IMMANUEL LUTHERAN CHURCH

A Family of Christian Believers is The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod is a family of 2.6 million Christians,gathered in more than 6,000 congregations throughout the United States.

 

Our church body was founded more than 150 years ago by a small band of immigrants in America who were dedicated to preaching and teaching the Gospel of the forgiveness of sins through Christ alone.

 

Many of the founders of our Synod were from Missouri,hence the word “Missouri”in our church’s name.

 

Our congregations are united in an association of Christian fellowship called a “Synod,”which means “walking together.”

 

Every congregation is self governed and unique.We believe and teach the same Biblical truths, but our congregations also reflect the diversity of the people we serve.

 

Some are located in rural areas, others in inner cities. Some are large, others are very small. Most use English, but some offer worship services in Vietnamese,Spanish,Laotian,and other languages.

 

We are a family gathered from all nations,united in the wonderful truth that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. Strongly in the Word The voice of Jesus calls sinners to repentance, and comforts the brokenhearted through the preaching and teaching of His Word from our pulpits and in our classrooms.We are a church that honors the Bible as the written Word of God—the very voice of Jesus, our Good Shepherd. God the Holy Spirit, through this Word, creates and sustains trust in Jesus Christ.

 

Through this living and powerful Word, Jesus Himself rebukes,comforts,forgives and guides His people through the perplexing,difficult and confusing questions and decisions we face in our lives.

 

We believe strongly that Jesus is with us and that He still rules His church today through His Word. Therefore, we are committed to reading, studying and growing in the Word of God,the Holy Bible.

 

Our church’s deeply spiritual and reverent liturgical worship is filled with the Word of God, through which Jesus blesses us with His presence and peace. Christ-Centered and People-Sensitive We treasure the special means by which Jesus Himself dwells among us with His forgiving grace.

 

Therefore, our Synod is very much Christ-centered. Our focus is on Jesus Christ and His presence among us. We believe that Jesus is present among us through the lifegiving waters of Baptism, a Sacrament that unites us with Jesus’death and resurrection,washes away our sins,and brings us into the body of Christ, the Holy Christian Church.

 

We rejoice in the gracious presence of Jesus in the Sacrament called the Lord’s Supper. It is the true body and blood under bread and wine given to Christians to eat and to drink. In this sacred meal, Jesus feeds us and sustains us with the forgiveness of sins,strengthening us for a life of service to Him in this world,and preparing us for life forever with Him in heaven.

 

As the people of the Missouri Synod,we rejoice in Christ’s presence,not only in our public worship assemblies,but also in our daily lives.Whether our place of service is small or great, humble or exalted in the eyes of the world,it is a holy calling in which we serve the Lord Jesus Christ with joyful hearts. Together and individually,we strive to follow the example of Jesus who loved us and cared for us when we had no strength.

 

Through our church’s relief programs, our Synod is present with material and spiritual resources to care for those What About . . . The Lutheran Church— Missouri Synod who suffer from natural disasters and tragedies in the world.

 

We have built and help to maintain a large network of Lutheran hospitals,nursing homes,and human-care agencies to serve the sick,the elderly,the victims of abuse,those struggling with addictions, and many others coping with difficult situations and transitions in life. The Missouri Synod has been a strong voice in America in defense of the sanctity and value of all human life from the unborn to the handicapped to the elderly. Because we are people-sensitive, we want to serve others as God has loved and served us in Jesus Christ.