St. Peter Evangelical Lutheran Church is a member congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod.
We confess the one, true God who is the triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). We also confess the three ecumenical creeds which speak of the triune God (Apostles’ Creed, Nicene Creed, and Athanasian Creed)
We confess that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, who died on the cross (Matthew 27; Mark 15; Luke 23; John 19) and rose again from the dead (Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20) to save us from our sins and give us everlasting life with Him (Romans 3:21-26; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 4:4-5; 1 John 2:2).
We confess that the Bible is the Word of God and is without error, holy, and the only rule of faith, revealing Jesus to us in order that we may believe that He is the Christ (John 20:30-31; 2 Timothy 3:16). We also subscribe to the 1580 Book of Concord because it is a faithful exposition of Holy Scripture.
We confess that we are indeed sinners, that our sins separate us from God, and that we need the forgiveness of sins which Jesus has won for us by His death and resurrection (Psalm 32:5; 1 John 1:8-9).
We confess that we are saved by God’s grace through the work of Christ alone, not by our own works (Ephesians 2:8-9).
We confess that God comes to us and He is found exactly where He promises to be, namely in His means of grace, which are His Word and His Sacraments. God also established the Office of the Holy Ministry in order to offer, deliver, and apply the gifts of Christ as the men in this Office faithfully proclaim the Word and administer the Sacraments in the stead and by the command of Christ (Matthew 28:18-20; Luke 24:46-49; John 20:21-23).
We confess that Holy Baptism, which is water applied in the Name of the Triune God according to Jesus’ command and promise, works rebirth and renewal, delivers and applies the forgiveness of sins, joins the baptized to Jesus’ death and resurrection, and grants eternal life and salvation to all who believe the promise of salvation attached to Baptism (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:16; John 3:5; Romans 6:4-5; Colossians 2:11-12; Titus 3:5-8; 1 Peter 3:21). We also confess and practice infant baptism according to the instruction of Jesus and His Word (Matthew 19:14; Acts 2:38-39).
We confess that in the Lord’s Supper we actually receive Christ’s body and blood for the forgiveness of our sins (Matthew 26:26-28). As we eat and drink Christ’s body and blood in this sacred meal we confess His death to the world (1 Corinthians 11:26), which means the Lord’s Supper is a confession of the shared faith of all those who commune. As a result of this, and out of love for all who come to St. Peter, we practice closed communion. This practice is done out of love for all who attend, as the Lord’s Supper can be received to a person’s judgment (1 Corinthians 11:29). If you are away from your home congregation and would like to commune with us at St. Peter, please contact the pastor prior to the service.
Finally, we confess that Jesus Christ will appear again visibly on the Last Day to raise the bodies of all the dead. To those who trust and believe in Him, He will give eternal life in the new heaven and the new earth (Isaiah 66:22-23; Matthew 25:31-46; John 5:28-29; Revelation 1:7, 21:1-7).
For more information about what we believe and confess, click here to go the LCMS website.