We believe that God has a purpose for all of us and our desire as a body of God's people is to know him, love him, and serve him in our everyday life. When it comes to Sunday mornings, Immanuel's worship may be characterized as "traditional" but not "stuffy," with some elements of contemporary music. We place a high value on lay participation with members actively involved in assisting with worship.

Worship Services

Saturday Worship @ 5:00 PM

Sunday Worship @ 9:00 AM

Sunday Fellowship @ 10:00 AM

Adult & Youth Sunday School 10:15 AM (September through May)

Holy Communion: First and third weekends of each month

Christmas Eve Services @ 4:00 and 6:00 PM

Lenten Midweek Services @ 7:00 PM (Ash Wednesday to Palm Sunday)

Holy Week Services – Maundy Thursday and Good Friday @ 7:00 PM

Easter Sunrise Services @ 7:00 AM and 9:00 AM

Immanuel's facility is handicap accessible; including pew cut outs for wheel chairs and an accessible restroom on the main floor.  Hearing and visual aids are available from the ushers.

A nursery room with video feed of the worship service is available to parents with young children.

Worship services are videotaped.  If you would like a copy of a special service please let us know.

Mission and Vision

Immanuel Lutheran is a community of faithful believers, gathered around God's Word and the Sacraments to Preach, Teach, Reach, and Touch all with the Gospel of Grace.

Our vision as a congregation and as individual believers is to be and become:

Christ-Centered
We believe that Jesus Christ is the sole source of our salvation and the only answer to humankind's moral and spiritual illness brought on by the fall into sin.

Bible-Based
We believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God and that through it God reveals himself to us.  The entire Bible, both the Old and New Testaments, continue to serve as the norm and guide upon which we base our faith.

Family-Focused
We believe that the Christian family is God's design and that one of the primary purposes of a Christian congregation is to support and uphold traditional family values. We believe that God has revealed his plan for family life as the union of a man and a woman in Holy Marriage, and that human sexuality is meant to be lived out in the unity and purity of marriage. 

Mission-Minded
We believe that the salvation Jesus won for us on the cross brings healing, forgiveness and new life to all who have sinned.  One of our primary goals at Immanuel is to share that message of God's love and forgiveness in our congregation, community, and world through active and hands on participation in mission work – whether here in Harlan or around the world in Tanzania!

Affiliation

Immanuel is a member of Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (www.lcmc.net). LCMC is an association of congregations and individuals who are:

free in Christ;
accountable to one another;
rooted in the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions;
working together to fulfill Christ's Great Commission to go and make disciples of all nations.

The LCMC is a post-denominational association of congregations who are like minded and believe that the church is wherever God's people gather together around word and sacrament.  The primary focus is on the local congregation and our calling to fulfill God's Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) in this place.

History & Facility

The first work among Lutheran Christians in Harlan dates back to the 1880s.  But it wasn't until February 16, 1914 that a congregation was organized under the name Immanuel Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church.  The first church building was at 7th and Farnum.  Since that time the building has been converted into an apartment complex.  Although some have claimed sightings of the original church steeple off Cyclone Avenue!

Ground breaking for the current church facility located on 19th street was held in March of 1968, with dedication occurring the following year on September 14th.  Members of the congregation and community marveled at the "fortress on the hill."  The architect's theme for the design of the building is based on both Psalm 46 and Luther's hymn "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God."  The "fortress" comprises 27,000 square feet, with sanctuary seating of over 450.

Our facility and site in town continue to serve both congregation and community well.  Many community groups, including 4-H, quilting clubs and others are welcome to use our facility.  The congregation and its more than 750 members are well poised for an exciting future of service to God and the community.