Congregations to join Concordia Chicago’s 150th celebration

A national thank offering to provide scholarships for church-work students is one component of a three-day celebration this fall to mark the 150th anniversary of Concordia University Chicago in River Forest, Ill. — the oldest of the Synod’s 10 colleges and universities.

Sunday, Oct. 12 — the school’s Founders’ Day — has been designated “Concordia University Chicago Sunday” in honor of the milestone anniversary. The weekend’s special activities will culminate with a 4 p.m. “150th Anniversary Festival Worship” service on that Sunday in the university’s Chapel of Our Lord, with LCMS President Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison as preacher. During the service, gifts received from individuals and congregations for the national thank offering will be presented.

Congregations are encouraged to take part in the thank offering “to honor the many CUC alumni who have served our congregations for decades,” according to the school. To participate, congregations may plan a Sunday of their choosing prior to Oct. 12 to host their own thank offering. Gifts or pledges of $1,500 or more will be specially recognized along with an invitation for a congregation representative to participate in the Oct. 12 Festival Worship service.

Free bulletin inserts in color and black-and-white are available for download at http://cuchicago.edu/150thankoffering.

The Festival Worship service can be viewed via live stream that day beginning at 4 p.m. Central Time at http://cuchicago.edu/live.

Among Concordia University Chicago’s three days of special on-campus activities leading up to that worship service are:

Friday, Oct. 10 — an 11 a.m. “Homecoming Chapel” service in the school’s Chapel of Our Lord; 4 p.m. “Homecoming Pep Rally and Coronation” in Cougar Stadium; 7:30 p.m. performance of “The Beauty Queen of Leenane” at Madison Street Theatre.

Saturday, Oct. 11 — 9 a.m. “Football Alumni & Friends Tailgate” in the David/Jonathan parking lot; 9-11 a.m. “Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Celebration” in the Oak Park/River Forest Room in Koehneke Community Center; 10 a.m.-12 p.m. “150th Anniversary Faculty & Alumni Invitational Show and Artists Reception” in the Ferguson Art Gallery, Kretzmann Hall; 11 a.m. campus tours, meet in Koehneke Community Center; 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. “1962, ’63, ’64 Football Teams Gathering” ($20 includes lunch and football game), Cougar Stadium; 1 p.m. football game against Lakeland College ($5 adults, $2 students and seniors), Cougar Stadium; 5-6:30 p.m. “CUChicago Marathon Team Pre-Race Pasta Dinner” ($15 adults, $8 children ages 3-11), Oak Park/River Forest Room in Koehneke Community Center; 7:30 p.m. performance of “The Beauty Queen of Leenane” at Madison Street Theatre.

Sunday, Oct. 12 — “CUChicago Official Cheer Stations for the Bank of America Chicago Marathon,” 7:30-9:30 a.m. at First St. Paul Lutheran Church, Chicago, and 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at First Immanuel Lutheran Church, Chicago; 10 a.m. Sunday worship with Resurrection Lutheran Church in the Chapel of Our Lord; 1 p.m. women’s soccer game, Cougar Stadium; 2 p.m. performance of “The Beauty Queen of Leenane” at Madison Street Theatre; 3 p.m. men’s soccer game, Cougar Stadium.

Contributions for the national thank offering may be mailed to Concordia University Chicago, 7400 Augusta St., River Forest, IL 60305 (make checks payable to “Concordia University Chicago”). To make an online donation, visit CUChicago.edu/support.

For more information about the fund or anniversary activities, call the university at 866-448-3867 or send an email to development@cuchicago.edu. To watch a related video, click here.

Posted Aug. 20, 2014 / Updated Sept. 18, 2014