Shepherd
of the Valley Lutheran Church, ELCA Shepherd
of the Valley Lutheran Church, ELCA
| We believe and teach that... | Our Core Values are... | Our Core Beliefs are... |
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We believe and teach that.....
The
word of God speaks to us through the Holy Scriptures.Jesus
Christ is our only Savior, and that He comes to us through Word and Sacrament.We
are saved through faith in Christ, by the grace of God.
The Great Commission is the reason we share God's love with others!
Matthew 28:16-20
(loving God first then others is vital as we prioritize our lives)
The Great Commandment is the New Commandment is the way of Jesus!
John
13:31-35
(change occurs when we accept Christ as our Forgiver and Leader [Lord and
Savior] and submit to God's will)
People Matter to God!
Matthew 11:19
(compassion for
lost/unchurched/pre-Christian
people)
We remain faithful to Christ, while living in the world and being Contextual!
I Corinthians 9:19-22
(various styles & Gospel substance foundation)
All people are Equal in the image of God!
Galatians 3:27-29
(equality of age, gender, race and class)
Faith matures through Relationships!
John 21:15-19
(invitation, fellowship events and small groups)
God wants us to live a life of Integrity!
Acts 5:1-11
(Christian faith seven days a week to God, family and others)
Excellence is God's desire for us as we use our time, talents and
resources! I Corinthians 9:23-27
(we strive not for perfection, but excelling in the things we do)
Optimize space through a Hospitality focus!
I Thessalonians 1:9-10
(all places we gather strive to make a welcoming place at home)
Leadership development equips people to make impact!
Exodus 18: 1-26
(training people to grow in their area of ministry)
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Worship is the primary role of the people of God.
Exodus 20: 2-6 We believe Jesus died for our sins and we follow Christ's teachings.
Acts
2:29-42 We believe that the Biblical truth, the inspired word of God, is the
catalyst for change and the basis for community relationships. 2 Timothy
3:16-17 We believe Sacraments are: gift of God's grace, physical element attached
and commanded by Christ. We believe in God : Father, Son and Holy Spirit = Trinity.
Matthew
28:29:19 We believe that God blesses the apostolic, evangelical, confessional, catholic,
ecumenical, liturgical, congregational and historical Church. John 15:1-11 We believe Prayer sustains us with strength and encouragement.
I Timothy
2:1-4 We believe all are involved in Evangelism.
Colossians 1:24-29 We believe Serving Christ in the world is vital.
Ephesians 4:11-13 We believe that Giving of our time, talent and possession is our way we
share what God gives us. Malachi 3:8-12 TOP
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canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the inspired Word of
God and the authoritative source and norm of its proclamation, faith, and
life. the
Apostles', Nicene,
and Athanasian Creeds as true
declarations of the faith of this congregation. the
Unaltered Augsburg Confession as a true witness to the Gospel, acknowledging
as one with it in faith and doctrine all churches that likewise accept the
teachings of the Unaltered Augsburg Confession. the
other confessional writings in the Book of Concord, namely, the Apology of
the Augsburg Confession, the Smalcald Articles and the
Treatise, the
Small
Catechism, the Large
Catechism, and the Formula of
Concord, as further valid
interpretations of the faith of the Church. BIBLE
VERSES CITED ABOVE (from
the NRSV Holy Bible)
Matthew 28:16-20 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the
mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they
worshiped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, "All
authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make
disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have
commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the
age." John
13:31-35 When [Judas] had gone out, Jesus said, "Now
the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If
God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will
glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little
longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to
you, 'Where I am going, you cannot come.' I give you a new commandment,
that you love one another. Just as I have always loved you, you also
should love one another. By this everyone will know you are my disciples,
if you have love for one another." Matthew
11:19 "[T]he
Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a
drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is
vindicated by her deeds." 1
Corinthians 9:19-22 For though I am
free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I might win
more of them. To the Jews I became
as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the
law (though I myself am not under the law) so that I might win those under the
law. To those outside the law I
became as one outside the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under
Christ's law) so that I might win those outside the law.
To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the weak. I have become
all things to all people, that I might by all means save some. Galatians
3:27-29 As many of
you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there
is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.
And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs
according to the promise. John
21:15-19 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to
Simon Peter, "Simon
son of John, do you love me more than these?"
He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." Jesus said to
him, "Feed
my lambs."
A second time he said to him, "Simon
son of John, do you love me?"
He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." Jesus said to
him, "Tend
my sheep."
He said to him the third time, "Simon
son of John, do you love me?"
Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, "Do
you love me?"
And he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love
you." Jesus said to him, "Feed
my sheep. Very truly, I tell you,
when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you
wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else
will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go."
(He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify
God.) After this he said to him, "Follow
me." Acts
5:1-11 But a
man named Ananias, with the consent of his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of
property; with his wife's knowledge,
he kept back some of the proceeds, and brought only a part and laid it at the
apostles' feet. "Ananias,"
Peter asked, "why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and
to keep back part of the proceeds of the land?
While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was
sold, were not the proceeds at your disposal? How is it that you have contrived
this deed in your heart? You did not lie to us but to God!"
Now when Ananias heard these words, he fell down and died. And great fear
seized all who heard of it. The
young men came and wrapped up his body, then carried him out and buried him.
After an interval of about three hours
his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.
Peter said to her, "Tell me whether you and your husband sold the
land for such and such a price." And she said, "Yes, that was the
price." Then Peter said to her,
"How is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to
the test? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door,
and they will carry you out." Immediately
she fell down at his feet and died. When the young men came in they found her
dead, so they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.
And great fear seized the whole church and all who heard of these things. 1
Corinthians 9:23-27 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I
may share in its blessings. Do you
not know that in a race the runners all compete, but only one receives the
prize? Run in such a way that you may win it.
Athletes exercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a
perishable wreath, but we an imperishable one.
So I do not run aimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air; but I
punish my body and enslave it, so that after proclaiming to others I myself
should not be disqualified. 1
Thessalonians 1:9-10 For
the people of those regions report about us what kind of welcome we had among
you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God, and
to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead--Jesus, who
rescues us from the wrath that is coming. Exodus
18:1-26 Jethro,
the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for
Moses and for his people
Jethro said,
"Blessed be the LORD, who has delivered you from the Egyptians and from
Pharaoh. Now I know that the LORD is
greater than all gods, because he delivered the people from the Egyptians, when
they dealt arrogantly with them." And
Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God;
and Aaron came with all the elders of
The next day Moses sat
as judge for the people, while the people stood around him from morning until
evening. When Moses' father-in-law
saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, "What is this that you
are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, while all the people stand
around you from morning until evening?"
Moses said to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me to
inquire of God. When they have a
dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I make
known to them the statutes and instructions of God."
Moses' father-in-law said to him, "What you are doing is not good.
You will surely wear yourself out, both you and these people with you.
For the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone.
Now listen to me. I will give you counsel, and God be with you! You
should represent the people before God, and you should bring their cases before
God; teach them the statutes and
instructions and make known to them the way they are to go and the things they
are to do. You should also look for
able men among all the people, men who fear God, are trustworthy, and hate
dishonest gain; set such men over them as officers over thousands, hundreds,
fifties and tens. Let them sit as
judges for the people at all times; let them bring every important case to you,
but decide every minor case themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they
will bear the burden with you. If
you do this, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all
these people will go to their home in peace."
So Moses listened to his
father-in-law and did all that he had said.
Moses chose able men from all ------------------ Exodus
20:2-6 I am
the LORD your God, who brought you out of the Acts
2:29-44 "Fellow
Israelites, I may say to you confidently of our ancestor David that he both died
and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.
Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn with an oath to him
that he would put one of his descendants on his throne.
Foreseeing this, David spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah,
saying,
'He was not abandoned to
Hades, nor did his flesh experience corruption.'
This Jesus God raised
up, and of that all of us are witnesses. Being
therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father
the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you both see and
hear. For David did not ascend into
the heavens, but he himself says,
'The Lord said to my
Lord,
"Sit at my right
hand,
until I make your
enemies your footstool."'
Therefore let the entire
house of
Now when they heard
this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles,
"Brothers, what should we do?" Peter
said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of
Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of
the Holy Spirit. For the promise is
for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord
our God calls to him." And he
testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, "Save
yourselves from this corrupt generation."
So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three
thousand persons were added. They
devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of
bread and the prayers.
Awe came upon everyone,
because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles.
All who believed were together and had all things in common; 2
Timothy 3:16-17 All
scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for
correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to
God may be proficient, equiped for every good work. Acts
16:13-15 On
the sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where we supposed there
was a place of prayer; and we sat down and talked to the women who had gathered
there. A certain woman named Lydia, a worshiper of God, was listening to
us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The
Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. When she
and her house were baptized, she urged us, saying, "If you have judged me
to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home." And she
prevailed upon us. Matthew
28:19 "Go
therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." John
15:1-11 "I
am the true vine and my Father is the vinegrower. He removes every branch
in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make
it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have
spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch
cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless
you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who
abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do
nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and
withers; such branches are gathered together and thrown into the fire, and
burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever
you wish and it will done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that
you bear much fruit and become my disciples. As the Father has loved me,
so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you
will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in
his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy might be in you,
and that your joy may be complete." 1
Timothy 2:1-4 First of all, then, I urge that supplications,
prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and
all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in
all godliness and dignity. This is
right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,
who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the
truth. Colossians
1:24-29 I am
now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing
what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the
church. I became its servant
according to God's commission that was given to me for you, to make the word of
God fully known, the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages and
generations but has now been revealed to his saints.
To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the
riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
It is he whom we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone in all
wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ.
For this I toil and struggle with all the energy that he powerfully
inspires within me. Ephesians
4:11-13 The
gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists,
some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for
building up the body of Christ, until
all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God,
to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. Malachi
3:8-12 Will
anyone rob God? Yet you are robbing me! But you say, "How are we robbing
you?" In your tithes and offerings! You
are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me--the whole nation of you!
Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my
house, and thus put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts; see if I will not
open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing
blessing. I will rebuke the locust
for you, so that it will not destroy the produce of your soil; and your vine in
the field shall not be barren, says the LORD of hosts.
Then all nations will count you happy, for you will be a land of delight,
says the LORD of hosts.
(Includes singing, confessing, teaching time and the sacraments for building up
the body of Christ)
(Includes accepting Jesus Christ as your Forgiver and Leader [Lord and Savior])
(Includes Bible study, Biblical preaching and Biblical leadership)
Acts 16:13-15
(Includes Baptism (infants/adults) and Holy Communion)
(Includes praying, singing, confessing and proclaiming the Triune God)
(Includes
the Creeds, open communion and church autonomy)
(Includes prayer in worship, small groups and daily life)
(Includes make Christ known through our sphere of influence and personal style)
(Includes serving in the church and community through our Spiritual Gifts)
(Includes sharing all that we have with Christ, tithing and special offerings)
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