Frequently Asked Questions

Am I welcome to any service? 

Yes. You are always welcome to attend any of the services we offer.  In addition to our Sunday services at 7:30, 9 and 11 a.m., we offer morning prayer Monday through Friday at 8:30 a.m. and a Eucharist on Wednesday mornings at 9:30 a.m.  (During the summer months we offer Sunday services at 7:30 and 10 a.m.)Please know that your questions are always welcome, and ushers and greeters are available on Sundays to help you feel comfortable here at The Church of the Holy Spirit. 

Can I receive communion?

 We welcome you to the communion table at The Church of the Holy Spirit, regardless of tradition or denomination. It is our tradition that all baptized members (of any age, including the youngest children) are welcome to receive bread and wine. But if you are worshipping with us, and you have not been baptized, and you believe God is calling you to come forward and receive the bread and wine, we welcome you, and encourage you to explore the journey of faith with us, and discover what it means to be baptized. We also know that some may prefer to come forward and receive a blessing from the clergy, rather than receive the bread and wine. Know that you are welcome.

Who do I contact if I want to know more about the Episcopalian faith, or want to become one? 

Please feel welcome to contact any one of our clergy to learn more about our faith.  These names, phone numbers and email addresses can be found on the Contact Us section of this website.

How do I find out about weddings and baptisms?

Please contact Pam Seremak, our parish administrator, to find out about our weddings and baptism schedules.  She can be reached at (847) 234-7633, ext. 10, or at pseremak@chslf.org This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it .  

How do I get on your mailing list?

The Church of the Holy Spirit has an extensive mailing list of parishioners and friends who wish to receive the many documents, brochures and mailings we distribute.  To be placed on our mailing list please contact the Parish Office with your mailing and email addresses.  (847) 234-7633.

How do I become a member of The Church of the Holy Spirit?

 We welcome you as members, and honor a variety of ways to become a member, in the spirit that if you consider yourself a member so do we. All those baptized here at the church are members, in the conviction that baptism is full initation in the church. If you have been a member at another Episcopal Church, or a church of another denomination and wish to have your membership transferred here, call the Parish Office and we?ll tell you how to accomplish that. You may wish to participate in our annual service of Confirmation, a way to be identified with the Episcopal Church, as the Bishop presides at Confirmation and his presence is a sign of your wish to become an Episcopalian. Contact the clergy if this interests you. We will precede this service, this year held on June 4, with some preparatory classes. Several times a year during our worship services we offer a Welcome Sunday, a moment in the liturgy to invite new members to come forward and be officially welcomed. Contact the Parish Office to find out more about these dates.

What does it mean to be a member?

It means that you attend regularly, and as the Prayer Book says, you work, pray and give for the sake of the kingdom of God, as its vision is expressed here at The Church of the Holy Spirit.

What is a pledge and how do I make one?

Your pledge is your personal commitment to contribute a specific amount of money to The Church of the Holy Spirit to support our ministries, programs and operating costs for a given calendar year.  Pledge cards are sent to parish families, and are located in our parish office. You can pay your pledge in whatever way is most comfortable for you.  Pledge envelopes are available for you to make a weekly/monthly contribution.  Or you can have your credit card charged in installments if you wish.  You may also make a lump sum payment at any time.

Will I be expected to give money?

 We may look like a rich church, but the way we carry out our mission is through annual pledges made by our members. Our work wouldn?t happen without these commitments. Our annual budget, our plans for each year, are shaped by those pledges.  We won?t badger you about money. But we also will be honest with you about our hopes, our vision, our needs. We encourage all members to support our efforts with their financial resources. We expect all members to ask the stewardship question: What will I do with what I?ve been given? We invite people to think about what proportion of their money they wish to give to God, as an expression of gratitude.  There are also opporutntiies to make an offering during each service, and we are exploring a program of planned giving, by which members can offer gifts for the future of the church.