 |
Lord of Life - Who We Are | |
 |
 |
 |
| Home Pastor's Welcome Staff Announcements Calendar |  |
|
| Our Mission... |
The Mission Statement of Lord of Life Lutheran Church is:"GO make disciples; SOW the Good News; and GROW in faith." By doing this, we seek to be faithful to Jesus' great commissioning of the Church as found in the Bible (Matthew 28:18-20). |
|
|
Lord of Life Lutheran Church is a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church
in America (ELCA). The ELCA traces its heritage back to the 16th century Reformation
of Martin Luther and has roots in America that go back to the 18th century.With almost 5 million members in more than 10,600 churches, the ELCA is the third largest Protestant organization in the U.S. (third to Baptist and Methodist). Along with other ELCA churches we help support global mission efforts in 45 countries and partner with Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services and Lutheran World Relief to meet the needs of thousands of children, women, and men. |
| What We Believe... |
God's Word is the astonishing gift of God's message to
humankind through the Old and New Testaments. This word
reveals God's plans to renew creation through Christ.Faith is our trust in God's plan for reconciliation and renewal. Faith grasps the assurance of forgiveness of sins accomplished through the saving work of Christ on the cross and seeks to live out our new lives of reconciliation. Salvation is the recognition that God has broken down the walls of guilt and shame which separate us from God and one another. Now we live as God's children and brothers and sisters to all humankind. For those who know God's salvation, each new day is full of opportunities for love and loving. Sacraments are those holy moments in which God gets very personal with each of us. In Holy Baptism, God claims us and makes us His own and an heir of life eternal. At the Lord's Supper we stand together with the disciples in the Upper Room remembering the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, receiving His Body and Blood, offering thanks for the forgiveness of sins and offering ourselves as His servants. |
| Our Core Values... |
|
1. Empowering Leadership: We focus on empowering others for ministry. Folks are not seen as helpers or assistants to the pastor, rather, leadership is shared. The entire congregation joins together to do the work of discipleship. 2. Gift-oriented Ministry: We seek to identify all persons' gifts, talents, and passions and then turn them loose to do ministry. People enjoy serving where they are gifted and equipped. 3. Passionate Spirituality: We seek to nurture an enthusiasm in people about God, their church, their prayer life, and their spirituality. 4. Functional Structures: We view church structures (organization; ministry functions) as never an end in themselves, but rather a means to an end; the end of which is achieving the mission that Jesus has placed before us. Whatever aspect of an institutional structure does not measure up to serving the church's clear mission must be changed or laid to rest. 5. Inspiring Worship Services: We note that people who attend inspiring worship services declare the worship to be uplifting, equipping, and-dare we say-even "fun". Such services inspire people and draw them together in such a way as to truly experience the presence of God. 6. Holistic Small Groups: We believe these are places where Christians discover intimate community, practical help for living, and intensive spiritual interaction. These are opportunities for God to interact with each individual on a personal level. 7. Need-oriented Evangelism: We seek to share the Gospel in a way that is responsive to the needs of lapsed Christians, non-Christians, and those who have not yet been reached with the Gospel of Jesus. 8. Loving Relationships: We believe that having reverent respect and practical love in the congregation endows the church with a greater magnetic power than all the other efforts in the world. This is characterized by having fun together, enjoying the Christian life, and truly embodying Jesus in the world. |
| Church History | |
| 1969 - | The church and parsonage is built. The first service is held on November 16.
Pastor Jack Maxim is called as pastor. |
| 1973 - | Lord of Life is first in the Cleveland Conference in benevolence and in the top 10
in Ohio. |
| 1977 - | Building addition includes an enlarged kitchen, new nursery, and new offices. |
| 1978 - | Deaconate Committee and Good Samaritan Fund are established; the Lutheran
Book of Worship is introduced. |
| 1982 - | Lord of Life begins participation in the CROP Walk to raise money for the
hungry. |
| 1988 - | January is the official beginning of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
(ELCA). |
| 1996 - | Rev. John Mouritsen becomes the first member of Lord of Life to be ordained as
pastor on June 16th. Mission support is directed to Kifula Lutheran in Ugweno,
Tanzania, Rejoice Lutheran in Hudson, Ohio and St. James Lutheran in inner city
Cleveland. |
| 1998 - | Pastor Rob Henderson is called as Senior Pastor. |
| 1999 - | Lord of Life is identified as a "Transformational Church" by Trinity Lutheran
Seminary and begins involvement as a training site for the pastoral internship
program. |
| 2001 - | A 10,000+ square foot addition is completed, doubling our education space,
worship space, and increasing our gathering space by 400 percent. Bainbridge Christian Preschool, a ministry of Lord of Life, begins operation. |
| 2005 - | Lord of Life raises almost $30,000 for tsunami and hurricane Katrina relief. |
| 2006 - | Lord of Life sends four Mission Teams to Biloxi, MS to assist in hurricane relief efforts. |