Lake Street Church is an open and inclusive congregation.

Spiritual seekers of all racial, sexual, and religious orientations

are welcome. People who attend this church come from more

than a dozen religious traditions, including Buddhist, Jewish,

Muslim, Roman Catholic, and a number of Protestant

denominations. The diversity of our congregation creates a

stimulating, enriching community that fosters respect and

compassion. If you are looking for a nontraditional place to

worship, share your beliefs, and grow spiritually, please join us.   

Learn more about events at the church this month by reading our June 15, 2013 edition of the LSC Connections Eblast.

Lake Street Church is an active community that offers a variety of programs for all ages and interests.  Adult education includes Dream Sharing, book study, spiritual development through prayer and ritual, and conflict resolution. Art, music and Bible stories enrich all of our children’s classes, and our middle and high school students also explore our wider community through service projects and interfaith events. 

Lake Street Church attracts talented musicians who find opportunities to sing in one of several choirs or to play instruments as soloists or in ensembles.  The Peace and Justice Committee actively promotes peace in the world and at home, seeks to protect the environment, and cares for those on the margins of society.  Our Inside/Out group supports lesbians, gays, bisexual and transgender folks, their friends and families.  Interfaith events, including World Wide Community Sunday and the Living Buddha/Living Christ worship service, celebrate the traditions of other religions.  Holidays, too, bring special programs in which both young and old can share in the life of the church’s extended family.

Lake Street Church dates back to 1858, when a handful of Evanston's first settlers established an ecumenical, home-based church. Our present Victorian Gothic house of worship opened its doors in 1875. Today it is Evanston's oldest public building. In 1995, a major restoration of the sanctuary was completed. This restoration recaptures the feeling a late 19th Century visitor would have had upon entering the church. The sanctuary evokes a sense of quiet mystery suggestive of walking into a forest. The earthy colors and tall stained-glass windows imitate a canopy of trees with light shining through. It is with such awe that we reclaim a past that propels us into a future of spiritual and community renewal.

Lake Street Church is an autonomous congregation affiliated with the American Baptist Churches of the USA. We are committed to the Baptist core values of soul liberty, non-dogmatic spirituality, separation of church and state, and congregational self-determination. These values direct us toward personal spiritual development within a loving, supportive, and tolerant community.

To learn more about Lake Street Church's rich heritage, click on

Living Out Our Covenant:  A Video Portrait of Lake Street Church

Visit Lake Street Church's Time Line - both the Text Version and Interactive Version -

click on the links below

Journey of Lake Street Church - Visit our Timeline Texts Updated as of September 8, 2011

Journey of Lake Street Church from 1858 - 1945

Journey of Lake Street Church from 1944 - 1990

Journey of Lake Street Church from 1990 - 2008

Journey of Lake Street Church from 1997 - 2010