Who are Lutheran Christians

Lutherans are followers of the Reformation Faith as taught by Dr. Martin Luther whose posting of the 95 Theses on the Castle Church door in Wittenberg, Germany on the eve of All Saints Day, 1517, began a revolutionary debate in Christianity resulting in the Protestant Reformation. Martin Luther’s teachings spread like wildfire and the Evangelical movement was born.

Lutherans are Evangelical. The word evangelical means good news. At the heart of Lutheranism is the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ. Lutherans believe that God gives us His grace freely and abundantly through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

Lutherans are ecumenical. The word ecumenical means worldwide or universal. In the Apostles Creed, we profess that we believe in the “one, holy, catholic and apostolic church.” The Church of Jesus Christ transcends borders and history. We are connected to believers in Jesus Christ of every time and place. We are always looking for ways to share ministry with other brothers and sisters of the Christian faith. We emphasize that we are Christians first and Lutherans second.

Lutherans are biblical. We believe that Scripture is the divine and revealed Word of God. We trust the Holy Spirit to make Scripture come alive in our daily lives. We believe that Scripture is the norm for our faith and life. Scripture points the way toward life and love through our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Lutherans are liturgical. Our worship services follow the historic worship patterns dating back to the earliest worship practices of the Hebrew faith in Old Testament times. They continue to follow the practices of Western Christianity. When we worship together we know that we can count on certain features of worship to be a part of our services—confession and forgiveness, God’s written Word read and proclaimed in sermon, hymns of praise, prayers, the sharing of God’s peace, and the Sacrament of Holy Communion.

Lutherans live in the priesthood of all believers. Since we are baptized in Christ Jesus, we belong to Him and to each other in the body of Christ. We speak the Gospel of forgiveness to each other. We use our spiritual gifts to build up the body of Christ as well as our tithes and offerings. We are together in the body of Christ and do not believe that we are spiritually or morally superior to other Christians.

Lutherans continue to Reform Christian faith. When we recognize error in Christian teaching we attempt to offer correction. When we find failure of trust in Christ we attempt to restore. When we find loss of love we attempt to renew those bonds with Christ that offer support and guidance.

Would you like to become a Lutheran? Visit with us, join our fellowship. Membership is not difficult. We offer instruction into the faith and discipleship of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. People become members through instruction and acceptance of Christ’s redeeming love, through Baptism, and or through transfer from another Lutheran congregation. We hope to see you soon!