Q&A on Naperville Coffee and Classics

Author: Katie Krueger and Heather Owens
April 16, 2026

What is Naperville Coffee and Classics?

Naperville Coffee and Classics is NCC’s book club! We see it as a monthly opportunity for outreach so that friends or neighbors can get to know people in the church.

How did it get started?

One of the women in our congregation took a class through the C.S. Lewis Institute, which has a big emphasis on discipleship. She had an assignment to come up with an unexpected discipleship/outreach ministry and present it to her pastors. From there, we gathered a core group of people together to plan how to start a book group, and it was launched.

Who is it for?

NCaC is for anyone who enjoys a good book and thoughtful conversation. While the initial intent of the book club was to be an opportunity for outreach, we have found that the discussions have deepened our relationships with others at NCC across multiple generations.

What are your goals for this ministry?

Our main goal is still to create a place for non-Christians to be drawn into community. Right now, we are seeing that community develop, but it has yet to extend beyond local churches. Please pray that we will have wisdom and courage to invite others to join us.

What books have you read together?

We try to choose books of lasting value, regardless of their status as a “classic,” and we typically vote on the books we read, so we have variety of time periods and genres represented. Thus far, we have read The Screwtape Letters, Whose Body?, Dracula, Out of the Silent Planet, Everything Sad Is Untrue, The Chosen, A Christmas Carol, Mansfield Park, A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, 1984, and Frankenstein. The book for our April meeting is George MacDonald’s The Princess and the Goblin.

A Christmas Carol and Mansfield Park have been the most popular so far.

What are some key insights and takeaways you’ve noted?

One of the blessings of being part of the book club is being able to work to deepen understanding in community. Reading is a solitary activity, and while much can be gained from reading alone, having the opportunity to work through questions with a group has helped us gain a better appreciation and understanding of the literature we are reading.

What is the best thing about NCaC?

The best thing, by far, is the fellowship. The conversations are a beautiful reminder of how each person brings his or her unique experience, family history, interests, and perspective to the table. They are conversations that you wouldn’t typically have on Sunday morning during fellowship time. Last January, we read Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s novel, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, about a Russian man wrongfully imprisoned in Siberia following World War II. A few people in our group shared about family members who had survived similar conditions; others shared about living abroad years later in the aftermath of the Soviet regime. The discussion gave us a deeper understanding and appreciation for one another, which might not have happened in another setting.

Anything else we should know?

If one of the upcoming books catches your eye, please feel free to hop in and join us. We’d love the opportunity to know you better.

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