About

Us

A Movement for all People since 1951

In an old tent more than 70 years ago, 12 passionate individuals came together to establish a church dedicated to reaching the unreached. Thus, the story of Vale Church was born. Since then, our mission has remained unchanged: to reach one more person for Christ. Over the generations, God has used Vale to make a lasting impact, and He continues to do so today.

Every week, a bunch of imperfect, flawed people come together to worship, engage with biblical teachings, and connect in community centered around Jesus. From purposeful kids and youth ministries to meaningful outreach and engaging groups, everything we do is focused on helping people take their next step with Jesus.

Our Mission

Know God

We want to create an environment where all people can encounter a loving God through the person of Jesus Christ.

Find Freedom

We believe life change happens in relationships, so we encourage community through groups.

Discover Purpose

We're all created with a purpose. We help people uncover how God uniquely designed them.

Make a Difference

We live out our faith by serving others and using our gifts to impact the world around us.

Our

Vision

To pioneer presence-driven churches throughout the heart of Illinois

Meet Our

Pastor

Shawn Jensen is the Lead Pastor at Vale Church. With a passion for helping people know Jesus and live out their faith, Shawn leads with authenticity, energy, and a heart for the local church. Each week, he brings relatable, gospel-centered teaching aimed at inspiring people to take their next step with God.

Whether you're brand new to church or have been following Jesus for years, Shawn's hope is that you feel seen, encouraged, and challenged to grow in your faith.

Want to hear more from Pastor Shawn? Check out recent sermons on our Messages page.

For the

WHOLE FAMILY

Vale Kids

At Vale Kids, we make Jesus the best part of every child's life! Through fun games, energetic music, and meaningful group activities, kids enjoy a welcoming space where they learn about God's love and build lasting friendships. For details on our weekend experience or help, visit our New Family Check-In or speak with someone in a red Vale Kids shirt.

Want to register your kids early? Click below to pre-register

Pre-Register

Tell Me More About Vale Kids

Vale Youth

Vale Youth is the place for 6th–12th graders to make friends, have fun, and grow in their faith. Meeting every Wednesday from 7 to 8:30 p.m., students can expect engaging worship, friendly competitions, thought-provoking sermons, and real conversations. Junior High and High School students start together for worship and games, then break into their own groups for teaching and discussion time.

Tell Me More About Vale Youth

What We

BELIEVE

Everyone's welcome at Vale, regardless of belief. All can belong before they believe. We believe the Bible guides our Christian life. These beliefs shape our teaching, culture, and direction, reflecting what we say and do.

God

There is one God, eternally existing in three distinct persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and each possesses all the attributes of God. God is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe and everything in it.

Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is one with God the Father and the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is our Savior, who was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on a cross for all sin, and was raised from the grave after three days to demonstrate His defeat of sin and death. After He rose from the dead, He was on earth for 40 days before He ascended into Heaven. Jesus will return one day to rule and reign forever, judge the world, and take those who follow Him to live in the presence of God for eternity.

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is promised to those who profess faith in Jesus; the Holy Spirit is the presence of God living inside each follower of Christ. The Holy Spirit teaches and bears witness about Jesus.

He empowers those who follow Jesus in different forms of ministry; He gives different spiritual gifts to followers of Jesus for the purpose of ministry. He empowers prayer. He gives strength and empowers followers of Jesus to overcome spiritual opposition. He sanctifies followers of Jesus. He convicts the world of sin. He guides. He gives assurance of salvation to followers of Jesus.

The Bible

The Bible is the authoritative and inerrant Word of God; it is God's revelation about Himself to man. It is historically accurate and internally consistent, telling one story of redemption pointing to Jesus Christ.

God used over 40 different authors to write the 66 books of the Bible, all being divinely directed by the Holy Spirit. The Bible is the living Word of God, applicable to all time, and is not only the measure and standard of truth, but truth itself.

Humanity

All people are made in the image of God and were created to be in relationship with God. We have rebelled against God through sin and separated ourselves from the glory of God; we are in need of redemption and restoration to the intended likeness we were created in that has been distorted by sin.

Salvation

Salvation is a gift from God that can never be earned through good works or self-improvement. Salvation is only given by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone, the redemption of our sin. Salvation is based on the work of Jesus on the cross, where He sacrificially died, bearing the sin and punishment of all mankind, and paying the price required of sin for all those who believe in Him.

Baptism

The Bible teaches that we are saved by grace through faith. Baptism is a public confession of that faith in Jesus to God, the church, and the world. Following our understanding of Scripture, we practice baptism by immersion; the Greek word used exclusively throughout the New Testament for baptism is "baptizo," which means to plunge, dip, or immerse. Jesus modeled this form of baptism and commanded it, making baptism a symbolic act of obedience and faith. Baptism by immersion represents the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, symbolizing our old self dying, being buried in the water, and raised as a new creation in Christ Jesus.

Eternal Security

Because God gives man eternal life through Jesus Christ, the believer is secure in salvation for eternity. Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of the Christian. It is the grace and keeping power of God that gives this security.

John 10:29 | 2 Timothy 1:12 | Hebrews 7:25 | Hebrews 10:10-14 | 1 Peter 1:3-5

Eternity

People were created to exist forever. Every person will either exist eternally in union with God in heaven through following Jesus Christ or be eternally separated from God in hell due to refusing to follow Him.

Marriage, Sexuality, And Gender

We believe in the historically Christian view of marriage and sexual expression; namely, that marriage is a one-flesh covenant union between two sexually different persons (male and female) from different families, and that all sexual relationships outside the marriage covenant are sin.

God has given his people two best ways to enjoy connection in family: celibate singleness for the sake of kingdom work with undivided attention, or lifelong marriage between one woman and one man.

Biological sex is an essential part of human identity.

All forms of abuse, slander, dehumanization, or oppression toward fellow humans are an affront against God's sacred image, which has been stamped upon all people.