Atonement Lutheran Church
Mission Statement:
To offer Jesus Christ, a life of discipleship and a faith community to all people.
Atonement Core Teachings and Values
As we minister to and teach the Christian faith to all ages, so that they can become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ, we lift up these core teachings and values:
- God is our Father and Creator. Jesus is God's one and only Son. The Holy Spirit is God's gift to us, dwelling in our hearts to guide our faith and life and to gift us for ministry and vocation. There is one God, but three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- As human beings we are all sinners and fall short of the glory of God. Jesus died on the cross for our sins and was raised to life in a total victory over sin, death, and the devil. We are saved, not by our works or what we do, but by God's grace. Forgiveness and salvation is a gift which we receive by faith in Jesus Christ.
- We receive the assurance of salvation in Jesus Christ when you "confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord', and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead." Romans 10:9
- Baptism is a visible means by which God brings us into His family and bestows His promises on us. In baptism, through the Holy Spirit, a seed of faith is planted by God. When a child is baptized, the parents promise to nourish the faith of their child so that he/she may come to believe in Jesus and receive His promises.
- Jesus calls us to follow Him in a life of discipleship. As we grow and mature in our faith we come to see that God continues to work in our hearts and in our lives. We teach "The Marks of Discipleship": Daily prayer, weekly worship, Bible reading, service, relationship with other believers and faithful stewardship (tithing).
- The Bible is God's inspired and authoritative word. Because God speaks to us in the reading of the Bible, Christ's disciples are called to read the Bible on a regular basis. As we do, God uses His Word to reveal Jesus to us and guides us in our walk of faith. The Bible is the definitive source and norm for faith and life.
- The church is a gift of God's grace given to His children. Believers in the church are family- brothers and sisters in Christ who are called to encourage spiritual growth and accountability in each other.
- The heart of a believer desires to worship God. In our worship of God, we glorify Him, we come to understand our sin, our need for a savior and our dependence upon God. God uses worship to speak to us and nurture our faith. God's proclaimed word and Holy Communion are means used by God for these purposes.
- We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10) Our faith and discipleship leads to works, not in order to earn God's acceptance, but to glorify God for the gift of salvation given by grace. We are in this world to share the good news of Jesus Christ.
- Sexual intimacy is a created gift of God designed and intended for one man and one woman in the bond of marriage. The gift of a family is to be cared for and nurtured, built upon a spiritual foundation of love and faithfulness to God, His Word, and family members. "We love because he first loved us." (1 John 4:19)