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Welcome - Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America |
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ELCA is a community of faith that shares a passion for
making positive changes in the world. Our faith is built
around a strong belief in God as made known to us in Jesus
Christ. Through worship, service, and education, we practice
our faith, grow our relationship with God and experience
God's grace in our lives.
We
also work hard to put our faith into action. In today’s
complex world, we strive to make a difference in practical,
realistic ways.
With
nearly 10,500 congregations across the U.S., Puerto Rico
and the Virgin Islands, and nearly five million members—we
welcome you to experience this church right in your community.
Explore the ELCA, and help us celebrate our gift of faith—with
action. |
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What
We Believe..... |
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 Our
faith tradition is based on a life-transforming
story. The ELCA’s story is both ancient
and timely. It’s a story of a powerful and
patient God who has boundless love for all people
of the world, who brings justice for the oppressed.
It’s a story of Jesus Christ, changing lives.
It’s a story that brings comfort and strength
to people who today live in modern, often unsettling
times.
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What
is Christianity?
A basic overview of our church’s
foundations |
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 To
define it simply, Christianity is one of the world’s
major monotheistic religions. Christians believe
in Jesus Christ and follow his teachings. We believe
Jesus is God’s own son, sent by God to become
human. As the son of God, Jesus is divine, but
he was also a human being who lived among us on
earth, over 2,000 years ago. Followers of Jesus
are part of God’s people, whose heritage
includes the Jewish people and the Christian Church
throughout the world today.
Who was Jesus?
As a person, Jesus of Nazareth was a Jew who lived
and died in biblical Israel under Roman rule in
a province the Romans called Palestine.
He
spent his adult life in ministry with his disciples,
traveling around the region, teaching about God
and spreading a message of God’s love, peace,
hope and forgiveness. He healed the sick and fed
the hungry. He gathered many followers who were
passionate about his teachings. As his following
grew, some of the religious leaders became more
and more distrustful and angry with him, until
he  was
eventually turned over to the Roman government
by Judas, one of his own disciples. The Roman
governor Pontius Pilate then sentenced him to
execution. He died by being nailed to a cross
in the outskirts of the city of Jerusalem.
 But
death did not contain him. On the third day after
his crucifixion, the day Christians call Easter,
Jesus appeared among his followers as the risen,
living Lord. He continued to teach, spreading
the Good News, sharing the story of his life and
resurrection to people here on earth for forty
days before returning to heaven. His story and
teachings are depicted in the New Testament of
the Bible.
As Christians, we believe that Christ lives among
us today by the power of God’s Spirit, present
when the Good News is preached and the sacraments
are administered.
Living
a Christian life
 Because
of Jesus Christ, we believe that Christians are
called and empowered by the Holy Spirit to live
our lives in service to the world. Through acts
of love and justice, worship and witness, we share
God’s boundless love with the world.
As
members of the ELCA, we share with all Christians
a worldwide community of faith. Through Christ,
we are united with other Christians and we recognize
a wide fellowship of churches. We work alongside
them in ecumenical ministry and service, both
in the United States and across the globe.
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The
Bible..... |
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Most Americans, religious or not, have heard of
and read part or even all of the Bible. It is
arguably one of the most often referenced books
— or set of books — in our culture.
In its most basic definition, the Bible is a diverse
collection of writings, divided into two main
sections:
- the
Old Testament, which tells the story of God’s
relationship with and work on behalf of the
Hebrew people
- the
New Testament, which shares the story of Jesus,
God’s Son, and his teachings, death and
resurrection, as well as the experiences and
faith of the first followers of Jesus
But its meaning — and its significance to
the Christian faith — is far more complex
and profound. As Lutherans, ELCA members believe
that the Bible is the written Word of God. It
creates and nurtures faith through the work of
the Holy Spirit and points us to Jesus Christ,
the living Word and center of our faith. And in
reading the Bible, we are invited into a relationship
with God that both challenges us and promises
us new life.
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What
do Lutherans believe?
A faith founded on good news |
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 Lutherans
are Christians who accept the teachings of Martin
Luther (1483 – 1546). Luther was
a German theologian who realized that there were
significant differences between what he read in
the Bible and the practices of the Roman Catholic
church at that time. On October 31, 1517, he posted
a challenge on the door of Wittenberg University,
titled “95
Theses” (to debate 95 theological
issues). His hope was that the church would  reform
its practce and preaching to be more consistent
with the Word of God as contained in the Bible.
What
started as an academic debate escalated into a distinct
separation between the Roman Catholic church of
the time and those who accepted Luther’s suggested
reforms. "Lutheran" became the name of
the group that agreed with Luther’s convictions.
Today,
nearly five centuries later, Lutherans still celebrate
the Reformation on October 31 and still hold to
the basic principles of Luther’s theological
teachings, such as Grace alone, faith alone, Scripture
alone. These comprise the very essence of Lutheranism:
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We are saved by the grace of God alone -- not
by anything we do;
- Our
salvation is through faith alone -- we only need
to trust God made known in Christ who promises
us forgiveness, life and salvation; and
- The
Bible is the norm for faith and life -- the true
standard by which teachings and doctrines are
to be judged.
Over the years, different Lutheran church bodies
have been established and organized to meet the
needs of Lutherans in communities and nations all
over the world. The Evangelical Lutheran Church
in America is the largest Lutheran group in North
America, founded in 1988 when three North American
Lutheran church bodies united: The American Lutheran
Church, the Association of Evangelical Lutheran
Churches and the Lutheran Church in America.
Lutherans
are part of a reforming movement within the whole
Christian church; as a part of practicing their
faith, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
and its predecessors have engaged in ecumenical
dialogue with other church bodies for decades. In
fact, the ELCA has entered into cooperative "full
communion" agreements (sharing common convictions
about theology, mission and worship) with several
other Protestant denominations, including
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the Moravian Church
- The
Episcopal Church
- the
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
- the
Reformed Church in America
-
the United Church of Christ
The ELCA has an ongoing dialogue with the Roman
Catholic Church, and in 1999, representatives of
the Lutheran World Federation and the Roman Catholic
Church signed the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine
of Justification. This represented a historic consensus
on key issues of faith and called for further dialogue
and study together.
To
learn more about these ecumenical relationships,
visit Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Relations.
Lutheranism
is a faith tradition that is open to all, regardless
of background. The ELCA alone is almost five million
members strong, with nearly 10,500 congregations
across the U.S., Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
In fact, there’s probably an ELCA congregation
right in your community. We welcome you to learn
more about our church and find out how we can help
you along life’s path.
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