The church choir.
Stained glass in the current structure.
In the 1870's, Lake Bluff was home to a summer Camp Meeting where, for several weeks, Sunday school, the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, and Chautauqua-style meetings were held. The camp drew visitors from near and far, and eventually grew to hold lectures on theology and social issues, concerts, and sermons given by visiting preachers.
The camp was such a success that attendees soon wanted an organized form of worship for the rest of the year. The Grace United Methodist Church of Lake Bluff was founded in 1887 to satisfy these demands, and four years later, a structure was built on the corner of Scranton and Center in downtown Lake Bluff. Some of the earliest members of the church included town founders and village workers, as well as children from the Lake Bluff Children’s Home, an orphanage in town.
A new church was built in 1902 and designed by H.B. Wheelock at the corner of Center and Glen. This building served until 1949, when there were major renovations and additions. There is now a Christian education building which was added in 1959 to accommodate the growing Sunday school enrollment. Today, the church has many forms of education for all ages, as well as numerous ministries focused on everything from volunteering to yoga to self-efficacy.