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We are Elmhurst Presbyterian Church

About Us

Elmhurst Presbyterian Church is home to an energetic community of believers.

All are welcome to join our celebration of Jesus Christ through worship, outreach and fellowship! We invite you to join us on your faith journey; to explore, learn and serve with us.

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Ministries

Serve all members of our congregation with a focus on growing programs for youth and children. Our worship services are lively, filled with music, opportunities to interact and biblically-informed messages.

Mission

Supports programs that positively impact the lives of people around the globe and in our community

Connections

Create opportunities for members and the community to attend to each other.
Elmhurst Presbyterian Church is part of the Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA) and a member of the Chicago Presbytery

To learn more about the origins of Presbyterianism and what PCUSA church believes historically, theologically, and socially, visit the PCUSA website.

Elmhurst Beliefs

Who We Are

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Leadership

Learn about EPC's leadership team.
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Inclusivity

Want to know what fostering belonging & inclusivity mean to us?
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Rental Space

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A Bit of History...

Left to Right: William Kroeplin, Dr. Sawyier, Dr. DuBourdieu, and Dr. Johnson, the latter were from the Church Extension Board.

Enjoy this newspaper clipping showcasing the EPC traditions of engaging in small groups and serving the church in leadership roles.

If you’ve been around EPC awhile, you might be able to recall where this image was used in church materials at the time of this milestone anniversary. Look closely; it was both a celebration and a call to action.

In the mid-1970s, our Session adopted this slogan. From the literature shared with the congregation, “The 7 days a week church is meant to convey the fact that our church is literally open to the community every day of the week. But, more importantly, that its members are dedicated to being 7 days a week Christians…as we seek new opportunities to witness for Christ daily, live the true meaning of stewardship, reach out to the community and beckon it to us, become closer to Christ through learning and doing, recapture the vitality of the early Christian community, and glorify & enjoy God forever.”

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Stained Glass in the Sanctuary

Get to know more about our church through the scenes & symbology in our stained-glass windows.

The fish is one of the secret symbols used by the early Christians when it was dangerous to be a Christian. By the use of such signs the followers of Jesus could indicate their presence to each other while at the same time protecting themselves from being unnecessarily exposed to the foes of Christianity.

The Greek word for fish IXOYC (pronounced ichthus) is an acrostic formed by using the first letter of each of the words in Greek (pronounced but not spelled, Yasous Christos Theou Hyos Soter) which stands for “Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Saviour.” It was precisely because the symbol was difficult to understand that it meant so much.

This particular window was restored in recent years after being damaged. It has additional meaning for us now.
The Vine
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The Fishing Boat and The Cross
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The Jerusalem Cross
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The Chalice and the Yoke
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The Lamb of God

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The Symbol of the Descending Dove
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The Chi Rho Symbol
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The Shield of the Trinity
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Elmhurst

Presbyterian Church
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367 Spring Rd.
Elmhurst, IL 60126

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(630) 834-7750
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Touched by Grace, we live differently.

© Elmhurst Presbyterian Church 2024 All Rights Reserved

The Vine

Stems from Jesus’ figure where he says, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit.” Crowning the vine is a shield with the three letters, IHS, which are the first three letters of the Greek word for Jesus. Above the shield is the familiar Cross and Crown symbol which stands for the reward received by those who are faithful unto death.

On the branches of the vine are twelve smaller shields representing the disciples in whom Jesus abided and who abided in Him. Reading from left to right and beginning at the top, the shields are as follows: the crossed keys—Peter; the shell—James the brother of John, often referred to as James the Greater; the X cross—Andrew; the chalice and serpent—John; the square and lance—Thomas; the three money bags—Matthew; the three knives—Bartholomew; the plain cross—Philip; the ship—Jude; the fish on a book—Simon the Zealot; the book and the double-edged ax—Matthias; and the saw—James the less or Little James because of his small stature. You will notice there is no shield for Judas.

The Fishing Boat and the Cross

The fishing boat with the cross in it and the fish beneath symbolize the Christian Church. The fish reminds us that it was started largely by fishermen who were called by Christ to follow Him. “Come, follow me,” He said, “And I will make you fishers of men.” The ship reminds us of Jesus stilling the tempest on the Sea of Galilee. The rough waves suggest storms at sea. The fact that the ship has not capsized is descriptive of the fact that the Church has faced all kinds of storms- persecution, heresy, division-and yet- has weathered them all.

The Jerusalem Cross

Sometimes called the Five-Fold Cross or the Crusader Cross is composed of one large cross made up of four Tau (T) crosses coming together at the center and four smaller plain crosses. There are various interpretations of its symbolism, but the one for us indicates the four corners of the earth (represented by the four small plain crosses) to which missionaries of the Cross of Christ (represented by the larger one in the center) have carried the Gospel since the days of the first century Church in Jerusalem. Jesus said, “Go into all the world…”

The Chalice and Yoke

The chalice and yoke are of dual symbolism. The chalice of the Lord’s Supper reminds us of the centrality of our commitment to the Lord Jesus as our personal Saviour. Each time we share the Cup we re-declare the dedication of our hearts and lives to Him. The yoke symbolizes our responsibility to be co-workers (yoke-bearers) with Him. Commitment to Christ linked with service to our fellow men, these describe the Christian disciple’s life.

The Lamb of God

The Lamb of God symbol comes to us out of the Hebrew sacrificial system and is applied to Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. It was John the Baptist at the time of Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan who said of Him, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” The banner carried by the lamb is the resurrection banner. The white pennant with the red cross represents Christ’s body and is attached to the cruciform staff representing the Cross on which Christ died and thru which the Risen Christ saves the world.

The Symbol of the Descending Dove

The symbol of the descending dove (with a three-rayed nimbus around its head) is the most usual one for the Holy Spirit. In the story of Jesus’ baptism we read that “the Holy Spirit descended upon him like a dove.” The stars surrounding the dove merely suggest his descent from the starry heavens.

The Chi Rho Symbol

Has been in use for at least sixteen hundred years and is derived from the first two letters of the Greek Word XPICTOC (pronounced Christos). The two letters abbreviate the name of Christ. The Alpha and Omega stand for the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet and stand for Jesus Christ, who is “the first and the last, the beginning and the end” of all things for the Christian disciple.

The Shield of The Trinity

Is a geometrical symbol for the Holy Trinity. It is really an equilateral triangle with a circle at each point. In the top circle is the letter “P” standing for the Latin word Pater (Father). In the bottom circle to the right is the letter “F” standing for the Latin word Filius (Son). In the bottom circle to the left is the double letter “S” standing for the Latin words Spiritus Sanctus (Holy Spirit). In the center circle is the Latin word Deus (God). The unity of the Godhead is pictured by using the word “est” on each line, starting from the corners and leading to the circle Deus. Thus one may read “The Father is God; the Son is God; the Holy Spirit is God”.

The separate phases of the Godhead are clearly pictured by the words “non est” written on the lines running from the Father to the Son to the Holy Spirit to the Father. Thus we read, “The Father is not the Son; the Son is not the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit is not the Father.”