St. Paul Lutheran Church Holding Annual German Christmas Service

St. Paul Lutheran Church in Mount Prospect will be hosting a German language Christmas service on Saturday, December 21 at 5:00 p.m. It should be noted that the service is returning to its original time of the last Saturday before Christmas. The church is located at 100 S. School Street on the corner of Busse Avenue and School Street in Mount Prospect. This the congregations twelfth annual German Christmas service, and it draws worshippers from across the Chicago northwest suburbs. While the traditional Lutheran service will be conducted in German, an English translation of the sermon will be available. The German Christmas service is one of the few of its kind being held in the Chicagoland area. Musical selections will be sung by the German American Singers of Chicago Choir.

St. Paul Lutheran Church was founded in 1912 by German farmers and small businessmen residing in the area that was soon to become the village of Mount Prospect. The first church was built in 1913 a couple blocks east of downtown Mount Prospect on farmland donated by the Busse family. Many of the village’s founding families such as the Busse’s, Meyn’s, Moehling’s and Wille’s were early members of the congregation.

St. Paul was originally a satellite church of St. John Lutheran Church which is located on the south side of Mount Prospect. St. John was established in 1848 and was the first Lutheran church in Elk Grove Township. St. Paul held services in German until the mid-1930’s and the congregation’s Lutheran School taught the German language into the late 70’s. In 2011, the church reintroduced a German Christmas service as a kickoff to the congregation’s 100-year anniversary. The service was so well received by the congregation’s members and the broader community that it was decided to turn it into an annual tradition. Senior Pastor Bo Graham noted that the service “is not just for German speakers but for all who would like to experience Christmas worship in the tradition of our area’s earliest residents.”

For additional information call the church weekdays at 847-255-0331.