Jesus is Lord
Jesus is the center of everything we do as a congregation.
We Exist for the Sake of the World
Just as Jesus was sent to reconcile the world to God, we too are sent to share the Good News (Philippians 2:1-11, John 20:21). Therefore, we reach out to those who do not have a living relationship with Jesus Christ by providing relevant and life- changing ministries. Our heritage as Lutheran Christians calls us to continual reform: Where tradition helps us to proclaim the message of God’s love in Jesus Christ (John 3:16), we embrace it. When tradition gets in the way of God’s mission, we put it aside. We are willing to take risks all for the sake of God’s mission (Matthew 28:19-20) even if that means setting aside what is cherished.
The Word of God is Alive
The Word, which is God’s message of love to us (John 1:1-5, 14-18), transform lives. We encounter God’s Word in the Bible, in worship, in song, in the Sacraments and whenever the life-changing message of God’s love and forgiveness in Jesus Christ is proclaimed. Because we, as a congregation, recognize the living nature of the Word of God, we commit ourselves to lives of prayer, the study of scripture and worship in order to more fully understand what God has to say to us at this time and in this place.
Everyone is Welcome
Jesus welcomes us into his midst in spite of our brokenness, sinfulness, shame and disgrace. We extend Jesus’ welcome to all through a caring, nurturing and supportive environment (Matthew 25:35-40). As members of the same body, we utilize our individual giftedness most effectively when we join together as a unified whole (John 17:20-23). We follow Jesus’ command to love one another (John 13:34, Romans 13:8 and 12:3-21), and conflicts are resolved according to His teaching (Matthew 18:15-17, Galatians 6:1-5).
Following Jesus is a Growing Experience
Jesus loves us too much to leave us as we are. The Holy Spirit calls us into the church where our faith is nurtured and developed through regular worship, prayer and the study of the scriptures. As members of the priesthood of all believers (Matthew 5:13-16) we encourage and build up one another as we discover and develop our gifts of ministry (Ephesians 4:11-16 and 1 Thessalonians 5:11). Through this community of faith we are empowered and equipped to live lives of generosity and share our faith with others in the world. |
