The Beginning
On November 2, 1901, Fred Brandenburg, William Falck, John Hallfrisch, Heinrich Renike, and Charles Seefeldt signed the incorporation papers for Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church of Shirley.
Immanuel
The name “Immanuel” is ancient Hebrew word that means, “God with us.” Just as He promised, God himself came to rescue us. As the gospels report, Jesus of Nazareth, God’s own Son, lived among us and carried out God’s plan of rescue for all.
As members of Immanuel, we believe that rescue effort is ongoing as God in His Word continues to be with us: forgiving us, equipping us for service, and helping us help others.
We invite you to be a part of a country church family that cares.
- Our church family views the Bible as important, so adults meet for Bible Class on Thursdays at 7:00pm, our children meet on Sundays for Sunday school. Whether you are young or old, there’s a place for you to encounter God in His Word.
- Assisting local food pantries, planning outdoor movie nights, board game nights, couples dinners, or our Ladies Society is the social wing of our church family.
- The ladies meet 9 times a year on Thursday night at 6:30pm. The meeting begins with a bible study with pastor, and then ladies discuss ways our church family can get together and also serve our neighbor.
- Children also participate in our worship service, whether it’s singing songs or playing bells.
- This church family enjoys music, and our music director, Sandi Zirbel, does an awesome job organizing and directing our festival bell choir and festival choir, which enhances our worship around Christmas and Easter. There are also Ladies Choirs, and small choirs for special occasions.
What to expect on a Sunday morning
Worship is one of the most important things Christians do. We like to have worship that is centered on God coming to us and giving us His gifts, that is, forgiveness of sins through His Son. Each service lasts just about one hour. A typical service which you can expect to experience every Sunday has a pattern to it to help you follow:
Greeting:
The pastor greets everyone and introduces the theme of the day.
Hymns.
Yes, we like to sing. At various points in the service we sing hymns, whether written recently or hundreds of years ago. Good hymns are written in any time period.
Confession & Absolution of Sins:
We confess our sins to God and hear the proclamation of God’s forgiveness to us. With all our sins gone and our relationship to God restored, we can joyfully stand before God at peace, and also go and care for our neighbor.
Scripture Readings:
There are typically three readings, which are unified to form one central theme for the service: one from the Old Testament, one from the later books in the New Testament and one from the first four books of the New Testament.
Psalm of the Day:
The book of Psalms in the Old Testament was the songbook of the ancient church, we enjoy fresh settings of these ancient songs.
Children’s devotion:
Pastor invites children to come forward for a short devotion. Sometimes his devotion highlights a point in the sermon, sometimes he highlights the artwork in the sanctuary, sometimes he simply tells a Bible story in connection with the theme of the day.
Sermon:
Pastor preaches a sermon from one of the lessons that has application to our daily lives.
Offering:
The Bible teaches that our offerings to God should reflect our belief that all we have is his gift to us. It teaches us that with our offerings we worship and honor God. Like most Christians, our members bring offerings to God through their church. Since offerings are gifts of love for God, no one dictates what each person is to give. We pass an offering plate during the service so that our worship may include bringing gifts to God. We look to Christ and his love to motivate us in our giving, whether it is a child putting in coins or an adult writing out a check. You may wish at first to learn more about our church before you give an offering, but you are always welcome to participate as your heart leads you to give.
Prayers:
We bring our prayers to God, especially prayers for members and the community.
Fellowship:
After worship, Pastor announces, “Please turn and greet your neighbor.” You’ll see how Immanuel is a country church, as folks turn and greet one another and talk with one another, including guests.
FAQ
We know stepping into a church for the first time can be intimidating. We hope these questions and answers are helpful to you as you consider attending our church. Please let us know if we can be of any further assistance. We hope to see you in worship soon!
What time are the services?
We worship on Sundays at 9:00am. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day we worship at 8:30am. During the summer months we have once a month services on Wednesdays. Check out our calendar for dates.
What about kids?
We love to have kids & young families join us! Please don’t feel bad if kids get restless. They’re kids – that’s what they do. There are bags with books, and if the child is too disruptive, the fellowship hall is connected to the sanctuary, with a glass barrier and also a sound system.
Will I be able to follow the service?
We use an orderly form of worship that is easily followed page by page in the front of our hymnals. Usually, each hymn is announced when it’s time to sing. If you don’t know the tune, just follow the words and when you feel comfortable, join in singing. It’s not a performance – it’s your personal praise of your Lord.
What about the offering?
We believe that our offerings to God should reflect our belief that all we have is his gift to us. Like most Christians, our members bring offerings to God through their church. Since offerings are gifts of love for God, no one dictates what each person is to give. We pass an offering plate during the service so that our worship may include bringing gifts to God. We look to Christ and his love to motivate us in our giving, whether it is a child putting in coins or an adult writing out a check. You may wish at first to learn more about our church before you give an offering, but you are always welcome to participate as your heart leads you to give.
What about communion?
Members of this church family announce for communion by signing the communion register in the hallway. We hold to the ancient, biblical practice of “close communion.” This means that we commune only confirmed members of our church or churches of our fellowship (ELS and WELS). If you are a guest who is interested in communing, please speak with the pastor prior to the service. He’d be happy to go over with you what we believe and teach, in the hopes that you would make Immanuel your church family.
Is Immanuel handicap accessible?
Yes, the rear entrance has a ramped access. Those with wheelchairs usually worship on the outside aisles.