Who Are Lutherans

We as Lutherans center our faith in Jesus Christ whom we know and build our lives on.

We believe Jesus is the only perfect Son of God and that He died for us and for every person in the world. Jesus rose from the dead and lives for us – and for all people who believe in Him as their Savior.

Jesus brings people close to God. We as Lutherans believe our lives – today, tomorrow and in eternity – depend on Jesus.

Lutherans live with a sure hope of eternal life because of Jesus Christ. We know we are not perfect, that we stumble and fall in our daily walk with God. But we also know that our forgiveness has been won and paid for by Jesus Christ and when we repent and seek forgiveness, God will forgive us because of Jesus.

To learn more about Lutherans and our Bible-based faith, read more below or visit our LCMS (Lutheran Church Missouri Synod) home website to witness the love of Christ on a National level. Or come visit us at Holy Cross and experience that love first-hand. We would be blessed to have you join us!

Lutherans As Christians

As Lutherans, we hold beliefs that are shared by many Christians:

  • God is three persons in one:

The Father who created and sustains the world;

The Son who lived as a human being, died and rose from the dead; and

The Holy Spirit, who works God’s will in the world.

  • The Bible is God’s spoken word, spoken through human writers.
  • Sin exists in every person.
  • Everyone will have existence after death – either in heaven or hell – for eternity.
  • God has a plan to end the world. At this time He will judge everyone – both living and dead.

Who is Jesus?

No one else has influenced history as He has.

Jesus is the Son of God.
Old Testament prophets spoke of His coming and described the eternal and life-changing impact He would have.

Jesus is both God and man.
He stilled the seas and walked on water. With a touch of His hand, he cured incurable diseases. He restored life to those who had physically died.

Jesus personifies love.
He paid the ultimate price so that we could live with Him forever.  He sees us through the eyes of love.

He loves us in spite of every hurtful thought, every harmful word, and every wrongful action. These are all a result of sin, which contaminates everything we do. It is behind every broken home, every empty life, every infirmity, every damaged emotion, every sorrow and grief. And as the Bible says, the end result of sin is death. But Jesus Himself was sinless; only He could pay the penalty for our sins.

Because of his love, He suffered, died, and rose again.
We are forgiven.  All who believe in Jesus are guaranteed eternal life with Him in heaven.

Why did Jesus do this?
Because Jesus is love!

The Bible

“You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.”
John 5:39

Our faith as Lutherans, which is God-given, is strictly Bible-based. As Deuteronomy states, we receive our faith directly from God without changing His words. Christian Bibles are divided into two main parts: the Old Testament and the New Testament. A “testament” is a written expression of someone’s will, and the Old and New Testaments express God’s will for people. The Old Testament includes 39 books documenting life prior to the coming of God’s promised Son. The New Testament includes 27 books. First are the four gospels, which narrate Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. Next is the New Testament’s Historical Narrative: the book of Acts, which recounts the missionary outreach of the early church. The rest of the New Testament consists of letters or “epistles” written by early Christian leaders to members of Christian congregations. There are thirteen Pauline epistles, which are named for the cities or individuals to which the letters were sent (Romans—Philemon). Next come the General Epistles and Revelation, all of which except Hebrews are letters named after their authors (James—The Revelation to John).

Law & Gospel

As Lutherans, we often speak of Law and Gospel.

The Bible gives the Law, showing God’s expectations of people and the terrible consequences for not following His commands.

ex. LAW

“Jesus replied, ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’ “
Matthew 19:19

But the Bible also reveals the Gospel – the “good news” of God’s love and forgiveness. They view Baptism and the Lord’s Supper as the means by which God gives people His grace.

ex. GOSPEL

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16

Membership at Holy Cross

Have you thought about becoming a member of Holy Cross but weren’t sure how to proceed? Here are great options for you to investigate:

Intro to Holy Cross

We ask all people interested in membership to first attend a one-session “Intro to Holy Cross” get-together for you to explore membership. Even if you’ve already decided you would like to become a member, this is a great first step. We will give a brief overview of the church, its mission and your role in that mission. It’s always offered the last Sunday of the month during Bible study hour (9:45-10:45) in the Church Office.

Transfer of membership

If you currently hold membership in another Lutheran (LCMS) church but would like to transfer your membership, attending an “Intro to Holy Cross” session will provide the information you need to discuss how you might be a part of the next group of members we will be welcoming into our family at Holy Cross.

Adult Information Class

Adult Information class (approximately 16 sessions) is offered three times a year. For those new to Christianity or to the Lutheran church, this is an important first step. It is also beneficial for a review of the basics of Christian faith.

Baptism

Learn more about baptism by coming to a one-session overview of baptism offered the first Sunday of each month. Call the church office to indicate your plans to attend.

Confirmation Class for young people

Confirmation instruction is a two-year (level I and level II) instruction in the teachings of the Christian Church as understood by Lutherans. Usually begins in 7th grade but can be started at anytime after that as well. Visit with one of the pastors for more specific information.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to give us a call! We invite you to come so we can learn more about God’s mission for us together! You can also visit our Worship & Bible Study page to learn more about the classes mentioned here.