Parish Profile
Our Mission is to be an inclusive fellowship, growing in the Holy Spirit, nurturing the burdened and the joyous, reaching out to our communities
Our Community:
Sycamore is the embodiment of classic small town Mid-America, yet is still less than 60 miles from Chicago. It is nestled in some of the most fertile farmland in the world. We have a population of approximately 17,500. The Church is located a stone’s throw from the historic downtown area which includes shopping and restaurants. The district has over 200 beautiful homes, making this small town wonderful to walk through. The Kishwaukee River, often populated with canoes, runs right through a portion of Sycamore. Vintage community buildings such as the Carnegie library and courthouse are local favorites.
Sycamore is well known for its Pumpkin Festival, with its 5K run, parade, games, music, and food. As the parade passes right in front of our church, our pumpkin squares and brats are now famous. We are very proud that our kitchen has been awarded the Silver Spoon Trophy more than once! We enjoy working together and being a part of the celebration. A watering hole for dogs has been a tradition for us which the dogs and their owner’s appreciate. Funds raised from this event are used for outreach activities and various projects in the church.
Sycamore serves as the county seat for DeKalb County with a population of 105,000. It is home to Northern Illinois University as well as Kishwaukee Community College. The community also supports a hospital and health system affiliated with Northwestern University. With the majority of the county being agricultural, our Farm Bureau building is nationally recognized.
St. Peter’s Church was founded in 1855 with the current church building erected in 1878, on the original site. The Parish House was added in 1957. St. Peter’s Episcopal Church is in its 165th year serving the Sycamore community.
Our Ministries:
Our various ministries, including Caregivers, Altar Guild, readers, intercessors, acolytes, lay ministers, Outreach, Daughters of the King, and ushers invite everyone to participate as they are called. We all consider this our CHURCH HOME and take pride in maintaining the church in good condition and keeping the history of St. Peter’s alive.
In our local area, we take part in Meals on Wheels; we provide dinner to our local homeless shelter monthly; donate to our local food pantry weekly, and other worthwhile causes.
In addition to our local ministries, the people of St. Peter’s are active in serving the global community through such things as the Crop Walk, Tanzania Development Support, Smile Train, and UTO. We also support our companion diocese of South East Mexico and the Diocese of Renk (Sudan).
Being a smaller parish, we truly consider each other “family”. Many members who have moved away come back regularly to worship with us and reconnect with friends. Other members travel many miles to attend our weekly services. Young couples enjoy planning their wedding at St. Peter’s and we rejoice in celebrating the baptism of their children with them. Newcomers find they feel right at home as we are a very friendly, welcoming group. Coffee hour is a great time for newcomers to get to know us. One of our newest members shared his thoughts on coming to St. Peter’s:
“The best way to describe St. Peter’s is like coming home. My family started going here last year and every week we look forward to attending services. The people there are warm and welcoming in a genuine fashion. St. Peter’s is what my family needed and wanted from a church and congregation. Come and see for yourself, your home is calling.”
Our Diocese:
The Episcopal Diocese of Chicago is led by Bishop Jeffrey Lee and has 123 member congregations, spreading from Lake Michigan on the east, to the Wisconsin border on the north and the Iowa border on the west. The Diocese is known for its leadership initiatives designed to support congregational vitality. To this end, the Diocese focuses its energies on four key programs: The College for Congregational Development, Fierce Conversations, Project Resource, and Living Compass. The Nicholas Center, located on the fifth floor of the Diocesan office building in downtown Chicago, provides classroom space and accommodations for these programs as well as other leadership events.