Faith
“And all the people responded with a great shout when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.”
Ezra 3:11b
We are a church that believes God is calling us into the world — together.
As members of the ELCA, we believe that we are freed in Christ to serve and love our neighbor. With our hands, we do God’s work of restoring and reconciling communities in Jesus Christ’s name throughout the world.
Message from our ELCA Presiding Bishop
Presiding Bishop Elizabeth A. Eaton
A Message from Southeastern PA Synod Bishop
Bishop Bryan J. Penman
The Work of ELCA
Our Beliefs
What Do We Believe?
We believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, and is the source and norm of our faith.
We believe that Jesus is the Son of God. (Mark 1:1)
We believe that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)
We believe all people will have to give an accounting to the one who stands ready to judge the living and the dead. (I Peter 4:5)
We believe that God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved. (John 3:16-17)
We believe, through Jesus, God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross. (Colossians 1:20)
We believe that we are saved by grace through faith. (Martin Luther) (Ephesian 2:8)
We believe that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)
We believe that we know love by this: that Jesus laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. We are called to love, not just in word or speech, but in truth and action. (I John 3:16-17)
We believe that Jesus commissions us to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and to teach God’s command to love everyone. (Matthew 28:19-20)
We believe that we are to be merciful, just as God is merciful. Jesus said, If you do not judge, you will not be judged; if you do not condemn, you will not be condemned. If you forgive, you will be forgiven. (Luke 6:36-37)