A history of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of St. John

May 28, 1876 - The Rev. Henry H. Norden gathers a small group of German Lutherans in his home near Hinckley for worship. That summer, the growing congregation moves to the jury room of the old DeKalb County Courthouse. Dec. 10, 1876 - The group is organized into a formal organization calling itself the German Lutheran Society. May 23, 1885 - For $1,300, the church purchases a vacant church building at Main and Exchange streets in Sycamore. It was the second-oldest church building in Sycamore and needed substantial repairs. The church is called the St. John Congregation. 1932 - St. John's Ladies Aid Society, organized in 1914, has raised enough money to improve the church's kitchen with a gas stove, sink and cupboard. April 1936 - The congre