Come and Rejoice
At Ebenezer, we use music and art to enliven and enrich each worship service. The goal of the worship life at Ebenezer is to proclaim the Gospel in such a way that it relates to the lives of the worshipers.
Services Schedule
We offer a variety of weekly services on Sundays and Wednesdays including children’s Sunday school, Holy Communion, Bible Studies and Community Fellowship. Continue to scroll down for more information on our full services schedule as well as virtual gatherings.
Music in Worship
Music is a central focus of worship and draws on the gifts of the congregation and other musician guests. The choir practices Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m., from September through May and sings most Sunday mornings in that same period. Continue to scroll down for more information.
Assist with Worship
Worship prepares us for our liturgy in job, home, and all interactions with others. We utilize the gifts of clergy and laity alike, drawing on the gifts of all the assembled people. Worship leaders help to equip the people to live out their vocations. Click here to become more involved.
Life Events
We celebrate the sacraments of baptism and Holy Communion as well as confirmation, weddings, funerals and memorial services. Scroll to the bottom of this page for details on special life events or contact the pastor or (773) 561-8496 to celebrate your next life event at Ebenezer.
Worship Schedule
*In-person services are mask optional.
Sundays:
9:45 AM Children’s Sunday School (Sept.-May)
10:00 AM Liturgy of Holy Communion
11:30 AM Coffee Fellowship and Community Hour
Wednesdays:
12:00 PM Brief Matins & Bible Study (Sept - May) - ONLINE ONLY
Coffee Fellowship Hour is in our Cafe, located below our Sanctuary.
Community Hour (Sept.-May; and occasionally in the Summer months as announced) is an opportunity to grow with others.
Children are an important part of who we are as a congregation. Children of all ages are always welcome in our liturgies. A reading and “cry” area is adjacent to the sanctuary where you can still fully participate, should the need arise. In addition, a nursery staffed by a professional and a volunteer is available during the 10:00 AM liturgy and Community Hour.
For information about Sunday School, click here.
Seasonal Services
Annual Calendar of Special Services
Season of Lent 2024
Ash Wednesday: February 14
Maundy Thursday: March 28
Good Friday: March 29
Great Vigil of Easter: March 30
Easter Sunday: March 31
Season of Advent 2024
November 25 - December 23
Evening Prayer: Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m.
Glogg & Carols: Tuesday, December 17 at 7:00 p.m. at Simon's Tavern
Sankta Lucia Service: December 13th at 7:00 p.m.
Julmassa: December 22 at 4:00 p.m.
Christmas Eve: Tuesday, December 24th
4:00 p.m. + A liturgy planned with children in mind
8:00 p.m. + Festive Liturgy
Christmas Morning: Wednesday, December 25th at 10:00 a.m
Sankta Lucia and Julmässa
In December, Ebenezer’s diverse congregation remembers and honors the Swedish roots of both the church and Andersonville.
The Sankta Lucia Community Festival is hosted by Ebenezer and sponsored by the Swedish American Museum at 7 PM on December 13th each year.
Julmässa is a Christmas liturgy in the Swedish language held at 4 pm on a Sunday before Christmas each December and is made possible by the generosity of the Consulate General of Sweden in Chicago and the Svenska kyrkan in New York.
Music in Worship
Ebenezer is blessed with a creative Director of Music who knits together instrumentalists and voices in unique ways and strives to optimize the gifts of the congregation. We complement those gifts with a robust guest musician program. The musicians come from stylistically diverse areas and since 2000 worship has been led once a month by a jazz piano trio.
The music for worship at Ebenezer honors the many traditions of the members of the congregation, and we regularly introduce new material in order that the repertoire of the worshiping assembly may be ever-expanding, all done with an eye toward liturgical integrity.
You may join the choir (no previous experience or audition necessary) which practices Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m., from September through May and sings most Sunday mornings in that same period.
Life Events
Weddings
Ebenezer is pleased to host weddings. Weddings for friends who are not formally connected to the congregation are welcome as space and staff are available. Please contact the office for more information about arrangements, schedules, and costs. Generally, the church requires that the Pastor and Director of Music conduct all liturgies at Ebenezer, utilizing the rites of the Church. Off-site ceremonies and other blessings may also be arranged subject to the Pastor’s availability. Couples of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions are welcome to marry at Ebenezer.
Baptisms
Lutherans believe that Baptism is a means of grace, indicating God’s presence in, with, and under a visible sign, in this case, water. Baptism (for children or adults alike) marks the individual as beloved of God and belonging to the Christian church. Baptisms are therefore a public act, conducted (except in rare circumstances) in the community of the church at worship. Generally, baptisms are scheduled at the following times: The Easter Vigil (the Saturday evening before Easter Sunday) and each second Sunday of the month (except during the season of Lent)
For more information about baptism, please contact the pastor.
During the Rite of Confirmation, which is also called the Affirmation of Baptism, young people are asked to affirm for themselves the promises that were made for them during their baptism by their parents/guardians, sponsors, and faith community and to commit to living out this baptismal covenant throughout their lives. Baptism and confirmation are not “one-time events.” Rather, they remind us that we are called into a life-long relationship with God and that God’s story in our lives is only just beginning. One of the ways the ELCA educates and prepares young people to affirm these promises is through a 2-3 year confirmation ministry.
If you would like to sign up for confirmation, click here for our “What is Confirmation?” update or contact Dri Rivera.
Funerals and Memorial Services
For more information about these services, please contact the pastor.