In
grateful response to God's grace and empowered
by the Holy Spirit through Word and Sacraments,
the mission of The Lutheran Church–
Missouri Synod is vigorously to make known
the love of Christ by word and deed within
our churches, communities, and the world.
With the universal Christian Church, The
Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod teaches
and responds to the love of the Triune God:
the Father, creator of all that exists;
Jesus Christ, the Son, who became human
to suffer and die for the sins of all human
beings and to rise to life again in the
ultimate victory over death and Satan; and
the Holy Spirit, who creates faith through
God's Word and Sacraments. The three
persons of the Trinity are coequal and co-eternal,
one God.
Why
we are called Lutherans...
"It is not we who call ourselves
Lutherans. Rather, our adversaries call
us that. We allow this to the extent that
this title is an indication of the consensus
that our churches have with the orthodox
and catholic doctrine that Luther set forth
from Holy Writ. Therefore we allow ourselves
to be named after Luther, not as the inventor
of a new faith but as the asserter of the
old faith and the cleanser of the church
from the stains of Papist dogmas. Consequently,
we also do not reject the names “Christian”
and “catholic,” nor do we render
ourselves unworthy of them by the approval
of any heretical dogma, as did the Arians,
Nestorians, Eutychians, etc. Rather, we
are called “Christians” from
Christ as the only Author and Teacher of
our faith. We are called “catholics”
from our consensus with the catholic faith.
We are called “Lutherans” from
Luther as the asserter and defender of that
faith, but especially as the reformer whom
God raised up."
+Johann
Garhard, On the Church (Theological
Commonplace XXV), ¤ 156
It is our belief that being "Lutheran,"
means we accept and teach Bible-based teachings
that inspired the reformation of the Christian
Church in the 16th century. The teaching
of Luther and the reformers can be summarized
in three short phrases:
Grace alone, Scripture alone, Faith alone.
We believe that God's mandate to
the church is to tell everyone that He has
come into this world to save all sinners
through Jesus Christ. That is our mission
and vision. And it looks like this . . .
We
are:
Gospel
Based: On
the hope God gives in Jesus Christ and confirms
in His Word.
Mission
Driven: An
urgency to tell His love to neighbors, friends
and strangers, here, and in other lands.
People
Oriented: Not
an institution, but people who love, listen,
help, support and care.
Bible
Centered: Where
Word and Sacrament provide strength and
community.
That
is our vision and mission:
Linking people in service to the Lord and
enabling one another to serve Him by . .
. "telling
everyone what He has done."
