WHAT WE BELIEVE

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• Trinity:  We believe in one God in three persons: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
  God the Father is the creator of all things, the sovereign over everything and the supplier of all our needs.
  Jesus Christ, God's son, is our Savior and Lord. Through His virgin birth, sinless life, and substitutionary atonement, Jesus has purchased our redemption and has procured for us forgiveness of sins, freedom from the power of sin, release from the punishment for sin, as well as newness of life, abundant life, and eternal life.
  The Holy Spirit calls us to repentance, faith, and obedience. He reveals to us God's word, will, and work. He empowers us for holy living and effective service.
• Bible:  We believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God and the infallible authority in all matters of proclamation, faith, and life. It is sufficient in itself to the conversion of people’s souls.
• Gospel:  We believe the gospel is the power of God for the salvation of all who believe.
• Creeds:  We believe the ecumenical creeds (the Apostolic, the Nicene, and the Athanasian) as true declarations of faith and we accept the Unaltered Augsburg Confession and Luther's Small Catechism as true witnesses to the gospel.
• Sin:  We believe all people have fallen into sin and into a sinful state of being.
• Salvation:  We believe that the only way to salvation is through Jesus Christ.
• Family and Marriage:  We believe God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. It is composed of persons related to one another by marriage, blood, or adoption. 
  
  Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. It is God's unique gift to reveal the union between Christ and His church and to provide for the man and the woman in marriage the framework for intimate companionship, the channel of sexual expression according to biblical standards, and the means for procreation of the human race.
  
  
• Baptism:  We believe that baptism unites us with Christ's atoning work in His death, burial, and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins. We baptize infants and adults, and practice both sprinkling or immersion.
• Communion:  We believe that in Holy Communion we receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ and are united with Him and with the universal body of believers.
• Spiritual Gifts:  We believe the Holy Spirit's spiritual and supernatural ministries and gifts are operative today in the life of the believer and church.
• Church:  We believe the church is the body of Christ with Jesus Christ as the Head of the body. Thus, we seek to submit to His lordship in all things.
• Second Coming:  We believe in Christ's second coming and in the resurrection of believers to eternal life and of unbelievers to eternal punishment.