Immanuel means “God with us” and it is a name that has proven true for this congregation. For over 100 years, Immanuel Lutheran in DeKalb has experienced God’s love while also sharing that love with others through Word and deed.

Immanuel Lutheran Church and Student Center is an approximately 450-member congregation located on the west side of DeKalb and a member of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS). Nestled in the heart of Northern Illinois University territory, Immanuel has always had an eye for a campus ministry near NIU. Farm folk, town folk, students, professors, and others worship and serve side by side in God’s family here.

In recent years, new housing has brought many young families to the community, and Immanuel serves them through Little Lambs preschool and ongoing discipleship opportunities such as Sunday School and Christian education along with family ministry programs. Worship services can also be heard on the radio (AM 1350 WLBK) at 10:30 a.m. every Sunday or streamed live on WLBK’s website, and services are also video streamed on Facebook and YouTube.

Immanuel’s mission, Connecting people to Jesus, can be seen in the many ways Immanuel and its members are involved in the broader community. From making Braille Bibles sent around the world to regular work with agencies such as Hope Haven, We Care Pregnancy Center, Habitat for Humanity, Camp Power, and the Salvation Army, the love of Jesus is shared in Word and deed. Across ages and generations, the people of Immanuel invite all to join them, reminding the community that “God with us, yesterday, today and tomorrow” includes everyone.