The Bible is the Word of God, and teaches us how to receive the free gift of salvation from sin and about Christian living. The Lutheran Confessions (doctrinal writings of the Reformation) explain how we understand scripture.
God commissioned us and all of his followers to make disciples of all nations. It is not optional.
We place ourselves into God's loving hands as willing instruments of His mission.
We aim to speak the Word of God to each other to nurture, edify and educate one another in Christian faith as we live out our Christian life. We are Christ's mission to the whole person, being concerned for both the spiritual and physical needs of people.
Baptism is for everyone. Call us at 517-337-9703 if you'd like to learn more about the free gift of baptism or to pick a Sunday for you or your family member(s) to get baptized.
You can learn more about baptism here.
Lutherans believe that the Bible teaches that a person is saved by God's grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ. Baptism, we believe, is one of the miraculous means of grace (together with God's written and spoken Word) through which God creates the gift of faith in a person's heart.
Although we do not claim to understand how this happens or how it is possible, we believe (because of what the Bible says about Baptism) that when an infant (or anyone else) is baptized, God creates faith in their heart.
In the case of infants, this faith cannot yet be expressed or articulated, yet it is real and present all the same (see, e.g., 1 Peter 3:21; Acts 2:38-39; Titus 3:5-6; Matt. 18:6; Luke 1:15; 2 Tim. 3:15; Gal. 3:26-27; Rom. 6:4; Col. 2:11-12; 1 Cor. 12:13).
Parents and sponsors of a baptized child bear the responsibility of teaching this child God's Word so that the child's faith may remain alive and grow (Matt. 28:18-20).
Confirmation is a time-honored church tradition (not required by God's Word, but we believe useful nonetheless) in which the child baptized as an infant is given the opportunity to confess for himself or herself the faith that he or she was unable to confess as an infant.
Faith is not "created" at confirmation, but it is rather confessed for all to hear so that the church can join and rejoice in this public confession, which has its roots in the faith which God Himself created in Baptism.
Confirmation classes are available for anyone in 7th grade or older. We provide these classes free of charge and will try to work around your schedule. Call us at 517-337-9703 for more information.