Emmanuel Lutheran Church is a confessional Lutheran congregation, firmly committed to upholding the truth of the Holy Scriptures as confessed in the Lutheran Book of Concord of 1580.
We believe that the Bible is God’s revelation of Himself to the world, given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God, and is therefore free from errors and mistakes. These Holy Scriptures reveal all we need to know and believe about God to be saved, and are the only source and foundation of doctrine for Christians.
We believe that Jesus Christ is true God and true Man, who took on human flesh in order to deliver mankind from sin, death and the devil. He truly died for our sins and was truly raised from the dead for our justification. By His perfect life of obedience to the Father and by His sacrificial death on the cross, He has made satisfaction for the sins of all men and has earned righteousness and forgiveness for all, so that all who trust in Him are forgiven, justified, saved, and made heirs of eternal life.
We are a sacramental Church. In other words, we acknowledge that, although God is everywhere, He has chosen to locate Himself for us on earth, with His grace and forgiveness, in the ministry of Word and Sacrament, that is, in the preaching of the Gospel (the message of salvation by faith alone in Jesus) and in the administration of the Sacraments of Holy Baptism and Holy Communion. Holy Baptism is God’s “sacred act” by which He clothes us with Christ, forgives us our sins, saves us and grants us eternal life. Holy Communion is God’s “sacred act” by which He feeds His children with the true body and blood of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins. Holy Absolution is another divinely instituted “sacred act” in which God speaks the Word of forgiveness to penitent sinners through the mouth of His called servants (i.e., pastors), to whom God, through the Church, has entrusted the Keys of the kingdom of God.
Christians in every age have found it necessary to summarize and explain their beliefs, especially because many false teachings about God have arisen, both inside and outside of the Christian Church. Even much of “Lutheranism” around the world is plagued with false teachings and with churches that use the name “Lutheran,” but bear little resemblance to the historic definition of the word. Originally, “Lutheranism” did not portray itself as one “option” or one “tradition” among many. Instead, Lutherans (at the time of Martin Luther, AD 1483-1546) simply wished to teach and practice what the Christian Church had always taught and practiced, minus any aberrations to the right or to the left of Holy Scripture. We describe ourselves as “Lutherans,” because we still fully subscribe to the Lutheran Confessions, as contained in the Book of Concord of 1580, because they accurately express the true Christian, catholic and historic faith of Christ’s Church, as taught in the Bible. Therefore, we seek to ensure that all of our doctrine and practice conform to the standard of Scripture and the Confessions. We still confess, with the Book of Concord, that the chief article of the Christian faith is that sinners are justified in no other way but by faith alone in Christ Jesus alone.
These are the individual Confessions contained in the Lutheran Book of Concord (click on the titles to read each one). We suggest that you begin with Luther’s Small Catechism, followed by the Augsburg Confession:
The best way for us to explain our beliefs is in a Bible study setting where you can sit down with our pastor, open up the Bible and see the basis for our teachings. Pastor Rydecki has published a translation of Martin Luther’s Small Catechism, combined with 785 questions and answers designed to guide both children and adults through the key teachings of Christianity. The best way to acquire a copy of the book is to visit us at Emmanuel, where we have a supply of books available at a discounted price. (If you’re unable to visit us, please click on this link for information on ordering a copy of the book.)
We would love to explain more of our beliefs and answer any questions you may have. For more information, please contact our pastor. An introductory study on the teachings of Scripture and the Lutheran Church is offered throughout the year to those who wish to learn, to review, or to explore the possibility of membership in our church.
