If it’s about you, it’s not about Jesus and Christianity is all about Jesus.




What Lutherans Believe


THE TRINITY
First, we believe in the Holy Trinity, the Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit, one God in three persons, being of the same will and substance and yet unique in their persons.

SALVATION IN CHRIST ALONE
We believe, teach and confess that we are saved by the finished work of Jesus Christ as He, being true God and True man at the same time lived perfection, died a sacrificial death for the sins of all of humanity and rose from the dead after three days.  It is ONLY the finished work of Jesus that has earned us salvation because we are completely fallen and there is nothing of any merit within the heart of fallen man before God.  Because of all of this, we believe that salvation comes not from within the heart of man, but from outside of us.     

THE BIBLE (Scripture Alone)
The Bible is God’s Word to man.  We believe in Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone).   As the source and norm of the Christian faith, this congregation affirms and accepts all the canonical books of the Old and New Testaments as the infallible, verbally inspired, revealed and authoritative Word of God in regards to belief and life.  
 
GRACE ALONE AND FAITH ALONE
This Congregation holds to the material principle of Justification by Grace alone, through Faith alone, on account of Christ alone.  Martin Luther said: ‘This article [of justification] is the head and cornerstone which alone begets, nourishes, builds, preserves, and protects the Church (St. L. XIV: 168).”



Who are Lutherans?


St. James Lutheran Church is a affiliated with the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (pronounced Sin-id!)

The Basic facts: Lutherans represent the world's largest Protestant group. The 58 million Lutherans can be found on every continent, worshiping in hundreds of languages. In the United States, there are about 9 million Lutherans. While our forefathers were German, today we count members with many ancestries, including North America, African-American, Anglo, Asian, Hispanic, and Indian.

Lutherans Got Started: Lutherans take their name from Martin Luther. He was a German priest who broke away from the Roman Catholic Church in the early 1500s. Luther's writing and teaching sparked the Protestant Reformation. Through his study of the Bible, Luther helped the Christian Church rediscover the truth that God is loving and that He offers forgiveness and eternal life as a free gift because of Jesus Christ. Luther taught that people--no matter how hard they try--cannot earn God's forgiveness or a place in heaven. It is a gift that people receive through faith in Jesus Christ.

What is the Missouri Synod? 
As members of some 6,100 congregations, we count 2.6 million baptized members in The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. We emphasize the local congregation where people hear the Word, grow in the Sacraments--namely Baptism and the Lord's Supper-- and then help one another. The Synod was formed in 1847 by 16 congregations, representing German Lutheran settlements in several U.S. locations. It was first known as the German Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States.

Our Synod--our national organization--serves in support of and on behalf of its local member congregations. Support includes Sunday school lessons, hymn books, resources for ministry, and worship material. Local churches receive help for special areas of ministry to serve people in both the congregation and the community.

As a Synod we combine our strengths and resources to do things that individual congregations can't do. Our headquarters is in St. Louis, MO and we do important things: We send missionaries to other countries, maintain colleges and seminaries, provide food and medicine for needy countries. We also support hospitals, nursing homes, adoption services, and helping programs for individuals and families.

Our Missouri Synod operates the largest Protestant school system in the United States We have over 1,000 pre-schools and day care centers, 998 elementary schools and 64 high schools.