618-537-4991 | Sunday Worship at 9:15 a.m.; Sunday School (Sept - May) 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
618-537-4991 | Sunday Worship at 9:15 a.m.; Sunday School (Sept - May) 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Learn more about who we are, what we believe, and discover how you can be a part of the journey
Welcome to St. Paul United Church of Christ in Lebanon, Illinois.
Here at St. Paul, we are proud of our history, our mission to serve others, our ecumenical partnerships with other Lebanon churches, organizaions, and our shared covenant with the other UCC churches in the Illinois South Conference of the United Church of Christ, of which we are an active member.
We welcome all to our faith home, no matter your faith background or where you are in your faith journey. We also believe that the Lord’s Table is open for people of all ages, all faith traditions or no faith tradition, those baptized or unbaptized, everyone is welcome at the Lord’s Table at St. Paul UCC. Christ turned no-one away and neither do we – everyone is welcome to receive communion.
We recently experienced a change in pastoral leadership and are actively searching for our next settled pastor. In the meantime, we are blessed to have leaders within our congregation who are equipped to lead worship, and we have access to supply pastors through our conference to also help lead worship and provide pastoral care.
During this time of transition, our focus is to continue the work we do in our local community, in the wider area, nationally, and internationally through the missions and ministries of our church and through outside missions and ministries which we support with either time, talent, or gifts. Visit our Church Life, Missions & Ministries, and our Frequently Asked Questions pages (link buttons top right) for additional information about who we are, what we believe.
Please join us on Sunday mornings for worship at 9:15 a.m., and click on the Events button above for upcoming events. Call, email or use the Contact Us page (link below) if you have questions or need additional information.
Your servants in Christ,
Church Council
St. Paul UCC
Lebanon, IL
St. Paul UCC began in 1868 when 42 German-speaking residents of Lebanon, IL, organized a congregation under the pastoral leadership of Rev. C. W. Seaman. By 1871, they dedicated their first church at our present location on Dee St. In August 1893, the congregation reorganized as the German Evangelical St. Paul Church, and in 1923, St. Paul was received into the Evangelical Synod of North America. After the 1957 denominational merger that formed the United Church of Christ, the congregation became St. Paul United Church of Christ.
Growth brought new spaces over time, including Fellowship Hall, which was dedicated in 1950. A few years after Fellowship Hall was added, the original church no longer served the needs of the congregation so it was razed and the current building was dedicated on October 23, 1960. In 2018, St. Paul celebrated its 150th anniversary and added a Gathering Room and basement space for storage and future classrooms.
St. Paul has a long history of providing faith filled worship services, Christian education, and fellowship. Recognizing that we are called to live our faith beyond the four walls of the church building, St. Paul has started several meaningful ministries, including ones where we teamed up with our ecumenical partners in Lebanon. We also support ministries and missions within the Illinois South Conference of the United Church of Christ (of which we are a member church), and we are continually looking for other ways in which we can serve. See our Missions & Ministries page (link below) for more information.
We are a come-as-you-are church for believers and nonbelievers alike looking for connection.
We believe in the Triune God: Creator, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. We trust God as the Maker of all things, we follow the risen Christ as the true head of the Church, and we rely on the Spirit to guide us and to keep God’s love and healing at work in the world.
We believe every person is on a spiritual journey. Each of us comes with different questions, different experiences, and different ideals and ideas, and when we seek God, work at an intentional relationship with God, and share how we have been shaped, what we have learned and how we have grown with others, then we are working to fulfill God’s call for each of us.
We are a Christ-centered, mission-minded Faith Family where all are welcome, including at Christ’s Table. Following in the footsteps of Jesus, we seek to grow in grace, practice compassion, and serve our neighbors with courage and care. From pew to sidewalk, we turn our prayers into action by working together to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ. Come worship, grow, and serve alongside us. You are welcome here!
We believe that baptism is one of two foundational sacraments (the other is Holy Communion). It is a sign of God’s love and grace and a reminder that we belong to God, and as a connection to the universal Church.
We baptize in worship with the congregation present because the congregation also makes a commitment to those being baptized. Because God’s grace is freely given, baptism can take place at any age and at any time in life.
We believe that everyone who comes in faith is invited to Christ’s Table for Communion (the second of two official sacraments of the United Church of Christ).
Through the breaking of the bread and sharing of the cup, we remember the love and sacrifice of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, given freely for all. Persons of all ages, denominations, beliefs, and whether baptized or not, are welcome at the Lord’s Table at St. Paul UCC. Jesus turned no one away and neither do we.
As a denomination, the United Church of Christ believes that it is called to be a “united and uniting church.”
Jesus prayed, “That they may all be one” (John 17:21), and we take that seriously. We also live by a simple guide: “In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, diversity; in all things, charity.” For us, that means we hold tightly to what matters most, and we make room for different views and questions where faithful people may disagree.
The UCC does not require one rigid set of beliefs or church structures. Instead, we share in covenantal relationships with the General Synod, associations, conferences, and local UCC churches, while also respecting each other’s autonomy.
We value thoughtful preaching and teaching, careful reading of Scripture, and a commitment to mission, ministry, teaching, and sharing that with others.
Learn more about the UCC by clicking the link below.
United Church of Christ