Mokena church to unveil time capsules at the centennial celebration of its history-rich church

Time capsules are one way to preserve the past for the future.

But sometimes time capsules are elusive.

Such was the case at St. John’s United Church of Christ, which will celebrate its 100th building anniversary Sunday in Mokena.

Finding the time capsules from 1922 and 1987 was quite the sleuthing adventure, said Brenda Guendling, a lifelong member serving on St. John’s centennial committee.

Attendees will hear details of the adventure and see the contents of the time capsules at the 100-year celebration at St. John’s, located at 11100 Second St. in Mokena.

The church service begins at 9:45 a.m. The time capsules will be unveiled at 10. a.m. following a brief outdoor ceremony.

St. John’s also will sell a historical color booklet of the church for $15. A digital version is $10. Local historian Matt Galik wrote the booklet.

Galik said the booklet is “the culmination of over 20 years of research.” Anyone who likes history might find the time capsules interesting, especially the photos inside the 1922 time capsule, he said.

These include family photos of the pastor at the time, a church picnic and a group photo of St. John ‘s brotherhood organization. Not all photos are from 1922. Some date back to World War I, Galik said.

“These are one-of-a-kind photos that have never been reproduced anywhere,” Galik said.

The 1922 time capsule also has copies of the church bulletin, called “Forward,” which mention how St. John’s supported its members who were in the military.

“I found those to be very interesting from a historical standpoint,” Galik said.

Galik said Mokena’s newspaper at the time – The News Bulletin – heavily covered the church’s dedication and its opening. The church was the most prominent construction in Mokena up to that point, and people traveled from as far as Chicago to attend the events, Galik said.

He hopes attendance for the celebration will approach the original events.

“I think a lot of people will be there for the service and the get-together afterward,” Galik said. “It will be quite the occasion.”

But the history doesn’t stop there. A reception in St. John’s community center will include refreshments prepared using 26 recipes from the church’s published cookbooks through the decades, Guendling said.

Attendees will learn the name of each cookie and who contributed the recipe, which may elicit more stories, Guendling said. They may hear people say, “Oh, I remember when so and so made these cookies,” she said.

Guendling said the centennial committee represented five generations of members in that people from their 40s through their 90s helped with the planning.

“I’ve been baptized and raised and been involved with the music and handbell and choir,” Guendling said. “My mom [Ardith Guendling] was too. She sang.”

Some of the older members were part of families that extended back to the church’s beginnings in 1862, Guendling said.

Rocky Sheneman, a pastor, said preserving a church’s history is important because it reminds people how God has worked in their lives over time.

But a vision also is emerging at St. John’s in supporting local organizations not just with monetary donations but with volunteerism, too, because that helps people come together in positive ways, Sheneman said.

For instance, St. John’s member Paula Forester of Mokena (deceased) volunteered for Neat Repeats (which supported the Crisis Center of South Suburbia), Meals on Wheels in Frankfort Township and Daybreak Center’s Shepherd’s Table in Joliet.

“It’s something all church members can get excited about,” Sheneman said.

[ An Extraordinary Life: Mokena woman put her faith into action. ]

St. John’s also is good at building connections among its members.

Stephanie Sheneman, Rocky’s wife, said she and Rocky came to St. John’s in May 2020, “right in the thick of [COVID-19]” when people were not meeting in-person. But she said everyone was so friendly and getting to know everyone was not difficult at all.

“Ours is small and intimate, and you can get very connected with people, which is nice,” Stephanie said.

Stephanie said members support other members during difficult times and often send greeting cards in the mail to encourage them.

“You’re like, ‘Wow, that is so nice,’” Stephanie said. “Someone paid attention and knew I was having a hard day. I love getting that connection.”

Stephanie said people at St. John’s have a nice balance of preserving the past and moving forward. Developing the youth program and “opening up our building is very important to us,” she said. People always are welcome to drop in and not feel they must attend every Sunday.

That’s part of the reason why St. John’s hosts several large events a year, such as family day and trunk or treat – “just to be part of the community,” Stephanie said.

“We’re very welcoming,” Stephanie said. “The people there are very much about getting to know and find out who you are and what your interests are. Because we’re a smaller congregation, it’s easy to get to know people. And I like that.”

For information, visit stjohnsmokena.org.