Anniversary Exhibit
In November 2025, The Moody Church celebrated 100 years of its Sanctuary! To mark the occasion, my team created a historical exhibit highlighting our unique architecture, curated a service that reflected the very first worship gathering in the space, and, most importantly, celebrated God’s faithfulness to our church over the past century.
We also partnered with the Chicago History Museum to offer free admission for our attendees, which included collaborative planning meetings with the CHM president. This was an incredible opportunity to learn from leaders telling the stories of Chicago’s rich history and to be a part of that bigger story.
More than 1,500 people experienced the exhibit, celebrating what God has done at The Moody Church. It was a joy to create something new while digging into the past and to watch hundreds of people enjoy it.
Who knows… maybe “museum exhibit coordinator” gets added to the résumé someday
HOW IT BEGAN
In September 2025, our Senior Pastor came to our team with a big vision: “I want to do something big for the 100th Anniversary of the Sanctuary.” With just two months to bring the idea to life, our team had to move quickly from vision to execution.
We started by brainstorming what the celebration could look like. Ideas ranged from a historical exhibit in our large multipurpose room, to a special sanctuary service incorporating elements from worship services 100 years ago, to even a custom cake shaped like the church building. From big-picture concepts to the smallest details, we worked together to shape a celebration that would honor the past while engaging our congregation in the present.
HOW WE GOT THERE
I dug through some very stuffy closets and old file cabinets to uncover the history of our Sanctuary, piecing together information from decades-old documents, books, photographs, and archives.
Researched and organized historical materials, identifying the details that were most essential to the larger story.
Developed the exhibit content, writing commentary, scanning archival books and images, and creating a companion booklet and exhibit descriptions.
Collaborated with contributors and subject-matter experts, coordinating with photographers and staff members who could provide additional context and insight into the history of our beautiful Sanctuary.
Turned scattered historical materials into a cohesive story, making 100 years of history accessible and engaging for our congregation.
THE RESULT
More than 1,500 guests walked through the exhibit, exploring the history of our Sanctuary and the stories behind it. As I walked around the room, I overheard comments like, “That’s so cool, I never knew that!” and “Hey, come check this out. This exhibit is my favorite.” Those moments made it clear that the project had done more than display history. It had sparked curiosity, conversation, and a deeper connection to our church.
This project quickly became one of my favorites because of its uniqueness and the opportunity to connect our congregation and stakeholders to a larger story: The Moody Church’s calling to be a beacon of light in the city of Chicago.
If it looks chaotic…that’s because it was.
