Worship Service is held at 9:30 am every Sunday in the summer months (from Memorial Day to Labor Day), and at 8:15 am and 10:45 am the rest of the year.
Strong in Faith. Boundless in Love. Bold in Service.
Come Visit bethlehem
Coming Events
Peace Camp Registration is now open! Details and registration are available on the Peace Camp page. Fees can be paid through the Donate page.
Holy Week at Bethlehem
Maundy Thursday
April 18 at 7:30 p.m.
Commemorating Jesus’ last meal with his disciples.
Holy Communion and Stripping of the Altar.
Good Friday
April 19 at 7:30 p.m.
Service of Tenebrae (meaning “shadows”) to remember the death of Jesus. The Passion narrative is read. This is a service of quiet contemplation.
The Resurrection of Our Lord - Easter Sunday
April 21
Worship at 8:15 & 10:45 a.m.
A joyous celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Sock Donations Needed
On Maundy Thursday we will be collecting new socks to share with our friends who are clients at Southwest Chicago Homeless Services. This is one way we will live out the command to “love one another” and to stand with our neighbors in compassion and kinship. Socks can be brought Palm Sunday through Easter Sunday.
Easter Morning Fellowship and Breakfast
Join us for Easter morning fellowship and fun! Easter fellowship time begins at 9:15 a.m. Please consider signing up to bring a dish to add to the Easter buffet (egg casserole, breakfast meats, breads/coffee cake, hard-boiled eggs, fruit, juice, milk) or help to set-up and clean-up. Any other ideas or questions, please contact Barb Bojarski or June Brown. Look for the sign-up sheet in the narthex. Invite your family, friends and neighbors to join us on this special day!
Movie Night - Sustainable
The Green Team invites you to join them on Wednesday, April 24, at 7:00 p.m. to watch the film Sustainable and be part of the conversation afterwards. The film is an investigation of the economic and environmental instability of America’s food system, from the agricultural issues we face — soil loss, water depletion, climate change, and pesticide use— to the community of leaders who are determined to fix it. Sustainable is a film about the land, the people who work it and what must be done to sustain it for future generations.
Peace Camp
All kids entering 1st - 6th grades in the fall are invited to participate in this fun week of learning how to be peace makers. Kids will enjoy art, music, and games. They will also learn conflict resolution skills, explore creation, and participate in yoga and peace circles. This year's theme is Love Your Neighbor and we will focus on how to love our neighbors across the street, across the world, and everywhere in between! The cost is $60 per camper. Register at http://www.bethlehem-chicago.org or call 773-445-7558. 7th - 9th grade students are invited to register as "junior leaders" and there is no fee for junior leaders.
Southwest Chicago Homeless Services Dinner
Volunteers are needed to help provide the side dishes/desserts for the last dinner of the season that we will serve at Southwest Chicago Homeless Services on Thursday, April 18. For this meal we will be providing Italian Beef sandwiches and we need sides to go with the sandwiches and desserts. Volunteers will also be needed to help serve. Please look for the sign-up sheet in the narthex. For more information, please contact Susan in the office.
Semi-Annual Congregational Meeting
The semi-annual meeting of the congregation will be held on Sunday, June 2, immediately following the 9:30 a.m. worship service. The meeting will be a celebration of our ministry over the last year, as well as an opportunity to consider where God might be calling us in the year ahead. At this meeting we will also be voting for new officers and members of the church council. The deadline for committee chairpersons to submit their annual reports is Sunday, May 12.
Farewell to MIC Student, Kirsten Wee
We have enjoyed having Kirsten Wee spend the year with us as she did her Ministry in Context for seminary. Her last Sunday at Bethlehem will be Sunday, May 5. Between services that day we will have a small reception to thank her for her presence and wish her well as she prepares to go on internship. All are invited!
Adult Forum Special Presentation
Also on Sunday, May 5, during the adult forum hour at 9:30 a.m. there will be a special presentation by Jim Christian and David Ritter regarding issues of power of attorney and tax advantaged ways to be generous. All are invited to attend.
Bethlehem Scholarships
Bethlehem has five separate scholarship awards available to Bethlehem members who will be full-time students for the September 2019-June 2020 academic year. The deadline for applications to be submitted is April 29, 2019. Click here for the description and guidelines that define each fund.
Click here for scholarship application https://form.jotform.com/90841428249
Click here for this month's calendar.
Welcome Statement
We invite you to explore the faith community of Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chicago. We are a Christian community committed to welcoming all, worshiping God, growing in faith, and loving and serving others with the love of Christ. We are a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
Bethlehem is a Reconciling in Christ congregation. We welcome into full participation in our life and ministry
- People of all races and ethnic groups
- People of all ages and economic levels
- Single parent and double parent families; people without children; single individuals
- People with differing abilities (Bethlehem is handicapped accessible)
- People of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities.
We seek to be a community that is boundless in love. You are welcome here and invited to grow in faith, love, and service within this community of faith.
About us
Our mission is to be Strong in Faith. Boundless in Love. Bold in Service.
Bethlehem is a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, rooted in the Beverly -Morgan Park neighborhood on Chicago's far southwest side. Born through the consolidation of two congregations in 1997, we have a history that extends back to the foundation of our predecessor congregations in 1977 and 1875.
Today we thrive as a flexible, mission-spirited congregation that seeks to put our faith into practice in daily life. Bethlehem values hospitality and genuine care for others. Our worship is at once reverent and comfortable. We value strong preaching that connects the Gospel of Jesus Christ to our lives and world. We read the Bible as God's good news for all.
We value the gifts of people of all ages -- children, elders, young adults, and every stage in between. We strive to be a community that knows how to talk together about important topics in ways that are respectful of all voices. The best way to get to know us is to come and see!
STAFF AND LEADERSHIP
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Jennie English-dumont
PASTOR
Pastor Jennie began her ministry at Bethlehem in 2008. She is a passionate preacher, a committed teacher, and loves watching people use their God-given gifts at Bethlehem and in the world. A native of the northwest side of Chicago, she enjoys living in Beverly with her husband and their young daughter. She served her first call in Grand Forks, North Dakota, for almost 7 years. She is a graduate of Luther Seminary (M.Div.) and the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (Th.M. in Old Testament), as well as Gustavus Adolphus College. She enjoys gardening, reading, running, live music, and spending time with family and friends.
Contact Pastor Jennie at Pastor@bethlehem-chicago.org
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David ritter
DIRECTOR OF MUSIC
David has served as Bethlehem's organist since 2011. In 2013 he became the Director of Music. David seeks to enhance the congregation's worship experience each week through music. Working with the Pastor and the worship committee, he selects hymns and songs from a variety of different traditions and cultures. He directs the choir, which not only provides a musical offering most weeks, but also helps to lead the assembly’s singing and worship. He enjoys working with other musicians in the congregation whenever possible.
David is a lifelong Lutheran with 45 years of experience as a church musician. He has served congregations of various denominations in the Midwest and southeast and is a graduate of Indiana University (MMus) and Valparaiso University. He is also a full time CPA and enjoys singing in the Apollo Chorus of Chicago.
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SUSAN EVANS
OFFICE MANAGER
Susan Evans has worked as Bethlehem's faithful office manager nearly since the start of the consolidated congregation. Hers is the friendly voice you hear when you call the church office. She manages the congregation's communication via the weekly worship bulletin, monthly newsletter, regular email blasts and more. She keeps everything at Bethlehem running smoothly.
Contact Susan at se9401@ameritech.net
I'M NEW
We're glad you found us! Below are some questions we often get from visitors and newcomers, along with our responses. If you have other questions or need information you cannot find on our site, please call or send us an email. We'd love to hear from you and hope to see you soon!
Do I have to be a Lutheran to attend services?
Nope. We welcome visitors from all faith backgrounds, as well as visitors who don't currently subscribe to any particular religious faith and just want to hear and know more about the Christian faith. Even our members come from very diverse religious (and non-religious) backgrounds.
How should I dress for Sunday services?
Be yourself – be comfortable. You will see worshipers in anything from jeans to their "Sunday Best".
Should visitors or newcomers participate in communion?
It is up to each individual worshiper. We practice open communion every Sunday, welcoming all who believe in Jesus to join in communion at the Lord's table. This includes welcoming children of all ages at the table.
Am I expected to put something in the offering plate?
We do not expect visitors to contribute an offering. Offerings are given of free will and are not considered payment for attending services.
Can I bring small children to Sunday services?
Please do! Many families with small children regularly worship together in the sanctuary during Sunday services. If you prefer, children 4 and under may spend service time comfortable and well-supervised in the nursery. Little ones typically return for the Children's Sermon and join their parents for communion. The nursery is attended during the 10:45 am service during the school year and at the single 9:30 am service during the summer, though it is available to you and your child at any time.
I have many questions about religion and what spiritual path is right for me. How do I find answers to these questions?
Questions and the discourse they provoke are important parts of helping each of us define who we are and what choices to make. Our Pastor would welcome your call or email to discuss your questions and offer spiritual guidance. Click on the "Contact Us" section of this site for Pastor Jennie's contact information. You may also find that attending services and joining one of our small discussion/study groups will bring the clarity you seek. Whether it's one-on-one with our Pastor, within a small group, or just between you and God...keep asking those questions!
HOW TO FIND US
Driving Directions
Click here for Mapquest Driving Directions to help you find your way from home to our neighborhood. Please use our driving directions below and refer to the dashed red lines on the map to the right for the most direct route to the church once you are in the neighborhood. Our directions (and map) consider one way streets, dead ends and traffic barriers which mapquest does not.
Most Direct Route
From Western Avenue: East on 91st St., then right (south) on Oakley Ave. 3 blocks to the church which is on the south east corner of 94th and Oakley.
Street parking is permitted without restriction in our neighborhood.
Our building is handicap accessible. A wheelchair ramp is located at the Oakley worship entrance.
