THE LORD BE WITH YOU!

 We have a long name… Grace English Evangelical Lutheran Church and School.

 GRACE, that is, the “undeserved love of God,” wholly gift, for the sake of Jesus the crucified and risen One. What more fitting name could we have for ourselves? [Ephesians 2:8-9]

 ENGLISH, given the fact that we are a member congregation of the English District of the Lutheran Church --- Missouri Synod. One of two non-geographic districts of the Missouri Synod, formed under the motto: “The faith of the fathers in the language of the children.” When the English District, and many years later Grace Church, were founded, most Missouri churches were worshiping and conducting business in German. Both the District and our congregation are Christ’s people in mission seeking the lost in whatever language it may be, meeting people where they are at in life. [Acts 17:16-34]

EVANGELICAL, that is, Gospel preaching. Our message is the Good News about Christ Jesus, our loving Savior. [Mark 1:15]

LUTHERAN, more than a “brand name” for a church. Rather, part of a church  committed to the Lutheran Confessional writings as true expositions of the Word of God. We are a people drawn together by the Lutheran beliefs regarding the message of salvation: By Grace Alone, by Faith Alone, by Scripture Alone and by Christ Alone. Dr. Martin Luther preached and taught the proper distinction between Law and Gospel, the centrality of the Theology of the Cross and the efficacy of the Sacraments, as we also do. [Isaiah 40:8]

CHURCH, a group of the Father’s forgiven children coming together around the Word and the Sacraments and members of the holy Christian Church on earth, the people of God through all times and in all places. [Matthew 16:13-19]

SCHOOL, meaning a congregation committed to the instruction of young people in the Word and the ways of Jesus Christ on a daily basis. Our parochial school is our primary mission to the Belmont-Cragin neighborhood of Chicago and the neighborhoods surrounding us. [Matthew 28:18-20]

We invite you to join us as we gather for the Divine Service where our Lord meets us, forgives us and renews us each Sunday at 9:30 a.m. Our worship employs the richness of the Lutheran liturgical tradition, that is, the liturgy of the Western Church passed down through two millennia of feeding God’s people. Each Sunday and festival day the Holy Supper of our Lord is celebrated. Our worship is enlivened by the fact that we are truly a “singing congregation.”  Ours is a lively ministry of Word and Sacrament.  

We invite you to come over for a tour of our school to witness first hand the difference a Christ-focused and caring faculty makes. The educational process here is shaped by faith and its product, love. Ours is a lively ministry to students and families alike.

The Lord be with you!

Pastor Pittelko

Rev. Dr. Dean Pittelko, Pastor

847.858.6971       icmcounseling@aol.com