Put on your shopping shoes because this is it!! Julejentene's biggest, best and most successful fund raiser of the year! Due to the overwhelming demand for those scrumtious little bites of heaven (aka cookies) that only Julejentene can provide, the Ladies have been baking their fingers off. They promise more cookies, great crafts and raffle prizes and their yummy stick-to-the-bones pea soup available at this once a year extraveganza. So come on down, bring money, a big appetite and a big car.
Come enjoy an evening of traditional Norwegian vocal and fiddle music and innovative storytelling theatre. Minnekirken has the unique opportunity to host two exceptional musicians, Sarah Granskou and Sarah Nagell. Suggested donations is $12.
Come experience the wonder and joy of Christmas, inaugurating the Advent Season! The recital will feature the enchanting vocals of Jodi Karem, mezzo soprano, joined with the experessive accompaniment of Melissa Grant, Minnekirken's Music Director. The theme of the afternoon will be 'Christmas around the World', highlighting traditional seasonal music from across the globe. Don't be surprised if you hear familiar Norwegian music! Suggested donation is $8.
This is it! Feel the wonder, the magic, the spark of Christmas at Minnekirken’s annual musical tribute to Christmas. You can expect the powerful harmonies of Bjørnson, the beautiful melodies of the Grieg Ladies as well as our own Church Choir performing Christmas carols at their very best. Melissa has also lined up some amazing soloists for your pleasure along with other surprises. Coffee and wonderful homemade Norwegian goodies will follow.
A Norwegian Christmas - The Museum of Science and Industry celebrates Christmas with a breathtaking display of Christmas trees decorated by various nations. Come on Saturday, December 2 at 11 AM to view the Norwegian Christmas Performance sponsored by the Norwegian National League of Chicago. Traditional Norwegian music and folk dancing will be featured. See more at the MSI web site http://www.msichicago.org/temp_exhibit/catw2006/index.html
It is with great sadness that we recognize the loss of our dear and beloved friend, Walter Westrum, who passed away Thursday evening at home. Walter was an active member of Minnekirken for over 50 years and has touched the lives of so many of us. We will always remember his gentle nature and kindness, and we will miss him dearly. Our prayers and thoughts are with him and his family in this time of sorrow. A wake will be held on Monday, December 4th from 3-9pm at Peterson's Funeral Home, 6938 West North Ave, Chicago (773) 637-4441. The lay-in-state will be held at 10 am with a service following at 10:30 am at Minnekirken on Tuesday, December 5th. Internment services will be held at Ridgewood Cementery, 9900 N. Milwaukee Ave, Des Plaines, IL (847) 824-4145. For more information, kontakt Minnekirken, the Pastor, or Kari Diesen-Dahl.
You are specially invited to join us for Christmas Day Service. The sermon will be given in English for all to enjoy. Traditional carols to be sung in Norwegian. Following the service, please share a cup of coffee and a Christmas cookie or two with your Minnekirken friends and family.
Christmas may be officially over at your house, but at Minnekirken the celebration has just begun! We have a special committee of elves that have been planning this event for months. All ages are invited to join us at the Juletrefest for games, caroling around the tree, stories, treats, and a visit by a kindly old bearded gentleman who likes to wear a red velvet suit. Bring the kids, the grandkids, the nieces and nephews. Bring bestemor and tante Anne. Don’t miss the fun!
One year has just ended and a new one with all it’s new hope and possibilities is just beginning. What better place to start off your new year than in church? Join our annual New Year’s Eve celebration which includes dinner, songs, entertainment and a short midnight service. Please call the pastor to reserve your seat.
The Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church (NLMC), also known as Den Norske Lutherske Minnekirke (DNLM), is sponsoring a non-perishable food collection to be donated to Logan Square Food Pantries. The collection starts Sun 26 Nov and goes to approximately Wed 20 Dec. 06. Special needs are rice, beans, cookies, cereal food...........
Board Meeting
Annual Congregational Meeting
Astrid Olsen, died suddenly Thursday January 4th. The wake will be at 3 - 9 pm on Friday the 12th of January at Oehler Funeral Home 2099 Miner, Des Plaines. The funeral service is scheduled for 11am on Saturday the 13th of January at Minnekirken. Memorials to be for the Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church - for the new speaker system.
The Meeting is in Thorvald Steinsland's home, at 719 N. Lombard Ave. in Oak Park
The meeting is at the Parsonage.
Kolbjørn Haugen passed away on December 1st. There will be a Memorial Service in Minnekirken on January 21st. at 1pm, with his family from Norway in attendance.
On Palm Sunday, the children will participate at the beginning of the service in a procession with palm leaves.
Good Friday tenebrae service with readings. Please join us at this solemn, holy service that commemorates the suffering, crucifixion and death of our Lord.
You may be able to find a nearby resturant with Swedish pancakes, but the ONLY place for NORWEGIAN pancakes is Minnekirken on Easter morning. They're scrumtious, slippery and slide down real easy with jam and coffee. After breakfast, stay to celebrate the resurrection at the 11 a.m. service in Norwegian with English sermon. Don't leave yet Coffee and refreshments following the service.
The Youth group will meet after service.
Come out to Minnekirken on May 6th., 2pm, to enjoy the lovely singing of Melanie Carter, accompanied by your favorite organist and pianist, Melissa Grant. The recital will feature works by Debussy, Wolff, Argento, and others. Admission is $8. If you've heard Melanie's voice at past Christmas concerts, you know that this event is not to be missed! Melanie Carter Melianie has sung in numerous musical theater and operatic productions, including the leading roles in Kiss Me, Kate (Kate/Lilli Vanessi), The Secret Garden(Lily), Guys and Dolls(Sarah), Oklahoma! (Laurey), Street Scene (Greta Fiorentino), Trial y Jury (Angelina), Pirates of Penzance (Mabel), The Yeomen of the Guard (Elsie Maynard), Les Contes d'Hoffman (Olympia), Dei Fledermaus( Sally), and Albert Herring (Miss Wordsworth). She has sung several full recitals, has appeared as a guest soloist for special events and churches, and has sung with the Greensboro Opera Company on multiple occations. Melanie has a Bachelor of Music degree in voice performance from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and a Master of Music degree in voice performance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She teaches voice and piano lessons at Lake Zurich High School and Northwest Music Academy and resides in Arlington Heights with her husband, Jason.
All of the "mom's" who attend Mother's Day service will receive a small gift following the service, to honor all of her service throughout the year.
Includes all the bunads, colors, flags, pomp and circumstance that the Norwegian Constitution Day commands. Mr. Inge Lønning, President of the Lagting will be on hand with greetings directly from Norway. Bjørnson, Grieg Ladies, the choir and Melissa's magic fingers will fill the church with festive song. Join us following the concert for a wonderful smorgasbord of refreshments and coffee.
Pull out that bunad or your Norwegian Sweater. Or just wear some red, white and blue and march with the church in the annual parade! Line up begins at 12 noon at Talcott and Cumberland. Just look for Minnekirken's banner and enthusiastic group of marchers.
The parade festivities are over. Now it's time to sit down to a hearty Norwegian Meal of Lapskaus, prepared and served by our very capable Ron Hansen who always makes sure that no one goes home hungry! See Ron for tickets.
For the third time is ATA on a US-tour. The tour is a three and a half week trip across the continent: From Chicato to San Fransisco. We will get to experience the big cities, national parks and get a feel for the USA. Over the last two and a half year we have worked in groups to put on several shows, and the last six months have been dedicated to produce the show we are touring the USA with. It combines song, dance, theater, film and pictures, much of which containing material local to the Hallingdal region. The ATA consists mainly of youths from Ål, but other areas in Hallingdal are also represented. The age range from 14-25 with a few grownups sprinkled in. The large age difference and diverse personalities generate a great environment for the kids. We have an open Christian and Drug-free environment where we enjoy each others company. ATA is a cooperation accros denominations between Ungdomsrådet i Ål , Ungdomskoret Synzygus, HÅP Pinsemenighet i Hallingdal, KFUK/KFUM-speidarane og KRIK. ATA Tour America 2007
Samlingsfest means songs, stories, snacks and smiles. This is the annual get-together traditionally meant to celebrate the bounty of the harvest, but at Minnekirken it is a time to catch up with church friends after summer break. Join us!
Always wondered how the Julejentene get those cookies so delicious and tender? Or how to make truly Norwegian foods for luncheon or dinner? Come at 9:45 to get your cup of coffee - we begin at 10:00 am. Class demonstration and hands-on run through 12:15; lunch is at 12:30 - PLAN TO STAY FOR LUNCH! We'll make at least 2 items in each class, and we eat what we cook! Fee is $10 per person, per class. Come to one class - come to all.... whatever your schedule permits, but let us know you're coming, so we set up enough food and equipment for everyone! To register, call or email Kris Cosentino at 847 414-3505, email kristine.cosentino@thrivent.com OR Karena Dahl at 847 301-3606, email karena.dahl@citicorp.com
It is a long tradition to celebrate the Leif Erikson day in Chicago. After the regular church service, people go to the statue in Humboldt Park. After the laying down of the wrath at the statue, Minnekirken will open once again with refreshments and a special program featuring Dr. Vera Littlejohn, an expert on Viking culture. Vera recieved her doctorate from Uppsala University in Sweden in 1977, Sweden’s offical “Year of the Viking”. Please join our special memoral celebration.
Need a break from making dinner this fall? Here’s an idea...make reservations at Minnekirken’s annual Cod Fish Dinner. Our seasoned chefs know how to boil up fish, potatoes and onions to perfection. The succulent meal is served up with butter and all the trimmings and then partying commences in the church. No other place in the Chicagoland area does a fish boil quite like Minnekirken and all you need to do is make reservations! Reserve one seat or a whole table. It doesn’t matter because you will enjoy a magnificent fish dinner along with a fun evening with friends.
JIM REILLY performs as a tenor, pianist, and organist. He founded the Nordvendt Concert Series in 1997 when he was Director of Music at Mindekirken in Minneapolis, Minnesota's only surviving Norwegian language congregation; he continues to administer this series, which has presented over thirty local and visiting artists in Nordic repertoire. He has accompanied many area performers, and visiting singers including Norwegians Marit Osnes Aambø, Elisabeth Tandberg (whom he accompanied in the summer of 2006 here at Minnekirken), and Birgitte Christiansen, and he has himself sung the first American performances of works by Norwegian composers Bjarne Sløgedal and Wolfgang Plagge. But his performing has been as varied as all-Kurt Weill programs in the Twin Cities and Massachusetts (as both a pianist and singer), singing the lead in Debussy's opera L'Enfant Prodigue, and Latin American and Spanish concerts (as a accompanist/pianist). Other recent programs have been at the Alliance Française in Minneapolis (including music in French by the Norwegian composers Halfdan Kjerulf and Johann Selmer) and a solo voice recital in June including works by the Dane Carl Nielsen and Finland's Toivo Kuula. He has performed not only in Minnesota and a dozen other states, but also has sung for the Nordland Musikkfestuke in Bodø, Norway, and accompanied recitals in Holland. This Fall he will accompany French soprano Nicole Fournié in her first American appearances. Jim will perform for us a varied program of piano music of five composers from five Nordic countries: Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Norway (Grieg, of course!). To guide us through this musical tour he will add spoken commentary before each composer's selections. PROGRAM: i. SWEDEN: Johan Helmich Roman (1694-1758) ii. DENMARK: NIELS GADE (1817-1890) III. FINLAND: JEAN SIBELIUS (1856-1957) iv. ICELAND: Arní Björnsson (1905-1995) v. NORWAY: EDVARD GRIEG (1843-1907)
The outside doors to the church are open, but the inside doors into the coffee hall are closed. More and more people crowd into the hallway. The atmosphere is festive. An accordion can be heard playing inside. But Magnhild won’t let us in! What’s the rush? Why the line? What’s behind those doors? It’s Julejentene’s annual Christmas Bazaar, of course, and people line up early to get their hands on those amazing, buttery, mouth-watering, crumbly, sweet, SCRUMPTIOUS cookies!!! At exactly 10:00 a.m. the doors will open and your chance to purchase the best cookies this side of the Atlantic will be here! This once-a-year event includes the all-start lineup of pea soup lunch, Christmas crafts and goodies, packaged goods, raffles and white elephant. Mark your calendar. Bring your pocket book, a big shopping bag and an appetite.
Christmas concert. The date is set, so set aside the date. You won’t want to miss this tribute to Christmas in music. Details to follow.
As we move on into the Christmas Holiday season, plan to come to “Christmas Around the World” at 1:30 p.m. on December 1, in the East Court of the Museum of Science and Industry. You’ll get to see Christmas trees from around the world, including Norway, and enjoy the program presented by the Norwegian National League.
The Gospel Choir Manna is performing for us in Minnekirken. You can find more information about them here and an image of their poster here. Manna Gospel Choir was founded in 1988, is today a well established ensemble with members from several different parts of the country. What binds us together is our friendship, and our desire for praising God through gospel music. Manna Gospel Choir is conducted by Hellen Thonhaugen, who is highly educated in music, and has great experience in conducting gospel choirs. She has also worked with several of the most famous Norwegian artists, doing background vocals on records and touring, among other things. The members of the choir come from all over Norway, with various backgrounds and from different churches. A total of 65 singers, aging 20 - 30, stand together in the joy of praising the Lord through our singing. We have a firm foundation in the Christian faith and Gospel. Our style of music could be compared to black American gospel music, both modern and traditional. We are controversial, energetic, inspiring and spirit-filled! It is said about the gospel genre that it will never be out of fashion. With it's impulsive, dynamic and lively style we can easily compare it to classical music's timelessness. This music appeals to many people all over the world! "Manna" is a biblical term for blessings from heaven. While the poeple of Israel were walking in the desert for 40 years, they every morning got small seeds from heaven, which they collected and made bread of. We desire that our singing could be like those small seeds, and that people collect words from God when they listen to us. We hope that our singing would come to be a blesing. We have been giving performances in Norway, Denmark and Sweden, and now we are planning our first tour to the home of gospel, USA! The choir's goal is always the same: To preach the gospel through our music! We are very happy about coming to the USA, and we our planning our tour with great expectations about what we will experience over there!
Norwegian Memorial Lutheran Church is in need of a Pastor. More information can be found here (in Norwegian) Minnekirken søker ny Prest
