Prince of Peace Lutheran Church Turns 50

Just two years after Woodridge was incorporated, the founding members of met in for their first worship service on Oct. 16, 1961. By Jan. 21, 1962, the church’s charter was signed.

Prince of Peace Lutheran Church celebrated its 50^th anniversary this weekend. 

Almost 100 people braved heavy snow and messy roads Friday for a banquet at Ashton Place in Darien. Then the congregation celebrated with a 50^th anniversary worship service and reception on Sunday. 

The church’s current location at 2600 W. 75th St. (between Janes Avenue and Woodridge Drive) was built in 1967. The church serves about 120 members. 

Brian Wellen’s family lived near the church and started attending Prince of Peace in 1970 when Wellen was 4. He never left.

“It’s just like a family,” Wellen said. “I’ve known these people for years. The majority of the membership has been here a long time.”

Wellen’s two brothers, sister, father and son have all been confirmed at Prince of Peace. He currently serves as youth director for the church, a position he took after teaching Sunday School and Vacation Bible School.

Prince of Peace’s smaller atmosphere also drew Jan Berning to the church in 1977.

“We just came here and we loved it,” Berning said. “Everyone is friendly. Everybody knows everybody.”

Tom Haskell joined Prince of Peace with his wife Stacey a year and a half ago.

“I really like how close-knit it is,” Haskell said. “I didn’t want a megachurch. I don’t like feeling like a fish in the ocean. I like having a connection with other people in the congregation and the pastor.”

Being a part of the 50^th anniversary committee brought back plenty of memories, Berning said. The committee arranged photos from the church’s past onto bulletin boards for the reception.

“It brings back memories of the church when I joined,” Berning said. “It’s unbelievable to see the start and how much they did in the first five years.”

Pastor Trudy Stoffel said the 50^th anniversary “reminds you of the firm foundation the church was based on and the risks people took to make it happen.” 

“They started meeting in a school,” Stoffel said. “They didn’t know what was going to happen.”

Since its beginning, the church has had its ups and downs, members said.

“The downs have brought us closer together,” said Richard Martin, who joined Prince of Peace in 1984.

In years past, young families in the area joined the church and remained members there. Now young members are fewer in number and attracting new membership is one of the church’s challenges and priorities.

“It’s learning how to translate from a church that was founded 50 years ago to a generation using iPads and the Internet," Stoffel said. “It's learning to speak to a new generation, which is always the challenge." 

Prince of Peace is about to see a new chapter in its history. 

Stoffel, who has served at Prince of Peace for almost five years, recently accepted a call to serve at Geneva Lutheran Church. Her last day at Prince of Peace is next Sunday. 

Looking back at her time in Woodridge, she said Prince of Peace is "a small church with a big heart that really supports each other...with a lot of enthusiasm about its future."