Welcome to Emmanuel!
​
9:00 am Traditional Service in the Chapel
​
10:30 am The ReFresh Worship Service is in the Sanctuary in person, on zoom,
and recorded on Facebook.
​
If you would like to join us on zoom for the 10:30a.m. service,
please click the button below.
If you need to be added to the email list, you may sign up for the list(s) for the items you would like to receive, by clicking on the button ("sign up for E'-News") at the bottom of this page.
Upcoming at Emmanuel
Something for Everyone
​
Join Beth Campisi every Monday
for Cardio Drumming
Adaptive Cardio Drumming 4:00-5:00 pm
Regular Cardio Drumming 6:00 - 7:00pm
​
​Belly Dancing
Wednesday Nights, 6:00 - 8:00pm
New 8 week class starting January 8, 2025
​
Yoga with Claudette Pirrello
every Monday, 5:00 pm - 6:15 pm
​
​Art Show "Life"
November 2024 - January, 2025
​​
Forest Preserve Hikes at 9:00am
See below for the schedule.
​
Women's Interfaith Potluck
See article below.
​​
Breathe Meditation Service
5:00 - 6:00pm Every other Month
Next Breathe is January 11, 2025
​
Spiritual Journeys Book Study
"Essential Spirituality"
by Roger Walsh
Tuesdays, 9:30 - 11:00am
​
​​​MidTown Lutheran Parish Info.
​
​RUMI's Wedding Night
December 17, 2024
6:30pm at Emmanuel
Enter North Parking Lot Entrance
​
YULE
December 20, 7:00 - 9:00pm at Emmanuel
​​
​​​​All are welcome @ Emmanuel!!!
​
​
Join Beth Campisi
for Cardio Drumming in 2024
​
Adaptive Cardio Drumming
Every Monday 4:00-5:00
This class provides all the awesome benefits of regular cardio drumming while seated in a chair. This exercise is not vigorous cardio, however it provides a multitude of benefits for the participant! No drumming experience needed. All levels welcome!
​
Regular Cardio Drumming
Every Monday 6:00-7:00
Cardio drumming combines cardio exercise and drumming to music to provide an easy but effective workout. Using an exercise ball, a bucket and drumsticks, cardio drumming is a fun, fast paced way to increase your heart rate, burn calories and improve your coordination. It even helps to improve brain function and you don't need to be a drummer to do it! Cardio drumming is fun, engaging and accessible to everyone. All fitness levels welcome!
Contact Holly Blair-Cascio if you would like to Cardio drum with us!
815-543-1191 hollyblair@mac.com
Breathe
At Emmanuel's Breathe Meditation Service we gather for one hour to enter a sacred time -- the "thin place" between the worlds -- and Breathe. We listen to sacred scriptures and poetry from many traditions, we chant, and we sit in silence as we open ourselves to the Great Mystery.
​
The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you.
Don't go back to sleep
​
You must ask for what you really want.
Don't go back to sleep.
-Rumi
​
Next Breathe is January 11, 2025 at 5:00pm at Emmanuel.
Enter by the north parking lot entrance.
​
Art Show!
​
“LIFE” Opened on November 8th, 2024
and will run thru January 25, 2025
​​​​​​
Gallery is located at Emmanuel Lutheran Church
920 3rd Ave,, Rockford
North Entrance by Parking Lot
​
Gallery is open T-Th 8-2pm
​​
Contact Susan Hurley-Whitacre if you would like to exhibit in a show or if you have any questions. Susanhurley2010@gmail.com
Nicholas Celebration
and Potluck
Sunday, December 15
after the 10:30am service.
Come one, Come All.
There will be crafts and treats for the kids.
Also, St. Nick will be stopping by.
Please bring a dish to pass and any donation
for the food pantry.
Sign-up sheet is on the table
outside of the celebration room or call the
church office at 815-963-4815 and leave a message
as to how many are attending
and what you will be bringing.
The Wedding Night of Rumi
​
Tuesday, December 17th, 6:30 pm at Emmanuel
​
Rumi’s Wedding Night is the night the world’s greatest spiritual poet died at sunset, December 17, 1273. He called that night his “Wedding Night” with the "Beloved"!. Rumi comes from the Muslim world (Turkey) yet became someone that brought religious traditions together. It is a holy night in the Eastern world.
We invite you to come and join in our community celebration: the sharing of Rumi’s poems, (you may memorize a short Rumi poem and share it with us), a Zikhr meditation (chant with body movement), and a sacred walk/ song. Bring a drum if you like, to join in rhythms between poems, and chants. This is a joyous and mystical night, especially in the magic of this Cathedral.
Emmanuel is 3rd . Ave. and 6th St. Come in from the north parking lot entrance. Try to be here by 6:30pm. There is no cost, just your “normality”.
Friday, December 20th
7:00 – 9:00pm at Emmanuel
​
Join us for a Yule Celebration that is an inclusive, inter-faith event that embraces a blend of solstice traditions. Engage in a yule log ceremony, sing some carols, make garlands and other crafts, and finish with a festive dessert spread. We'll spend some time outside and some time inside, so dress for the weather! Folks of all spiritual paths are welcome to attend and we are happy to answer any questions you may have in advance.
​
We ask that attendees bring a festive dessert or snack to share if you are able. Recommended donation is $10 a person, although monetary donations and potluck items are not an expectation and should not restrict people from participating. Donations go toward supporting future Wheel of the Year celebrations
Spiritual Journeys
Tuesday mornings 9:30 - 11:00am
Our next book will be "Essential Spirituality: The 7 Central Practices to Awaken Heart and Mind,” by Roger Walsh.
It is available on Amazon in various formats, used and new, and also through Thrift Books and other sites.
​
We will be starting the book Tuesday, December 3, 2024, at 9:30 a.m. and will be reading together and discussing it, so no need to read ahead.
​
Please join us with this Zoom link on Tuesday mornings at 9:30 a.m. til 11 a.m.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89838350099pwd=O4Hu08ruXp2VHLOZLm9lsHyRKypPv9.1.
​​
.jpg)
Winnebago County Forest Preserves Interest Hikes
​
Come hike with us.
​
Join Soul Garden for continued hiking experiences in the Winnebago County Forest Preserves. Dress for the weather!
Text Holly if you want to join the hikes
815-543-1191
All hikes start at 9:00am​​
Saturday, December 21st 9:00am
Kishwaukee River Forest Preserve
5757 Blackhawk Rd
Rockford, IL 61109
​
Link to Descriptions of all 44 Forest Preserves
Belly Dancing
Wednesday Nights
New 8 week class begins
January 8, 2025
6:00 – 9:00pm Cost: $10/class
​
Belly dancing is incredibly empowering. People of every size and ability level will have fun while building confidence, strength & grace. In the classes you will learn the Egyptian roots of Belly dance and the modern tribal & fusion styles. Short combinations will be incorporated into drills that focus on muscle group isolations, core stabilization, strengthening and lengthening of muscles, sharp & fluid motions, musicality & dance etiquette. No previous dance experience required and great for all fitness levels.
All classes are held at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 920 3rd Avenue in Rockford.
Register with Emily Rice - 773-456-1245
​
Women’s Interfaith Potluck
​
All women are welcome and invited to attend the Women's Interfaith Potluck
​​
​UPCOMING WOMEN'S INTERFAITH POTLUCKS:
​- Monday, January 27, 2025, at Grace Lutheran Church, 343 Grand Ave., Loves Park. Sarah Catalfu, Literacy Coordinator for the Literacy Council/YWCA will speak about tutoring adults.
​
- Monday, February 24, 2025, at the Baha'i Center, 1650 N. Alpine, Rockford. Karen Johnson and July Moe will speak about their recent trip to Africa.
​
***NOTE: The potlucks always begin at 6:00 p.m., and are always on the LAST Monday of the month, UNLESS that is a holiday, in which case it will likely be the preceding Monday. We will NOT meet in December.
.png)
Serving the people who live, work, worship, and play
in the neighborhoods of Midtown
December 2024 MLP Newsletter
Check out our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Midtown-Lutheran-Parish-101030175425386
​
Opportunities in MLP—ALL ARE WELCOME!
​
Katie’s Cup is open Tuesday thru Friday 8 am - 2 pm
Katie’s Walking Club—Thursdays at 9:15 a.m., weather permitting
Katie’s Choice Book Club—Second Thursday of the month, 10 am.—11:15 am. Check with Katie’s Cup for book selection
​
Katie’s Cup Conversations—noon December 10, 2024
Father Bannon on Icons and the Orthodox Church today
December 13, 2024—10 a.m. Macrame trees with Catherine Urban
Register at www.theurbanartstudio.com.
First Saturdays— Indoor Market from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Midtown Market Music:
Holiday Festival and Market December 7, 2024—Trinadora (Ron Holm and Jannie Nelson)
Winter Festival and Market January 4, 2025—Rare Privilege
(acoustic Gaelic)
Valentine Festival and Market February 1, 2025—Wattle and Daub. (folk)
Spring Festival and Market March 1, 2025—Emerald Wind (harp and flute)
TTHE BIRTH OF JESUS
CHRISTMAS EVE CELEBRATION
Emmanuel Lutheran Church
920 Third Avenue, Rockford, IL
Dec. 24: 10:30pm Christmas Concert
​
11:00pm Christmas Eve
Candlelight Service
Christmas Eve Message:
Pastor Frank Langholf
Music by Special Vocalists
and Musicians, Emmanuel Choir
Piano/Organ Accompaniment:
Clea Arbogast
Wednesday, Dec. 25:
MERRY CHRISTMAS
Sunday, Dec. 29: 10:00am Calvary/Emmanuel
Service of Lessons and Carols
140th Anniversary of Emmanuel Lutheran Church
Emmanuel celebrated its 140th anniversary on July 17, 2022 and the 100th anniversary of our second church building in November 2023. Emmanuel’s history and evolution began with the Swedish immigrants’ courage, boldness, and hard work, conserving some of their Swedish Lutheran traditions all while adapting, in a new context with a new language.
Emmanuel continues to evolve, enriching the Spiritual Life of the Community with the Arts including music, poetry, artwork, dance, communing with nature, retreats, and other expressions of our Spirituality. We meet you where you are on your journey.
.jpg)
​
​
SERVICE TIMES
Sunday
9:00am - Traditional Worship (Chapel)
10:30am - ReFresh Worship (Sanctuary)
​
​
Breathe Meditation Service:
(Breathe is held four times a year)
​
All are welcome to come as you are to our worship services!
Parking is available on Third Avenue or the parking lot north of the church.