On the 1600 block of West Foster Avenue, in the heart of Chicago's Andersonville neighborhood, Ebenezer Lutheran Church has stood as a neighborhood anchor since 1892. Founded by Swedish immigrants who gave the congregation a name that means "Thus the Lord has helped us," Ebenezer today gathers people from a wide variety of Christian and non-Christian backgrounds and from no formal religious tradition at all. Its motto - Restore. Encourage. Rejoice. - describes both its liturgical life and its outward-facing work in a community that has shifted many times over more than a century.
An Anchor in Andersonville Since 1892
Ebenezer Lutheran Church was organized as a congregation of the Augustana Lutheran Synod on January 20, 1892, by Swedish immigrants who had settled in Andersonville (then known as Edgewater). At the height of twentieth-century immigration, the congregation grew to nearly 3,000 worshipers across four Sunday services and served as a center of religion, culture, and family life for the new Swedish community. The congregation continued as a member of the Lutheran Church in America in the early 1960s and became part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) when that body was formed in 1988. As Andersonville became less Swedish and more multicultural through the 1950s and beyond, Ebenezer expanded its sense of mission to match the changing neighborhood. Today it remains rooted in its Swedish heritage, remembering it through beloved seasonal traditions while embracing a far broader community.
What Ebenezer Believes
Ebenezer describes itself as a Christian and Lutheran church that confesses belief in one God revealed in three sacred persons - the Holy Trinity - and in Jesus Christ as God With Us. The congregation is rooted in the living Word revealed in Holy Scripture, affirms the one holy, catholic (meaning universal), and apostolic Church, and holds to the confessional heritage of the Lutheran Reformation. Its teaching is that, by God's grace alone, broken people are free to love God, self, and all creation with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength. Ebenezer is part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Metropolitan Chicago Synod.
The congregation identifies itself as a Reconciling in Christ community, celebrating lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals and families in every area of church life. It is also intergenerational by design, welcoming elders, babies, and everyone in between, and welcoming the presence and blessing of children in worship - including the noises that sometimes come with them.
Weekly Worship
In-person worship with Holy Communion takes place at 10:00 a.m. every Sunday, with an additional 6:00 p.m. service on the first Sunday of each month. In-person services are mask optional. Each Sunday also includes 9:45 a.m. children's Sunday School (September through May), 11:30 a.m. coffee fellowship in the cafe below the sanctuary, and a 12:00 p.m. Community Hour for adult learning and conversation.
Worship at Ebenezer is grounded and global. Scripture readings follow the Revised Common Lectionary, and prayers and propers are drawn from the liturgies of Evangelical Lutheran Worship, linking the assembly's praise with Christians around the world. A reading and "cry" area sits adjacent to the sanctuary so parents of young children can still fully participate, and a nursery staffed by a professional and a volunteer is available during the 10:00 a.m. liturgy and Community Hour.
Individual anointing and blessing with oil is offered at the rear of the sanctuary during communion on the first Sunday of every month. Anointing is understood as a symbol of the Spirit coming upon people to heal, empower, and bless; individuals may request a blessing alone if they prefer.
Music as a Central Focus
Music is a defining feature of worship at Ebenezer. Director of Music Dr. John Elmquist, who has shaped the church's music program since 1994, knits together instrumentalists and voices in ways that draw on the many traditions of the congregation and a robust guest musician program. A rhythm section of piano, bass, and drums accompanies worship every second Sunday, and since 2000 worship has been led once a month by a jazz piano trio. New material is regularly introduced so that the assembly's repertoire can keep expanding.
The volunteer choir rehearses on Thursday evenings at 7:00 p.m. from September through May and sings most Sunday mornings during that same span. No previous experience or audition is required to join. Worship at Ebenezer is supported by a wide cast of lay leaders, including lectors, assisting ministers, communion assistants, crucifers, acolytes, ushers, greeters at the welcome center, communion preparers, bread bakers, and children's talk-ers - all working on rotating schedules.
The Mighty Möller Organ
Ebenezer's Möller organ has accompanied worship since 1964, and a long-overdue refurbishment campaign is underway to preserve it for future generations. The instrument is central to the congregation's identity - along with the vaulted, roughly 125-year-old sanctuary with balcony where it lives - and members have shared reflections on its importance to the church's life.
Sacraments, Confirmation, and Life Events
The congregation celebrates Holy Communion weekly and practices open communion. Children are welcome to commune as soon as parents and the pastor agree to begin the practice, sometimes as early as when a child can receive solid food; instruction is offered at least annually for children of any age. Baptism, which Lutherans understand as a means of grace that marks an individual as beloved of God and belonging to the Christian church, is generally scheduled at the Easter Vigil and on the second Sunday of each month (except during Lent).
Confirmation at Ebenezer follows the two-to-three-year pattern common in the ELCA, with young people affirming for themselves the promises made at their baptism. Confirmation students meet on the first, third, and fifth Thursdays of the month from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Weddings, funerals, and memorial services are also celebrated at Ebenezer, and the church hosts weddings for friends not formally connected to the congregation as space and staff allow. Couples of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions are welcome to marry at Ebenezer.
Formation for All Ages
Sunday School uses an All Kids curriculum model and welcomes children ages 4 to 12 together, meeting at 9:45 a.m. from September through May. Adult Faith Formation continues through Sunday morning discussion groups, while Bible Study gathers online each Wednesday at noon (September through May) for discussion of that week's lectionary readings. Small groups meet monthly or bi-monthly for discussion, reflection, prayer, and support, and the congregation hosts an annual retreat, typically a weekend away in worship and prayer held in February.
Ebenezer participates in the joint youth ministry Edgewater Congregations Together (ECT) with neighboring Lutheran congregations. ECT Youth Group gathers on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month during the school year at 6:15 p.m. for dinner and from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. for faith discussions, games, and worship, open to youth in grades 6 through 12. An ECT Young Adults group serves young adults ages 18 to 30, meeting bi-monthly and for events. The congregation's own Sunday bulletins and children's bulletins, lector and communion guidelines, communion bread recipe, and lector pronunciation guide are all available online.
Hospitality and Social Life
Coffee Fellowship follows the 10:00 a.m. liturgy each Sunday in the cafe below the sanctuary, and a sign-up sheet makes it easy to volunteer as a host by bringing a snack and setting out plates and cups. Beyond that, the congregation keeps a lively calendar of social groups: a monthly book club, a Yarn Yak gathering for fiber and stitching projects, a Crafty Lutherans work-day group that tackles repairs and improvements around the building, and a monthly Seniors Luncheon that has been known to share a pot of soup or spend a day at the Botanical Gardens.
Community Ministries and the New Neighbors Resource Team
Ebenezer's community ministries put faith into action in Andersonville and beyond. The New Neighbors Resource Team supports families and individuals resettling in Chicago, particularly from Eritrea and Ethiopia, in the months and years after formal resettlement support ends. Volunteers help with everything from navigating bureaucracy and paperwork to throwing surprise birthday parties. Donations of furniture, household goods, gift cards, and money are funneled through the New Neighbors Support Fund and through a dedicated Welcome Room on the Ebenezer campus. Lutheran World Relief quilting, using donated cotton fabric from members' closets, distributes finished quilts to people in need around the world.
The church's weekly tutoring program runs through the school year and, in recent years, has supported as many as 50 students from first through twelfth grade, pairing them with volunteer tutors and providing a meal. Tutors, substitutes, and meal makers are needed each week from September through May. A Social Justice ministry advocates within the church and society, educating and organizing the congregation for action consistent with the congregation's mission, with priority given to service among the poor and oppressed.
The Ebenezer Endowment, established in 1983 with a bequest and the sale of a two-flat in Andersonville, funds ministry and social justice work inside and outside the congregation. Grants each year, typically between $500 and $4,000, have gone to support programs including tutoring, refugee dental care, the ELCA Youth Gathering, and community partners such as Care for Real, the Night Ministry, Howard Brown Health Center, Chicago House, Jane Addams Senior Caucus, Concordia House, the Ravenswood Community Center, and others.
Swedish Heritage Through the Year
Ebenezer keeps its Swedish roots alive through beloved seasonal traditions. Each December, the Sankta Lucia Community Festival, hosted by Ebenezer and sponsored by the Swedish American Museum, takes place at 7:00 p.m. on December 13, complete with Lucia buns after the service. Julmässa, a Christmas liturgy in Swedish with Holy Communion held at 4:00 p.m. on a Sunday before Christmas each December, is made possible by the generosity of the Consulate General of Sweden in Chicago and the Svenska kyrkan in Toronto. Advent at Ebenezer also includes Glogg and Carols at a neighborhood tavern, a Longest Night Service, and Christmas Eve liturgies at 4:00 p.m. (planned with children in mind) and 8:00 p.m. (festive, with candlelight and carols), plus a Christmas Morning service at 10:00 a.m. Lent and Holy Week bring Ash Wednesday services, noon and evening liturgies on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, the Great Vigil of Easter on Saturday evening, and Easter Sunday at 10:00 a.m.
Visiting, Parking, and Accessibility
Ebenezer is located at 1650 W. Foster Ave., Chicago, IL 60640, with the office open Tuesday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. or by appointment. The church is reachable by CTA bus: the #92 and #50 routes stop directly in front of the building, the #22 Clark bus stops two blocks away at Foster and Clark, the #92 connects to the Red Line at Berwyn, and the #50 connects to the Brown Line at Damon. Bike racks line Foster Avenue, and limited parking for vehicles displaying a handicap tag is available along Paulina Street on Sunday mornings; other street parking is generally available around the church.
The Sanctuary, Dining Room, and Adult Education spaces are accessible by lift or ramp for people with limited mobility or who use wheelchairs, and accessible restrooms are available. Other parts of the building have a lower level of accessibility, and visitors with questions are encouraged to call ahead.
A Building Shared with the Neighborhood
The century-old Ebenezer building is a working community asset. Sanctuary, Auditorium, Dining Room with commercial kitchen, Gymnasium, Parlor, Choir Room, Education Center Cafe, Playlot, Courtyard, Library, Salon, and additional meeting rooms are available to rent for one-time or ongoing use. Indoor soccer clubs, opera companies, twelve-step groups, dance troupes, scout troops, podcast recordings, summer camps, after-school tutoring, book readings, and community service organizations are among the groups that use the spaces. Rates for room rentals range from about $25 to $150 per hour depending on the room, with a deposit sometimes required.
Giving and Sustaining the Ministry
Ebenezer is sustained by the giving of its members and neighbors. Donations may be made online through the church's giving platform, by mail to the Foster Avenue address, or by stock transfer. A Simply Giving automated giving option keeps recurring gifts consistent. A dedicated New Neighbors Support Fund channels additional giving to recently resettled families, while the Frank Hoffman Scholarship Fund provides school-age students in the tutoring program with resources for college visits, books and supplies, and application fees. The Organ Restoration Fund supports refurbishment of the Möller organ, and Ebenezer also accepts donations of goods with the office as a first point of contact. The Ebenezer Endowment, with funds for music, scholarships, an emergency repair program, enrichment operating budget support, and the primary fund, accepts contributions by check, stock transfer, or estate plan designation.
The Team
The Rev. Michael D. Fick has served as pastor of Ebenezer since 2011. A graduate of Valparaiso University and the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, he has also served neighborhood churches in Denver and Chicago and has written for The Christian Century and other publications. He lives in Andersonville, enjoys music and singing, and is often out and about with his dog, Isabelle. Dr. John Elmquist, who received his early training in the Washington National Cathedral Boys' Choir and earned degrees in composition and piano from Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Memphis, leads the music program and the ad hoc group HardArt groop, which has performed his musical creations for more than two decades. Jordan Collins-Brown serves as the Youth and Household Minister for Edgewater Congregations Together, supporting youth and family ministries across the cooperating congregations.
Office hours are Tuesday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The phone number is (773) 561-8496, and the office email is office@ebenezerchurch.org. Livestreams of the 10:00 a.m. liturgy are available each Sunday on the church's YouTube channel, and recordings remain available afterward. Sunday bulletins are posted online, and an E-Benezer newsletter keeps members and neighbors up to date on the life of the congregation.