200 N. Main Street, Waterloo, Illinois 62298

(618) 939-7123 | Worship with us at 9:30 a.m. every Sunday.

Worship & Ministries

Learn about all the ministry offerings at St. Paul UCC

Join us at 9:30 a.m. on Sundays.
We take worship seriously at St. Paul UCC.

200 N. Main Street, Waterloo, Illinois 62298

Join Us On YouTube Live
a pastor stands behind a podium with her arms stretched out and head bowed

Worship

ALL are welcome to worship at St. Paul UCC.

The service has contemporary music from our praise band with elements of a traditional worship service.  Services are live-streamed and recorded on our YouTube channel:  St Paul UCC Waterloo IL. Each service lasts approximately one hour and includes scripture reading, a sermon, songs and prayer.

Currently we have one worship service at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday mornings.
We offer bus pick-up for those who request it. The bus is equipped with a wheelchair lift.

Sunday school will begin at 8:45 a.m. in the gym. Each Sunday school session will end with children entering worship at the Message for All Ages. Children will then remain in worship, either sitting with their family or in the prayground.

While EVERYONE is welcome in worship, if you would prefer for your child (ages 3 years and younger) to visit/stay in the nursery he/she is welcome to do so. The nursery will be staffed with a volunteer so that parents may return to worship. Provided by staff caregivers and volunteers for infants through two-year-olds during worship at 9:30 a.m.  Pagers are available for parents.

The first Wednesday of each month beginning at 5:30 p.m. This alternative worship style is definitely not traditional church. It begins with a meal we all share together, a bible story or reading and then we explore that bible passage through art, activity, movement, contemplation, games and edible crafts. We then close with a devotion and song. Sometimes we get Messy!

Holy and Open Communion:

  • First Sunday of the month

Fellowship Time:

  • 9:00 am to 9:30 am
  • 10:30 am to 11:00 am

Ministries

We are community-focused, and there’s no better way to dive into our community than getting involved with our ministries. Learn more about our ministry opportunities below.

The music ministry of St. Paul UCC offers a variety of ways to creatively express our faith while assisting in worship service leadership, promoting fellowship and growing our members in musical excellence. Any child or adult can find a home in our program. We offer vocal, instrumental, technical and creative ministries for all ages.

Since the program is constantly growing and changing, rehearsal times and programs may vary, so it is important that you contact the music office at gary@stpaulonline.org to find out where you can be connected. Come and join this exciting ministry. You will be blessed, and your music will be used to bless others.  Membership for all groups is open throughout the season.

Our Current Music and Fine Arts Ministry Groups

  • Chancel Choir: High school youth and adults
  • Chamber Choir: Women’s ensemble
  • Youth Choir: Children’s choir for grades one through five
  • Contemporary Band: Adults
  • Morning Handbell Choir: Adults
  • St. Paul Harps: All interested

Please contact us if you are interested in joining.

Please check with Jill (jill@stpaulonline.org) if you have any questions about the current children’s/youth/family ministries.

Nursery

Newborns through three-year-old children are invited to stay in the staffed nursery during worship services.

Sunday School

Children ages three years to eighth grade are invited to participate in Sunday School each Sunday prior to worship, from 8:45 a.m. until approximately to 9:25 a.m. Sunday School begins each Sunday in the gym above Parish Hall.

Sunday School is not offered on special Sundays such as those with a Christmas, Messy Breakfast, or other church-wide breakfast.

Confirmation

St. Paul uses a hybrid Confirmation program open to any interested youth in 7th grade or older. Each confirmand completes a confirmation packet which has required assignments, readings, and logs for participation/attendance.

You can view introduction and program requirement videos on the church YouTube page or by clicking here. Click here to download the confirmation packet.

Adult Education Class

Sunday morning adult education classes are offered periodically prior to worship (beginning at 9:30 am).

Adult Bible Study Classes

Adult Bible Study Classes are offered throughout the year for four to six weeks per study. The classes meet Wednesday mornings from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Topical studies are also offered on occasion.

Bible Journaling Group

All are welcome to join our informal Bible journaling group which was formed with the intention of helping individuals experience new ways of interacting with scripture (such as artistically through coloring/lettering as well as meditative practices). Each month the group focused on a different scripture theme/practice (for example, scriptures for when you’re sad or finger labyrinths).

In the News Bible Study

The “In the News Bible Study” meets on Sundays at 9:00 a.m. in the East Room. The group uses the Wired Word curriculum to dig into how matters of faith connect with the week’s news. If you’re curious about discovering how God’s influence is shaping our world, mark your calendar and come hang with us!

SPLASH

SPLASH (St. Paul’s After School Hours) is an experience for children in grades one through five on Wednesday afternoons. SPLASH seeks to engage children in music, Bible study and stories, recreation, crafts, snacks and a time for homework. This experience is supported by a strong core of adult leaders, staff and rotating volunteers. Everyone who participates—children and adults—continues to grow in their own faith journey. Rotations begin at 2:30 p.m. and end at 5:30 p.m. every Wednesday while school is in session. There are always ongoing opportunities for volunteers to become part of this experience throughout the year.

Registration is open throughout the year. Please contact Jill (jill@stpaulonline.org) for class registration and for volunteer opportunities.

Vacation Bible School

Vacation Bible School is an exciting event in the life of St. Paul UCC! Our VBS follows a rotation model where the children rotate through several different areas, including worship, music, arts/crafts, games, storytelling and snacks.

We had a great time at VBS in 2023 with 120 students present! We look forward to even more fun when VBS returns in 2024.

Youth Programs/Opportunities

Youth Group: Grades 6–12 meet most Wednesday evenings during the school year from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Each youth group meeting begins with a shared meal followed by planning for upcoming experiences, discussion of challenging topics of interest, as well as games and activities.

Martha’s Kitchen/Mary’s Heart

The MKMH ministry offers weekly meals each Monday at 5 pm for members of our community. While this program is ran by a dedicated team of volunteers, additional volunteers from the congregation and community are invited to assist as they are able whether it’s by helping to serve/prepare the meal or providing a monetary donation. All are welcome to attend the program for the free meal or the opportunity for fellowship.

Comprehensive Caring Ministries

Caregiving ministries at St. Paul UCC are carried out not only by the pastor but by a group of lay caregivers, also known as the Care Team. This Care Team seeks to provide compassionate care even as they are “called by a God who cares for us, as expressed in the ministry and person of Jesus Christ.” The Care Team provides care through visitation to church members and friends who are in nursing care facilities. In addition, we have prayer warriors who serve on a prayer team, a ministry of meals team, (M.O.M), a welcome ministry team and a ministry of diverse abilities team.

Domestic Violence Prevention

Unfortunately, all of us in Waterloo and Monroe County are not immune to the issue of domestic violence. At St. Paul UCC, we are committed to learning more about this issue, to increase awareness in the church and to create a community of safety where violence is not tolerated. We further support the efforts of the Southern Illinois Domestic Violence Prevention Center by engaging the congregation through donations of gifts for the Women’s Shelter. We are continually seeking effective ways of responding to this concern from a faith perspective. Our vision is to make St. Paul UCC a safe place where survivors can tell their story, perpetrators are called to account and domestic violence will just be a memory.

For more information, contact our church office at linda@stpaulonline.org. If you know of someone who might be a victim of domestic violence and needs immediate assistance, please refer him/her to the Hotline at 800-924-0096.

Health and Wholeness Ministry

This ministry includes Parish Nurse Ministry and short-term loans of medical equipment. A parish nurse is available periodically during Fellowship Hour to provide blood pressure checks and answer health-related questions.

Child’s World Preschool

This is a preschool program that follows guidelines set forth by Child’s World Oversight Committee and provides early childhood education and experiences for children ages three to five.

Bus Ministry

St. Paul UCC offers bus transportation to our 9:30 a.m. Sunday worship service for those who request it. It is also used for special events of the church and to transport youth and adults to various church activities. The bus can hold up to 11 passengers and has a wheelchair lift for those who need it. Drivers are volunteers who have a valid driver’s license with a special endorsement.

Waterloo Area Help Network

St. Paul UCC is one of the partner churches in this local ecumenical ministry. Its purpose is to help local people who are in need by pooling resources from the participating churches.

Milestones are meaningful, often memorable, moments that happen in the lives of individuals and communities. St. Paul UCC-Waterloo’s Milestone Ministry is a faith formation practice of our church which helps all the generations present in our congregation to recognize God’s presence in everyday life as well as help us to draw closer as a church family.

For this program to serve its purpose (to draw the church family closer to God and closer together), we need information about what’s going on in the lives of our church brothers and sisters so that we can reach out to them. If you (or someone you know) encounters a milestone please let me or the church office know by completing this form. Thanks, in advance, for sharing your milestone (and your life) with us!

Women’s Fellowship

Meets for special events.

Men’s Ministry

Meets on the first Saturday of each month for breakfast at 8 a.m. Projects and events are scheduled as needs and opportunities arise.

Adult Social Club

Meets regularly at local restaurants, check the church calendar for time and location for the next outing.

Parents’ Gatherings

We offer faith based parenting classes, family retreats and other opportunities for parents of children and youth to gather, share, and fellowship.  Check the calendar for upcoming opportunities.

Chair Yoga

5:45 p.m., every Thursday

Yoga

6:30 p.m., every Thursday

New To UCC?

View our FAQs to learn more about us.

Calendar

Attend an upcoming event at St. Paul.