Our Faith
Advent Lutheran Church is a member congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), sharing roots with the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and Wisconsin Evangelical Synod to the 16th Century reformer Martin Luther. Of these three Lutheran expressions, the ELCA is distinct in our ordination of women and in offering Holy Communion to all the baptized.
Our celebration of both of those practices is grounded in our understanding of Holy Scripture, which is that the Bible is the "inspired Word of God," written by human beings under the inspiration of God and that that inspiration continues today as we read and bring our own reason and experience to that encounter with God's Word.
We believe that we are part of a broken humanity; that that brokenness, also known as sin, separates us from God (and from one another); and that that separation was ended for us by the willing sacrifice of Jesus, who took our sinful nature upon himself on the cross. Believing the truth of that is called faith (itself a gift of God), and it is that faith that brings us into right relationship with God. We are saved by God's grace through faith in Jesus. Since we are headed toward union with God when this life ends, the question for us now, and every day, is: How then will we live?
Engaging that question is most effectively done in the context of the local congregation. Advent's purpose statement and the four mission directions that evolve from that statement give us a framework to connect with God's mission to bless and love the world.
Our purpose statement: Celebrating, Sharing, and Growing in God's Love.
The mission directions: Celebrating God's grace through meaningful worship and fellowship; inspiring lives of faith; challenging our faith community to grow in discipleship; and committing our resources to help restore and rebuild the greater community.
Our preaching and teaching are based on Holy Scripture texts that are "appointed" for each Sunday through the use of the Revised Common Lectionary. Pastor Susan and Pastor Roger (and the ELCA) believe that God's Word is the only valid source of authority for what we say. That doesn't mean that we preach Bible studies; it means that the Bible is God's Living Word that is relevant to every generation, and it's up to the preacher to find the connection.
We invite you to come and experience the body of Christ here at Advent Lutheran Church.