Our Church is a people created by God in Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit, called and sent to bear witness to God's creative, redeeming, and sanctifying activity in the world.
We are an interdependent part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and of the Lower Susquehanna Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
To participate in God's mission, this congregation strives to:
Worship God in proclamation of the Word and administration of the sacraments and through lives of prayer, praise, thanksgiving, witness, and service.
Proclaim God's saving Gospel of justification by grace for Christ's sake through faith alone, according to the apostolic witness in the Holy Scripture, preserving and transmitting the Gospel faithfully to future generations.
Carry out Christ's Great Commission by reaching out to all people to bring them to faith in Christ and by doing all ministry with a global awareness consistent with the understanding of God as Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier of all.
Serve in response to God's love to meet human needs, caring for the sick and the aged, advocating dignity and justice for all people, working for peace and reconciliation among the nations, and standing with the poor and powerless, and committing itself to their needs.
Nurture its members in the Word of God so as to grow in faith and hope and love, to see daily life as the primary setting for the exercise of their Christian calling, and to use the gifts of the Spirit for their life together and for their calling in the world.
Manifest the unity given to the people of God by living together in the love of Christ and by joining with other Christians in prayer and action to express and preserve the unity which the Spirit gives.
To fulfill these purposes, this congregation:
Provide services of worship at which the Word of God is preached and the sacraments are administered.
Provide pastoral care and assist all members to participate in this ministry,
Challenge, equip, and support all members in carrying out their calling in their daily lives and in their congregation.
Teach the Word of God
Witness to the reconciling Word of God in Christ, reaching out to all people.
Respond to human need, work for justice and peace, care for the sick and the suffering, and participate responsibly in society.
Motivate its members to provide financial support for the congregation's ministry and the ministry of other parts of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
All power in the Church belongs to our Lord Jesus Christ, its head. All actions of this congregation are to be carried out under his rule and authority.
Pastor Dennis Beaver serves as our Senior Pastor. Consistent with the faith and practice of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Every ordained minister shall:
1) preach the Word;
2) administer the sacraments;
3) conduct public worship;
4) provide pastoral care; and
5) speak publicly to the world in solidarity with the poor and oppressed, calling for justice and proclaiming God's love for the world.
Each ordained minister, within the congregation:
1) offer instruction, confirm, marry, visit the sick and distressed, and bury the dead;
2) supervise all schools and organizations of this congregation-,
3) install regularly elected members of the Congregation Council; and
4) with the council, administer discipline.
Every pastor shall
1) strive to extend the Kingdom of God in the community, in the nation, and abroad
2) seek out and encourage qualified persons to prepare for the ministry of the Gospel
3) impart knowledge of this church and its wider ministry through distribution of its periodicals and other publications; and
4) endeavor to increase the support given by the congregation to the work of the church wide organization of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and of the Lower Susquehanna Synod of the ELCA.
The Congregation Council shall have general oversight of the life and activities of this congregation, and in particular its worship life, to the end that everything be done in accordance with the Word of God and the faith and practice of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, The duties of the Congregation Council shall include the following:
To lead this congregation in stating its mission, to do long-range planning, to set goals and priorities, and to evaluate its activities in light of its mission and goals,
To seek to involve all members of this congregation in worship, learning, witness, service, and support.
To oversee and provide for the administration of this congregation to enable it to fulfill its functions and perform its mission.
To maintain supportive relationships with the pastor(s) and staff and help them annually to evaluate the fulfillment of their calling or employment.
To be examples individually and corporately of the style of life and ministry expected of all baptized persons.
To promote a congregational climate of peace and goodwill, and, as differences and conflicts arise, to endeavor to foster mutual understanding.
To arrange for pastoral service during the sickness or absence of the pastor
To emphasize partnership with the synod and church wide organization of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America as well as cooperation with other congregations, both Lutheran and non-Lutheran, subject to established policies of the synod and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
To recommend and encourage the use of program resources produced or approved by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
To seek out and encourage qualified persons to prepare for the ministry of the Gospel
