Our Values
1. Caring for others (Mark 12:30-31)
2. Biblical Doctrine (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
3. Prayer (James 5:16)
4. Outreach (Matthew 28:16-20)
5. Discipleship Culture (Matthew 4:19)
Our Statement of Faith
What is the Bible?
We believe the Bible is inspired and revealed to us by God and is the complete word of God. We believe it is without fault or error in all its teachings. The Bible is our guideline for our life and is the base of our Christian faith and teachings.
Ref: 2 Timothy 3:16,17; 2 Peter 1:20
Who is God?
We believe there is only one true and living God who is the author of all creation. He is perfect in his power, knowledge, love, and holiness. God eternally exists in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, all of which are one God and one Savior.
Ref: Matthew 28:19, John 14:10, Jude 25, John 15:26
Who is Jesus?
We believe Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. He became human without ceasing to be God, and so we consider him both fully God and fully human. We believe in his sinless life, his miracles, and his teachings. Jesus was crucified on the cross and died as the substitute to pay the penalty for our sin and the sins of the whole world. Three days later, he physically rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, proving he was indeed who he claimed to be.
Ref: Romans 1:16, I Cor. 15:1-8, John 14:6, Acts 4:12
Who is the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity and has been sent by the Father to empower and guide all followers of Christ. By His powerful work, the Spirit spiritually gives new life to dead sinners awakening them to repentance and faith. The Holy Spirit lives in every Christian and gives them spiritual gifts to be effective in carrying out the mission of the Church.
Ref: John 14:16-17, 16:8, I Corinthians 2:10-16, John 16:13-14, Ephesians 1:19-2
Who are we?
We believe people are created in the image of God, and so human life is sacred from conception to natural death. God created humanity with free will and a great purpose. However, we have rejected that purpose and our world has been broken ever since. Sin separates us from the life God has designed for us and has brought suffering and death to our world. As a result, we have tried to answer the great questions of life and live independently from God, relying on our own strength, feelings, and achievements to find value and self-worth. This only adds to our suffering. However, even though we continually move away from God, God continues to pursue us and knock on our door.
When someone opens that door and chooses to believe and follow in the footsteps of Jesus and embrace all that he has done for them, they receive a new nature, and the Holy Spirit begins the process of healing and transformation within their heart.
Ref: Genesis 3, Psalm 51:5, John 3:16, 2 Cor. 5:17
What is the Gospel?
We believe the Gospel is the story of what Jesus has done for each of us. By his perfect obedience to the Father’s plan, including his death on the cross, he fulfilled the Law once given to Moses, and his righteousness can now be credited to us. When we believe the message of the Gospel, we experience the forgiveness of sins and the transforming power of the Grace of God.
Ref: John 3:14-16, John 5:24, Romans 1:16, 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, Galatians 2:21, Ephesians 1:3, 11, Ephesians 2:4-10, 1 John 5:1, 1 John 1:9, John 14:6
What is the Church?
We believe the church is made up of everyone who places their faith in Jesus Christ. It is not an institution or an organization but a family called into existence and sustained by Jesus Christ as the Cornerstone. The Church was created to live and grow as a community that makes disciples of Jesus Christ by baptizing and teaching people to obey the teachings of Jesus. Local churches act as a great means and outlet towards the visible form of the Kingdom of God here on earth.
Ref: Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 2:38, Acts 2:42-47, Romans 6:3-4, Hebrews 10:24-25, 1 Corinthians 12, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
What is Baptism?
We believe that baptism is not simply a religious ritual but a sacred gift that God uses to bring his presence and forgiveness to those who believe. Since even babies and children are born sinners, we welcome Christian parents to bring their “little ones” to baptism, too. While we believe that God gives the gift of faith in baptism, we do not teach that baptism saves a child forever, but that those who are baptized need to come to a conscious choice for themselves on whether to embrace the gift of faith or to live life without it. We encourage adults who are ot baptized to be baptized after they come to faith.
Ref: Matthew 18:1-6 19:14, Romans 6:3-4, Ephesians 4:5, I Peter 3:21, Acts 2:38
What about the end times?
We believe the history of the earth will end with the personal and bodily return of Jesus Christ. At that time, He will complete God’s plan to bring justice to the world and reestablish his righteous rule over all humanity. Here at the EKLP, we emphasize Christ’s return and coming judgment, but we will never know exactly when or exactly how until that time comes.
Ref: Matt. 24:29-31; Revelation 20
What are our Traditions?
We believe that our connection to the historic and early church is important. We believe that the three ancient symbols, the Apostles Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed are accurate descriptions of biblical teaching. We also believe and practice the teachings found in the unaltered Augsburg Confession, and Martin Luther’s Small Catechism. The EKLP encourages people of all beliefs and backgrounds to investigate and discuss what the Bible teaches. Many who are part of our community continue this practice of learning and searching what the Bible teaches and their understanding of it. But this is our understanding of the core message of the Christian Faith.
What is our Denomination?
The EKLP is a member of the Association of Free Lutheran Congregations-Canada. A church like ours is independent of outside control, but we cooperate with other churches to accomplish what we can’t do ourselves. For more information, and a video that provides an overview of what that looks like, visit the Association of Free Lutheran Congregations website: www.aflc.org