Our Beliefs

Who We Are

  • We are first and foremost Christian
  • We are Lutheran
  • We are members of the Association of Free Lutheran Congregations (AFLC) with home offices in Plymouth, Minnesota

 

About the AFLC

    The AFLC is...

  • not a synod, but rather a "spiritual movement," whose effort is to achieve not a specific form of church organization but a high quality of Christian life,
  • a venture of faith, attempting to build an effective and orderly Christian fellowship with a minimum of human organization,
  • a fellowship of independent Lutheran congregations bound together by the bonds of loyalty to common cause and common tasks,
  • a cooperative venture in building Lutheran congregations by means of a dominant emphasis upon a living and personal Christian experience.

 

Five Fundamental Principles

     Seeking above all to be a spiritual movement, the AFLC:

  1. Recognizes the Bible as being inerrant and the authority in all areas of life;
  2. Recognizes that the teaching and preaching of God's Word is the main task of the Church, to be conducted in such a way that the saints are built up in the faith and unbelievers see their need for salvation;
  3. Believes that the congregation is the right form of the kingdom of God on earth, with no authority above it but the Word and Spirit of God;
  4. Believes Christian unity is a spiritual concept;
  5. Believes that Christians are called to be salt and light in the world, separated from the ways of the world (Pietism), and that this difference is to be reflected in the life of the congregation as well as in the institutions of the church body.

 

What We Believe, Confess, and Teach

God -- We teach that there is one God (Deuteronomy 6:4), eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:16-17; 28:19; II Corinthians 13:13).

Jesus Christ -- We teach that Jesus Christ is both fully God and fully human (I Timothy 3:16; Colossians 1:15-20; John 1:1, 14); that he was sent by the Father to become the Savior of the world (Galatians 4:4-5; Matthew 1:20-21; Mark 10:45).

Sin and Sinners -- We teach that sin (the transgression of God's law) entered the world when Adam and Eve disobeyed God's command (Genesis 2:16-17; 3:1-6) and is passed on to all people by way of conception (Psalm 51:5; Romans 5:12).  We believe that every human being is a sinner (Romans 6:23), the consequence of which is separation from God for time and eternity (Genesis 3:23-24; Isaiah 59:2), death (Romans 6:23), and everlasting torment in a lake of fire called "hell" (Matthew 25:46; Luke 19:27; Mark 9:47-48).  And we teach that there is nothing the sinner can do to save himself (Psalm 49:7-9).

Salvation -- We teach that because God so loved the world and desires that none should perish (II Peter 3:9; I Timothy 2:4), He sent His Son (Jesus Christ) to earth to become the Savior, the only Savior of the world (Isaiah 43:11; John 14:6; Acts 4:12; I John 2:2), and that through faith in him (trusting alone in his salvific work) we can be saved (John 3:36).  Salvation is the free gift of God's grace, which is made ours personally when appropriated by faith (Romans 3:23-25; Ephesians 2:8).  We believe this gift of salvation is revealed through the Gospel, which is the power of God for salvation to all who believe (Romans 1:16; I Peter 1:23).  And we teach that one can have the assurance and certainty of everlasting life in heaven (John 5:24; 14:1-6; I John 5:11-13).

The Bible -- We teach that the Bible, as a whole and in all its parts, is the divinely inspired, revealed, and inerrant Word of God, and is therefore the final authority in all matters of faith and life (II Timothy 3:16; Psalm 18:30; Isaiah 45:19; Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18).  We also teach that the Bible was written and has been miraculously preserved primarily for our salvation (John 20:31).

The Church -- We teach that the congregation is the local body of Christ (I Corinthians 12:12-27; Colossians 1:24), part of the one true Church (Romans 12:5), and is the right form of the kingdom of God on earth.  To the building up of this body the Holy Spirit gives each member "gifts" which are to be used and exercised for the edification of the congregation and to the extension of God's Kingdom on earth (Ephesians 4:11-12; Romans 12:4-8; I Corinthians 12:4-31).

Worship -- We teach that above all else, God seeks a people who will worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:23).  We are a congregation that teaches and practices a simple form of worship, with the proclamation of the Word of God always being central.

Baptism and Holy Communion -- We teach that Jesus instituted two sacraments: Holy Baptism (Matthew 28:18-19) and Holy Communion (Matthew 26:26-28; I Corinthians 11:23-25).  We believe that through these sacraments it is God who acts, not us (Luke 3:16; Matthew 26:26-28), and that through these "vehicles" He bestows His grace (forgiveness, life, and salvation) to us in a very personal, visible, and concrete way (Acts 2:38; I Peter 3:21; Matthew 26:28; John 6:51-55).  We also teach that the sacraments must always be met with faith in the heart of the recipient to be efficacious (Mark 16:16; I Corinthians 11:27-29).

The Return of Christ -- We teach that Christ will return in power to judge the living and the dead (Matthew 25:31ff).

Our Mission -- To glorify God, make disciples, and serve others.