| At St. John's Lutheran we are... |
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... Strongly in the Word ... Strongly in the Word[top] The voice of Jesus calls sinners to repentance, and comforts the brokenhearted through the preaching and teaching of His Word from our pulpit and in our classrooms. We are a church that honors the Bible as the written Word of God—the very voice of Jesus, our Good Shepherd. God the Holy Spirit, through this Word, creates and sustains trust in Jesus Christ. through this living and powerful Word, Jesus Himself rebukes, confronts, forgives, and guides His people through the perplexing, difficult, and confusing questions and decisions we face in our lives. We believe strongly that Jesus is with us and that He still rules His church today through His Word. Therefore, we are committed to read, study, and growing in the Word of God, the Holy Bible. Our congregation’s deeply spiritual and reverent liturgical worship is filled with the Word of God, through which Jesus blesses us with His presence and peace. ... Christ-Centered and People-Sensitive[top] We treasure the special means by which Jesus Himself dwells among us with His forgiving grace. Therefore, our congregation is very much Christ-centered. Our focus is on Jesus Christ and His presence among us. We believe that Jesus is present among us through the life-giving water of Baptism, a sacrament that unites us with Jesus’ death and resurrection, washes away our sins, and brings us into the body of Christ, the Holy Christian Church. We rejoice in the gracious presence of Jesus in the sacrament called the Lord’s Supper. It is the true body and blood under bread and wine given to Christians to eat and drink. In this sacred meal, Jesus feeds us and sustains us with the forgiveness of sins, strengthening us for a life of service to Him in this world, and preparing us for life forever with Him in heaven. We rejoice in Christ’s presence, not only in our public worship assemblies, but also in our daily lives. Whether we hold a prominent place in our society or a position considered lowly it is a holy calling in which we serve the Lord Jesus Christ with joyful hearts. Together and individually, we strive to follow the example of Jesus who loved us and cared for us when we had no strength. Through our Synod’s relief programs we reach out with material and spiritual resources to care for those who suffer from natural disaster and tragedies in the world. We have built and help to maintain a large network of Lutheran hospitals, nursing homes, and human-care agencies to serve the sick, the elderly, the victims of abuse, those struggling with addictions, and many other coping with difficult situations and transitions in life. Through our Synod St. John’s has been a strong voice in America in defense of the sanctity and value of all human life from the unborn to the handicapped to the elderly. Because we are people-sensitive, we want to serve others as God has loved and served us in Jesus Christ. ... Reaching Out Boldly with the Gospel[top] The Bible calls Jesus “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 19:29). Having paid our debt with His blood, Jesus rose from the dead and returned to the heavenly Father to reign over all things. He gave His disciples the command to go into all the world to baptize, teach, and observe all that He commanded. He promised that He would continue to be with them through the ages. Through St. John’s along with other LCMS [Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod] congregations we strive to carry out our Lord’s command to make known His love and forgiveness to the whole world. The LCMS operates a worldwide mission program, bringing the good news of Jesus into places where His Name is not yet known and help to strengthen existing churches. Because each Christian is a witness for the Lord Jesus Christ, it is our duty and privilege to tell the good news of Jesus to our family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and all the people God puts in our lives. St. John’s also seeks to reach out boldly with the Gospel though our Academy giving a Christ-centered education offering a Pre-School through Eight Grade program. ... Faithful to the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions[top] Martin Luther, the great Christian Reformer of the 16th century, boldly proclaimed the Bible’s most important message: that Christ came into the world to save sinners, and lived among us to defeat our enemies—sin, death and, the devil. Luther believed and taught that Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross washed away the sins of the whole world, and that those who place their trust in Him are forgiven. They are declared righteous and are reconciled to God. What Luther began in 1517 reached its culmination in 1580, when the official statements of Lutheran belief (the Lutheran Confessions) were gathered together in what is known as the Book of Concord. We place great value in retaining and advancing the cause of the Lutheran Reformation. We see in the Reformation movement the hand of God working to preserve the truth of His Word and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Therefore, we are committed to genuine, historical Lutheranism. ... Marked by Peace and Unity in the Lord[top] At St. John’s we are united, not by our color, or our occupations, or our social and economic status, but by our union with the living Lord Jesus Christ and our common confession of the truths of His Word. We rejoice and live in the faith that God has given us. We are eager to share the faith with many others, so that all may come to know Jesus Christ, the one who brings us real peace, deep joy, and life forever.
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