Loving God

We strive to love God completely, both as individuals and as a church. We long for a deeper experience of God's transforming love. We walk in the light of Scripture, God’s written Word, as our highest authority and only certain guide on our journey into his love (Psalm 119:105; Hebrews 4:12).

In order to express our love for God, we commit ourselves to worship, prayer and the other ancient disciplines of the Christian faith as the only sure path toward spiritual transformation (Jeremiah 6:16). Specifically, we worship in the liturgical tradition of the Anglican Book of Common Prayer, which helps us to proclaim the Word of God (Acts 10:42; Titus 1:19) and to share in the sacraments of Communion (Ephesians 6:18; Luke 22:19) and baptism (Mark 16:15-6; Romans 6:1-8; 1 Corinthians 12:13).

Loving Others

The Bible calls Christians "the body" of Christ (Romans 7:4; 1 Corinthians 10:16, 12:27), and so we believe we are united with Jesus Christ in his suffering, death and resurrection. We are therefore called to a common life of “humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:1-6).

We seek to empower one another to live and proclaim the Good News in our relationships, neighborhoods, and vocations -- especially locally, but also globally (Matthew 28:19-20). We commit ourselves to recognize and respond to those who are suffering and in need through giving, serving, praying, and promoting social justice (Micah 6:8). Learn more about what Savior is doing on our Loving Others page.

Loving Life

We believe that wholehearted love for God and others produces a love for life that is contagious.

Because we love God, we receive with gratitude and celebration the life he gives us. God called his creation good, so we affirm the goodness of his world and seek to enjoy and conserve God’s creation (1 Timothy 6:17). We receive every good gift that comes down to us from God (James 1:17). We claim the victory of Christ over sin, so that we might “have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). The weekly Sabbath is an important part of our tasting the abundance of life that Jesus offers. (Exodus 20:8; Mark 2:27). 

For more on Loving Life, you might enjoy our sermons on:

• Resist Hurry

• Remember the Sabbath

• Honor Someone

• Appreciate and Create Culture

• Delight in God's Creation

Grace

Paul described the grace that we receive from Christ as a free gift. It is not something we can earn. It is not based on merit. We hope that a vivid sense of God’s grace will infuse all our interactions with others.

Inward Journey & Outward Journey

We believe in inner transformation through prayer, silence, honesty with others, and other Christian practices. This “inward journey” is designed to be balanced with the “outward journey” of loving others. God loves the poor, and the poor in spirit; God loves those who are far from Him, or alienated from the church; God loves every race, every class, every culture. An integral part of our mission is to look outward, confront darkness, and live in faithful witness, service, and care for those in need. Learn more on our Loving Others page.

Radically Resisting Busyness and Hurry

Modern life requires and rewards busyness and hurry—and even a local church may become frenetic. We try to resist busyness and over-programming, for as Eugene Peterson taught, “Busyness is an illness of spirit.” 

Rector: Kevin Miller

• Ministry Area(s): Prayer, Preaching, Vision, Leading Vestry and Clergy.

• Background: Editor and vice-president at Christianity Today for 26 years; associate rector at Church of the Resurrection for 5 years; rector at Savior since January 2017. Co-founder of PreachingToday.com and CTPastors.com.

• Family/Pets: Kevin is married to Savior’s Associate Rector, Karen. Their daughter, Anne, teaches high school English and attends Savior sometimes. Their son, Andrew, lives in Houston with his family and works in software. “No pets, though I’m partial to Lexi, the Australian shepherd of Karen’s sister.” Kevin loves the Cubs and great coffee.

• Quote: “You can accomplish a great deal more by quiet, thoughtful work done as in God's sight, than by all the busy eagerness and over-activity of your restless nature” (Francois Fenelon, 17th-century spiritual writer).

Associate Rector: Karen Miller

• Ministry Area(s): Leading Staff Meetings, Coaching Staff Members, Leading Worship, Preaching, Serving on Vestry.

• Background: a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Karen led the counseling center for Evangelical Child and Family Agency for 9 years; coached church planters with the Greenhouse Movement for 3 years; and served as executive pastor at Church of the Resurrection for 14 years. She founded and leads a leadership-coaching practice, Strengthen Your Leadership.

• Family/Pets: Karen is married to Savior’s Rector, Kevin. Their daughter, Anne, teaches high school English and attends Savior sometimes. Their son, Andrew, lives in Houston with his family and works in software. Karen loves making cards, and beating Kevin (or trying to) in Scrabble.

• Quote: “If you have the gift of leadership, lead diligently” (Paul, to the Christians in Rome) and “Apart from me, you can do nothing” (Jesus, to his disciples).

Deacon: Sandy Oyler

• Ministry Area(s): All Things Altar-Related, Acolytes, Pastoral Care, Preaching, Serving on the Vestry

• Background: Sandy is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, has worked for Outreach Community Ministries for the past 15 years, and is currently the Director of the counseling center at their Warrenville location, Warrenville Youth and Family Services. Sandy has been part of Church of the Savior since its beginning and was ordained as a Deacon in 2014.

• Quote: "Think and wonder. Wonder and think" (Dr. Seuss).

Pastor of Family Ministries: Mary Gonzalez

• Ministry Area(s): Family Ministries, Children, Youth

• Background: Mary Gonzalez is our Pastor of Family Ministries and has worked at Savior since its beginning in 2004.

• Family/Pets: Mary lives in Winfield with her husband of 27 years, Angel. Their daughter, Mariana, is in high school, and their son, Daniel, is studying at University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana.

• Quote: “We always have enough time to do the work that God has for us" (Sibyl Towner).

Pastor of Adult Formation: Sandy Richter

• Ministry Area(s): Adult formation: community-building, education, and worship-service teams.

• Background: Sandy grew up in the Church of God, but gravitated toward 'higher church' settings in college, making her way to the ACNA and Church of the Savior in 2013. Sandy and her husband love the liturgy and tradition they have found in Anglicanism, and the warmth and depth of spirituality at Savior.

• Family/Pets: Sandy has been married to Ian since 2007 and they have three children: Kiah, Elle and Ezra.

• Quote: "Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don't be afraid" (Frederick Buechner).

director of Communications & Children's Ministry coordinator: sarah lindsay

• Ministry Area(s): coordinate children's worship and activities, communicate with the congregation

• Background: Sarah has a background in teaching (English literature and writing) and she currently blogs. She has been an Anglican since she discovered liturgical worship in college; she joined Savior in 2017.

• Family/Pets: Sarah is married to Brad, and they have three daughters: Isabel, Claire and Vivian. Their two dogs are named Darcy and Lizzy, after characters in one of their favorite novels.

• Quote: “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well” (Julian of Norwich).

Youth Pastor (with All Souls'): Andrew Unger

• Ministry Area: Youth Ministry

• Background: Andrew has been doing youth ministry at All Souls and Savior since 2007, and enjoys (almost) every minute of it!

• Family/Pets: He has been married to Deacon Joy Unger since 2007, and has two sons (Luke, born in 2011 and Simon, born in 2015). They live in Winfield.

• Quote: "From God’s point of view, the distance between being ordinarily sinful (what we all are) and extremely sinful (what the people we don’t like seem to be) is like the distance between London and Paris seen from the point of view of the sun" (N.T. Wright).

I believe in God,
the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ,
his only Son, our Lord,
He was conceived
by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again
to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.

1. Salvation

We rejoice in the gospel of God through which we have been saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. Because God first loved us, we love him and as believers bring forth fruits of love, ongoing repentance, lively hope and thanksgiving to God in all things.

2. The Bible

We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the Word of God written and to contain all things necessary for salvation. The Bible is to be translated, read, preached, taught and obeyed in its plain and canonical sense, respectful of the church’s historic and consensual reading.

3. The Creeds 

We uphold the four Ecumenical Councils and the three historic Creeds [Apostles' Creed, Nicene Creed, Athanasian Creed] as expressing the rule of faith of the one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

4. Anglican History 

We uphold the Thirty-nine Articles as containing the true doctrine of the Church agreeing with God’s Word and as authoritative for Anglicans today.

5. Jesus 

We gladly proclaim and submit to the unique and universal Lordship of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, humanity’s only Saviour from sin, judgement and hell, who lived the life we could not live and died the death that we deserve. By his atoning death and glorious resurrection, he secured the redemption of all who come to him in repentance and faith.

Vestry (Board)

Savior's Vestry oversees the finances of the church and provides big-picture discernment and direction. Vestry members are elected by the parish and serve 3-year terms. Please direct questions to the wardens:

• Deb Nickerson - Senior Warden

• Al Hsu - Junior Warden

• Janis Hultgren

• Steve McNeely

• Marj Mead

• Karen Miller

• Kevin Miller

• Ted Olsen

• Sandy Oyler

• Kristen Page

• Luke Wulbecker

Team Leaders

To ask about a ministry or volunteer to get involved, please click on the leader's name.

• Altar & Acolytes: Sandy Oyler

• Audio Visual Team: Erik Peterson

• Children's Ministry: Mary Gonzalez

• Care Coordination: Kevin Miller

• College Ministry: Sarah Lindsay

• Compassion Ministry: Luke & Christine Wulbecker

• Finance: Jean Ann Parker

• Intercessory Prayer Team: Sheri Abel

• Meals Ministry: Cara Peterson

• Music & Worship: John Rakes

• Prayers of the People: Debra Nickerson

• Retreats: Sarah Lindsay

• Scripture Readers: Hope Grant

• Setup: Angel Gonzalez

• Welcome Team: Gayle Koehler