With the universal Christian Church, what we believe subscribes to what the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod teaches, and responds to the love of the Triune God the Father, creator of all that exists; Jesus Christ, the Son, who became human to suffer and die for the sins of all human beings and to rise to life again in the ultimate victory over death and Satan; and the Holy Spirit, who creates faith through God’s Word and Sacraments. The three persons of the Trinity are coequal and coeternal, one God.  For we hold to the confession of the Apostles’, Nicene and athanasian Creeds.

These five statements sum up what lies at the heart of Lutheran belief:

By Grace alone (Sola Gratia)

Through Faith alone (Sola Fide)

In Christ alone (Solus Christus)

According to Scripture alone (Sola Scriptura)

For God’s Glory alone (Soli Deo Gloria)

1. Sola Gratia (Grace alone)

Salvation is the free gift of God to man. It is given by God’s Grace alone and not through any merit on the part of the Christian.  See Ephesians 2:8-9
GRACE = God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.

2. Sola Fide (Faith alone)

By His suffering and death as the substitute for all people of all time, Jesus purchased and won forgiveness and eternal life for them. Those who hear this Good News and believe it have the eternal life that it offers. God creates faith in Christ and gives people forgiveness through Him. See Galatians 3:11

FAITH = Forsaking All I Trust Him.

3. Solus Christus (Christ alone)

Christ is the one Mediator between God and man and our salvation is accomplished only through His death and resurrection. See 1 Timothy 2:5

4. Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone)

The Bible is God’s inerrant and infallible Word, in which He reveals His Law and His Gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ. It is the sole rule and norm for Christian doctrine. See 2 Timothy 3:16-17

5. Soli Deo Gloria (To the glory of God alone)

Every aspect of the Christian life is to be seen as giving glory to God. In essence, this summarizes the other four Soli above. See 1 Peter 4:1

By the grace of Jesus Christ, and for the glory of the Triune God, we, the members of Trinity Lutheran Church, envision our tomorrows as:

A Christian family that grows …

• Striving to create an environment that fosters relationships grounded in Christ and growing in love, trust and mutual service
• Challenging and assisting every member to grow to his/her fullest potential as a disciple of Jesus Christ
• Designing every activity to promote the spiritual and numerical growth of Trinity and the church-at-large
• Organizing staff and ministry for effective spiritual and numerical growth
  
  

  “If we meet and you forget me, you have lost nothing; but if you meet Jesus Christ and forget Him, you have lost everything.”

• Providing sufficient staff for an effective and growing ministry
• Renovating and expanding facilities to accommodate present and future growth

By worshiping …

• Maintaining faithfulness to the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions
• Keeping the grace of Christ in the Gospel and the Sacraments the central focus
• Proclaiming the Law and Gospel through traditional and creative preaching, addressing the needs of today’s believers
• Providing a variety of worship services in traditional and alternative styles
• Seeking to attract visitors and the unchurched

By nurturing …

• Encouraging and assisting members to minister to one another’s spiritual, physical, emotional and social needs
• Developing a comprehensive ministry to all youth, from elementary school age through young adult
• Developing a comprehensive older adult ministry
• Strengthening and expanding the Christian education program for all members
• Expanding and improving the preschool, day school and day care ministries
• Empowering boards and committees for responsible/accountable decision-making in their areas of ministry

And by sharing Christ’s love in our community and beyond …

• Developing a strong outreach ministry: Training members for person-to-person evangelism
• Developing an effective assimilation program for new members
• Strengthening human care ministry in our community and beyond
• Encouraging global mission work through education, prayer and finances
• Planting mission churches within our community
• Creating a higher profile of our church in our community
• Maintaining membership in and support of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod as a confessing church within the one Christian Church

Lutherans believe that the Bible teaches that a person is saved by God’s grace alone through faith in Jesus Christ alone. The Bible tells us that such “faith comes by hearing” (Rom 10:17). Jesus Himself commands Baptism and tells us that Baptism is water used together with the Word of God (Matt 28:19-20). Because of this, we believe that Baptism is one of the miraculous means of grace (another is God’s Word as it is written or spoken), through which God creates and/or strengthens the gift of faith in a person’s heart (see Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16; 1 Peter 3:21; Gal 3:26-27; Rom 6:1-4; Col 2:11-12; 1 Cor 12:13). Terms the Bible uses to talk about the beginning of faith include “conversion” and “regeneration.” Although we do not claim to understand fully how this happens, we believe that when an infant is baptized God creates faith in the heart of that infant. We believe this because the Bible says that infants can believe (Matt 18:6) and that new birth (regeneration) happens in Baptism (John 3:5-7; Titus 3:5-6). The infant’s faith cannot yet, of course, be verbally expressed or articulated by the child, yet it is real and present all the same (see e.g., Acts 2:38-39; Luke 1:15; 2 Tim 3:15). The faith of the infant, like the faith of adults, also needs to be fed and nurtured by God’s Word (Matt 28:18-20), or it will die.

Although we do not claim to understand how this happens or how it is possible, we believe (because of what the Bible says about Baptism) that when an infant is baptized God creates faith in the heart of that infant. This faith cannot yet, of course, be expressed or articulated, yet it is real and present all the same (see e.g., Acts 2:38-39; Titus 3:5-6; Matt. 18:6; Luke 1:15; 2 Tim. 3:15).

Lutherans do not believe that only those baptized as infants receive faith. Faith can also be created in a person’s heart by the power of the Holy Spirit working through God’s (written or spoken) Word. Baptism should then soon follow conversion (cf. Acts 8:37) for the purpose of confirming and strengthening faith in accordance with God’s command and promise. Depending on the situation, therefore, Lutherans baptize people of all ages from infancy to adulthood.

The LCMS does not believe that Baptism is ABSOLUTELY necessary for salvation. The thief on the cross was saved (apparently without Baptism), as were all true believers in the Old Testament era. Mark 16:16 implies that it is not the absence of Baptism that condemns a person but the absence of faith, and there are clearly other ways of coming to faith by the power of the Holy Spirit (reading or hearing the Word of God). Still, Baptism dare not be despised or willfully neglected, since it is explicitly commanded by God and has His precious promises attached to it. It is not a mere “ritual” or “symbol,” but a powerful means of grace by which God grants faith and the forgiveness of sins.

From Luther’s Small Catechism:

What is the Sacrament of the Altar?
It is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ under the bread and wine, instituted by Christ Himself for us Christians to eat and to drink.

Where is this written?
The holy Evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke and St. Paul write: Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.” In the same way also he took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

What is the benefit of this eating and drinking?
These words, “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins,” shows us that in the Sacrament forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation are given us through these words. For where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation.

How can bodily eating and drinking do such great things?
Certainly not just eating and drinking do these things, but the words written here: “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.” These words, along with the bodily eating and drinking, are the main thing in the Sacrament. Whoever believes these words has exactly what they say: “forgiveness of sins.”

Who receives this sacrament worthily?
Fasting and bodily preparation are certainly fine outward training. But that person is truly worthy and well prepared who has faith in these words: “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.” But anyone who does not believe these words or doubts them is unworthy and unprepared, for the words “for you” require all hearts to believe.

Preparation for Holy Communion: See Page 329-330 of the LSB found in the pew rack.

A Christian family that grows …

• Striving to create an environment that fosters relationships grounded in Christ and growing in love, trust and mutual service
• Challenging and assisting every member to grow to his/her fullest potential as a disciple of Jesus Christ
• Designing every activity to promote the spiritual and numerical growth of Trinity and the church-at-large
• Organizing staff and ministry for effective spiritual and numerical growth
  

  “If we meet and you forget me, you have lost nothing; but if you meet Jesus Christ and forget Him, you have lost everything.”

• Providing sufficient staff for an effective and growing ministry
• Renovating and expanding facilities to accommodate present and future growth

By worshiping …

• Maintaining faithfulness to the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions
• Keeping the grace of Christ in the Gospel and the Sacraments the central focus
• Proclaiming the Law and Gospel through traditional and creative preaching, addressing the needs of today’s believers
• Providing a variety of worship services in traditional and alternative styles
• Seeking to attract visitors and the unchurched

By nurturing …

• Encouraging and assisting members to minister to one another’s spiritual, physical, emotional and social needs
• Developing a comprehensive ministry to all youth, from elementary school age through young adult
• Developing a comprehensive older adult ministry
• Strengthening and expanding the Christian education program for all members
• Expanding and improving the preschool, day school and day care ministries
• Empowering boards and committees for responsible/accountable decision-making in their areas of ministry

And by sharing Christ’s love in our community and beyond …

• Developing a strong outreach ministry: Training members for person-to-person evangelism
• Developing an effective assimilation program for new members
• Strengthening human care ministry in our community and beyond
• Encouraging global mission work through education, prayer and finances
• Planting mission churches within our community
• Creating a higher profile of our church in our community
• Maintaining membership in and support of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod as a confessing church within the one Christian Church

The LCMS believes that Scripture teaches that Holy Communion is a precious gift of God in which Christ gives us His true body and blood (in a miraculous way), together with the bread and wine, for the forgiveness of our sins and the strengthening of our faith. Because the Bible teaches that this sacrament may also be spiritually harmful if misused, and that participation in the Lord’s Supper is an act of confession of faith, the LCMS ordinarily communes only those who have been instructed in the teachings of our church and who have confessed their faith in these teachings.

From Luther’s Small Catechism:

What is the Sacrament of the Altar?
It is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ under the bread and wine, instituted by Christ Himself for us Christians to eat and to drink.

Where is this written?
The holy Evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke and St. Paul write: Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.” In the same way also he took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

What is the benefit of this eating and drinking?
These words, “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins,” shows us that in the Sacrament forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation are given us through these words. For where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation.

How can bodily eating and drinking do such great things?
Certainly not just eating and drinking do these things, but the words written here: “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.” These words, along with the bodily eating and drinking, are the main thing in the Sacrament. Whoever believes these words has exactly what they say: “forgiveness of sins.”

Who receives this sacrament worthily?
Fasting and bodily preparation are certainly fine outward training. But that person is truly worthy and well prepared who has faith in these words: “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.” But anyone who does not believe these words or doubts them is unworthy and unprepared, for the words “for you” require all hearts to believe.

Preparation for Holy Communion: See Page 329-330 of the LSB found in the pew rack.

A Christian family that grows …

• Striving to create an environment that fosters relationships grounded in Christ and growing in love, trust and mutual service
• Challenging and assisting every member to grow to his/her fullest potential as a disciple of Jesus Christ
• Designing every activity to promote the spiritual and numerical growth of Trinity and the church-at-large
• Organizing staff and ministry for effective spiritual and numerical growth
  

  “If we meet and you forget me, you have lost nothing; but if you meet Jesus Christ and forget Him, you have lost everything.”

• Providing sufficient staff for an effective and growing ministry
• Renovating and expanding facilities to accommodate present and future growth

By worshiping …

• Maintaining faithfulness to the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions
• Keeping the grace of Christ in the Gospel and the Sacraments the central focus
• Proclaiming the Law and Gospel through traditional and creative preaching, addressing the needs of today’s believers
• Providing a variety of worship services in traditional and alternative styles
• Seeking to attract visitors and the unchurched

By nurturing …

• Encouraging and assisting members to minister to one another’s spiritual, physical, emotional and social needs
• Developing a comprehensive ministry to all youth, from elementary school age through young adult
• Developing a comprehensive older adult ministry
• Strengthening and expanding the Christian education program for all members
• Expanding and improving the preschool, day school and day care ministries
• Empowering boards and committees for responsible/accountable decision-making in their areas of ministry

And by sharing Christ’s love in our community and beyond …

• Developing a strong outreach ministry: Training members for person-to-person evangelism
• Developing an effective assimilation program for new members
• Strengthening human care ministry in our community and beyond
• Encouraging global mission work through education, prayer and finances
• Planting mission churches within our community
• Creating a higher profile of our church in our community
• Maintaining membership in and support of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod as a confessing church within the one Christian Church