Illinois

The widow of the Ill. Pastor who was shot and killed as he was preaching to his congregation this past March says she continues to pray for her late husband’s alleged killer and hopes that he “finds peace with God.”

 "I continue to pray for Terry Sedlacek and his family,” Cindy Winters expressed in a statement after a judge deemed 27-year-old Sedlacek as mentally unfit to stand trial.

“I hope he receives the help and care he needs, but ultimately my prayer is that he finds peace with God," she added. more >>

Willow Creek Community Church, one of the nation's largest and most influential churches, is celebrating its 34th anniversary this weekend.

Attendees from all of Willow Creek's six campuses throughout Illinois are joining together at the main South Barrington site for the first time to mark the special occasion.

Over the last three decades Willow Creek has grown from 100 members to more than 22,000. The church was founded in a movie theater in Palatine, Ill., and later experienced a growth explosion after purchasing its own property in South Barrington. more >>

Influential church pastor Bill Hybels wrapped up a challenging sermon series on Sunday with a call to choose God or money.

And they can't serve both.

"You've got to decide," the Willow Creek Community Church pastor told his congregation. "Who is in charge of your life? You can't serve two masters in your life." more >>

Addressing the concerns and needs of a 25,000-member congregation, Pastor Bill Hybels launched a sermon series this past weekend challenging them to return to Jesus' way, or what he called the "forgotten way."

"We're going to ... ask ourselves the question 'why did his way of living ever get substituted for something else along the way? What wisdom became so attractive and maybe so cheap that entire cultures abandoned Jesus' way for alternate paths?'" Hybels told attendees at Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Ill.

"The Forgotten Way" series was born out of a desire to respond to the 20,000 prayer requests they received this past Easter. Many of them dealt with pace of life issues, human sexuality, conflict resolution and money. more >>

Chicago police say a 17-year-old male and a juvenile have been charged with attempted first-degree murder in connection with the shooting of two teens last week outside a prominent Catholic church.

Rashad Richardson and a 16-year-old male were each charged with one count of attempted first-degree murder and one count of aggravated battery with a handgun for the shooting outside St. Sabina Church last Friday, according to a report Monday.

The teens were scheduled to appear in bond court Tuesday for the shootings, which drew condemnation from the violence plagued community, including some gang members. more >>