Our Mission:
Planting the Word – Growing in Faith – Harvesting His Glory
Core Values
1 Our Ultimate Authority -- (Biblically Based)
God’s Word (the Bible) is the source and motivation behind everything we do.
2 Our Focus -- (Christ Centered)
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the central truth of Holy Scripture and the clearest picture of God’s great love for all people.
3 Pastoral Leadership
God calls pastors to shepherd and equip us, demonstrating Christ-like character and integrity.
4 Spiritual Growth
Our ministry educates, equips and empowers our people (children, youth, and adults) in God’s Word for effective Christian living and sharing of their faith.
5 Authentic Worship
We worship the Triune God, receiving his grace through Word and Sacraments, acknowledging these gifts with heartfelt repentance, thankfulness and praise.
6 Open and Welcoming Fellowship
Jesus calls us to love all people regardless of their status, building Christ centered relationships in love, peace, cooperation and humility.
7 Stewardship
We are called to be good stewards of what God has given to us. And all that has been given to us is God's.
Our Vision
Here is a snapshot of what our congregation is moving toward by the grace of God. It is a picture our ministry.
MAGNETIC CLIMATE Our church will be a comfortable, trusting, enjoyable, warm, and attractive place. Some of this comes from the physical place of worship and educational space. It is clean, useful and inviting. But much more than that, our church is to be a place where we are “pulled” or “drawn.” We encounter a magnetic quality, whether we have just set foot on campus or whether we have come across members somewhere else. Our church meets the needs of those outside and within its doors. It does not take long for us to discover what draws us in. It is Jesus – he is in, with and working through his Word and people. We are really drawn to him – to know more about him and to receive his gifts of Word, Sacrament, and Christian fellowship -- more than anything else.
LIVING WORSHIP Our church’s magnetic quality is reflected in vital, authentic, biblical worship as people receive his gifts and give back to him their entire lives in praise. We use all the appropriate musical, liturgical and technological gifts God provides to give him glory. It becomes hard to stay away or not to invite friends to join us.
PASSION FOR THE LOST This passion outweighs our ministry to the saved. You can see it in the fabric of what we do. Connecting with the lost is on the forefront of our minds. Members are witnessing, inviting and praying for those without Christ. And when guests show up, open doors allow newcomers an opportunity to encounter Jesus and his grace. At planning sessions leaders and members ask, “Will this decision exclude our guests or help them connect with Christ?”
PRAYER SATURATION The power of prayer is taken seriously throughout our church. It is evident whenever we gather together. We always lay at our Lord's feet our praises and our desires, seeking his will and blessing in all we do.
CHALLENGED AND STRECHED Each person within our church places himself in a position where God can cause faith, works, knowledge, spiritual gifts and material offerings to grow. At Our Savior you are equipped to venture into new and exciting areas of service to the Lord. We help everyone find a place to serve that fits their passion, life experience and God given gifts.
MISSION EXCTIEMENT We are a congregation developing vital links of service at home and around the world in mission work. We are known for our service. We see ourselves as “hands on” people, making use of the open doors God provides. We find excitement and reward as we take up the towel of service and share the Gospel in local and distant multicultural settings.
ORGANIZATIONALLY EFFECTIVE Our congregation is managed with a minimum of red tape and endless meetings. Our system of governance is productive. On one hand we are staffed for growth. On the other hand, lay mobilization moves the ministry forward. We are more concerned with growing ministries and introducing others to Christ than with our budgets, buildings and property.
What We Believe
THE BIBLE
We believe that the Bible is the true and living Word of God, without error and without contradiction. Therefore, it is the only source, guide and authority in determining what we believe and how to live our lives
GOD
We believe that GOD is "Triune", that is, One God in three Persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
HUMANITY
We believe that God created and sustains all life. We believe that humankind was made in the image of God, meaning that we were created holy by God. However, we lost this holiness and our loving relationship with God, through disobedience.
SIN
We believe that every thought, word and deed contrary to God's Will is sin; that every human being inherits sin at conception; and that the wages of sin -- the punishment that sin earns -- is death, eternal separation from God in Hell.
OUR SAVIOR
We believe that people cannot save themselves from the punishment of sin by their "good works" or restore themselves to a right relationship with God. However, in great love for us, God sent his own son, Jesus, to free the world from sin and its consequences.
We believe that Jesus, true God and true Man, lived a holy and perfect life on earth, suffered and died on the cross in our place to pay the debt we owe for sin, and rose again from the grave to prove his victory over sin and death.
We believe that because of Jesus' perfect life, death and resurrection, God declares a person "not guilty" and righteous in his sight. All who believe in Jesus as their Savior receive this free gift of forgiveness and the promise of eternal life in heaven. Because of this, they face life with new joy, greater confidence and greater purpose. They become new creatures in Christ.
We believe Jesus will come again to take all believers to Himself. On the final day, all the dead will be raised. Those who are still alive will be bodily transformed. After this, the final judgment will take place. Unbelievers will go into eternal damnation and believers into eternal life.
HOLY SPIRIT
We believe that the Holy Spirit of God works through God's Word and the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper to bring people to faith in Jesus Christ, sustain their faith, and equip them to live lives of praise and service to God.
THE CHURCH
We believe the true Christian church is made up of all people of all times who believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and only Savior from sin and death. We believe that God wants all Christians to join continually with other believers for the purposes of worship, fellowship, and spiritual growth, so that they may be empowered to tell others, in word and action, the Good news of God's love for humanity in Jesus.