Main Street Chapel Opens in Downtown St. Charles

North Main Street in St. Charles is known for restaurants and nightlife. Some people might say that it became too well known last year when the nightlife went long and loud into the night.

Into the mix of pubs and nightclubs, coffeehouses and eateries has come Main Street Chapel, 116 N. Main Street. Someone casually walking by might think it is a “storefront church” because it is located in a commercial area surrounded by businesses. However, this church is buying the store and the building. After overhauling the interior space, Main Street Chapel is open for business--God’s business--for the long haul.

I spoke with Douglas Hon, lead pastor for Main Street Church. The church has been meeting at 10:30 a.m. Sunday mornings at Main Street Chapel since April 3.

Main Street Church is not a new church, but is the congregation previously called Risen Lord Community Church, which most recently met in a building at Highway 94 and Interstate 70. Hon, 48, has been pastor with this church of approximately 200 people and three full-time pastors for many years.

This commercial location fit with the vision he has for their church, which is to be a part of the community around them.

“The building is the Lord’s first and belongs to the community second," Hon said.

“We did not want to be competing to match the buildings or programs” of other churches, Hon said.“It’s not about having the largest membership or the biggest building. It’s being a part of the community, not apart from the community around us.”

I’m sure I smiled. I may have said, “Amen!”

It is in that spirit that the building is called Main Street Chapel. It is a chapel for the community.

True to the spirit of church collegiality, Main Street Church has a working arrangement for worship and office space with Matthias’ Lot Church. There is no conflict because Matthias’ Lot has two worship services on Wednesday evenings, reserving Sundays for the church's Living Outward Together small group meetings.

The renovating is not complete. Hon gave me a tour. Gateway Medical owned the building before Main Street Chapel. Originally, the building was a drugstore. At this time, the church members have not replaced the original stone flooring, but have added a semicircle of carpet in the sanctuary, as well as wood trim and desert-toned paint.

The sanctuary currently seats 220. There are also plans for an informal seating area in a back corner where there are windows. Hon wants to add comfortable chairs so “people can just come and sit” and take a break, read their Bible and be with God. I saw this plan for a corner of comfy chairs as a great spot for small group Bible studies. “I’m in,” I said. There is also a plan for a separate prayer room on the first floor.

Occasionally, Hon would apologize for the fact that something wasn’t finished. I was flabbergasted by how much has been remodeled and that Main Street Chapel is up and housing two different churches and scheduling outside events.

This church lives by what it says. Even though the pastors are working from a yet-to-be completed office and administrative area, they have opened up the building to the community, first sharing facilities, equipment, conference room, worship space--and address. Second, the churche opened up the building to accommodate an event hosted by Lindenwood University.

On April 17, Main Street Church moved its worship time to 5 p.m. because the Mid West Collegiate Cycling Conference Regional Championship races were held on the streets of St. Charles, including Historic Downtown Main Street. Hosted by Lindenwood University, Main Street Chapel was the location for the awards presentation on Sunday afternoon. Photos from the races were shown on the two video screens, and the winners received medals and trophies up on the stage area. Open just three weeks, Main Street Church opened the building to the organizers of this athletic contest.

Main Street Chapel just started living out their vision of what it means to be the church in community. The members are already gearing up for the . Main Street Chapel will be a location for 12 of the artists showing their works during the weekend of April 29-May 1. This is immersion into community involvement!

I attended worship at Main Street Church on April 10. I was greeted by Hon himself. Everyone in that worship space looked comfortable, as if they had been worshipping there for years, not two weeks. I was immediately struck by the age range of those in the sanctuary: children, teenagers, young adults, people my age and seniors. The worship service included praise music, prayer, announcements, a Scripture-based message, and Holy Communion, which is served weekly.

Sunshine streamed through the windows, hands clapped or lifted high and raised in lofty praise of God on high.

After all, the building is the Lord’s first.

And I believe that God is pleased.