Our History and Mission

Emanuel’s History

Emanuel was founded in 1889 by Swedish immigrants who settled in the Frog Hollow neighborhood of Hartford. The story of Emanuel’s first hundred years is recorded in a book by Norma Westlund Sandberg, God with Us. The congregation today is a rich blend of people of diverse ethnicities.  Everyone is welcome at Emanuel.

Our Faith

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is a community of faith that shares a passion for making positive changes in the world. Our faith is built around a strong belief in God as made known to us in Jesus Christ. Through worship, service, and education, we practice our faith, grow our relationship with God and experience God’s grace in our lives. Learn more about the ELCA

Wherever you are on your faith journey, we invite you to join Emanuel Lutheran Church in any of our varied educational opportunities.

Emanuel is a community of lifelong learners rooted in the gospel – the good news of what God has done for us in Jesus Christ. We provide opportunities that foster reflection on the meaning of that good news for daily living and support learners in their faith formation with a strong biblical foundation on which to question and search as they make the Christian faith their own.

Our Lutheran heritage encourages us to study, question, and reflect on how God is at work in our lives and in the world. We recognize the challenge of understanding what our faith means in a rapidly changing world and provide opportunities that invite learners to discern how they can live lives characterized by love of God and neighbor.

We Lutherans believe in a gracious God, revealed in the crucified and risen Jesus Christ.  Baptized into God’s family, we live as God’s forgiven children, freed to serve God and neighbor.

In response to Christ’s love we:

  • Worship God in joyful celebration
  • Invite others into this community of Christ
  • Serve those in need in the community and in the world
  • Nurture all people in faith through Christian education
  • Encourage and support one another in Christian living and fellowship

No matter what opportunity you may choose, we believe God will meet you where your deepest questions lie!

Our Mission

Emanuel was founded in 1889 by Swedish immigrants. Now our focus is to fulfill our mission to be “In the City for Good,” where All are Welcome.

  • We have two Sunday Services: 8:00AM in the Chapel and 10:00AM in the Sanctuary with Communion at both. We have a Sunday School and an outreach and fun based Youth Program.
  • We are involved in our neighborhood with programs like Saturday Outreach, Friday Night Basketball, and Bike Repair/Give Away for local kids.
  • We want to be an authentic witness to God in the City where we worship.

If you have any questions call us at 860-525-0894. Please join us again!