The Southwest church in Orland Park recently decided to upgrade its livestreaming equipment so online participants can feel closer to the people in the pews.

Pastor Aki Pirskanen moved from his native Finland to the United States a few months ago to pastor the Elmhurst Seventh-day Adventist Church. I caught up with him to hear about the challenges of settling into a new country, the surprises he's encountered along the way, and his hopes for his new congregation.

More than 700 people gathered at Christian Community Church in Naperville for the annual Chicagoland Convocation, continuing a trend of growing attendance since the event's return in 2024. “We are excited to be able to gather together as one family,” Illinois Conference Executive Secretary Michael Campos told the congregation.