What We Believe

God – God is loving and gracious, and delights in and loves the creation.  God desires that we would share life and live in relationship with him. God gives to us everything that we need to support our bodies and lives. God shows us who God is in the Scriptures, and has revealed himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; three persons, but one God.

Jesus – Jesus is God in the flesh. He is truly and fully God. At the same time, he is truly and fully human. He has purchased and redeemed us from the powers of sin, death, and the devil. He accomplished this through his perfect life, death, and resurrection. Through these things he has won for us forgiveness, salvation, and life that never ends. Since Jesus is the one who won these things for us, we can be confident that they are ours and we really have them. This is because whenever he does something, he always does it right.

Holy Spirit – The Holy Spirit gives to us the gift of faith, and calls, gathers, enlightens, sanctifies (makes holy), and sends the church. This is not something that we would be able to do on our own, but the Holy Spirit brings this about in us. The Holy Spirit is always working through the Scripture to form and re-form church and shapes us into the image of Jesus. The Holy Spirit is the one who makes the church and who leads the church.

The Mission of God – God created the creation in a state of perfection. It was able to know and live in perfect relationship with God. When the creation fell and became corrupted by sin, that relationship was broken. God did not give up on the creation. Instead, God put into place a process that would bring the creation back into a right relationship with God. This is God’s mission. The creation is unable to put itself in a right relationship with God. Only God could bring that about, and that is what God has done in Jesus. God invites God’s people to join in this mission. We do not earn salvation for anyone, but we are sent to show, share, and make known the good news of God’s love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness in Jesus. The church does not have a mission. God’s mission has a church. Our God is a God who sends. The Father has sent the Son. The Father and Son have sent the Holy Spirit. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have sent the church to join God in God’s mission in this world.

Lutheran – The word “Lutheran” comes from the 16th Century reformer, Martin Luther. It describes our theology and the ways in which we understand and approach the scriptures and life. Lutherans believe, teach, and confess that we are saved by grace alone (God’s gift to us), through faith alone (not anything we accomplish). We also say that scripture alone is the source of our teaching and belief.

Means of Grace – God is not limited in the ways in which God works. However, God has revealed to us in the Scripture that there are certain tools or means through which God pours out God’s grace in our lives. These means are powerful in the life of God’s people. They are the tools through which the Holy Spirit gives and strengthens faith. They have a prominent place in the lives of God’s people. The means of grace are Scripture, Confession and Absolution, Holy Baptism, and Holy Communion. In Lutheran circles, you will sometimes hear these referred to as Word and Sacrament.

Scripture – The Bible is the source of everything we believe, teach, and practice.  It provides the words for our liturgy and prayers. It is the basis of our sermons and education classes. The Scriptures show us who God is and how God see us (he loves us a lot). Apart from the Bible, we could not know these things. 

Confession and Absolution – At the beginning of worship service, we make a general confession of our sins, and hear the words that they are forgiven. When we hear that are sins are forgiven, we can know without a doubt that they are really and truly forgiven.

Holy Baptism – In the waters of Holy Baptism, God connects us to the death and resurrection of Jesus, washes away our sins, gives us the Holy Spirit, and declares us to be his own dearly loved daughters and sons. This is more than a one-time event, it becomes the source of our very identity. We live as the baptized people of God.

Holy Communion – In Holy Communion, Jesus gives to us the gift of his body and blood in, with, and under the bread and wine. They are given and shed for you. When we receive this gift, we receive forgiveness, salvation, and life that never ends.

If you have any questions about these or other teachings and beliefs of the church, please contact us.