Other Details

An affiliate of Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ, Stavanger Lutheran Church in rural Seneca, Illinois, is a warm and welcoming church serving its members and the greater local community.  Located in Starved Rock Country in Northern Illinois and founded in 1880 by Norwegian immigrants, Stavanger’s congregation currently worships in a beautiful and classic church building. Though many members of the congregation no longer come from Norwegian ancestry, Stavanger’s heritage is on display each December with its locally renowned Scandinavian Christmas Program drawing a large annual crowd.  Bound by faith and a shared spirit of service, the congregation is actively involved in member-based organizations and volunteer efforts that uplift both the community and each other.  Members commit their time and gifts to local and global mission efforts. The church is financially stable and is able to support maintenance of the church building, comfortable pastoral benefits, and a family-friendly parsonage. Stavanger’s multigenerational congregation eagerly seeks to replace its retiring pastor to help its members meet their mission of being Called to know Christ, Empowered to imitate Him.

Stavanger welcomes ALL who believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior to join us for and participate in worship. We have practiced a traditional, liturgical worship service including the Service of the Word, Apostle’s Creed, Lord’s Prayer, children’s message, and monthly Holy Communion. The congregation celebrates all of the major church holidays, including special services for Ash Wednesday and Lent, Holy Week, Easter Sunrise, and Christmas Eve.

Opportunities for Knowing and Imitating Christ

In addition to our worship services, Stavanger offers weekly Sunday School classes for our youth, preschool through 6th grade, which are led by volunteers from our congregation. Our dozens of Sunday School youth periodically bless worship services in song, and they perform an annual Christmas Program. Our pastor leads Confirmation classes for 7th and 8th grade students and an adult Bible Study is led by members of the congregation Sunday mornings. Stavanger supports several member-based organizations. Our Altar Guild meets monthly for Bible study. Their responsibilities include caring for the altar and preparing communion. Our Stavanger Lutheran Church Women’s group meets monthly for Bible study and fellowship.  Our Pioneers program is held once a month and includes a dinner and entertainment program for our elderly congregation and community members.

Stavanger Lutheran Church participates in community wide service programs. Along with other area churches, our members volunteer in the Packs for Pals program, which provides meals over the weekends for local students experiencing food instability. We participate in collecting goods for the local food pantries. Each Christmas, we sponsor local families with young children in order to spread the joy of the season.  We have a generous congregational mission fund which provides monetary donations to local benevolences, Cup of Cold-Water Ministries, and scholarships for seminary students.

Duties and Responsibilities

Our pastor is expected to:

• Consistently pray for the congregation, ministry, community, and loved ones.
• Regularly visit and minister to our homebound, sick, and all those in need in our congregation and community.
• Lead Sunday worship service including Confessions of Forgiveness and Faith, reading of the Holy Gospel, preaching the sermon, leading prayers, sharing the children’s message, and administering the sacraments.
• Share in the special and trying moments of member and community lives, including officiating weddings, baptisms, and funerals.
• Be a community leader who leads members and neighbors to Christ.
• Assist with youth development and discipleship; including teaching Confirmation classes and leading children’s sermons.
• Participate in congregational organizations and events, as well as collaborate in larger community events and outreach with other local pastors and congregations.
• Contribute to the monthly congregational newsletter.