Living Water Evangelical Church




Two Congregations, Two Languages: One Church

With Naperville’s Asian population constantly on the rise, its no surprise that Asian-American Churches have been popping up all over town. On the North Side of town you will find Living Water Evangelical Church, a thriving Chinese-American church made up of Mandarin and English congregations.

In response to the need of maintaining their cultural identity, Living Water Evangelical offers worship services that stay true to their Chinese heritage. Their Mandarin services allow Chinese Americans a chance to sing Chinese hymns and hear scripture in their language. Meanwhile, the English services are an opportunity for younger Chinese Americans to come together and worship within the same building.

To learn more about Living Water Evangelical, explore the tabs below!


A Ministry dedicated to the worship of God.

Committed to growing together

Living out the life-changing message of Jesus Christ


We are

aspiring to be a grace-filled body of Christ.

striving to build on God’s truth and be transformed daily by His word.

a multi-generational Chinese church seeking to be a praying community of believers.

a family where each member offers their gifts, abilities, and experiences to further God’s kingdom.

encouraging one another to be all that God intends.

Finally, we are a broken people in need of grace, committed to being these things as a church.


English services at Living Water Evangelical Church are Sundays at 10:30am.


The Worship Space and Bulletin

During the school year, the adult english service takes place in the English Chapel while the youth english service is in the gym. Both are on the lower level of the church. In the summer, these services are combined and take place in the gym. The gym has a stage, set up with a band and some decoration, and folding chairs for the congregation to sit in.

You are handed a bulletin as you enter the worship space. To see an example, click here.

Congregation Demographics and Participation

This congregation is almost entirely made up of people from Asian descent. For the most part, the people who are not asian are either married to someone who is, or are friends of invited by people who are.

This congregation is pretty participatory in worship. During the praise songs, they are vocal and some even raise their arms in the air.

Worship Music

The music during this service is very contemporary. Led by a full worship band, they sing songs such as O Come to the Altar. However, they also sing contemporized hymns such as an updated version of the doxology.

Sermon

Unlike some churches, the sermon is not the central point of the worship service. Here, it is merely another part of the service.

Reading of Scripture

During the scripture reading, every single person in the room pulls out a bible. If they don’t have physical copy, they use their phones, but most have one on hand. If you don’t, someone will gladly let you borrow one.

Order of Service

Their order of service follows the contemporary approach:

  1. Call to Worship
  2. Praise
  3. Welcome and Announcements
  4. Mission Spotlight
  5. Offering
  6. Prayer for the Congregation
  7. Scripture Reading
  8. Message
  9. Communion
  10. Praise
  11. Doxology
  12. Benediction

One thing that’s emphasized through their service is the involvement of members of the congregation. As you will see in the bulletin, each part of the worship service is lead by a different congregant. This makes the experience more about the community and less about the leadership.

What it’s like to be a visitor?

While they don’t have any specific stations set up for visitors, the greeters are very friendly! After the service, you are invited to go to lunch, and they connect you with other people. During observation, multiple people came up to talk to me after the service and invited me to stay for lunch!


“That God is awesome, that he is great, that he should be involved in every aspect of your life. He should be Lord of everything, he should be first in every aspect of our lives. Worship is an expression of loving God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. That people would love God and appreciate him more.”


The Mandarin Services are at 8:45 and 10:30 on Sundays. The majority of their congregation actually goes to these services, which take place in their sanctuary on the main level. These services are more traditional, singing Chinese hymns that are unique to the mandarin language. The music is led by drums, guitar, piano, and a choir, and there are times when people will dress in traditional Chinese clothing. These services are rooted in the Chinese culture and connect Chinese Americans with their heritage.


Across the two congregations (Mandarin and English) there isn’t a significant relationship with the outside community. Like many churches, they serve at Hesed House and Feed My Starving Children. They also have a Bible Study Fellowship where people across the community from numerous different churches gather to study the bible every week. The Mandarin congregation is connected with the Chinese community in Naperville and does multiple service project with them.


Website: Living Water Evangelical Church

Address: 1256 Wehrli Road, Naperville 60565

Phone Number: (630)-983-5677