I’m New to Cross of Glory
Let us be the first to wish you a big, warm welcome! On this page you will find:
- Welcome
- Worship Info
- Directions
- Contact Info
- Community Center
- Baptisms, Weddings, & Funerals
- What if I’m Catholic?
- More about Cross of Glory
WELCOME [back to top]
We are so excited that you are considering coming to Cross of Glory. Cross of Glory is Your Welcome Place! At Cross of Glory Everyone Is Welcome. That is one of our Guiding Principles. And we mean everyone – people of every race, gender, class, denomination, ability, and sexual orientation are welcome here. You are welcome no matter who you are, where you’ve been, or what you’ve done. Join us for worship sometime. We promise to welcome you and make you feel right at home.
WORSHIP INFO [back to top]
We have three worship services:
Contemporary Worship Sunday 9:00am and 10:45am
Coffeehouse Worship Wednesday 6pm
Want to know more about our worship experiences? Click here: Worship.
DIRECTIONS [back to top]
Cross of Glory is located on the southeast corner of Cedar Road and 163rd Street in Homer Glen. For directions, click here: Mapquest Directions.
CONTACT INFO [back to top]
Cross of Glory Lutheran Church | 14719 W 163rd Street, Homer Glen, IL 60491 | Phone: 708.301.6998 | Email: info@crossofglory.com
Staff Contacts
Council Contacts
COMMUNITY CENTER [back to top]
Our church building was designed as a multi-purpose facility. It is our hope to be of service 7 days a week. The Cross of Glory Community Center is open to members of COG as well as the community. Whether you are hosting a business meeting, concert, or a recreational event, we want you to know that you are always welcome here! For more information on building amenities and fees, please call the church office at 708-301-6998 or email info@crossofglory.com.
BAPTISMS, WEDDINGS, & FUNERALS [back to top]
Cross of Glory would be honored to walk with you and your family through these major life events. You don’t have to be a member of our congregation to contact us. Whoever you are and whatever you are going through, Cross of Glory is Your Welcome Place. Our church building was designed as a multi-purpose facility so it functions well as both a worship space and a reception hall. To request a date, call the church office at 708-301-6998 or email info@crossofglory.com.
WHAT IF I’M CATHOLIC? [back to top]
No matter who you are, what your background is, or what you are going through – this is your welcome place. Welcoming is part of our guiding principles and our mission, and so we do our best to make everyone who walks through our doors feel welcome, comfortable, included, and safe. That’s one thing you can expect when coming to Cross of Glory.
For your other questions…
Q: Will I get more of a personal message, a homily regarding every day things?
A: Yes. Our aim in preaching is to communicate the Good News – what God is up to in the world – and how that relates to every day life. We do talk about the Bible, but the point is to understand how God has been at work, is at work, and will be at work in our world.
Q: Am I a traitor and sinner for even considering looking into anything other than our “one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic Church”?
A: No. We consider ourselves “catholic” too. Let me explain. Cross of Glory is proudly a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. At the heart of Lutheranism is this message: “We are saved by grace because of what God has done for us through Jesus, as a gift, and not because of any good deeds we do!” Although we are proudly Lutheran, we are also proudly catholic. The word catholic (small “c”) means universal. We recognize that we are part of a church that is much larger and stronger than any single denomination. In the Nicene Creed we confess that we are part of the “one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church.” The people of Cross of Glory are brothers and sisters to Christians everywhere and are part of the Body of Christ, the communion of saints, and the fellowship of all believers.
Q: What are some of the major differences between the Catholic and Lutheran religion?
A: First, it is important to know that we are not different religions. We are both part of the Christian religion. But we are different denominations – movements within Christianity. Second, the biggest thing to know about the Lutheran movement is what I shared earlier about our heart and core: “We are saved by grace because of what God has done for us through Jesus, as a gift, and not because of any good deeds we do!” Our life of faith is not based on working our way into heaven or trying to do enough to please God. Instead our life of faith is based on God’s free gifts of love and grace, which transform our lives and guide us into a new, exciting way of living. Third, we are encouraged to discover God’s grace and God’s leading in our lives together. Our denomination never tells us what to think or what we have to do. Instead, our denomination points us to the Word of God. We are encouraged to read, study, and understand the Bible together. It is a powerful source of wisdom, inspiration, and direction. We are also encouraged to pray and talk about how God is active and how God might be leading us to live and act. Fourth, we have two sacraments. As Lutherans, we celebrate confirmation, marriage, ordination, anointing of the sick, and confession. But it is through the two sacraments of Holy Communion and Baptism, particularly, that we experience the unconditional love and forgiveness of God. There is nothing we must do to earn these gifts of grace. Therefore, even babies are baptized as a sign that God’s love is a free gift! And everyone who wants to share in the Lord’s Supper is welcome to join us at the Communion table. Third, we believe that everyone is a minister – not just the pastor or the priest. The Bible shows us that God can use anybody, even the most ordinary people, to do God’s work. At Cross of Glory we are all ministers! All of us – our ideas, our needs, and our dreams – are important to make our church work. We even vote for our own pastors and bishops. Our pastors and bishops have the important role of guiding and nurturing congregations. But pastors and bishops are people too, just like everyone else. Fourth, we believe that all of us have God’s attention when we pray. We honor the saints who have gone before us: the apostles, Mary and Joseph, the early church fathers, the martyrs, etc. But the Bible tells us that through Jesus we can speak with confidence directly to God (Hebrews 4:16). So, we do not necessarily ask the saints to pray for us. But we value their example and hope to live as faithfully as they lived.
Q: If we come to visit, will we stick out like a sore thumb? Will we have to wear name tags or standing up and identifying ourselves?
A: No, you will not stick out like a sore thumb. If people notice that you are new, they will be thrilled to have you as our guest. They probably will come over to welcome you or introduce themselves to you. Most people come dressed very casually, so you probably won’t find many wearing suits or really fancy clothes. Come in whatever you are most comfortable in, and you will be welcomed as you are. Yes, you will be given a name tag, but all of us wear name tags. We like to be able to address one another by name. No, you will not be asked to stand up and identify yourselves. You can sit back, relax, and enjoy the experience.
Q: How does worship work? How does communion work?
A: Worship officially begins at 9:00am or 10:45 on Sunday and at 6:00pm on Wednesday. A few minutes before the start of service, the band starts playing some worship music. This helps us enter into the spirit of worship. When you walk in the door, you will be handed a program of the service and a Bible. There are two kinds of bibles – purple (regular print) and black (large print). Everyone is invited to share in the meal. Jesus ate with everyone, and so do we. There are no ushers directing you, so you can feel free to come (or not to come) as you are ready. You are given a piece of bread, which you can then dip in the non-alcoholic wine. After this you are invited to go back to your seat or do any of the following things: 1) visit the font and make the sign of the cross in remembrance of your baptism; 2) visit the prayer station to write in prayer requests and light a candle; and/or 3) pray with a member of our prayer team. Again, these are just options available for you.
Q: Your website expresses that you are very modern – guitars, movie screen, etc. I’m used to a very serious and traditional mass. What can I expect?
A: Our worship is serious in the sense that we take seriously the privilege and opportunity of gathering together for worship. But our worship is not serious in the sense that it is boring or that you are not allowed to have fun. Worship for us is a celebration of God’s love and saving grace at work in the world. So you can expect to find people having fun and enjoying the experience. Our worship is traditional in the sense that we honor the rich worship tradition of Christianity. We include opening prayers, music, prayers of confession, readings from the Bible, a homily/sermon, the Apostles ‘ Creed, the offering, and the Lord’s Supper. These are all very traditional components of worship. But our worship is not traditional in the sense that we don’t believe there is only one “right” way to worship. We do not think there is only one kind of music or one kind of prayer that is more holy than others. God gave us the gift of music, language, and technology, and we try to make the most of those gifts in worship. Our worship music is lead by a talented team of musicians from our congregation. Drums, guitars, bass, keyboards, vocals, and an array of other instruments blend together to provide lively music that is inspiring and sounds like it belongs to the 21st century. On a Sunday morning you could expect to hear a contemporary worship song, a classic hymn, or even a remix of one of your favorite tunes on the radio. The screen is there to enhance our worship experience by projecting words and images.
Q: How long does worship last?
A: Worship normally lasts about an hour.
MORE ABOUT COG [back to top]
For more about Cross of Glory, you can scroll through the menu on the left side of your screen. Here are some recommendations:
