Our Beliefs
St. Michael is a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Our faith is old and our welcome is wide. Here is the heart of it.
We believe God loves us before we do anything to earn it, and no matter what we've done, we cannot lose it. We are saved by grace, through faith, as a gift. Everything else we believe grows from this.
Grace
One God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
We worship one God in three persons: the Father who creates, the Son who redeems, and the Holy Spirit who gathers us, makes us holy, and sends us out. The Trinity isn't a puzzle to solve. It's the God who meets us.
Jesus Christ, the Word of God
We believe Jesus is God's Word made flesh, God come among us to live, die, and rise again for the life of the world. In Jesus we see who God is and how far God will go for us.
We believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God and the source and norm of our faith and life. We read it seriously but not literally. It holds history, poetry, law, letters, and gospel, written by people moved by the Spirit across many centuries. We read it together, in its contexts, and always with an eye to Jesus at its center.
The Bible
The Sacraments
Lutherans celebrate two sacraments, holy acts commanded by Christ where God's promise is joined to something we can touch.
Baptism:Â With water and God's Word, God claims us as beloved children. We baptize people of every age, because it's God's doing, not ours, and it happens once for a lifetime.
Communion:Â In bread and wine, Christ is truly present, given for you. Everyone is welcome at the table. You don't need to be a member, a Lutheran, or sure of what you believe. It is Jesus' table. All who are hungry, all who are thirsty, come!
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Creeds and Confessions
We confess the faith of the whole church in the Apostles', Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds, which Christians have spoken together for centuries. As Lutherans, we also look to the Lutheran Confessions, especially the Augsburg Confession, as faithful witnesses to the gospel.
All are Welcome
Every person is made in the image of God. That dignity is not earned, and it cannot be taken away. St. Michael is a Reconciling in Christ congregation, and we publicly welcome people of every sexual orientation and gender identity, along with people of every age, race, ability, and background. There is a seat for you at this table.