A Family Church at the Corner of Normandy and 83rd
Immanuel Christian Reformed Church stands at the corner of Normandy Avenue and 83rd Street in Burbank, a southwest suburb of Chicago. The congregation describes itself in plain words: "a community of believers, directed by God's Word and Spirit, seeking to share Christ's love with our neighbors, growing together in faith." Members from many backgrounds, ethnicities, and languages gather around the preaching of the Word and the celebration of the sacraments, and the church has become known as a place where English and Spanish worship coexist under one roof.
Visitors arriving on a Sunday morning find a single 9:30 AM worship service followed by Christian education for every age. A Spanish Bible study meets at 11:00 AM, and a prayer group gathers in the pastor's office before the service at 8:55 AM. The building sits at 8302 Normandy Avenue and is easy to spot from the corner; it has been the home of this congregation for decades.
From a Sunday School Class of Two to a Bilingual Congregation
The story of Immanuel begins in 1958, when the Chicagoland Christian Reformed Board of Missions sent Evangelist Dirk Aardsma and his wife to begin a community outreach in what is now Burbank. The first Sunday School class on June 1, 1958 had two boys. Within a few years, weekly attendance grew, and in September 1961 the original chapel and classrooms were dedicated to God's glory.
By May 1973 the chapel was organized as a church, and the Rev. Gary P. Hutt arrived as the first pastor in June 1974. Growth quickly filled the worship space, and in January 1977 a new worship center and additional classrooms were dedicated. Pastor Hutt accepted a call to Oregon in 1982.
The Rev. Lester Van Essen, who had just completed twenty years as a missionary in Nigeria, accepted the call that same year. During his tenure the foyer was enlarged and three classrooms were added in 1991, bringing the building to its current footprint. Pastor Van Essen left for Lansing, Illinois, in 1993.
The Rev. Alvin Machiela began his ministry in January 1994 and emphasized holy living, mutual encouragement, and prayer, while the worship team became more active in planning services. He accepted a call to Oregon in 1996. Stephen K. Rhoda, who had come from Calvin Seminary as an interim pastor, was ordained and installed in April 1997 and preached faithfully until he accepted a call to Sioux Center, Iowa, in 2002.
The Rev. Gerry Van Dam arrived in 2004 from Farmingham, New Mexico, and during his pastorate the congregation celebrated its 50th anniversary, recalling how members had enjoyed "Life with our King" over the previous half century. He moved into hospital chaplaincy in 2011. David Ten Clay was ordained on March 3, 2013, coming from Roseland Christian Ministries where he had served as director of housing and facilities manager. Under his leadership the church gained a new projection system and many new members. He accepted a call to Hudsonville, Michigan, in November 2019.
After a long and comprehensive search aimed at becoming a bilingual ministry, the church called Israel Ledee as its commissioned pastor. He and his wife, Mariana, joined the congregation, and the vision of bilingual worship took shape. Under his steady preaching, the church now runs a regular Spanish Bible study alongside its English ministries and posts sermons in both languages.
Sunday Morning at Immanuel
The Sunday rhythm is simple and centered on the Word. Morning Worship begins at 9:30 AM and gathers the whole church in one service. The service includes prayer, congregational singing, Scripture reading, and expository preaching. Ushers greet visitors with warm smiles and are ready to help anyone find a seat, a Bible, or an answer to a question. The church has no dress code and welcomes people as they are; visitors are greeted before, during, and after the service.
Immediately following the service, Christian Education classes meet from about 10:45 to 11:30 AM. Children gather for their own classes with at least one adult leader per room, spending time in prayer, Bible study, and learning the weekly lesson. Youth work through a modern retelling of Pilgrim's Progress, and adults choose between several classes. The Heidelberg Catechism class works through each Lord's Day, the Living as a Church class discusses the privileges and responsibilities of church membership, and a How to Study the Bible course has been offered on Thursday mornings online through Google Meet.
A Spanish Bible Study meets at 11:00 AM in Spanish, giving Spanish-speaking members and neighbors a parallel time of study. The worship bulletin, articles, books, courses, calendars, and sermons are all available in both English and Spanish.
Midweek Ministries for Men, Women, and the Whole Church
Beyond Sunday morning, Immanuel maintains a small but intentional set of weekly ministries.
The Coffee Break Bible Study gathers women of all ages on Thursday afternoons at 1:00 PM at the church. The group includes prayer, fellowship, and a study of God's Word; the current study is the Book of Romans.
The Men's Breakfast Fellowship meets twice a month. The men share a meal, conversation, and a study of a Christian book or a book of the Bible. The current focus is the book of 1 Peter.
A Prayer Group meets every Sunday morning at 8:55 AM in the pastor's office. Members gather to pray together before the worship service begins.
The church also runs a Bible Reading Plan each year, inviting the congregation to read through Scripture together. The most recent plan covers the Bible in three years, with daily readings averaging only four or five minutes.
What Immanuel Believes
Immanuel Christian Reformed Church confesses the historic Christian and Reformed faith. Members affirm three ecumenical creeds (the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed) and three Reformed confessions (the Belgic Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism, and the Canons of Dort) as faithful summaries of Scripture.
The church's own statement of beliefs begins with the Bible: the inspired, infallible, error-free written Word of God. There is one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All are sinners and unable to save themselves from God's displeasure apart from His mercy. Salvation is by God alone, who sovereignly chooses those He will save, based on His grace and not on human merit.
Immanuel teaches that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, whose perfect life and sacrificial death atoned for the sins of all who trust in Him alone for salvation. The Holy Spirit dwells in God's people and gives them the strength and wisdom to trust Christ and follow Him. Jesus will return, bodily and visibly, to judge all mankind and to receive His people to Himself.
Members summarize their life together in a vision statement: "We are a community of believers, directed by God's Word and Spirit, seeking to share Christ's love with our neighbors, growing together in faith." Preaching is expository and centered on the text of Scripture; recent series have included FLOURISH on the Ten Commandments, The Gospel of Matthew, Hebrews, The Christian Home, and Redemptive Hospitality.
Leadership at Immanuel
The church follows the historic Reformed pattern of elders and deacons. Three elders govern the congregation in Christ's name, providing spiritual oversight, true preaching and teaching, the celebration of the sacraments, and faithful counsel. Three deacons serve by showing mercy, assessing needs, promoting stewardship and hospitality, collecting and disbursing resources for benevolence, and offering words of Christian encouragement.
The elders are Dwayne Kuiper, who serves as President, Rev. Jeremy Oosterhouse, Clerk of Council, and Herman D. Westerveld. The deacons are Robert (Bob) Kruk, Chairman, Harold Aardsma, Secretary, and Jose Nuñez, Recorder.
The pastor is Israel Ledee, who has been married to Mariana for sixteen years. In his spare time he enjoys family time and travel, watching Cleveland sports, smoking meat, building friendships, and tackling projects around the house. He has preached more than one hundred sermons at Immanuel and continues to lead the church into its bilingual future.
Planning a Visit
Immanuel sits on the southeast corner of Normandy Avenue and 83rd Street in Burbank, just inside the south side of the city. The building is accessible from the main roads of the southwest suburbs.
Worship begins promptly at 9:30 AM on Sundays. Visitors may dress in whatever feels comfortable, and there is no dress code. Ushers will help with seating and questions. A staffed nursery is available for newborns and toddlers, and Christian education classes for preschoolers and elementary-age children meet right after the service.
Visitors can call (708) 599-5335 or email secretary@immanuelfamily.org. The church maintains a Safe Church Policy.
Community and Commitment
Immanuel is committed to supporting missionaries beyond its own neighborhood, and its members reflect backgrounds and nationalities from across the region. The congregation gathers around the ordinary means of grace (preaching, the sacraments, prayer, and fellowship) and seeks to live out the gospel in Burbank and the wider southwest side of Chicago.
From two boys in a 1958 Sunday School class to a multilingual congregation more than sixty years later, Immanuel Christian Reformed Church continues to trace its story back to the same calling: to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to neighbors near and far, to worship the crucified and risen Lord, and to grow together in faith.