Triune God
We confess the faith described in the three ecumenical Creeds, written by the Church to express the God revealed in the Bible:
We believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.Β
We believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence he will come to judge the living and the dead.Β
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting .
-The Apostles' Creed
Β
Salvation by Grace Alone
St. Peter says of Jesus in Acts 4, "Β And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.β It is Jesus' death on the cross that pays the penalty for our rebellion against God and it is His resurrection that triumphs over death and makes eternal life possible. Jesus promises that He did this on our behalf, so that we would be restored and live eternally with Him. By trusting that promise, the benefits of what He has done are given to us. Our sins are forgiven and eternal life is ours. God the Father has mercy on us on account of Christ's sacrifice. Trusting in this promise is the only way anyone is saved.
Revealed in the Bible
The Bible (also called the Holy Scriptures) is where God contains the messages given through the prophets and apostles. The messages are God's Word and are perfect as written, as the prophecies of old are confirmed as Christ fulfills what was said about Him long ago. Our lives and the world around us further confirm what God has said throughout history. This makes the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments he only rule and norm of Christian faith and life.
The Gifts of God's Presence
God gives us Baptism and Communion as the places He promises to be present and active in the life of His Church. His gracious work through these sacraments begins restoring us to the people we were created and intended to be. They are the physical means by which God continues to be present with His Church and are essential to Christian life.
The Divine Service
The form of worship we use is the same as that used in the earliest days of the Church. The divine service brings us into the life of Christ by helping us learn and grow through His Word and sacraments.
The Lutheran Confessions
The Lutheran confessional documents written by the Lutheran reformers of the 1500's are true expositions of God's Word and are foundational for our understanding of God's saving work.