Our Association

We Believe

• The Triune God– Eternally existing as One God, revealed in the persons of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
• Jesus Christ– Jesus in His earthly ministry (both fully God and fully human) and now in His glorified state is equal and co-eternal in the one Triune Godhead. Jesus’ death and resurrection paid the penalty for our sins and, by grace through faith, offers believers full forgiveness and eternal salvation. (1 Timothy 3:16; Isaiah 9:6; Romans 4:25; Colossians 1:15-20; Galatians 2:20; 1 Peter 2:24)
• The Holy Spirit- Also co-eternal in the Triune Godhead, the Holy Spirit brings us to a saving faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The Holy Spirit does this as He teaches, gathers, and equips believers to live lives that bring honor and glory to the Lord and fullness of life to the world. (Acts 2; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31; 14:1-12; Galatians 5:16-26)
• The Bible- We believe that the Bible is God’s eternal Word to the world. The Bible is without error in terms of God’s intent in original manuscripts. It is inspired by God’s Spirit, and is still our only infallible authority in all matters of faith and life. (2 Timothy 3:16; Psalm 119:105)
• The Ancient and Ecumenical Creeds of the Church- We accept the three ecumenical symbols of the church: the Apostolic, the Nicene and the Athanasian Creeds; and also Luther’s Small Catechism and the unaltered Augsburg Confession. We believe these to be brief and true statements of the doctrines of the Word of God.
• God’s Creation- God loved the world so much that He sent His only Son that His creation might be redeemed from the curse and the power of sin. (Genesis 1:1; Colossians 1:16-17; Isaiah 43:7)
• Salvation- We believe that it is Jesus Christ alone (Acts 4:12; John 14:6) who provides what the human condition needs – forgiveness of sins, assurance of eternal life, and a godly, joyful peace. This is called salvation and it is a free gift of God by grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). We believe that anyone who believes in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior can be certain of this. We understand that we experience this free gift of grace by faith alone (Romans 3:28; John 3:16), and thereby enter a life-long process of change and growth. (Romans 12:2; 2 Corinthians 5:17)
• The Church- We believe that we are a part of the one, true Church (Ephesians 3:4-6; Romans 12:5) made up of all who believe in Christ as Lord and Savior. We extend the proclamation and invitation of this Gospel to all people, and welcome into Christian fellowship all who accept this message and believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. (Romans 15:7)
• Priesthood of All Believers- We believe that God invites all who believe the promises of God in Jesus Christ to be involved in a priesthood that ministers to His people. This priesthood involves the proclamation of the gospel, the confession of sins, the declaration of forgiveness and prayerful intercession. (Exodus 19:5-6; 1 Peter 2:5, 9-10)
• Prayer- We believe that God invites us to pray and that He always hears and answers prayers in ways that respect our bidding and fulfill His ultimate will. (James 5:16; Matthew 18:18-20)
• Baptism and the Lord’s Supper- We believe that Jesus instituted the sacraments (Holy BAPTISM & THE LORD’S SUPPER) as a promised means of His grace. We believe that the Lord truly acts in the sacraments, and that our faith is an essential part of the equation which makes the sacraments real and effective as a means of receiving forgiveness of sins and grace to the sinner. We also believe that in the absence of faith in Christ, He is still present to convict the sinner. (Mark 16:16; 1 Corinthians 11:23-29)
• The Second Coming of Jesus Christ- We believe that Jesus Christ will return in glory and power to judge the living and the dead. (Matthew 25:31; John 14:1-6; Revelation 20:11-15)