GLORIA DEI (pronounced “Day”) …
…is Latin phrase meaning “glory to God.” It is our desire to give our gracious God all the glory for our salvation and for every blessing He provides. The greatest blessing, of course, was the sending of His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, to be our Savior and Lord. Jesus lived the perfect life that we could not live by ourselves and then, died the death that our sins deserve. Instead of hanging in the balance or constantly agonizing whether or not we’ve done enough to please God, we have the assurance and certainty of knowing that Jesus has paid the full price for all of our sins and that heaven is ours as a result. That’s why we give God the glory, and Him alone
EVANGELICAL …
… is a word that identifies us as Gospel-centered, Bible believing people. We believe, trust, and stake our lives on the “good news” of salvation from sin and death through Jesus. He takes away the threat of hell and gives us an eternity in heaven. Is there any better news than that? And we seek to share that “good news” with everyone who will listen.
LUTHERAN …
… people are those who have come to the same appreciation for the truths of Scripture that Pastor Martin Luther did in the 1500’s. He wanted the church to get back to the basics of Scripture and to allow it to be the sole authority. The three “watchwords” of the Lutheran Reformation have been a steadfast reminder of who our God is and what He has done. Luther was (and Lutherans still are) quick and happy to share the truths of Scripture – that we are saved:
By Grace Alone – Our salvation comes 100% from God. We have done nothing to earn or deserve God’s favor. In fact, a solid, biblical definition of the word “grace” is “God’s undeserved love.” It is solely by God’s undeserved love that he sent his Son, Jesus, to be our Savior.
Through Faith Alone – God sends his Spirit to covert us from the ways of unbelief and to claim us to be his own. This faith is a gift from God and is the only way that anyone can receive the blessings of God.
Found in Scripture Alone – These truths are not to be found in science or in academia. They cannot be uncovered through enlightened thinking or discovered in a lab. The only place where the truths of God’s love are revealed are in the Scriptures. The Apostle Paul tells his young friend Timothy “from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 3:15 – NIV84 )
CHURCH …
… is much more than a building. It is more than the place where we worship. It’s who we are. We are the church – the communion of saints. We are a group of people brought together with a common faith and common goals – to build one another up and to spread the Gospel so that more and more might hear the good news and be saved.