What We Teach

The Bible

We teach that the Holy Bible is God's Word, without error in the original manuscripts, and our final authority in matters of faith and life.

God

We teach that there is one God, eternally existing in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Jesus Christ

We teach that Jesus Christ is both fully God and fully human, who by His death on the cross has redeemed us.

The Holy Spirit  

The Holy Spirit's supernatural gifts are available and operative today for all Christians.

Human Nature 

We teach that human nature is sinful and is redeemed only through faith in Jesus Christ.

Salvation

We teach that Christ alone provides salvation. This salvation is a free gift. ("grace" -- Ephesians 2:8-9) We teach that one can be certain of eternal life. ("assurance" -- John 5:24) We teach that we partake of this free gift of grace by faith alone and thereby enter a lifelong process of change and growth.

The Church  

We teach that we are a part of one true Church made up of all who believe in Christ as Lord. We extend the hand of fellowship to all members of this universal Christian Church.

Prayer

We at Prince of Peace! are a people of prayer. We teach that God answers prayer and we encourage everyone to grow in prayer.

Baptism and the Lord's Supper 

We teach that Jesus instituted Holy Baptism and the Lord's Supper. We teach that God truly acts in these sacraments, and that our faith is essential for their effectiveness.

Our Lutheran Heritage and Identity  

We identify with the renewal movement begun in the Lutheran Reformation. We teach the Lutheran themes of grace through faith alone, scripture alone, and Christ alone.

Changed Life  

We believe that becoming a Christian leads to a changed life. We call this change "sanctification," which is a lifelong process of growth in selfless love, humility, service, stewardship, and holiness under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Change and growth are not optional for those saved by grace. Because a good tree bears good fruit, people justified by grace through faith act on that faith and will change and grow in Christ.

In Addition...

We teach that the Bible is not conclusive on the following issues and that they are a matter of human conscience:

• We do not teach that the Bible gives a clear teaching on specific age for a baptismal candidate and amount of water for baptism.

• We encourage a sense of readiness and a zeal for the return of Christ, but leave view on the exact sequence and complexity/simplicity of the last things up to the individual believer.

• We do not teach that the Bible gives a clear teaching on whether or not salvation can be lost.

Practicing our Faith

We Teach that a full sexual relationship belongs within the boundaries of a publicly committed marriage between one man and one woman. We Teach the sanctity and defense of all human life including the unborn. We Teach that we are to be proactive in peacemaking. Also, the hungry and the lost matter to God and they matter to us.

We Teach that Christians are to work actively to break down the barriers that divide people; especially those of race, economics, and gender. We affirm leadership roles for all mature Christians so called by the Lord. We do not believe that these distinctions (gender, economics, race) will matter in heaven and teach that the church on earth should begin to mirror this eventual reality.

CORE VALUES  

Our Foundational Values

• Heart-centered:

We are a grace-embracing, affectionate, welcoming congregation experiencing the Father's love and blessing. (1 Thessalonians 5:25, 1 Corinthians 13, John 4:7ff, Luke 6:37)

• Truth-grounded:

We trust the Bible without reservation or condition, and abide in the centrality of Christ as our only Lord and Savior. (John 14:6, 17:17, Acts 4:12, Psalm 119)

• Spirit-led:

We rely and depend on the Holy Spirit's power and direction; we seek a living, renewed faith. (Exodus 14:13ff, Acts 1:8, Ephesians 5:18-20, Zechariah 4:6b)

• Mission-mobilized:

Working hand in hand with partners in the body of Christ, we reach out to lost and hurting people until all have reached the fullness of Christ. (Acts 1:8, Matthew 25:31ff, 28:16ff)

• Heritage-anchored:

To accomplish our mission with excellence and dedication, we believe in the foundational values of "Salvation by Grace through Faith," and "The Priesthood of All Believers" which is part of our Reformation spirit and the Lutheran heritage. (Ephesians 2:8-9, 1 Peter 2).

Our Ministry Values

• Relational Solutions:

We favor relational, people-sized solutions over bureaucratic solutions to congregational challenges. (Mark 2:27, Romans 12:10)

• Team Orientation:

We trust the New Testament model of collective, open, public leadership, ministry and conflict resolution. (Ephesians 4:1-5, Matthew 18:15)

• Creativity and Humble Boldness:

We will take risks in moving the Kingdom of God forward. (Psalm 31:24)

• Ministry Development:

We place a high value on selecting, (Exodus 18:25, Titus 2:5) equipping, (Ephesians 4:11-13) and training ministry teams of volunteers and staff possessing complementary gifts, forming relational ministry team structures. (Exodus 18:13ff)

• Outreach Focus:

Our ministry is to all people with a local priority on households with young children and a global priority on an Unreached People Group (UPG). (Matthew 10:16, 24:14).