A Reconciling in Christ Congregation
Who we are, and Whose we are!
Expect Miracles!
St. Peter’s is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), which is the largest expression of the Lutheran Church in the United States. The ELCA is a community of faith. Lutherans are Christians whose faith is built around a belief in God as made known to us in the person and work of Jesus Christ, God's Son. This church gathers, empowered by the Holy Spirit and preaches the Word of God as contained in the Bible. Washed in the Waters of Baptism, fed in the meal of Holy Communion (Holy Eucharist), and assured of the forgiveness of our sins, we go into the world to share this good news.
We are catholic.
The liturgy of Holy Communion follows the form of the universal (catholic) church, a form which goes back to the earliest teachings of the church:
Scripture reading and Preaching;
Prayers of intercession
Sharing of the Peace
Offering
Thanksgiving prayer
Lord’s Prayer
Meal
Sending
Our catholic identity is also evident in the ecumenical creeds we confess and in the hymns and prayers we use. We confess and use in our worship the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds.
We are evangelical (which comes from the Greek, meaning good news).
We proclaim the Good News of what God in Christ has done for us: in an act of unconditional love, has declared us beloved and forgiven, and has gathered us into one inclusive family.
We are reforming.
We change the way we sing or speak or dramatize the catholic form, if a new way will enable us to proclaim the Gospel more clearly.
Recent examples: the use of contemporary language, the inclusion of laity in worship, the ordination of women, the spirit of joy and the cultural diversity evident in Evangelical Lutheran Worship.- Baptized, we Live: Lutheranism as A Way of Live – Daniel Erlander, 1981
St. Peter’s Mission Statement
Responding to God’s grace in faith, we as St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church proclaim God’s Good News and Glory through Word, Sacrament and deed. This church aspires to be an inclusive and holistic symbol of God, seeking justice for all God’s creation, helping, teaching and reaching out through fellowship, music, art and God’s limitless love.