Who we are
We are a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church In Canada (ELCIC).
Our Guiding Principles
Guiding Principles are our core values and they show what really
matter to us. They are the basis for future decision-making and inform
our actions.
As we fulfill our purpose at St. Pauls,
We will receive inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit through
God’s Word ...
- To have fun worshiping and participating
with joy, love, and creativity
- To seek growth by learning and studying
about God and being opened to new things
Recognizing that God works through us and
around us, we will seek God-given opportunities ...
- To share the good news by inviting and
baptizing
- To respect, strengthen, and support our
community
- To strengthen St. Pauls to understand how
to reach out in caring kindness to the needs of others
- And to connect with other Faith communities
We've summarized this as:
Inspired ... Guided ... Seeking
Strategic Directions
On Sunday January 11, 2009, our congregation took part in
discerning what news headlines would say about our community 10 years
from now if we do our job and fulfill our Guiding Principles.
We generated more than 50 headlines which were then grouped to form
the following four Strategic Directions (listed in order of the number
of responses):
- St. Pauls seeks to excel at serving the
community both globally and locally.
- St. Pauls seeks to grow in size, youth
attendance, and diversity.
- St. Pauls seeks to foster Spirit-filled
community.
- St. Pauls seeks to develop working
partnerships with local congregations of all denominations.
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Additional Responses not included in any of the groupings: debt
(2), future challenge (1).
These are the areas on which God wants St. Pauls to focus our
resources over the next 1 to 10 years. These strategic directions
will guide our decisions (including our budget), determine which
ministries we do, and which we stop doing because they don't fit.
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Essential Questions - Christianity and Lutheranism
(from our sister church, the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America)
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Who is Jesus Christ?
Jesus
is God's son, sent by God to become human like us. In his life and
being he broke through the prison of sinfulness and thus restored the
relationship of love and trust that God intended to exist between
himself and his children. Though he is eternal, with God at the
beginning of time, he was born on earth of a virgin, by the power of
the Holy Spirit. Jesus was at once truly God and truly human.
The
man, Jesus of Nazareth, lived and died in Palestine during the
governorship of the Roman administrator Pontius Pilate; we believe him
to be the Messiah chosen by God to show his love for the world. He is
God, yet with all the limitations of being human. His relationship
to God, however, was not one of sin but rather of perfect obedience to
the Father's will. For the sake of a sinful world, Jesus was
condemned to death on the cross.
But
death could not contain him. On the third day after his execution,
the day Christians observe as Easter, Jesus appeared among his
followers as the risen, living Lord. By this great victory God has
declared the Good News of reconciliation. The gap between all that
separates us from our Creator has been bridged. Thus, Christ lives
today wherever there are people who faithfully believe in him and
wherever the Good News of reconciliation is preached and the
Sacraments administered.
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What is the Church?
The
Christian church is made up of those who have been baptized and thus
have received Christ as the Son of God and Savior of the world.
Sometimes it is referred to as "the Body of Christ." Lutherans
believe that they are a part of a community of faith that began with
the gift of the Holy Spirit, God's presence with his people, on the
day of Pentecost. The church, regardless of the external form it
takes, is the fellowship of those who have been restored to God by
Christ. Indeed, to be called into fellowship with Christ is also to
be called into community with other believers.
The
church is essential to Christian life and growth. Its members are all
sinners in need of God's grace. It has no claim on human perfection.
The church exists solely for the hearing and doing of God's Word. It
can justify its existence only when it proclaims the living Word of
Christ, administers the Sacraments and gives itself to the world in
deeds of service and love. Most Lutherans recognize a wider
fellowship of churches and are eager to work alongside them in
ecumenical ministries and projects.
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Why a Lutheran church?
Martin
Luther (b. November 10, 1483, in Eisleben, Germany, d. February 18,
1546 in Eisleben) is known as the Father of Protestantism. He had
studied to become a lawyer before becoming an Augustinian monk in
1505, and was ordained a priest in 1507. While continuing his
studies in pursuit of a Doctor of Theology degree, he discovered
significant differences between what he read in the Bible and the
theology and practices of the church. On October 31, 1517, he posted
a challenge on the church door at Wittenberg University to debate 95
theological issues. Luther's hope was that the church would reform
its practice and preaching to be more consistent with the Word of God
as contained in the Bible.
What
started as an academic debate escalated to a religious war, fueled by
fiery temperaments and violent language on both sides. As a result,
there was not a reformation of the church but a separation.
"Lutheran" was a name applied to Luther and his followers as an insult
but adopted as a badge of honor by them instead.
Lutherans still celebrate the Reformation on October 31 and still hold
to the basic principles of theology and practice espoused by Luther,
such as Sola Gratia, Sola Fide, Sola Scriptura:
-
We
are saved by the grace of God alone -- not by
anything we do;
-
Our
salvation is through faith alone -- we only need to
believe that our sins are forgiven for Christ's sake, who died to
redeem us;
-
The
Bible is the only norm of doctrine and life -- the
only true standard by which teachings and doctrines are to be
judged.
Another
of Luther's principles was that Scriptures and worship need to be in
the language of the people.
Many
Lutherans still consider themselves as a reforming movement within the
Church catholic, rather than a separatist movement, and Lutherans have
engaged in ecumenical dialogue with other church bodies for decades.
In fact, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has entered into
cooperative "full communion" agreements with several other Protestant
denominations.
Luther's Small Catechism, which contains teachings on the Ten
Commandments, the Apostles' Creed, the Lord's Prayer, Holy Baptism,
Confession and Absolution, Holy Communion and Morning and Evening
Prayers, is still used to introduce people to the Lutheran faith, as
is the Augsburg Confession. These and other Lutheran confessional
documents included in the Book of Concord may be ordered from the ELCA
Publishing House at 800/328-4648 or
www.augsburgfortress.org.
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Is Lutheranism the Only True Religion?
"Do
Lutherans believe theirs is the only true religion?" This question was
once put to the late Dr. Elson Ruff, editor of
The Lutheran. His
answer was, "Yes, but Lutherans don't believe they are the only ones
who have it. There are true Christian believers in a vast majority of
the churches, perhaps in all." The
ELCA
Confession of Faith says "This church confesses Jesus Christ as
Lord and Savior and the Gospel as the power of God for the salvation
of all who believe ..."
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How Do Lutherans Look upon the Bible?
To
borrow a phrase from Luther, the Bible is "the manger in which the
Word of God is laid." While Lutherans recognize differences in the
way the Bible should be studied and interpreted, it is accepted as the
primary and authoritative witness to the church's faith. Written and
transcribed by many authors over a period of many centuries, the Bible
bears remarkable testimony to the mighty acts of God in the lives of
people and nations. In the Old Testament is found the vivid account
of God's covenant relationship to Israel. In the New Testament is
found the story of God's new covenant with all of creation in Jesus.
The New
Testament is the first-hand proclamation of those who lived through
the events of Jesus' life, death, and Resurrection. As such, it is
the authority for Christian faith and practice. The Bible is thus not
a definitive record of history or science. Rather, it is the record
of the drama of God's saving care for creation throughout the course
of history.
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What Do Lutherans Believe About Creation?
Lutherans believe that God is Creator of the universe. Its dimensions
of space and time are not something God made once and then left
alone. God is, rather, continually creating, calling into being each
moment of each day.
Human
beings have a unique position in the order of creation. As males and
females created in God's image, we are given the capacity and freedom
to know and respond to our creator. Freedom implies that we can
choose to respond to God either positively or negatively.
"Caring
for Creation: Vision, Hope and Justice," an ELCA Statement on
caring for God's creation, is available from the ELCA Distribution
Service (800/328-4648) free (+ postage and handling). Order Code:
67-1185.
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Where Do Lutherans Stand on the Question of Sin?
Lutherans believe that all people live in a condition which is the
result of misused freedom. "Sin" describes not so much individual
acts of wrongdoing as fractured relationships between the people of
creation and God. Our every attempt to please God falls short of the
mark. By the standard of the Law, of which the Ten Commandments are a
classic summary, God expresses his just and loving expectations for
creation, and our failure to live up to those expectations reveals
only our need for God's mercy and forgiveness.
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What Sacraments Do Lutherans Accept?
Lutherans accept two Sacraments as God-given means for penetrating the
lives of people with his grace. Although they are not the only means
of God's self-revelation, Baptism and Holy Communion are visible acts
of God's love.
In
Baptism, and it can be seen more clearly in infant Baptism, God freely
offers his grace and lovingly establishes a new community. It is in
Baptism that people become members of Christ's Body on earth, the
Church. In Holy Communion -- often called the Lord's Supper or the
Eucharist -- those who come to the table receive in bread and wine the
body and blood of their Lord. This gift is itself the real presence
of God's forgiveness and mercy, nourishing believers in union with
their Lord and with each other.
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Do Lutherans Believe in Life After Death?
While
there is much we do not and cannot know about life beyond the grave,
Lutherans do believe that life with God persists even after death.
Judgment is both a present and future reality, and history moves
steadily towards God's ultimate fulfillment.
This of
course is a great mystery, and no description of what life may be like
in any dimension beyond history is possible. Anxiety for the future
is not a mark of faith. Christians should go about their daily
tasks, trusting in God's grace and living a life of service in his
name.
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What Must a Person Do to Become a Christian?
Jesus
said, " Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and
everyone who lives and believes in me will never die." (John
11:25-26)
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What Must a Person Do to Become a Lutheran?
To
become a Lutheran, only Baptism and instruction in the Christian faith
is required. If you are already baptized in the name of the Father,
Son and Holy Spirit, it will be necessary only to attend a membership
class in a Lutheran congregation and thus signify your desire to
become a part of its community. Active members of other Lutheran
congregations usually need only to transfer their membership.
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