On a visit to Elmhurst (Ill.) Christian Reformed Church on a summer or fall Wednesday morning, you’re likely to hear peals of laughter, smell baked goods from 10 different vendors, see busloads of community members, and possibly come into contact with one or more of Elmhurst’s Farmer’s Market’s 2,500 weekly visitors. For the congregation, the bustling atmosphere is a story of stepping out in faith. In Pastor Gregg DeMey’s words, the community has witnessed the “the slow-drip irrigation of the Holy Spirit.”
For 25 years, the city of Elmhurst hosted a farm-to-table market in a municipal parking lot close to the neighborhood hike-and-bike “Prairie Path.” Idyllic as that sounds, the lot was small and the community grew frustrated by inaccessibility—especially with regard to parking.
Jack Lanenga, who in 2015 served as Elmhurst CRC’s executive director, had an idea. What if the church hosted Elmhurst’s Farmer’s Market in their extensive parking lots? Elmhurst CRC is a large suburban congregation with a reported membership of 1,000.
For nine years the idea volleyed back and forth even as frustrations grew over the landlocked space. And yet, Lanenga persisted, right up until his death in 2025.
Last summer, the market officially moved locations, was incorporated as an LLC, and became an affiliated ministry of Elmhurst CRC.
Now into their second season of hosting, “We’ve started experiencing people who come up to us and ask for prayer,” DeMey said. Other volunteers echoed this, saying the market has provided opportunities to show Christian hospitality. Tracy Williams, Elmhurst CRC’s market ambassador, credits God. “We’re trying to be open to the dynamic movement of the Holy Spirit. We want to allow God to do more through us.”
The Elmhurst Farmer’s Market currently hosts 45 vendors ranging from fresh produce to baked goods to an assortment of food trucks. There’s plenty of parking and even room for busloads of daycamp participants and senior housing residents to enjoy the market’s fellowship and live music. The market runs 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesdays, June through October.
About the Author
Kendra Thompson is a wife, mother, writer, and administrative professional living in rural Iowa, where she and her husband are members of First Christian Reformed Church Sioux Center. You’ll find more of her writing at crylaughsnort.wordpress.com.