Come Visit bethlehem

Worship Service is held at 9:30 am every Sunday.




Strong in Faith. Boundless in Love. Bold in Service.



Coming Events


Peace Camp Registration is closed. 


Peace Camp Set-Up Help Needed

Peace Camp is looking for volunteers to help set up after worship on Sunday, June 23, and to help clean up after camp is over on Friday, June 28. If you can help to set up tables and chairs, prepare art supplies, make name tags, or similar tasks, please contact Linda Bond, Pastor Jennie or the church office.  


Pop-Up Worship! 

What if Church were a dinner party? The community is invited to Bethlehem's first pop-up dinner church of the summer on Wednesday, June 19, at 7 PM, in our own baptismal garden (indoors in case of rain). A meal will be provided, including vegetarian options. We will enjoy a casual worship around a meal, much like the early Christians did. The sermon will be a short reflection on light, as we celebrate the summer solstice and Juneteenth. You will be invited to reflect on the theme in conversation around tables. Communion will be served. All are welcome!


New Member Classes

Anyone interested in membership at Bethlehem is invited to attend new member classes on Wednesday nights (19 and 26) at 7 p.m. (Please note that the June 19th meeting will happen in conjunction with the pop-up worship experience.) New member classes are an opportunity to make deeper connections with the community of the congregation, become better acquainted with Bethlehem’s ministry, and discover ways you might bring your gifts to our shared ministry. Attendance at the class does not require membership. Membership does not require attendance at all three classes. Please call or email Pastor Jennie to learn more or to tell her you are coming.


Love to read? Be part of the Bethlehem Summer Book Club! 

The Bethlehem Summer Book Club will meet on June 17, at Starbucks on 103rd and Longwood at 7:00 p.m. where we will discuss our first book, Shalom Sistas: Living Wholeheartedly in a Brokenhearted World by Osheta Moore. The next book selection for our July 15th gathering is Almost Everything: Notes on Hope by Anne Lamott. "I am stockpiling antibiotics for the Apocalypse, even as I await the blossoming of paperwhites on the windowsill in the kitchen," Anne Lamott admits at the beginning of Almost Everything. Despair and uncertainty surround us: in the news, in our families,and in ourselves. But even when life is at its bleakest--when we are, as she puts it, "doomed, stunned, exhausted, and over-caffeinated"--the seeds of rejuvenation are at hand. "All truth is paradox," Lamott writes, "and this turns out to be a reason for hope. If you arrive at a place in life that is miserable, it will change." That is the time when we must pledge not to give up but "to do what Wendell Berry wrote: 'Be joyful, though you have considered all the facts.'” All are welcome to join our book club, be part of the discussion!


Summer Fellowship

Sign-up to host fellowship one Sunday this summer! Look for the clip board on the kitchen counter. Consider these ideas or be creative with one of your own – coffee cakes/cookies, fresh fruit, cheese and crackers, ice cream sundaes, pancakes, breakfast burritos, etc. For more information or any questions, please contact June Brown.  


Men's Discussion Group

Join the Men’s Discussion Group every Saturday morning at 8:30 a.m. at Markland Hubbard located at 1739 W. 99th Street. Join them for fellowship, conversation, coffee and sweet treats


Centering Prayer

Centering prayer is a practice that is designed to build mindfulness to the presence of God. Our bodies and minds are often busy and distracted to the point that we can miss what is right in front of us. Centering prayer helps us learn how to quiet our bodies and minds to become centered in the reality of God’s presence in our lives. You are invited to practice centering prayer each Sunday morning at 9 a.m.  Weather permitting we will meet in the baptismal garden. Pastor Jennie will offer guidance for those who are new to the practice. Centering prayer is finished at 9:15.


Summer Sale is Beginning! 

As you are de-cluttering, organizing, and wrestling with a lifetime of wonderful-not so wonderful-stuff, think about sharing. Your treasure may be just the thing someone else is looking for. Stop by to drop off those items that no longer bring you joy. Look for the table in the fellowship hall. All items left over will be donated. 


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


  • 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


  • 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.

     



  • 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.