued at $7,000 and the church was debt free. A year later, the building saw its first remodeling, including a new bell tower and stained glass windows.
By 1930, membership grew to an average of 65 members and services were crowded as Chicago-area residents came to the summer resort town, Squier said. The Antioch church reached a special milestone in 1948 when it became self supporting and received parish status. The first rector, who was instituted in 1951, was the Rev. Roberts S. Ehrgott.
Today, Squier leads worship services Wednesdays and Sundays, but it's his 5 p.m. Sunday service that's unique. After a discussion with his youth group about secular music that has spiritual meaning to them, Squier incorporated the songs into the worship service.
“We have a liturgy where we use music off the radio, anything from Dave Matthews Band, Mumford and Sons and Tim McGraw. We use that music in place of our hymns,” he explained.
“My goal is to experiment how music affects people. I wanted to take secular music and see how God may be present in that. I have some Sundays where people may sing along like they are at a concert, and I've had a few people who dance in the aisles,” he added.
Squier said people are not attending church as much. Everyone has a reason.
“The church has to be better about helping people understand how God is present in every moment of their lives, not just Sunday mornings,” he said.
In 2001, the parish chose to move to a larger space and built a new building on Depot Street and Deep Lake Road. The Main Street building was sold to the Antioch Historical Society, which refurbished it to its original state and created a historical site, Squier added.
On the same grounds as the church, the parish organized a well-known summer rummage sale that expanded in August 2014 to become God's Will Resale Shop. Open Wednesday through Saturday, the shop is run by volunteers and features donated items ranging from clothing to furniture, Squier said.
Although proceeds support the church ministry, the shop is a resource to a person or family who may have lost everything. Squier said a woman who was battling cancer needed a winter coat and got one.
This year, church officials estimate they've given out $3,800 to $4,200 in goods through the shop.
“We've had three families in the Antioch area that have suffered catastrophic fires and lost everything. We've opened our doors and said, ‘Come. Take anything you need.' It's an amazing ministry. There are a ton of stories of people we've helped out,” he said.
Squier said St. Ignatius is focused on caring for the community, including helping agencies such as A Safe Place, Open Arms Mission and the Antioch elementary school district.
Its missions don't end there. The church offers a counseling service, runs a parish nurse ministry with St. Stephen Lutheran Church and United Methodist Church of Antioch to do health checks on the elderly and educate the public on health issues including heart health, diabetes and exercising.
“I'm always amazed,” he said. “This church bought a car for $600 because we had a member who was without a car and was walking from Trevor (Wisconsin) to Wal-Mart to get her groceries. We bought the vehicle, insured it in the church's name, and she uses that vehicle.”
Squier said the church always will welcome strangers, knowing one day they will become friends. The church's success is not measured by how many come through the door, but by the number of people they care for, he said.
“If I have only 20 people in church but we're taking care of the world, so be it. Jesus demonstrated that with a small group of people. They fed the world. They clothed the world. They cared for and sheltered the world. The way we thrive is to take care of the world first,” he said.