What We Believe

We are a congregation of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS),  Basically, that means:

We believe in one God, who mysteriously reveals himself to us in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

We also believe that the world as we know it today is not the same world that was lovingly created by God the Father. It is now a fallen world, broken since the moment Adam and Eve chose their own desires over God's perfect will for His creation. All of creation now suffers from the presence of original sin and awaits the day when all things will be made new.

In the person of Jesus Christ, God the Son entered into our sinful world in order to redeem all of creation. He came as a baby, born of the Virgin Mary. Unlike all other babies born before him and after him, this baby was without sin. He was perfect and blameless. He was the King that God's people had always longed for, and his reign was unlike anything they had ever experienced. His victory over sin, death, and the devil began with what appeared to be defeat. Jesus suffered under Pontius Pilate. He was crucified and died on a cross. He was buried in a tomb. For all other kings, a tomb was the end. For Jesus, it was just the beginning of his proclaimation of victory. He descended into hell, and, on the third day, He rose again from the dead! With his resurrection, Jesus gave the world a taste of life in the world to come, a new creation. Jesus then ascended into heaven and now sits at the right hand of God the Father. He will come again to judge both the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We cannot restore our relationship with God on our own. We cannot earn forgiveness for our sins. We can only stand guilty before God. But by the grace of God and through faith in Christ, we are declared innocent. Christ's innocence and holiness are given to us. Forgiveness, life, and salvation are given to us for the sake of Jesus. We call this justification.

We believe that this saving faith is intended for all people, and God created the office of preaching and administering the Word and Sacraments as means for giving the Holy Spirit (who produces faith) to all who hear the gospel. 

Whenever faith is given, the believer is also given a new heart and mind that cannot help but love and serve God and the world. We call this a new obedience, which is enabled by God revealing His Kingdom to us.

We believe that God created us to live in this new obedience as a community. A Church. A family of forgiven sinners who gather together to receive Christ's gifts in Word and Sacrament. People who do life together, bearing one another's burdens and sharing in one another's joy. The power of life together comes not from our own perfection, but rather it is Christ's promise to work in and through our gathering as His body.

We believe, teach, and confess that there are two sacraments. The first sacrament is Holy Baptism. Jesus directs all believers to be washed in Baptismal water. This water has no inherent powers of its own, but is given power when combined with the command and promise of Christ. Whether an infant or adult, Christ's promise is the same. Our sinful nature is drowned, and we emerge from the water as forgiven children of God. Our life connected to Christ's death and resurrection. 

The second sacrament is the Lord's Supper. As a community of believers, we gather around the altar to receive Christ's body and blood, which are truly present in the form of bread and wine. We believe that Christ offers us these gifts for the forgiveness of sins and to strengthen the unity of all who gather at His table.

If you are interested in learning more about our beliefs and practice, you can find more information at www.lcms.org.