What We Believe

The key teachings of the Holy Scriptures are summarized in Martin Luther's Small Catechism.

The Ten Commandments

  • God's Holy Law.
  • Teach us how to live that we may glorify God and serve our neighbor.
  • Show us our sinfulness and our need for a Savior.

 The Apostles Creed

  • Teaches us who the True God is.
  • Teaches us what the Lord has done for us
  • Teaches that God has created all things.
  • Teaches that the Son has become man and given His life for our sins and rose from the dead.
  • Teaches that the Holy Spirit, through the means of grace in the Christian church delivers to us the salvation accomplished by Jesus.

The Lord's Prayer

  • Teaches us how to call upon God and what to expect from Him.
  • Teaches us what God's will is for our lives.
  • Teaches how the Lord will protect and provide for us our whole lives even through death to eternal life.

The Sacrament of Holy Baptism

  • Is for "all nations" and all people, both young and old.
  •  Delivers to us, even to babies,  the forgiveness  of sins which Christ accomplished for us.
  • Makes us members of the Body of Christ, the church.
  • Is a proof and seal that we are God's children in Jesus Christ.
  • Is a new birth given by the Holy Spirit through water and the Word of God.

Confession and the Office of the Keys

  • Christ gives to His ministers the authority to forgive sins.
  • The Pastor speaks in Christ's place and by His command to forgiven and retain sins.
  • Christians speak to one another and remind each other of the forgiveness which is ours in Jesus Christ.

The Sacrament of the Altar

  • Is given for the baptized and instructed people of God. 
  • The Words of Jesus mean that the bread and wine are the true body and blood of Jesus. They are not symbols and not just plain bread and wine.
  • The Sacrament gives to us the forgiveness of sins. 
  • Is an outward display of our confession of a common doctrine and therefore is not given to members of or received at churches which teach differently than we have been taught.