With a history of 157 years, there is an extensive list of significant happenings.
Here are six major events that shaped the direction of our church.
- The Blodgett Family, founding members of UCCDG, acted as a stop on the Underground Railroad from the 1840s to the 1860s.
- In 1961, our Family Life Program was founded to fill a need in the community for preschool. Today it is the First Congregational Learning Center (FCLC) fully accredited by the Department of Children and Family Services. It is one of the oldest, continuously running preschools in DuPage County and provides childcare ranging from infants up to 5-year-olds. Currently we have fifty children enrolled in the program with a two-year waiting list in some classrooms.
- In 2000, Pastor Laura Hoglund began a ministry to serve the needy in our community which has grown to the current Hope’s Front Door.
- In 2010 our congregation voted to become an Open and Affirming church.
- In 2014, we started live streaming our church services for homebound members. Today we reach people worldwide.
- In 2020, we purchased the property adjoining our church. We are now in the process of evaluating how to best utilize the property in ways that will benefit our congregation and our surrounding Downers Grove community.