What kinds of people do you have in your church?
That is a loaded question. From an age perspective, our youngest attender is four years old, and our oldest is in her eighties. From an educational perspective, we have adults who have graduated from high school and some who have some post-Master’s level education. We have people of different political perspectives. We have people who struggle with mental illnesses. We have people who receive some type of governmental assistance in meeting their needs, as well as some who are fairly comfortable in their lifestyle. We have people who are just learning the basics of the Christian faith, as well as some who have been followers of Jesus for decades. In summary, we have lots of types of people in our church.
Where do I park and enter the building?
Even though our address is 1158 Larkin Avenue, the entrance into the parking lot is actually off of North Melrose Avenue, just north of Larkin Avenue. We have five parking stalls (handicap/reserved) set aside for those who physically need to be closer to the building. We also have a couple of guest parking stalls. While there are two doors into the building off of Larkin Avenue, one leading directly into our worship center, most people use the west door by the ramp, or the northwest door.
Our worship center is on the upper level, on the west side of the building. For those coming in the west door, the worship center is all the way down the hallway. Restrooms are close by that entrance into the worship center.
What are your worship services like?
As a beginning congregation, we are like a baby getting started in life – first is being held, then crawling, then standing up and taking a few steps, then walking, then running. Currently, we are like a baby crawling, knowing that we’ll be standing up before long. We have congregational singing of some songs, a mixture of old and new. The pastor brings a message from God’s Word. He is currently leading us through the Pastoral Epistles (I Timothy,II Timothy, and Titus).Much of our worship time is focused on prayer. The early church spent lots of its time in prayer. We baptize people as they accept Jesus as their Savior and share in the Lord’s Supper (Communion) every other month. People are given an opportunity to give their tithes and offerings. We want our guests to feel welcome to give, but not obligated to give. In summary, our worship services are times we really want to focus on God. It is, and it always will be about Him.
How long is the service?
Our worship services will last from 60-75 minutes.
What about kids?
We want kids to have an enjoyable experience of learning about God and His love for us through Jesus. In our church, because we are small, kids get a lot of attention. Not all kids are alike. Some may want to stay close to mom, dad, or a grandparent. That is OK with us. Others may not like the idea of being in a seat for 60-75 minutes. We will help at that point with our Kids' Class. Anyone who will work with your child will have had a background check, including references and a fingerprint background check for criminal history. The church has an adopted child care policy which is adhered to. Any time your child is out of your sight, there will be two of our people with him or her. Sometimes, if we only have one child, one of our child care workers might simply stay with him or her in the worship center and do some activities off to the side. To be entrusted with your child’s care is one of our greatest responsibilities. We are determined to not fail in that responsibility.
How do people normally dress?
Some have grown up where people go to church with “their Sunday best.” If that is you, put on your Sunday best and join us. Others are at a point in life where they need their clothing to simply be comfortable. If that is the case, we want people to feel comfortable. Some people do not have a lot of clothing. To those we’d say, just wear what you have. People at Emmanuel Church of Elgin dress in a variety of ways and we are OK with that.
Will I be embarrassed?
We hope not. We’ll not call your name across the room. We’ll not ask you to stand so you can introduce yourself. We’ll not give you a “visitor’s badge” and ask you to wear it. Since we are a small congregation right now, we know who those who may be worshipping with us for the first time. We’ll come and introduce ourselves. We’ll have brief conversations with you, simply trying to get to know you better. We simply really want you to feel welcome. Coming to worship with us, or any church for that matter, may have taken a lot of courage, and we really don’t want to do anything to discourage you.
How old is the church?
Larkin Avenue Baptist Church was started in 1951 and over the years it was an influential light in the community and around the world. As with many churches started in that day and time, the church eventually began to decline in attendance. This began in the mid-eighties. There was a progression that simply didn't seem like it could be stopped. By 2020, there was acknowledgement that the church was dead. Efforts seemed futile. At that same time, the pastor began some course study with New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He began to understand things a little more clearly. Covid actually gave him an opportunity to reflect more on these things. When the church was able to reassemble, he shared those things with the congregation. There was an acknowledgement of the death of the church. If there was to be a church at 1158 Larkin Avenue that the current membership could be a part of, it would be through a rebirth. We would have to go to the core of our being and root out any possible source of death and irrelevancy. A part of that would be a renaming of the church to Emmanuel Church of Elgin. There were a few members lost. We knew that this process of rebirth would take time, perhaps 4-7 years. We are in the third year of the process and starting to see more signs of life. We thank God for the opportunity to witness this change. He is giving new life! We've heard that before, haven't we :) .
How does a person become a member of Emmanuel Church of Elgin?
Of first importance is that people who are members of our church have professed Jesus as Savior and Lord and possess that relationship with Him. The second step is that all members of this church have been baptized by immersion, after he or she has accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord. When people believe that God desires them to become a member of our church, there are two basic opportunties to express that belief - one is by a simple, direct conversation with the pastor. He, in turn, will set the process in motion. The other opportunity is to share that belief with the congregation (usually through the pastor, so the person isn't actually saying anything to the congregation) at the conclusion of a sermon. We'll normally sing a song and the person simply comes to the pastor and shares with the pastor what he or she believes God is wanting them to do. Anyone who has seen a Billy Graham crusade knows what this looks like. The person will have a conversation with a couple of members of the church a few days later in order to share their experience with the Lord and to be sure that the person is in agreement with the church's teachings. Assuming all are in agreement to proceed, the church votes to receive the person as a member.
What will be expected of me?
Please do not come expecting a big, fancy production of a religious experience. You’ll leave disappointed. We hope that you will come just as you are. We hope you will come with an open heart and open mind, willing to listen to God. We hope you will come with the struggles in your life, not feeling like you have to cover up things. Be honest with who you are.
Have another question that's not listed?
Email the Pastor Richard at pastorrichard@emmanuelchurchofelgin.net or text/call him at 847-902-0820.
