What We Believe

God, the Holy Trinity

We hold and teach that there is one Divine Essence, which is truly God. And in that one true Divine Essence there are three Persons, equal in power and alike eternal: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. All three are one, without division, without end, infinite in power and wisdom and goodness. One God, revealed to humanity in three persons, Creator, Savior, Preserver. 

Original Sin

Since Adam and Eve’s disobedience to God’s will and their subsequent downfall from grace, all people born according to the course of nature are conceived and born into sin. Each and every one of us are born into sin and thus are under condemnation to judgement and are in need of God’s salvation.

The Son of God

Jesus, born of the virgin Mary and conceived by the Holy Spirit, is by two natures fully human and fully divine, inseparable, united in one Person. In that one Person, Jesus is the one and true Christ, true God and true Man, who was born, suffered, crucified, died and was buried in order to be a sacrifice not only for original sins but also for all other sins. Jesus also descended into hell, truly rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, to rule eternally. Through trust and belief in Jesus, people are offered sanctity, purity, strength, comfort, grace and everlasting life

Justification

We know and believe that we cannot obtain forgiveness of sin and righteousness before God by our own good deeds or will. Instead we receive the forgiveness of sins and become righteous before God, by the grace offered in Jesus Christ through faith. 

Gospel

The Good News of Jesus Christ is that God broke into creation as one of us, become subject to suffering and death for our sakes, and won for us a righteousness for eternity. The Fall that divided humanity from God by one man’s fall, is overcome by yet one man, Jesus, reconciling us to the salvation and eternal kingdom of God.

Church

There is one holy Christian church eternal, with Christ as the head of all. The church is the assembly of all believers amongst whom the Gospel is preached and the holy sacraments are administered according to the Gospel. 

Holy Sacraments

The two sacraments of Holy Baptism and Holy Communion are taught as necessary by Christ’s command and that grace is offered through this sacred combination of God’s Word and earthly elements. In Holy Baptism all people are washed by the Word and the water, offered grace and claimed and committed as children of God. In Holy Communion all those who are baptized and believe are offered the true grace in the body and blood of Christ in and under the form of the bread and wine and the promise of God.  Both sacraments are means by which God awakens and strengthens our faith and connection with him, and as such should be taken with rightful preparation and in true belief.  

Free Will

God has bestowed on all humanity the freedom to live by the will of their own being, making choices by their own conscience or by reason. Despite this freedom to live as best one can, fulfilling an outwardly honorable life, we still fail to live up to perfection and so rely on the grace and help of the Holy Spirit, to make us acceptable to God. 

Confession

While individual confession and absolution is still offered, especially in counseling situations, the church relies on cooperate confession of sins, since a remembrance and listed of all sins is impossible. So all who are baptized believers that come to confession and seek repentance in true faith are offered absolution by the grace and power of God. 

Worship

When the assembly of believers come together to read the Word of God from Holy Scripture and offer prayers petitions to God, they are in worship. Additionally singing of hymns, reciting of prayers and confessions, sermons and taking part in the Holy Sacraments assist in enhancing worship and deepening the faith journey of the assembled worshipers.