Grace Lutheran Church of Evanston: A Partner in the Chicago Coalition of Welcoming Churches

The Chicago Coalition of Welcoming Churches is a collaboration of more than 80 churches and other ministries in the Chicago metropolitan area which welcome and affirm people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. We have two goals:

To spread the message of our members' LGBTQ-inclusion across the Chicago metropolitan area, mindful that a positive message about sexual and family diversity is a gift to all people.
To connect the leaders, members, and guests of our partner churches for fellowship and education, enabling support and resource-sharing for the practices of faithful welcome.

Schedule of Activities

September-May: 9am Services are simple & participatory, meeting in our Fellowship Hall; 11am Services are liturgical and musically diverse, meeting in our Sanctuary; Sunday School and adult conversation in-between, at 10am.

June-August: 10:00am Services in the Sanctuary; no Sunday School (youth participate in worship)

Affirmation of Welcome

"We, the people of Grace Lutheran Church, are led by the Apostle Paul's directive to "be imitators of Christ and walk in love as Christ loved us" (Ephesians 5:1), and believe that in Christ "there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female" (Galatians 3:28).

We believe Christ has made us one, and we are devoted to being a caring community of faith. We recognize God's love mirrored in many forms of committed, loving and nurturing relationships between God's people.

Dedicated to being God's Kingdom bursting open into the world, the people of Grace Lutheran Church welcome ALL our brothers and sisters who hear God's Word and experience God in their lives, including gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered persons.

We invite these sisters and brothers to participate fully in worship, the sacraments, service, and leadership in this congregation."

In August of 2009 the ELCA officially removed restrictions for those candidates for ministry and pastors who are in long term, committed, publicly accountable, monogamous relationships. While no ELCA church is required to call an LGBT pastor, any LGBT candidate who wishes to pursue ordination, regardless of geographic location, may now do so.