Meet Our Staff

Pastor Craig Baldacci is the son of an Italian-American Berwyn policeman. He played football in high school and college, and became a follower of Jesus Christ in his late teenage years. He has served Long Grove Church in various capacities since 1976, from janitor to Youth Director to Associate Pastor to Senior Pastor. He is married to Marsha and has two daughters, Andrea and Carolyn. He received his Masters of Divinity from Garrett Evangelical Theology Seminary and his Doctor of Ministry from Trinity Seminary in Deerfield. Craig has served as Senior Pastor since 1988.

Cindy Disney-Gainey is the Interim Director of Children's Ministries.  She & her husband, Chip, have 3 children and have been married 15 years.  They are both from western Michigan and moved to Chicago 11 years ago.  Cindy loves to sing, dance, watch movies, scrapbook & play games.  She thanks God for the way He has directed her each step of her life and led her to where she is now.  It is a gift to see God's faithfulness again and again and to know serving the children at LGCC is where He wants her right now.  New to Long Grove Community Church, Cindy loved the warm welcome she received when visitng for the first time.  She hopes you, too, feel right at home here at LGCC.

Director of Worship Lyudmila Lakisova, immigrated to the United States from Minsk, Belarussia in 1995 with her young daughter, Sasha. She graduated from the Special School of Music for Gifted Children, (Belarussian State Conservatory of Music), receiving her Bachelor's Degree in 1988. She earned her Masters Degree in Piano Performance, Pedagogy and Chamber Music in 1993, followed by her Doctorate in Piano Accompaniment in 1995. She has played for the Belarussian State Philharmonic and performed with the State Symphony. Since immigrating to the U.S., Lyudmila has become well known in Chicago music circles.

Sue Adams, our Wedding and Baptism Coordinator,  has been a member of Long Grove Community Church since 1994, when she and her family moved here.  In 1998, Sue began working as assistant secretary and a year and a half later became the Wedding and Baptism Coordinator. Sue was an original member of the Honey Bears.  Sue and her husband, Butch, were married in 1976 and have two children, Samantha and Haley. Her hobbies are gardening and spending time with her dogs. Sue says that this church has inspired her to know that God is with you in everything you do. (Gen. 21:22) She feels very blessed.

Cheryl Moss has been serving the Lord as our Office Manager since January, 2008.  She has been a member of the church since December 2003.  She has held several volunteer positions throughout the church, most recently in the church nursery.  Cheryl has been married to Jim since 2005 and has two children, Emily and Zachary.  Cheryl has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Rockford College.  She was Vice President of Marketing at Citigroup, and a senior manager and project lead at Sears Holdings.  Cheryl most enjoys time with her family, and thanks God for the awesome joy and responsibility He has given her.  Working at the church is an indescribable experience where the depth and breadth of knowledge and learning have no limits.

Tracy Lawless joined our staff as Financial Manager in 2008.  Tracy has been a part of our church family since 2002.  She has a Bechelors degree from the University of WI-Madison in Accounting, and is a CPA.  She has worked for Arthur Young as an Auditor, and then with CUNA Mutual Insurance Group as an Accounting Project Supervisor.  She spent many years at home raising her three children with her husband Brian.  Since joining LGCC she has volunteered in many areas including small group leader, interim Children's Director.  God has blessed Tracy with a passion for curling as well as a love for reading, beading, and knitting. 

Sandy Merwin has been joyfully serving the Lord as our Secretary/Receptionist since August, 2001.  She was working at Long Grove Church prior to then, starting one day a week as the assistant to the Financial Manager. Sandy has been married to Jeff since 1980 and they have three children. She is a PK (Pastor's Kid).  Sandy feels truly blessed to be part of the Long Grove Church family.