What We Believe

Prince of Peace Lutheran Church is a Christian church and a member of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod.  We believe that there is only one true God, who reveals himself in the Bible as being three persons in one God– Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians  13:14).

We believe that the Bible is the Word of God, spoken through human authors.  It is trustworthy and without error.  Its main message is the gift of eternal life found in Jesus, the only Son of God.

We are also a fellowship of Lutheran Christians.  We are affiliated with the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, a Biblically conservative church body.

Our congregation is called “Lutheran” because we follow the Bible based teachings of Martin Luther who God used to proclaim the Biblical truth that salvation comes through Jesus Christ alone.

During the time of the Reformation, much of the church was reformed and revitalized and brought back to its Biblical roots.  The teachings of the Lutherans were gathered together in the Book of Concord of 1580, and are used as a confession of faith by our church body.

Three main Biblical teachings are important to Lutherans.  They are:

  • Grace Alone.  The Bible teaches that we are saved from sin, death, and everlasting condemnation only by God’s grace, his undeserved favor toward us.  Human beings cannot earn their way to heaven.  God, in his rich mercy, wants us to have eternal life with Him.  See Ephesians 2:8-10.
  • Faith Alone.  Faith is the only way which we can receive God’s gifts of grace.  Faith is trusting in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life, and is a creation not of man, but of God.  1 Corinthians  12:3 says, “No one can say Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.”
    Faith is created and sustained by God working through his Word, through Baptism, and through the Lord’s Supper.
  • Scripture Alone.  The writings of the Old and New Testaments of the Bible are the only rule and norm by which all doctrines and teachers are measured and judged (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod is called a “confessional” church body because we publicly confess our faith.  We believe that the three ecumenical creeds are faithful declarations of the Christian faith.  These include the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed.

Our church is also a sacramental church.  We teach and practice two sacraments, or sacred acts:  Baptism, and the Lord’s Supper.  In the Lutheran church these, along with God’s Word, are called “Means of Grace.”  In other words, the Word, Baptism, and the Lord’s Supper are “vehicles” or means of God giving his grace to his people.

We believe that baptism is first and foremost God’s work, where he forgives sins, rescues from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this.  See Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:16; 1 Peter 3:20-21; Titus 3:5-7; Acts 2:38 etc.  Because the Bible teaches that Baptism begins with God’s action of grace, we baptize children and infants as well as adults.

We believe that in the Lord’s Supper, along with the bread and wine, the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ is actually given and received by those who eat and drink.  Jesus himself declares, “This is my body…This is my blood.”  See Matthew 26:26-28.  The Bible teaches also that our sins are forgiven, for Jesus says in Matthew 26:28, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”  Because 1 Corinthians 11:28 says that we are to examine ourselves before we eat and drink, a period of instruction is appropriate before communing at the altar.

For a fuller explanation of many Lutheran beliefs and practices, we encourage you to look at the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod’s web site.

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