LaSalle Street Church

What are services like?
An 18th century hymn writer asked, “What language can I borrow to thank thee dearest friend?” He was pulled up short by the magnificence, glory and wonder of Jesus. How do we speak of the God who is always beyond us yet manifested in the person of Christ? Each week in our worship services, we're humbled by our limited knowledge and inadequate words as we strive to communicate the splendor of the Living God. From week to week, we incorporate and sing God’s glory through the language and rhythm of the world. We express God’s words through shadow puppets, art canvases and glistening banners. We acknowledge God’s presence through liturgies of candle lighting, incense burning and earthy elements. But we know that all of this is borrowed language. We are trying to express the sublime nature of the Eternal One in words and actions. Our worship services sometimes lean more liturgical and contemplative; other times our throats hurt from belting out gospel tunes. But we always preach the Word of God. We assemble around the Lord’s Table as one body, we confess the sin that holds our affections, and we realize the longings of our heart to be more. We witness the conviction that all things will fade but the eternal love of God endures. We leave each Sunday prepared to be the people of God in the world around us.

What is the community like?
LaSalle Street Church is an inter-denominational urban church with a 50-year history of ministering within the diverse complexity of the city. We tend to be evangelical in our roots and progressive in our outlook. Our congregation of 325 is growing, vibrant and actively engaged in ministry in Chicago and throughout the world. The church community is diverse theologically, economically and, increasingly diverse ethnically; the congregation is united around the life-giving person of Jesus and the work Christ has called us to in the world. We tend to be robustly engaged with our faith and culture, energetically debating both.

What if I'm not a Christian?
Beliefs can be a scary thing to talk about. So many people have experienced “believing the right thing” as a means to determine who’s in and who’s out. Many of us know what it feels like to ask the uncomfortable question. At LaSalle, we believe in the power of doubt and questions, just as we believe in the power of faith. We see belief as a dynamic thing that’s ultimately between you and God. No one is going to investigate your beliefs at the door. We try to continually ask new questions, see things from new perspectives and – ultimately – allow God to teach us new lessons as we learn from Jesus, from our lives and from each other. We hope you’ll join us as you are, wherever you are right now.