Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for,
We Are An Equipping Church
Ephesians 4:12–16 (NRSV)
To equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.
Ephesians 4:12-13
To equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.
Ephesians 4:12-13
Mission
Making the Love of Christ Known
Vision
As followers of Jesus Christ, we believe in God's message of unconditional love, forgiveness of sins, and
eternal life. In response, we are committed to carrying this message to all people by welcoming and
worshipping, serving and sharing, learning and teaching. Above all, we are sustained by the power of the Holy Spirit through prayer.
eternal life. In response, we are committed to carrying this message to all people by welcoming and
worshipping, serving and sharing, learning and teaching. Above all, we are sustained by the power of the Holy Spirit through prayer.
Guiding
Principles
Relevant Worship
Sacrificial Service
Extravagant Generosity
Prodigal Love
Sacrificial Service
Extravagant Generosity
Prodigal Love
Core Beliefs
WE ARE AN IMPERFECT COMMUNITY
WHERE ALL ARE WELCOME.
AND ALL MEANS ALL!
We are Church
We are real people! We are what God has made us – people whom God has created by grace to live in union with Jesus Christ and has prepared to live faithful, fruitful lives by the power of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 2:8-10). In Jesus Christ, God has reconciled us to God and to each other. As we gather around word and sacraments, this life in Christ is what defines, shapes and guides us as a community of faith, the church.
By God’s grace we can and do live confidently and generously in this community of faith and in service of others, amid the mysteries and paradoxes of this life in Christ – including our human limitations and failings, and the ambiguities, uncertainties and suffering that we experience.
By God’s grace we can and do live confidently and generously in this community of faith and in service of others, amid the mysteries and paradoxes of this life in Christ – including our human limitations and failings, and the ambiguities, uncertainties and suffering that we experience.
We are Lutheran
We are a church that walks by faith, trusting God's promise in the gospel and knowing that we exist by and for the proclamation of this gospel word. We proclaim Jesus Christ crucified and raised from the dead for the life of the world.
We understand to be Lutheran is to be ecumenical – committed to the oneness to which God calls the world in the saving gift of Jesus Christ, recognizing the brokenness of the church in history and the call of God to heal this disunity.
We understand to be Lutheran is to be ecumenical – committed to the oneness to which God calls the world in the saving gift of Jesus Christ, recognizing the brokenness of the church in history and the call of God to heal this disunity.
We are Sent
Worship is central to who we are as Christians, but more important than worship, we are sent. We are God’s hands and God’s feet in the world. We actively seek the lost, broken, confused, isolated, vulnerable, and displaced, not just with the Word of God, but with the very presence of Christ.
We are the church together
In baptism, we are joined to all communities of Christian faith around the world. In Christ none of us lives in isolation from others. Jesus is our peace and has broken down the walls that divide us – walls of judgment, hatred, condemnation and violence – and has made us into one, new human community. As church, we yearn for the oneness we believe God intends for the church.
We understand that our innate sin and prejudice continues to divide the church on earth, but we strive with the strength of God and the guidance on the Holy Spirit to welcome all
We understand that our innate sin and prejudice continues to divide the church on earth, but we strive with the strength of God and the guidance on the Holy Spirit to welcome all
Salvation
There is absolutely nothing we can do to "be saved" - Jesus Christ has already done everything necessary. In his death and resurrection, everyone who believes in Jesus as Savior has been brought into a right relationship with God. This means that, through Jesus, everyone who believes is "justified," or put back into a “right” relationship with God. God has done justice to the world's sins; because of Jesus, all who believe are forgiven and will live eternally.
Faith
It is through faith in Jesus that we receive the forgiveness of sins and eternal life - by believing that Jesus has freed us from the guilt, punishment, and power of sin. Faith is a gift that comes to us by the power of the Holy Spirit; it doesn't come to us through anything we are capable of, but through what God does for us. We simply receive what is already being offered out of God's great love.
Grace
Lutherans often refer to grace. While we deserve to pay the penalty for our sins, God has a different plan. Christ paid the debt and we receive forgiveness and eternal life from God that is offered out of unconditional love. That's why it's called grace because it is truly undeserved.
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9)."
God has provided tangible ways through which God delivers this grace to those who believe, assuring us that the sins we commit are forgiven for Jesus' sake. These are called the "means of grace" and are God's Word, holy Baptism, and the Lord's Supper (Holy Communion).
Through these means, God makes God’s self known to us in a very personal way: God's Word reveals God’s faithfulness and love; Baptism is our rebirth and renewal in Jesus; the Lord's Supper is our closest communion with Christ as we receive his body and blood.
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9)."
God has provided tangible ways through which God delivers this grace to those who believe, assuring us that the sins we commit are forgiven for Jesus' sake. These are called the "means of grace" and are God's Word, holy Baptism, and the Lord's Supper (Holy Communion).
Through these means, God makes God’s self known to us in a very personal way: God's Word reveals God’s faithfulness and love; Baptism is our rebirth and renewal in Jesus; the Lord's Supper is our closest communion with Christ as we receive his body and blood.