Fox Valley church to have new location, identity

Grace Church of the Valley is relaunching as Crossway Chapel, Fox Valley and moving to another location in North Aurora.

The nondenominational Christian Bible church has leased 6,000 square feet at 161 Lincolnway in North Aurora. The congregation presently meets at Jewel Middle School on Waterford Lane in North Aurora.

The first service at the new location will be held at 10 a.m. Sunday, March 8.

"We want to have a church right in the heart of the business community and be a blessing to them," said the Rev. Clark Richardson, lead pastor of the church.

Richardson said the church is completing a three-month remodeling project at the Lincolnway address. The church will launch an outreach campaign with visits, publicity and advertising on Easter Sunday, April 12.

"We'll have a few weeks of meeting together before then," Richardson said. "One big change is that we desire to be a church that blesses the community. We want to bless the fire department and the police. We will be holding a barbecue for the fire department. I may volunteer to be chaplain to the police. We are trying to serve the community more."

Richardson said that his church has joined the Crossway Chapel network of churches. His church will be the first in the Midwest.

"We're the pioneering mid-west representative," he said. "It's a partnership in ministry."

The new church espouses the church planting philosophy, a practice in which one congregation starts a similar church in a different location.

The church has about 100 members. The congregation began meeting in 1994 as an offshoot of Grace Church of DuPage in Warrenville. The new North Aurora facility will hold about 250.

Richardson said the church offers "straight forward" Bible teaching and fresh, contemporary worship.

"Our greatest passion is to shine the love and heart of Jesus to the Fox Valley," Richardson said. "We want to make his message known."

For information, call the church at (630) 892-9357.

Hear Valparaiso University Chorale: The 44-voice Valparaiso University Chorale will perform at 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21, at Bethany Lutheran Church, 8 S. Lincoln St. in Batavia.

Under the direction of Christopher M. Cock, the chorale's spring tour will commemorate the 250th anniversary of the death of Handel by performing works by the composer.

The chorale will also perform love songs, including Eric Whitacre's, "A Boy and a Girl," and "Loch Lomond," as well as traditional hymns and spirituals.

There is a $10 per person suggested donation.

Call the church office at (630) 879-3444 or visit bethanybatavia.org.