Our Blog: What's Happening at North Northfield
Sunday Activities
In-person church service
Sunday, 10 a.m., main sanctuary, church building.
Join us early at 9:45 a.m. for a brief time of praise and prayer before the start of the service.
New to North Northfield? We're glad you're here! More information is under the
Welcome section.
Online church service
Sunday, 10 a.m. central time (-6 hours UTC, except -5 hours UTC from the second Sunday of March until the first Sunday of November). Join us early for a brief time of praise and prayer before the service at 9:45 a.m. Sundays.
To attend on Zoom, use this link: live-stream worship service.
To attend by telephone, dial (312) 626-6799;
use meeting ID: 997 5209 6480 and passcode: Passcode: 776173Online Zoom services include optional automated closed captions and real-time language translation.
Recordings from previous weeks are available on our YouTube channel.
Recurring Activities
Adult Sunday school, Sundays, 8:45 a.m., Education Building.
Praise and prayer before the morning service, Sundays, 9:45 a.m., sanctuary).
Coffee hour, second and fourth Sunday following morning service.
Small Group, every other Wednesday, 5 p.m., Education Building.
Ladies Group, Tuesdays, 1 p.m., Education Building.
Choir Rehearsal, Thursdays, 7 to 8:30 p.m., Sanctuary.
Communion is celebrated on the first Sunday of the month during the morning service.
Community Groups
For information about other churches and organizations using our facilities please contact those churches and organizations directly.
Thank you for your continued financial support!
North Northfield Staff Meet Our Staff
Rev. Dr. Min Hyuk Woo, Pastor
North Northfield's pastor is the Rev. Dr. Min Hyuk Woo, who comes to us from Vision United Methodist Church in Mundelein, Ill.
He has also served as pastor at Zion United Methodist Church in Appleton, Wis., and at Yangmoon United Methodist Church in Barrington, lll. He also previously served as Associate Pastor at Troy Korean United Methodist Church in Michigan.
Rev. Woo, who received his Doctorate of Leadership from Midwest University in Missouri, finished the Ph. D. coursework in the area of the New Testament and holds a Master of Divinity from Drew University in New Jersey.
Rev. Woo and his wife, Youngmi, have two sons, Samuel and Enoch.
J.D. Rich, Director of Music
J.D. Rich is a long-time member of the North Northfield family. He joined the choir right after high school and has been a member ever since.
In addition to singing in the choir, J.D. has been a member of the International gold medalist New Tradition Chorus, a men's a cappella chorus competing in the U.S. and Canada against choruses from around the world.
During his sixteen-year tenure, J.D. held a number of leadership positions within the chorus including Membership Vice President, Program Vice President, President, and most recently, Music Vice President.
When he isn't singing or directing the choir, J.D. works as a tax accountant.
Matthew Nall, Pianist
Matthew Nall is a lifelong United Methodist, with family roots in the Evangelical United Brethren Church (EUB). Although primarily a pianist, Matthew has enjoyed singing tenor in the choirs at Illinois College, Western Illinois University, and First Presbyterian Church of Springfield, Illinois. Besides hymns and praise songs, Matthew has an eclectic musical taste and enjoys gospel, world music, jazz, and classical piano.
Matthew lives in Arlington Heights where he is a private piano instructor. In his free time, Matthew enjoys meeting with friends, family, and new folks - especially sharing a meal!
Our History
First things first — so what's the deal with our funny handle, you may ask? "North Northfield" was named long before Northbrook existed. The church is located near the north side of Northfield Township and is several miles from the current village of Northfield. (A township is a special form of municipal government originally intended to serve rural areas — it is different than a village, city or county.) Our name is true to our long heritage.
If you gathered from the above explanation that we got our start quite awhile ago, you would be right! In 1834, Daniel Stanger, age 25, walked almost the entire distance from eastern Pennsylvania to make his home along the Des Plaines River, just south of present-day Wheeling. Stanger's reports from the new "promised land" encouraged more German-speaking settlers to follow from the east. Bishop John Seybert, the first missionary of the young Evangelical Association, had been their spiritual leader in Pennsylvania. It was through his labors and under his guidance that the Evangelicals gained a foothold on the frontiers of the Midwest.
Bishop Seybert sent Rev. Jacob Boas to organize preaching stations in the newly settled territory. His first Illinois sermon was on July 25, 1837, in the log cabin of Daniel and Mary Stanger, located near what is now Dam No. 1 on the Des Plaines River. His July 25 sermon marked the birth of both the Illinois Conference of what would become the United Methodist Church and the North Northfield congregation.
Here are some highlights of our history (move mouse over links for more info.):
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Second church building constructed, 1847
Northbrook placed a commemorative marker at the site of Pioneer Cemetery (where the second building was located) in 2013. -
National schism, 1890; fourth church building constructed, 1893
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Fire destroys fourth church building, 1942
(Pictures and a more detailed account of the fire are included in the time on our Facebook page.)
North Northfield 185th anniversary slide show
We're still active!
For more recent information on what has been keeping us busy, please visit our Facebook
page.
While our church has a rich history, we feel that we are as relevant today as those who came before us were in their time. In Christ, God's love claims us as family — one rooted in Christian tradition and in the open hearts, open minds, open doors of the people of the United Methodist Church, believing that God's grace and love are offered to all. Our tradition puts love into action, always mindful of the missions of doing justice and spreading God's love to a hurting world. Together, we center our lives in the hope that faith makes a difference — in and beyond our family. We dare to believe that faith can change the world.
Activities
Congregational Activities
North Northfield provides a number of opportunities to participate in the life of the congregation on an ongoing basis. Questions? Contact us at 847.272.2250 or peace1@northnorthfield.org
North Northfield's current activities
Sunday
10 a.m., Sunday services
(after service), Fellowship time
8:45 a.m., Adult Sunday school (except summer)
10:30 a.m., Prayer Garden Ministries Sunday services, in Education Building
12:30 p.m., Happy Christian Church / Agape Baptist Church Korean language service
Every other Monday
5 p.m., Small group
Tuesday
1 p.m., Ladies small group
Thursday
7:30 p.m., Chancel Choir rehearsal (except summer)
Saturday
(1st or 2nd Saturday)1 p.m., "Reading is Believing" book discussion group
Special Days and Seasonal Programs
Lent & Easter activities
Maundy Thursday Service
Good Friday Tenebrae Service
Easter Celebration
Rally Day (First Sunday after Labor Day)
Service for Blessing of Animals (next service, to be determined)
World Communion Sunday (1st Sunday in October)
Laity Sunday (3rd Sunday in October)
All Saints Day Sunday Service (1st Sunday in November)
Thanksgiving Sunday Service (Sunday before Thanksgiving)
Christmas Eve Service (Dec. 24)
Community Organizations Using Our Facilities
North Northfield hosts several independent organizations that use our facilities for their meetings and activities.
Although they are not connected with our denomination, we are pleased to host them as they serve our local community (for more information about these organizations' activities, please contact them directly). These organizations include:
Alcoholics Anonymous, Chicago Area 19, meeting no. 3-1786
meetings held Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly), Northbrook Chapter
meetings held Wednesday, 1 p.m.Happy Christian Church / Agape Baptist Church
Rev. Paul J. Yoo and Rev. Young-Suk Choi, pastors
Sunday services, 12:30 p.m. (in Korean)Prayer Garden Ministries Full Gospel Church
Lucilla Richard-Seaton, pastor
Christian education, Fridays, 6:30 p.m.; Sunday services, 10:30 a.m.Yoga class
Education Building, Fridays, 10 to 11:15 a.m.
Giving
Thank you for your financial support!
North Northfield appreciates your continued financial support of our local congregation as you are able.
Donation options:
Mail checks payable to North Northfield U.M.C. to 797 Sanders Road, Northbrook, IL 60062 (we check the mail regularly).
Online and mobile donations may be made through Zelle (at participating banks' websites or apps, or on the Zelle phone app); North Northfield's Zelle identification is giving@northnorthfield.org
If you have online banking, you may be able to arrange one-time and recurring payments on your bank or credit union website (they typically will mail payments without additional charge).
Donations may also be left in the collection plate in the narthex on Sunday morning or dropped off at the church office.
Denomination Ministries
North Northfield supports the ministries of our denomination. If you would like to contribute to these ministries, please indicate the ministry on the "memo" line of your check.
Donations may also be made online by following the links below to our denomination's website (you may credit North Northfield for the donation if desired).
For "Advance" donations to the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), all of your donation will go toward the specified ministry as administrative costs are covered by other funding sources such as the "UMCOR Sunday" offering. Thank you!
COVID-19 Response Fund (Advance no. 3022612)
Domestic disaster relief (Advance no. 901670)
International disaster relief (Advance no. 982450)
"Special Sundays" -- Human Relations Day Sunday, UMCOR Sunday, Native American Ministries Sunday, Peace with Justice Sunday, World Communion Sunday and United Methodist Student Day.
"Generosity of the poor widow" by Bie and Vos. (Luke 21:1-4)
Area Food Pantries
North Northfield supports the Wheeling township food pantry.
Canned and dried goods donations may be left in the cart in the entry way outside the narthex (please leave donations in original packaging as the food pantries are unable to accept opened items).
Thank you!
North Northfield United Methodist Church
797 Sanders Road
Northbrook, Illinois 60062
847.272.2250
What's happening at North Northfield North Northfield United Methodist Church is a member of the
Northern Illinois Conference of the
United Methodist Church.