In response to God’s unconditional love and grace, the people of Faith Lutheran Church seek to follow Jesus’ commandment to love God, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. We express that love in our commitment to racial equity, and in our welcome of people of all ages, races, economic status, intellectual and physical abilities, sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, along with their families and friends, to join with us as we worship God, grow in faith, and offer hope.
The heart of Lutheran belief is that people are loved and forgiven children of God, and they have done nothing to earn or to deserve these gifts.
Jesus Christ, God's Son, lived, died and rose again for the sake of humanity. The Holy Spirit has been given to humanity, making it possible for people to have faith. It is Jesus's acts, and this faith - both gifts from God - that guarantee our salvation. We may feel we don't deserve it; we may feel we haven't earned it. But that doesn't make it any less true.
Lutherans believe that Jesus is just as much alive today as he was that first Easter day. Through the Word of God - the Bible - Christians learn about Jesus, the early church and the Christian faith. And, through the Holy Spirit Christians are empowered to live out that faith. One day, Jesus will return and gather all believers to be a part of God's glorious reign.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
Faith Lutheran Church is a part of The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), founded in 1988 through the combining of three predecessor church bodies. The churchwide (national) organization is based out of the Lutheran Center in Chicago and functions with the ELCA’s 65 synods and nearly 10,000 congregations across the 50 states, Caribbean and U.S. Virgin Islands. Faith Lutheran Church is in the Northeastern Ohio Synod.
The mission and vision of the ELCA are:
Mission: Together in Jesus Christ we are freed by grace to live faithfully, witness boldly and serve joyfully.
Vision: A world experiencing the difference God's grace and love in Christ makes for all people and creation.
Our values: Our values are grounded in faith, in our biblical and Lutheran confessional sources and our love of God and neighbor.
Forgiveness and reconciliation: We are reconciled to God by God's forgiving mercy. As a people of God, we embody forgiveness in speech, action and relationships, and our ministry in reconciliation is foundational.
Dignity, compassion and justice: Each person is created in God's image. We respect this God-given right to dignity and, inspired by the life of Jesus, show love and compassion for all people.
Inclusion and diversity: As Christ's church, we value the richness of God's creation and offer a radical welcome to all people, appreciating our common humanity and our differences. We recognize and will challenge barriers to participation and equity in this church and society - for women, people of color, minority ethnic groups, people with disabilities, people who are marginalized or living in poverty, and the LGBTQ community.
Courage and openness to change: Because we trust in God's promise and understand faith to be a living, daring confidence in God's grace, we are open to new ways and willing to take risks to discover God's plan for this church.
Faithful stewardship of God's creation and gifts: As church together, faithful stewardship ensures that the responsibilities and resources that God has entrusted to us are used with great care and with accountability to God, to each other and those served by this church.
