The Bible is central in our congregation and in our
households. The Word of God is the focus of our worship services, the
textbook for our teaching ministries, and the foundation of our daily lives.
Whether we are preaching, teaching, singing or just talking, we want to be
people of the Word.
The Gospel is our treasure and our joy. We want the Good News of God’s
grace to us in Jesus Christ to be the centerpiece of our mission. All people
need the Gospel. God’s children need to hear it again and again. The Good News
is God’s power, which saves us, draws us together and motivates us for service.
We revere God’s Law. The Law of God cannot save us, but it is necessary
for our salvation. We need to see our sin and be driven to the cross of Christ
for forgiveness. We need to be reminded that we cannot earn God’s love or merit
His blessings. We need the ethical guidance that God’s Law gives. We dare not
make up our own morality.
The Word and the Sacraments are God’s precious means of grace. The Word
teaches us, Baptism washes us, and the Lord’s Supper nourishes us. In our
sacramental life together we are brought again and again to the crucified and
risen Jesus Christ, who alone is the source of our salvation.
We cherish the love and fellowship of God’s people. We need each other.
We need the spiritual gifts, which the Holy Spirit imparts to His people. We
experience God’s peace as we worship and work together, forgive one another,
and bear one another’s burdens.
We long for people to trust in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, to come to
know Him in a personal way. We are called by the love of Christ to share
His Gospel. Our mission is as local as our neighborhood and as universal as the
whole world.
We seek to be people of prayer. Whether in public worship, small groups
or in our personal lives, we want prayer to be foundational. Prayer supports
and propels us in our mission. We desire that prayer be as essential in our
ministries as breathing is to our physical life.