Our Story

Our beliefs can be simply stated by saying that we believe the Bible to be the inspired Word of God. Therefore, we preach the message of Jesus because the entire Bible speaks of Him, and teaches that He is the Savior of the world. We gather often and study much because the church’s history is as vast as time itself and as deep as the individual human heart.

We could summarize what we believe by quoting 1 Timothy 1:15, or by reading through the Apostles' Creed that we confess in our worship services. Better yet, if you would like to spend some time growing and learning more about our congregation you can click here. This link will take you to the website of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS). Once you explore some of the resources there, and find out how detailed and thoughtful they are in searching the scriptures and the facts of our faith,  you will know why we are are proud to be a member of the LCMS and its mission in Christ.

Our History

Immanuel Lutheran was originally settled by German farmers starting in the 1830’s. These immigrants were involved in breaking the prairie west of Hinckley, turning it into the rich and productive farmland we see today. As those immigrants built a new life in the U.S., they brought their values and traditions with them. Soon, they were gathering for Christian worship and were served by Rev. Johannes Strieter who was also a Pastor at St. Paul Lutheran in Aurora. Strieter made regular trips by horse and buggy to what was then called “Indian Country,” and at the same time served congregations in Pierce Township, Batavia, and Yorkville.

If you would have attended one of those early services you would have heard the Pastor preach and the people sing all in German. It would have been hot in the summer (except for a breeze through a few unscreened windows), and cold in the winter (except for the heat from a stove often fired by corn cobs). Our current building was built in 1901 and has been faithfully and beautifully maintained. While the classic character remains, it has been updated to include a spacious narthex, and an inviting fellowship hall – all of which are warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

When our forebears designed the worship facility (or sanctuary), they didn’t have the digital sound system we have, so they set the pews on an arc in a theater style arrangement so they could hear the pastor from the pulpit, altar, or lectern. The original stained glass windows still color every inch of the interior according to whatever spectrum of light is shining at different times of the day. Many changes have taken place over the years here at Immanuel and in our surrounding communities, and we are excited to see what the Lord has in store for us in the future!

Pages