What We Believe.
At St. John Lutheran Church, our goal is to be an apostolic Church, bearing witness to the love and truth of the Word of God as proclaimed by the apostles and affirmed by our believers for the past 2,000 years.
The Triune God.
We believe in and teach about God as He reveals Himself in the Holy Scriptures, One God in Three Persons, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We affirm the apostolic witness to the Triune God as expressed in the historic Apostles’, Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds.
Jesus Christ.
We believe and teach that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was born to the virgin Mary. Jesus lived a sinless life and died in our place, all of which was to save us from hell, empower us for sanctification, and bring us to heaven. Jesus, the living Word of God, is our Savior and Lord.
The Holy Spirit.
We believe and teach that the Holy Spirit is the power and presence of God Himself at work in the world, convincing sinners of their need for God’s grace, showing them the beauty of Jesus Christ, and empowering saints for transformed and growing Christian lives of discipleship.
The Bible.
We believe and teach that the 66 books of the Bible are the inspired, infallible Word of God and the authoritative source and norm of our proclamation, faith, and life. The truth of the Bible is both reliable and dependable for believing and living as followers of Jesus Christ.
The Church.
We believe and teach that the Church is the people of God, the Body of Christ, created and sustained by God Himself. The biblical expression of being a part of the Church is faithful participation in worship, daily prayer and study of the Bible, regular fellowship, and generous support of the mission of the congregation.
Holy Communion.
We believe and teach that in addition to baptism, Holy Communion is a second sacramental means through which God forgives and strengthens us, uniting us in true fellowship with Him and one another. We affirm with the Lutheran Confessions that we receive the real presence of Christ’s body and blood “in, with, and under” the bread and wine. All baptized, believing adult Christians are welcome to participate in Holy Communion, along with children who have received their First Communion.
Marriage.
We believe and teach that the Scriptures and the nearly 2,000-year orthodox tradition of the Church are clear on such matters as sexuality and marriage. We affirm that marriage is the lifelong union of fidelity between one man and one woman and is the only relationship God has ordained.
Sin & Baptism.
We believe and teach that all are born with sin which intrinsically affects who we are and what we do. Thankfully, God provides a means through “water and the Spirit” (John 3:5) for us to be reborn as children of God. Therefore, we are called to be baptized, so God might fill us with His renewing Spirit in the covenant of grace and faith. Both children and adults are candidates for baptism, which means we baptize both believers and children of believers. We teach that it is essential for children who are baptized to come to a personal faith in Christ in order for the promises of baptism to be effective.
Missions.
We believe and teach that the mission of the church is to attend to others. God calls us together for worship, learning, and fellowship and then sends us out to take the Good News of Christ to the world in both word and deed. We are committed to engaging in a number of mission outreaches locally in the Roanoke Valley as well as globally. We thus advocate and work toward preserving and sustaining the lives of all people across the full span of life—from the preborn to the elderly.
Our Affiliation:
St. John is affiliated with the North American Lutheran Church (NALC).
Formed in 2010, the NALC is a fast-growing Christian church in the Lutheran tradition, uniting more than 150,000 believers in more than 400 congregations across North America. It is a church family committed to the authority of the Bible as the inspired Word of God. In keeping with the Lutheran Confessions, the NALC professes that all doctrines should and must be judged by the teaching of Scripture. The NALC has embraced four core values which shape its denominational life: Christ-Centered, Mission-Driven, Traditionally-Grounded, and Congregationally-Focused. It is a church centered on the unique Gospel of Jesus Christ, animated by missions and evangelism, grounded in the 2,000-year tradition of Christian faith, and organized chiefly to serve our congregations. A renewed Lutheran community moving forward in faith, the NALC is focused on living out Christ’s Great Commission to go and make disciples in North America and around the globe.