Who We Are
Our STORY
Plainfield Christian Reformed Church was established in September of 2022, as a sister congregation of Orland Park Christian Reformed Church and is a member of theChristian Reformed Church in North America.
Our story is one of God’s faithful providence. The building in which we now worship was originally home to Christ Community Church of Plainfield, a congregation that faithfully served the community for many years. Following a prolonged and difficult season—including the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic—the leadership of Christ Community recognized that the congregation no longer had the resources necessary to flourish for the long term.
Rather than simply closing their doors, they prayerfully sought a way for the ministry of the gospel to continue in Plainfield. In partnership with Orland Park Christian Reformed Church, they generously entrusted their property and facilities to serve as the home for a new church plant, with the hope that a vibrant, gospel-centered congregation would continue proclaiming Christ in this community for generations to come.
In response, Orland Park CRC accepted this opportunity and, after a season of prayer and planning, called Rev. Caley Meza to lead the work of planting a new congregation. In September 2022, Plainfield Christian Reformed Church held its first official worship service.
From the very beginning, God has shown remarkable faithfulness. A number of members of Christ Community chose to continue worshiping with us, preserving relationships, wisdom, and a love for this community. They have since been joined by many new individuals and families whom God has brought together to form one church body.
Today, Plainfield CRC continues to grow as a congregation committed to Christ-centered worship, Gospel preaching, and in the words of the Reformation, “Reformed and always reforming” according to Scripture. We remain deeply grateful for our enduring partnership of Orland Park CRC, whose faith and generosity made Plainfield CRC possible.
As we look to the future, our prayer and purpose remain simple: To glorify God by making mature disciples of Jesus Christ through the faithful ministry of His Word, the sacraments, prayer, and life together in His Church.
Our Mission
The gospel of Jesus Christ compels us to worship, serve, and learn about God, and, by the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, to take that gospel to our community and the world.
Our Vision
We desire to lead people to know Jesus Christ as Friend, Savior, Lord, and God.
What We’re All About
1. Christ-Centered Worship
We believe God grows His people through ordinary but powerful means: the preaching of the Word and the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. While seemingly simple, according to Scripture, these are the primary ways God strengthens our faith and where Christ promises to be found.
2. Biblical Liturgy
Humans are formed and shaped by their habits – and our faith is no different. Worship at Plainfield CRC follows a thoughtful, gospel-shaped pattern that helps us remember who God is and who we are in His story. Each week, we move through a rhythm that reflects the drama of redemption: God calls us, cleanses us, consecrates us, communes with us, and then commissions us back into the world. We rehearse this story every week.
3. Valuing Christian History
We joyfully embrace our Reformed heritage, not as a set of dusty doctrines, but as living truths that guide and shape our life together. Our creeds and confessions help us faithfully proclaim Christ, grow in unity and maturity as His Church, and consider our faith in view of the Church in history.
4. Feasting & Hospitality
God made us embodied creatures who eat, drink, and celebrate. At Plainfield CRC, we aim to reflect God’s goodness by enjoying His creation together—gathering regularly for meals, welcoming others into our lives, and seeing hospitality as a vital part of discipleship.
5. Evangelism & Discipleship
We pursue a culture where worship shapes evangelism and discipleship. As we delight in Christ together, that joy naturally overflows into praise, witness, and growth and all that we do is our response of gratitude and thanksgiving.
What it Means to be Reformed
The word Reformed describes a particular stream within the historic Christian faith. The Christian Reformed Church traces its theological heritage to the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century, when reformers such as Martin Luther, John Calvin, and others sought to bring the Church back under the authority of Scripture and the centrality of the gospel. Their desire was not to create a new faith, but to reform the Church according to the Word of God.
As the Reformation spread, it became necessary to clearly express what the Reformers believed the Bible taught. This gave rise to a number of confessions that carefully summarized biblical doctrine and distinguished the teachings of the Reformation. As a Reformed church, we gladly affirm the three historic ecumenical creeds—the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed—as well as the Three Forms of Unity: the Belgic Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism, and the Canons of Dort. While these documents are not equal to Scripture, we believe they faithfully summarize its teaching and provide a shared theological foundation for our life together.
Being Reformed is about more than belonging to a denomination; it is a way of understanding God’s work in the world. Reformed theology emphasizes God’s sovereignty over all things, salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, God’s covenant faithfulness to His people, and the call to glorify Him in every area of life.
Perhaps the simplest summary of the Reformed faith comes from the Heidelberg Catechism, which unfolds the Christian life in three movements: guilt, grace, and gratitude. We recognize our guilt before a holy God, rejoice in the grace He has shown us through Jesus Christ, and seek to live lives of grateful obedience in response. In short, to be Reformed is to joyfully confess that we are sinners saved entirely by God’s grace and therefore seek to glorify God in every area of life.
The Christian Reformed Church in North America
Plainfield Christian Reformed Church is part of the Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA), a denomination with congregations throughout the United States and Canada.
The CRC traces its theological heritage to the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century and stands within the broader family of Reformed churches.
Each local congregation is governed by its own elders and deacons while cooperating with other churches through regional classes and the annual Synod.