Acacia Park Lutheran Church has stood at 4307 N. Oriole Ave in Norridge, Illinois for more than ninety-five years. The congregation, part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America within the Metropolitan Chicago Synod, is known for its open communion table, accessible sanctuary, multilingual ministry in English, Spanish, and Polish, and an unusual collection of community programs that range from a 24-hour food pantry at the front door to chess nights for the surrounding neighborhoods. Founded in 1928, Acacia Park has outlasted its original building and remains a steady presence in the community.
Sunday Mornings at 9:30
Worship at Acacia Park Lutheran Church begins each Sunday at 9:30 a.m. The service blends traditional Lutheran liturgy and music with contemporary preaching and prayers. Each gathering includes Bible readings, preaching, prayers, Holy Communion, and hymns, with volunteers serving as greeters, ushers, assisting ministers, crucifers, cantors, musicians, and fellowship hosts. Following worship, the congregation lingers over coffee and treats, and the time after the service sometimes becomes an informal work session on a community project.
Holy Communion at Acacia Park is open to everyone. Visitors and members of any denomination are welcome at the Lord's Table; one does not have to be Lutheran or a member of the church to receive. Visitors are invited to stand if they are able, with members who prefer to sit always welcome. There is no dress code, and most people arrive in comfortable, weather-appropriate clothing.
The sanctuary is on the ground floor and was designed with accessibility in mind. Designated handicap parking sits in front of the main church doors, a ramp leads into the sanctuary, companion pews accommodate wheelchair users, and an elevator lift reaches Fellowship Hall and ADA restrooms. Large print bulletins, amplified sound, and noise-cancelling headphones are available for anyone who needs them. Hand sanitizer and face masks are also offered.
Children in the Sanctuary
Children are not only welcome at Acacia Park but are encouraged to be active participants in worship. A play space at the rear pews offers toys, busy bags, coloring books, and room to move. A Children's Message before the sermon invites young worshippers to the front, and during the sermon children may move to a classroom for Sunday School lessons and crafts. For families who want to step away from the sanctuary while still listening to the service, a quiet, cozy room is available. Sunday School teachers are recognized each spring with a special blessing from the students.
Three Languages, One Pastor
The Rev. Tom Pels serves as pastor of Acacia Park Lutheran Church. Born and raised in Poland, he earned a B.A. in Philosophy from the Theological Institute in 2002 and later a Master of Divinity at Loyola University Chicago. His ministry has included family outreach at Holy Innocents Parish, chaplaincy at UIC Hospital, pastoral leadership at St. Stan's Polish Independent Catholic Church, and service at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Chicago's Little Village.
Pastor Tom speaks English, Spanish, and Polish. His ministry focuses on spiritual care, community building, and advocacy for immigrants, veterans, stroke survivors, and those affected by trauma. He has led humanitarian projects including earthquake relief in Mexico, outreach to unhoused and food-insecure communities, refugee support, and a Chicago migrant shelter that served twenty-five adults and children over two years.
The church's mission statement is offered in three languages, reflecting the multilingual character of the congregation. In English it reads: "Acacia Park Lutheran Church is a faith community inspired by God's love, following Jesus' example, welcoming all, serving and helping others." Spanish and Polish translations sit beside it, and Pastor Tom welcomes pastoral conversations in any of the three languages.
Music Rooted in Kyiv
Dr. Katherine Kishka serves as pianist and organist. A distinguished musician and educator, she holds a Ph.D. in musicology and a Doctorate in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from the National P.I. Tchaikovsky Music Academy in Kyiv, Ukraine. For more than forty years she has taught at City Colleges of Chicago at the Wilbur Wright College campus, Balti State University, and her alma mater in Kyiv. Her liturgical work spans multiple Christian communities and denominations, including Holy Trinity Evangelical Church/Clovinian in Chicago. Beyond Acacia Park, she partners with the Ukrainian Christian Church in Willow Springs to coordinate humanitarian aid, an effort that has already shipped more than fifteen tons of food and clothing overseas for those impacted by the war in Ukraine.
A Door That Never Closes: Community Meal Bags
Outside the front door of the church sits a bin of Community Meal Bags that is available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. The bags contain shelf-stable, kid-friendly food designed to require no cooking and to fit little hands. Anyone facing food insecurity can stop by and take what they need. The bin is refilled twice a week, and donations of food or money help keep it stocked. An Amazon wish list supports the effort directly, with items shipped to the church for packing.
Walking Pilsen with The Night Ministry
Acacia Park has a longstanding partnership with The Night Ministry, the Chicago-based organization that provides human connection, housing support, and health care to people who are unhoused or experiencing poverty. Once a month, a team of volunteers gathers at the church to assemble meals and comfort kits, then travels with The Night Ministry health van to distribute them in the neighborhood. A list of needed supplies (peanut butter, jelly, bottled water, granola bars, fruit cups, paper bags, plastic spoons, and similar items) is available for anyone who would like to contribute.
Project Purpose and the Checkmate Social
Project Purpose is the church's men's ministry group, centered on showing up and serving the community with purpose. Members collect and deliver donations and give new life to used furniture. The group is open to men of all faith backgrounds and personal journeys; it is not Lutheran-only or faith-specific.
The Checkmate Social is a free, non-religious evening of chess and board games for community members of all ages, identities, and skill levels. Snacks and water are provided, attendees are encouraged to bring something to share, and past evenings have featured pizza alongside the games. The gatherings have quickly become a recurring way for neighbors who have no church connection to spend time in the building. Members also volunteer regularly with New Life for Old Bags, a partner project that turns plastic grocery bags into sleeping mats for people who are unhoused.
A Little Free Library on Oriole Avenue
On the church grounds, a Little Free Library invites passersby to take a book or leave one for someone else. The community book exchange is part of a worldwide network; readers can take what catches their eye and either return it, pass it to a friend, or drop it in another Little Free Library nearby. A monthly book club at the church welcomes anyone, member or not, and even those who haven't finished the book.
Life Passages and the Wider Community
Acacia Park considers it a meaningful part of ministry to walk alongside members and neighbors through life's major moments: baptisms, first communions, confirmations, quinceañeras, weddings, and funerals. Detailed wedding and funeral policies are available as downloadable PDFs, and funerals are livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel so that those unable to attend in person can still take part.
A closed Alcoholics Anonymous group meets every Sunday morning at 11:00 a.m. in the Lower Lounge. A TV room with board games is available for children during the meeting under the minimal supervision of a church volunteer. Recurring community events fill out the rest of the year: an annual cookie exchange and craft day, a soup supper and fall bingo night, an Easter egg hunt, a Mother's Day market for women-owned businesses, a Rally Day block party, a Spirit of Taizé evening prayer, and seasonal celebrations such as All Saints Sunday, Candlemas, and the Longest Night service.
A Building Designed for Welcome
The building itself reflects the congregation's commitment to hospitality. Beyond the accessible sanctuary, Fellowship Hall hosts community meals and games nights. A chapel and lower and upper lounges offer additional gathering spaces. The garden is used seasonally. The building is also a partner in the wider Acacia Park community, with the Acacia Park Cemetery located at 7800 Irving Park Rd serving as the congregation's resting ground. Members of the congregation and outside groups may rent space for events by emailing the church office.
Ninety-Six Years in Norridge
Acacia Park Lutheran Church has been a living community of faith since 1928. The original building no longer stands, but the congregation has remained at its Oriole Avenue location through decades of change in Norridge and the surrounding area. That continuity, paired with a willingness to begin again with new ministries like Project Purpose, The Checkmate Social, and Kindness Hearts left on park benches and library shelves, gives the church its particular character.
An ELCA Congregation in the Metropolitan Chicago Synod
Acacia Park is a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, a denomination of nearly 2.7 million members across more than 8,400 worshiping communities in the United States and the Caribbean. The Metropolitan Chicago Synod is the regional body that supports the work of Acacia Park and its neighboring congregations. The church's own statement of identity draws on the four emphases of the ELCA: that it is church, that it is Lutheran, that it is church together with other Christians, and that it is church for the sake of the world. The congregation commits itself to breaking down barriers of age, race, ethnicity, language, gender, sexual orientation, class, wealth, immigration status, and physical and mental ability, and to honoring questions as much as answers.
Sunday worship is at 9:30 a.m., the AA meeting follows at 11:00 a.m., and the office is open Wednesdays and Fridays from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Gifts can be made through Tithely, by check mailed to the church, or by placing cash in the offering plate during worship.