What are the opening hours?

Monday 8:30am - 4:30pm Tuesday 8:30am - 4:30pm Wednesday 8:30am - 4:30pm Thursday 8:30am - 4:30pm Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm

The Deaconess Community

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Chicago, IL
The Deaconess Community

The Deaconess Community supports and develops skilled and committed Lutheran women to offer servant l
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The Deaconess Community is a group of women who feel the call to diakonia or servant leadership. Deaconesses are called to be public leaders in/for the church. They work in a variety of fields in and out of congregations, as they strive to be the connection between the church and the world. Each sister uses her individual gifts and skills for being that bridge. Deaconesses also seek to empower and

equip the service of other, both in the church and the world. Our sisters work in a wide range of vocations, including social work, pastoral care, education, congregational ministry, community organizing, pastoral support, outreach redevelopment, youth ministry, healthcare agencies, community non-profits and advocacy, and so many more!

09/07/2026

God of work and rest, bless the labor of our hands, strengthen those who are weary, protect those whose work places them at risk, and lead us toward justice for all who labor. Amen.

09/06/2026

“Owe no one anything, except to love one another.”
—Romans 13:8

There is one debt we never finish paying: love.
Not love only for those who agree with us.
Not love only when it is convenient.
Not love only when it is returned.

The love Christ calls us to keeps reaching outward.
It looks like mercy when judgment would be easier.

Truth spoken with compassion.
Courage in the face of injustice.
Forgiveness that opens a way forward.
Care for the neighbor whose needs we might rather not see.

We will never reach a day when we can say, “I have loved enough.”

There will always be another opportunity to love.

On this Sunday, may we receive God's abundant grace and carry that grace with us into a world still hungry for love.

09/05/2026

September is Self-Care Awareness Month.

For those who spend their days caring for others, for those who carry responsibilities no one else sees, for those who keep showing up even when they are weary, we pray.

God of compassion, remind us that we, too, are worthy of care.

Give us permission to rest when we are tired, to ask for help when the load is too heavy, to set down what is not ours to carry, and to receive the same grace we so freely offer others.

Teach us that rest is not selfish,
that tending to our own needs does not diminish our love for our neighbor, and that even those called to serve need moments to simply be.

May we care for ourselves with the same tenderness we hope to bring to the world.

Amen.

09/04/2026

Whose work do we overlook?

As Labor Day approaches, we give thanks for the people whose work sustains our communities.

Those who harvest and prepare our food.
Those who care for children, older adults, and people who are ill.
Those who clean our buildings and maintain our roads.
Those who teach, heal, deliver, repair, build, serve, and tend.

Our faith calls us to see work not simply through the lens of productivity, but through the dignity of the person doing it.

May we honor workers not only with our gratitude, but by seeking communities in which every person is treated with dignity, fairness, and respect.

“The laborer deserves to be paid.” — Luke 10:7

09/03/2026

What does it mean to love our neighbor in a changing climate?

Our neighbors include people whose homes are threatened by flood, fire, drought, and extreme heat.

They include communities whose livelihoods depend upon land and water.

They include generations who will inherit the choices we make today.

Care for creation and care for our neighbor cannot be separated.

The earth is God's beloved creation, entrusted to all of us. May we listen to those most affected, tend what has been entrusted to us, and work together for the flourishing of all creation.

"The earth belongs to the Creator, and everything in it; the world, and all who live in it.” -Psalm 24:1

09/02/2026

Food is more than a commodity.
It is nourishment.
It is hospitality.
It is community.
It is dignity.

Yet around the world and in communities close to home, too many people wonder where their next meal will come from.

Jesus repeatedly gathered people around tables. He fed people who were hungry. He taught us to pray for daily bread.

And when we pray, “Give us today our daily bread,” we are not praying only for ourselves.

We are praying for us.

May our prayer lead us to the table, and then beyond the table, working for a world where everyone has enough.

09/01/2026

The headlines can overwhelm us.

War. Hunger. Flooding. Displacement. Communities grieving what has been lost and wondering what tomorrow will bring.

We cannot carry every sorrow. We cannot solve every crisis.

But we can refuse to look away.

We can pray.
We can listen.
We can give.
We can advocate.
We can accompany.
We can remember that behind every headline are people beloved by God.

Diakonia calls us toward the places where the world is hurting, trusting that even there, compassion can become action and hope can take root.

“Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” — Romans 12:15

08/31/2026

Honor one another.
Romans 12:10

To honor someone begins with seeing them.

Not for what they can accomplish.
Not for what they can give us.
Not for how much we agree.

Simply as a person of sacred worth.

Today, notice someone who might otherwise go unseen.

Learn a name.
Listen without rushing.
Make room for a voice that is often overlooked.
Say thank you for something that usually goes unnoticed.

Genuine love pays attention.

Whose dignity can you honor today?

08/30/2026

Let love be genuine.
Romans 12:9

Not performative.
Not conditional.
Not reserved only for those who agree with us.

Paul describes a love that takes shape in the world:

Honor one another.
Practice hospitality.
Rejoice with those who rejoice.
Weep with those who weep.
Live peaceably.
Overcome evil with good.

This is love with its sleeves rolled up.

This is love that accompanies, serves, welcomes, and stays.

This is love made visible.

Where might love become visible through you this week?

08/29/2026

We talk often about serving, giving, helping, and showing up for one another.

But there is another side to life in community: allowing ourselves to receive.

Receive the kindness someone offers.
Receive the help you didn't expect.
Receive the story another person entrusts to you.
Receive the grace that reminds you that you do not have to do everything alone.

Jesus served others, but he also received hospitality, friendship, care, and companionship.

Perhaps part of living with the mind of Christ is knowing when to open our hands and simply receive.

This weekend, may we give thanks for those who make room for us.

Address

8765 W Higgins Road
Chicago, IL
60631

Opening Hours

Monday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday	8:30am - 4:30pm
Friday	8:30am - 4:30pm

Website

http://deaconesscommunity.org/

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