The Deaconess Community

The Deaconess Community The Deaconess Community supports and develops skilled and committed Lutheran women to offer servant l
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The Deaconess Community is a group of women who feel the call to diakonia or servant leadership. Deaconesses are called to be public leaders in/for the church. They work in a variety of fields in and out of congregations, as they strive to be the connection between the church and the world. Each sister uses her individual gifts and skills for being that bridge. Deaconesses also seek to empower and

equip the service of other, both in the church and the world. Our sisters work in a wide range of vocations, including social work, pastoral care, education, congregational ministry, community organizing, pastoral support, outreach redevelopment, youth ministry, healthcare agencies, community non-profits and advocacy, and so many more!

We're honored to be featured in the ELCA Mission Investment Fund's 2025 Annual Report, highlighting how the Deaconess Co...
06/25/2026

We're honored to be featured in the ELCA Mission Investment Fund's 2025 Annual Report, highlighting how the Deaconess Community seeks to align our stewardship with our values.

For us, faithful stewardship is about more than managing resources. It's about investing in ministries that foster justice, compassion, and hope, so that our financial decisions become an extension of our calling to serve.

Read the story
https://www.mif.elca.org/2025-mif-report-stories-deaconess?utm_source=chatgpt.com

"You, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare the way..." -Luke 1...
06/24/2026

"You, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare the way..." -Luke 1:76

Today we commemorate John the Baptist, whose voice called people to repentance, justice, and a renewed way of living. He spoke with courage, challenging systems that harmed others and pointing always toward the One who brings hope and new life.

As the Deaconess Community of the ELCA, we believe that preparing the way for Christ includes caring for our neighbors, standing with those on the margins, and working to transform the systems that deny people dignity, belonging, and opportunity to flourish.

Prophetic service is more than speaking truth. It is listening with humility, acting with compassion, and joining God's work of justice, reconciliation, and healing in the world.

Where do you see a need for courageous love and hopeful action today?

”Therefore encourage one another and build one another up..." — 1 Thessalonians 5:11Encouragement is sacred work.A kind ...
06/23/2026

”Therefore encourage one another and build one another up..." — 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Encouragement is sacred work.

A kind word can steady someone who feels overwhelmed. A simple acknowledgment can remind a weary person that their efforts matter.

Our world offers plenty of criticism, cynicism, and discouragement. As followers of Christ, we are called to offer something different. We are called to build up rather than tear down, to notice goodness, and to speak hope into weary hearts.

Who might need your encouragement today?

Your words may carry more healing than you know.

Prayer connects us to God and to one another.As the Deaconess Community gathers in prayer, we'd be honored to include yo...
06/22/2026

Prayer connects us to God and to one another.

As the Deaconess Community gathers in prayer, we'd be honored to include your intentions.

Whether you're celebrating, grieving, seeking guidance, or simply in need of peace, know that you are welcome here.

Leave a prayer request in the comments or send us a private message.

Not every Father's Day looks the same.For some, it is filled with celebration.For others, it carries grief, longing, gra...
06/21/2026

Not every Father's Day looks the same.

For some, it is filled with celebration.

For others, it carries grief, longing, gratitude, or complicated memories.

Wherever this day finds you, may you know you are held in God's love.

We give thanks for every person who has reflected compassion, integrity, and faithful care in the life of another.

Happy Father's Day.

Following Jesus is not always the easiest path.It calls us to choose love over fear, compassion over comfort, and faithf...
06/21/2026

Following Jesus is not always the easiest path.

It calls us to choose love over fear, compassion over comfort, and faithfulness even when the road is uncertain.

Christ reminds us that a life rooted in God's love is one worth living with courage and hope.

May we follow with open hearts, trusting that God walks with us every step of the way.

There are seasons when we feel weary.Even then, God is present.The joy God gives is not based on circumstances, but on t...
06/20/2026

There are seasons when we feel weary.
Even then, God is present.

The joy God gives is not based on circumstances, but on the unshakable promise that we are loved, held, and never alone.

May that deep joy renew your spirit today.

Today we honor Juneteenth, a day that celebrates freedom, resilience, and the enduring hope of a people who refused to l...
06/19/2026

Today we honor Juneteenth, a day that celebrates freedom, resilience, and the enduring hope of a people who refused to let injustice have the final word.

As followers of Christ, we believe every person is created in the image of God and worthy of dignity, justice, and belonging.

On this day, we give thanks for those who persevered, we remember the work still before us, and we recommit ourselves to building communities where freedom, equity, and love can flourish for all.
May we continue to be people who walk with courage, compassion, and hope.

"Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers." — Hebrews 13:2Hospitality is more than opening a door.It is opening o...
06/18/2026

"Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers." — Hebrews 13:2

Hospitality is more than opening a door.

It is opening our hearts.

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus welcomed those who had been overlooked, excluded, and pushed aside. Again and again, Christ created spaces of belonging, reminding us that every person is worthy of dignity, compassion, and love.

Hospitality may begin with an invitation, a conversation, a listening ear, or simply helping someone know they are not alone.

Every act of welcome reflects the generous love of God.

On June 17, we remember the Emanuel Nine, martyrs of the faith who were murdered during Bible study at Mother Emanuel AM...
06/17/2026

On June 17, we remember the Emanuel Nine, martyrs of the faith who were murdered during Bible study at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015.

Say their names:

The Rev. Clementa C. Pinckney
Mrs. Cynthia Marie Graham Hurd
Mrs. Susie Jackson
Mrs. Ethel Lee Lance
The Rev. DePayne Middleton-Doctor
The Rev. Daniel Lee Simmons Sr.
The Rev. Sharonda Coleman-Singleton
Mr. Tywanza Sanders
Mrs. Myra Thompson

They gathered to study scripture, pray, and grow in faith. Their witness reminds us that the Church is called to stand against racism, work for justice, and proclaim the dignity of every child of God.

May we honor their memory not only with our words, but with our actions.

Address

8765 W Higgins Road
Chicago, IL
60631

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm

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