Caring for God's People
Caring for God’s Community
C.E.S.N.A.
Church Emergency Services of New Athens
CESNA (Church Emergency Services of New Athens) is an ecumenical service organization sponsored by the churches of New Athens. For nearly twenty-five years, CESNA has been reaching out in the name of Christians living in New Athens to those in need of a helping hand.
- Emergency rent payments
- Help with utility bills
- Groceries
- Emergency clothing needs, including shoes and winter coats
- School supplies
- Personal care items
- Canned goods made available through the New Athens food pantry, housed at St. John UCC.
CESNA has several fundraisers during the year. During the spring, a soup supper serves 500 or more people, whose donations, combined with contributions from area businesses, give the CESNA checkbook a much-needed boost. The United Methodist Church of New Athens also sponsors a summer sing along that is another welcome source of funding. Talent drawn from congregations throughout New Athens and beyond comes together in joyful, toe-tapping, and fun event.
The Merrier Christmas Drive is supported by CESNA as well as by many other local civic organizations and caring individuals. In 2017, the Merrier Christmas Drive served over 100 children drawn from just over 50 families in and around New Athens.
Family Care Ministries
Helping the needy in New Athens and surrounding areas
The Family Care Ministry began over twenty years ago as a cooperative ministry between the Hoyleton Children’s Home and several UCC churches located in the Illinois South Conference. The primary goal of the group has always been to provide low cost Christian counseling for those who otherwise would probably need get the professional helping hand they need.
Susan Ditch, Family Care’s counselor, meets with clients at St. John UCC in New Athens as well as in an office provided by St. Paul UCC in Freeburg. Fees are charged on a sliding scale, but no one is ever turned away. The sponsor churches make up whatever difference exists between Susan’s fees and a client’s ability to pay. Counseling services are also available from the trained professionals at Hoyleton as well.
- Confirmation discussion groups
- Grief support groups
- Parenting seminars
- In-home health care for the elderly to the area
Member churches of the Family Care ministry are currently UCC congregations in New Athens, Darmstadt, Biddleborn, Lenzburg, Marissa, Freeburg, and Smithton.
United Church Of Christ Overview
Our congregation is part of the United Church of Christ—a community of faith that seeks to respond to the Gospel of Jesus Christ in word and deed. The UCC was founded in 1957 as the union of several different Christian traditions. From the beginning of our history, we were a church that affirmed the ideal that Christians could live together in communion even if they didn’t agree. Our motto—”That they may all be one”—is Jesus’ prayer for the unity of the church. The UCC is one of the most diverse Christian churches in the United States.
THE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST WORLDWIDE
Global Members 914871
Congregations 5032
St. John's Members 517
Brief History of St. John Church
On April 14, 1871, a citizen’s group decided to found an Evangelical Church in New Athens. The young congregation, officially named “German Evangelical St. John Church,” moved into its new sanctuary on December 2, 1878. Soon after, the Frauen Verein (Ladies’ Aid) and church school were organized.
The physical facilities of St. John Church have seen numerous changes. A new sanctuary was built in 1905 after the original building was damaged in a storm. That facility still serves the congregation today, having been both expanded and remodeled several times, most recently in 2005.
Staff
Susan Juenger
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Susan Juenger
Church Administrative Assistant
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Julie Daab
Julie Daab is married to Jeff; they have two children, Hanna and Levi. Julie teaches the third grade in the New Athens school district.
Julie Daab
Organist
Steve Jackson
Praise Band Director
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Paul Bickel
St. John is fortunate to have several people on call to play our pipe organ for traditional worship at 8 and 10:30 a.m. Of that group, Paul Bickel, with twenty years experience playing at St. John’s, has the most musical seniority. Paul is also the accompanist for the Quarterly Choir. When “Common Lot” came on the scene about five years ago, Paul expanded his duties to play piano for that group as well. Besides being an amazing pianist and organist, Paul is the retired director of the Freeburg school district’s grade school band program.
When not keeping worship humming alone in tune and in good time, Paul operates a large farming operation. He also recently obtained his pilot’s license. He’s married to Bonnie, and they have two sons, Alex and Zach. Paul (and the rest of his family) also enjoys spending free weekends at the Lake of the Ozarks.
Paul Bickel
OrganistTiffany Ries
Director, New Beginnings Daycare
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Tom Drake
Tom Drake was hired as the St. John custodian in 2002. He’s responsible for the everyday cleaning and maintenance tasks, a tough job in a place that sees as much traffic as St. John’s does during the week. Tom is married to Amy (the church hand bell choir director). They have two children, Jordan and Julia. Tom’s full time job is that of a prison guard at Menard Correctional Center in Chester, Illinois. His hobbies include sleeping (he never gets enough, working two jobs!), yard work, listening to and performing music, and enjoying life with his family.
Tom Drake
Janitorial Services
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Bob Koch
Dr. Robert Koch, the pastor at St. John’s, was born in Columbia, Illinois and educated in the public school system there. After graduating in 1974, he attended McKendree College in Lebanon, Illinois, where he received his Bachelor’s degree, double majoring in English and Religion. Bob received a full tuition scholarship and teaching assistantship at Northwestern University, where he majored in the History and Literature of Religions, focusing on comparative studies in Theravada Buddhism and Christianity. After completing his Master’s degree at Northwestern, Bob attended Garrett Evangelical Seminary, earning his Master of Theological Studies degree.
While at his first yoked parish of Zion (New Design) and St. John (Fults) in the Illinois South Conference of the United Church, Bob completed his doctoral dissertation and was awarded a Ph.D. from Northwestern in 1988.
Bob has been the pastor at St. John’s since 1989. Under his leadership, our congregation has grown both in overall membership and attendance. Bob helped initiate televised worship services to the New Athens Home for Aged, brought our congregation into the Family Care Ministry, and brought student pastors from Eden Seminary into our family of faith. He was instrumental in the founding of New Beginnings Daycare, and worked hard to introduce contemporary worship to our congregation.
Bob has been active in the community life of New Athens as well, chairing the local Parents’ Club for many years, founding and chairing our school district’s After Prom event, organizing community wide dances for Junior High age young people, and chairing CESNA (Church Emergency Services of New Athens).
While at St. John’s, Bob also encouraged the construction of a new addition, and most recently worked with the Church Council as well as a special committee to redecorate our sanctuary and carry out a host of other building improvement projects.
Asked about his philosophy of ministry, Bob said: “I remember a professor at Northwestern who said all of our education as graduate students was useless if we couldn’t explain our studies to a kindergartener. The same applies to me at St. John’s. I’m worthless as a pastor if I can’t share the good news of Jesus Christ in ways people can understand. Jesus reached out using everyday language and met people where they lived. We Christians today have to do the same.