Meet Pastor Marty Marks and Team at Immanuel Church

Pastor Marty Marks

Pastor for Campus Ministry and Church Administration (Senior Pastor)

“I am deeply honored and humbled to serve as the Pastor of the people of Immanuel as well as to the students of NIU and Kish College. I see a significant change playing out in both society and church and desire to equip all people, especially young adults to serve as effective leaders in this constantly changing and evolving world. I LOVE leading Bible studies and having deep and challenging conversations about God, His existence, His Word and plans for us all.”

Education

Bachelors of Arts in History with minors in Military and Political Science from NIU, 1992
Master of Divinity from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, 1997

Family

Pastor Marty is married to Krista (Dehlin) Marks. They met at NIU while attending Immanuel and were married in 1993. They have four children, Riley, Sadie, Carter, and Chloe. They love living in DeKalb as part of the “townie” crowd. Krista has taught elementary school, run her own Usborne book business with a large national team and now has served as the school social worker for Cortland Elementary since 2018. Having been part of Immanuel for over 25 years, Marty definitely considers the congregation an important part of his family as well!

Hobbies/Interests

Pastor Marty loves playing games, especially board and card games (modern “Euro games” such as Settlers of Catan, Dominion, Ticket to Ride, 7 Wonders and TCG games such as Magic the Gathering). He also really enjoys pizza and cheese dip. More than anything he loves people and appreciates the many relationships the Lord has blessed him with. Pastor Marty and his family lived for 3 months in New Zealand while on sabbatical in early 2019 and they now have a special place in their heart for the land of the Kiwis!

Darlene Hillman

Office Manager

“What do you feel God is leading you to do while serving at Immanuel Lutheran Church? I wish I had a clear and simple answer to that. I have been involved in many things through the years, and always felt that this was indeed my church home and family. I have been a part of so many things here that Immanuel, and the people here, are a part of who I am, and maybe therefore I am also a part of who and what Immanuel is to others. It is my prayer that I might be used in a way that would benefit those around me as our Lord has blessed me by bringing me to this place for an outdoor worship with my toddler at my side and my baby daughter in my arms. Like any family, it has had its ups and downs, but always, it is home. I hope I can make it a welcome home to others who enter here looking for what I have been given through His grace and love.”

Education

Defiance High School, Defiance, Ohio
Owens Technical College, Toledo, Ohio

Family

Originally from northwest Ohio, Darlene has lived in the Sycamore/DeKalb area since 1981, where she and her husband raised their three children, Shawn, Amber & Joel. The children all graduated from Sycamore High School and have gone on to further their educations, marry and expand the family with 9 grandchildren. They still travel back to Ohio to visit extended family whenever possible.

Hobbies/Interests

Darlene enjoys many outdoor activities, including gardening, biking, backpacking, hiking and camping. She is also active in the local community theater group, Stage Coach Players, and still volunteers extensively at church, having served on many boards and committees throughout the years.

Alma Sanchez

Administration Assistant

“What do you feel God is leading you to do while serving at Immanuel Lutheran Church? I am truly grateful to be a part of the Immanuel Lutheran Church family. It is a blessing to grow in God’s love and serve alongside such a caring and faith-filled community. I believe it is not only important to share the love of God with others, but also to live as an example of Christ’s teachings in our daily lives.”

Education

Kaneland High School, Maple Park, IL
HP Career College, Sycamore, IL (Cosmetology Certification)

Family

Raised in Elburn, IL, and later moved to Maple Park, IL. Alma has been married to her wonderful husband, Greg, since 2019. Through their marriage, she has been blessed with a wonderful stepdaughter whose joy and energy have brought so much love into their lives. They have built a loving home in DeKalb, IL, with their daughter and playful dog, who complete their family.

Hobbies/Interests

In her free time, Alma loves reading, crafting, and making home décor. She loves experimenting in the kitchen with new recipes. Cosmetology has been a lifelong passion, and she loves doing hair and makeup for friends and family. Her family enjoys traveling, solving puzzles, playing board games and sports together. She also loves playing around with artificial intelligence for work and design purposes.

Michelle Mangini

Custodian/Maintenance

“What do you feel God is leading you to do while serving at Immanuel Lutheran Church? I feel it is leading me to grow my love for God and His creations. Opening me up to new experiences I never imagined.”

Education

Rolling Meadows High School

Family

Michelle met her husband in 2006 and they got married in 2008 thanks to friends bringing them together. Their dream was to have children and they were blessed right away after being married with 2 beautiful boys. Their family also includes 4 cats, two chickens and a goldfish. As a family they love to play games and watch movies together. They also enjoy outdoor life including camping and hiking.

Hobbies/Interests

Michelle used to enjoy running but after several injuries, she is slowly working her way back to it. She enjoys reading and decorating. After a long day she loves to come home to her family and her cats.

Erin Grych

Music Teacher

“What do you feel God is leading you to do while serving at Immanuel Lutheran Church? It was in my church when I was little that I first learned I loved to sing. Decades later I am honored to share the joy of music and God’s love for each one here at Little Lambs. I feel I am called to love each child and help them grow and develop in life. I do it through music: singing songs about God’s love for them, songs that engage fine and gross motor skills, and songs that teach them about themselves and the world around them. Whether they love to sing and play in class or just at home I hope I am planting seeds of joy, hope, and love in their lives. Most of all I hope they know that Jesus loves them and they take that with them throughout life.”

Education

Northern Illinois University (Bachelor of Music)
University of Nebraska (Master of Music)

Family

Erin lives in DeKalb with her husband Tim and their 4 children, all of whom loved attending Little Lambs Preschool. Besides teaching music in preschool and home daycare settings, she teaches private voice lessons for middle school age and up and beginning piano lessons. She also partially homeschools their youngest, 5th grade, in Math, printing, and spelling.

Hobbies/Interests

Erin loves being a parent — loving, encouraging, and supporting her kids. She loves to play board games with her family, enjoys going on walks, tending to her flower beds and garden, and reading (the family loves reading comic books like Baby Blues, Zits and Calvin & Hobbes). She goes out of her way to stop and take in waterfalls, especially on vacation.

Katie Martinez

Director Of Little Lambs Preschool / Teacher

“What do you feel God is leading you to do while serving at Immanuel Lutheran Church? I have always felt that children and families are a passion of mine. Even as a child I wanted to be a teacher in a Lutheran school. God had different paths for me to follow that led me to Immanuel, and I am so grateful for those opportunities as I feel they have helped me grow and have prepared me for the leadership role at Little Lambs. My hope is that while I am here I can share the good news of Jesus with our youngest learners. I had the opportunity to attend Lutheran school growing up and it helped to lay the foundation of my faith as an adult. My hope is that we can do the same for our children here.”

Education

Bachelors degree in Child Development with a minor in Psychology from Northern Illinois University
Most of Masters completed in Family and Child Studies

Family

Katie has been happily married to her husband for over 18 years. They have 3 amazing boys together. They also have two Chihuahuas, Jack and Rose.

Hobbies/Interests

Katie loves to read in her spare time and scrapbook the many pictures she takes. She also enjoys being outdoors, especially in the fall and spring. Those times of year bring joy to her life as the fall shows the fruits of nature and spring gives hope for the future.

Kate Decker

Preschool Teacher / Aide

“What do you feel God is leading you to do while serving at Immanuel Lutheran Church? I love Little Lambs! Little Lambs puts together two loves of mine — God and working with children. I am blessed to be here.”

Education

Kishwaukee College, Malta, IL (Associate of Science Degree)
25+ years of experience working with children

Family

Kate grew up in Batavia, Illinois. She is the second of five kids, with three brothers and one sister. Her husband, Mike, and she have lived in DeKalb for over 23 years. They have four sons, and a dog named Buddy. They enjoy spending time together, playing board games and watching movies.

Hobbies/Interests

In her free time, Kate enjoys being creative. She likes to paint, draw, knit and quilt. She loves crossword puzzles and trivia games. She enjoys learning about history and watches a lot of documentaries.

Jessica Molitor

Preschool Teacher

“What do you feel God is leading you to do while serving at Immanuel Lutheran Church? I believe that being called to serve these beautiful children and their families is a privilege, one that God has trusted me to be a part of, and one that I thank him for everyday. While also sharing God’s love and promises with them, I strive to lay foundational groundwork for our Little Lambs that will promote social/emotional, cognitive and spiritual growth. My goal is to create a fun, nurturing, and engaging environment that encourages my preschoolers to grow their relationship with God, build friendships, and establish a lifelong love for learning.”

Education

Maine West High School, Des Plaines, IL
Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, IL
Kishwaukee College, Malta, IL

Family

Jessica grew up in Des Plaines, IL where she lived until 2007 when she met her husband through a shared love of motocross. In 2007 they bought their first home in Cortland, IL. They got married in 2009 and have been happily married for over 16 years. They have 3 amazing boys: Kasen, Jaxen and Graysen. Their family also includes 3 dogs and 2 cats. She loves spending time with her family and enjoying the home they built.

Hobbies/Interests

Jessica’s favorite hobby is spending time with her family and friends. She also enjoys running, gardening, being in the sun and road trips. She is a thrill seeker and has gone skydiving a few times. Her favorite sports are Motocross (watching and riding dirt bikes) and baseball.

Cara Leadingham

Preschool Aide

“What do you feel God is leading you to do while serving at Immanuel Lutheran Church? I feel the purpose of my time at Little Lambs, and indeed my time on earth, is to remind children and adults alike of the always forgiving, always loving, eternal support of Jesus and the perfect plan and love of God. I hope that when my time at Little Lambs has come to an end, people will have known me by my acceptance and unconditional love of my preschoolers. I believe we are an extension of their church and their families and that, as that, we are called to teach about the love and acceptance of Jesus and to support and help grow our preschoolers’ growing faith and understanding of God’s will and promises.”

Education

University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana (BS in Psychology)
Kishwaukee Community College (Early Childhood Education Certification)

Family

Cara and her husband Brent are raising 13 children, through birth, marriage and adoption. They have been blessed to foster multiple children, 1 of whom they recently adopted and attends Little Lambs.

Hobbies/Interests

The family enjoys the outdoors together, especially camping, hiking and fishing. During the summers, they are often found at their spot at HiTide Campground in Leland. In the Fall, they can often be found at Shabbona State Park. They love to travel, from Montana to New York to visiting family in Ireland. In her free time, Cara likes sewing, knitting, painting and spending time with her family and dogs.

Kaylin Briscoe

Preschool Teacher

“What do you feel God is leading you to do while serving at Immanuel Lutheran Church? I truly believe God lead me to Immanuel Lutheran church and Little Lambs preschool. That belief has been a huge blessing and daily reminder of God’s awareness of me and of all of us. I feel God wants me to help our youngest learners understand He is aware of them too. He notices them and loves them unconditionally! I’m so grateful for an environment where we can love these little children and talk and teach of God’s love for them everyday!”

Education

Utah State University (Elementary Major)

Family

Kaylin has been married to her wonderful husband, Jon, for over 35 years. They have 5 awesome kids, three great in-laws, and two darling and perfect grandchildren. They have a dog named Eddie, a cat named Hazel, and Margo Robbie, a bearded dragon.

Hobbies/Interests

When not at Little Lambs, Kaylin enjoys reading, playing ping pong, dreaming up renovation projects and most of all, Facetiming with her kids and grandkids.

Sue Harms

Preschool Aide

“What do you feel God is leading you to do while serving at Immanuel Lutheran Church? I feel God is leading me to share His love with children by showing kindness, patience and joy each day. I want them to know that God made them special and that they are loved. I also feel called to help them see the beauty in God’s world and to plant little seeds of faith as they learn and grow.”

Education

Kishwaukee College, Malta, IL (Associates)
NIU, DeKalb, IL

Family

Sue has been married for over 28 years to her wonderful husband and they have two awesome boys. At home they have three silly dogs and a gecko!

Hobbies/Interests

Sue loves being outside — walking, swimming and exploring nature — but her very favorite thing is spending time with her family.