East Dundee school re-creates photo from 1920s

History repeated itself Thursday morning at East Dundee's Immanuel Lutheran School as the entire school gathered for a group photograph on the school's front steps, much like it had for a similar shot taken in the 1920s.

School staffers duplicated the older photograph as part of Immanuel Lutheran Church's 150th anniversary, which the church is celebrating for 15 months. Both the church and school were founded in 1862, said the Rev. Phillip Baerwolf, its pastor.

“When we look at Immanuel, we certainly see the school as the lifeblood,” Baerwolf said. “It's the most important work we do in terms of educating children and letting them know how much Jesus loves them. From the beginning, it's been the most important work that we do as a church.”

The celebrations started in October and run through January 2013. They include guest pastors speaking at the church, an all-school reunion, a banquet and a biography of the church's congregation written by Senior Pastor Bill Yonker.

Getting everyone together Thursday for the photograph took a bit of coordinating because the preschool and kindergarten children usually aren't at school the entire day, Principal Ken Becker said.

But as it turned out, Thursday was a half day, due to parent/teacher conferences, so everyone was at school and available for the picture.

“To try to get them all in was a work of art in itself,” Becker said.

Today, the church has 2,300 baptized members and the student body stands at nearly 300 kids. Many Immanuel students have parents, grandparents and even great-grandparents who graduated from the school. And 83 percent of the students attending are Lutheran, Becker said. These connections help maintain the close relationship between church and school.

“We're separated by a street, but there is no separation other than that,” Baerwolf said. “They are as much a part of us, as we are of them. We're all just kind of Immanuel.”