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Who We Are
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The community of Grace Lutheran Church is committed to:
Nurturing Spiritual growth in all generations through the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Caring for one another, our community and the world through the opportunities our Lord provides us, and
Proclaiming the Word of God to all people through our words and deeds.
We are members of the Northeastern Ohio Synod of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America (ELCA).
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Who is Jesus Christ?
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Jesus is God's son, sent by God to become human like us. In his life and being he broke
through the prison of sinfulness and thus restored the relationship of love and trust that
God intended to exist between himself and his children. Though he is eternal, with God at
the beginning of time, he was born on earth of a virgin, by the power of the Holy
Spirit. Jesus was at once truly God and truly human.
The man, Jesus of Nazareth, lived and died in Palestine during the governorship of the Roman
administrator Pontius Pilate; we believe him to be the Messiah chosen by God to show his love
for the world. He is God, yet with all the limitations of being human. His relationship to
God, however, was not one of sin but rather of perfect obedience to the Father's will.
For the sake of a sinful world, Jesus was condemned to death on the cross.
But death could not contain him. On the third day after his execution, the day Christians
observe as Easter, Jesus appeared among his followers as the risen, living Lord. By this
great victory God has declared the Good News of reconciliation. The gap between all that
separates us from our Creator has been bridged. Thus, Christ lives today wherever there
are people who faithfully believe in him and wherever the Good News of reconciliation is
preached and the Sacraments administered.
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What is the Church?
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The Christian church is made up of those who have been baptized and thus have received
Christ as the Son of God and Savior of the world. Sometimes it is referred to as
"the Body of Christ." Lutherans believe that they are a part of a community of
faith that began with the gift of the Holy Spirit, God's presence with his people,
on the day of Pentecost. The church, regardless of the external form it takes,
is the fellowship of those who have been restored to God by Christ. Indeed, to
be called into fellowship with Christ is also to be called into community with
other believers.
The church is essential to Christian life and growth. Its members are all sinners
in need of God's grace. It has no claim on human perfection. The church exists
solely for the hearing and doing of God's Word. It can justify its existence only
when it proclaims the living Word of Christ, administers the Sacraments and gives
itself to the world in deeds of service and love. Most Lutherans recognize a
wider fellowship of churches and are eager to work alongside them in ecumenical
ministries and projects.
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Why a Lutheran church?
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Martin Luther (b. November 10, 1483, in Eisleben, Germany, d. February 18, 1546 in Eisleben)
is known as the Father of Protestantism. He had studied to become a lawyer before becoming
an Augustinian monk in 1505, and was ordained a priest in 1507. While continuing his studies
in pursuit of a Doctor of Theology degree, he discovered significant differences between
what he read in the Bible and the theology and practices of the church. On October 31, 1517,
he posted a challenge on the church door at Wittenberg University to debate 95 theological
issues. Luther's hope was that the church would reform its practice and preaching to be
more consistent with the Word of God as contained in the Bible.
What started as an academic debate escalated to a religious war, fueled by fiery
temperaments and violent language on both sides. As a result, there was not a
reformation of the church but a separation. "Lutheran" was a name applied to
Luther and his followers as an insult but adopted as a badge of honor by them instead.
Lutherans still celebrate the Reformation on October 31 and still hold to the basic
principles of theology and practice espoused by Luther, such as Sola Gratia, Sola Fide,
Sola Scriptura:
- We are saved by the grace of God alone -- not by anything we do;
- Our salvation is through faith alone -- we only need to believe that our sins are forgiven
for Christ's sake, who died to redeem us;
- The Bible is the only norm of doctrine and life -- the only true standard
by which teachings and doctrines are to be judged.
Another of Luther's principles was that Scriptures and worship need to be in the
language of the people.
Many Lutherans still consider themselves as a reforming movement within the Church
catholic, rather than a separatist movement, and Lutherans have engaged in ecumenical
dialogue with other church bodies for decades. In fact, the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America has entered into cooperative "full communion" agreements with
several other Protestant denominations.
Luther's Small Catechism, which contains teachings on the Ten Commandments, the
Apostles' Creed, the Lord's Prayer, Holy Baptism, Confession and Absolution,
Holy Communion and Morning and Evening Prayers, is still used to introduce people
to the Lutheran faith, as is the Augsburg Confession. These and other Lutheran
confessional documents included in the Book of Concord may be ordered from the
ELCA Publishing House at 800/328-4648 or www.augsburgfortress.org.
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What Must a Person Do to Become a Lutheran?
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To become a Lutheran, only Baptism and instruction in the Christian faith is
required. If you are already baptized in the name of the Father, Son and
Holy Spirit, it will be necessary only to attend a membership class in a
Lutheran congregation and thus signify your desire to become a part of its
community. Active members of other Lutheran congregations usually need only
to transfer their membership.
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Adapted from the Resources of the ELCA Department for Communication
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