+ All people are sinners and cannot come to God on their own. Romans 3:23.

+ God hates our sin, but He still loves us and sent his only Son, Jesus, to die and rise for us. John 3:16.

+ Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, God offers the promise of heaven to all who believe in Him. John 11:25-26

+ Anyone may receive God’s gift of forgiveness and heaven through faith Ephesians 2:8-9.

+ The Christians’ faith is not just knowledge of Jesus and the Bible, but they put their trust in God with a faith that is alive through acts of love. James 2:17.

+ God works in a person’s life through the power of the Holy Spirit in His Word, Baptism, and the Lord’s Supper. John 3:5 & 7 and 1 Corinthians 11:23-26.

+ Each day Christians can confess their sins and receive forgiveness through Jesus Christ by faith. Each day is a new beginning with the Lord! Romans 6:1-4.

St. James Lutheran Church is a member of the Lutheran Church and also the Missouri Synod

A. Basic facts.
Lutherans represent the world's largest Protestant group. The 58 million Lutherans can be found on every continent. They worship in hundreds of languages.

In the United States, there are about 9 million Lutherans. They are African-American, Anglo, Asian, Hispanic, Indian.

B. Lutherans Know Jesus Christ
Lutherans build their lives on Jesus Christ. They believe Jesus Christ is the only, perfect, son of God. They believe that Jesus died for them and for every person in the world. Lutherans believe that Jesus rose from the dead and lives for them-and for all people who believe in him as their Savior.

Jesus brings people close to God. Lutherans believe their lives-today, tomorrow and in eternity-depend on Jesus.

Lutherans live with a sure hope of eternal life because of Jesus Christ. They know they're not perfect, that they stumble and fall in their daily walk with God. But they also know that their forgiveness has been won and paid for by Jesus Christ and when they repent and seek forgiveness, God will forgive them because of Jesus.

And, they want to tell others about that hope!

C. How Lutherans Got Started
Lutherans take their name from Martin Luther. He was a German priest who broke away from the Roman Catholic Church in the early 1500s. Luther's writing and teaching sparked the Protestant Reformation.

Through his study of the Bible, Luther helped the Christian Church rediscover the truth that God is loving and that he offers forgiveness and eternal life as a free gift because of Jesus Christ.

Luther taught that people-no matter how hard they try-cannot earn God's forgiveness or a place in heaven. It is a gift that people receive through faith in Jesus Christ.

D. Lutherans Trust the Bible
Lutherans often refer to three "solas" (Latin for 'alone") as a summary of the faith that gives them hope:

+ Grace alone-God loved the world, though we do not deserve his love. He sent his Son to love the unlovely and save the ungodly.

+ Faith alone---Jesus has provided for our forgiveness and life; those who hear this promise and believe it, have what it offers. People don't "get" faith; God gives it as he gives us his promises.

+ Scripture alone-The Bible is the only source that shows God's will and the only basis for faith.

Lutherans talk about Law and Gospel. The Bible gives the Law, showing God's expectations of people and the terrible consequences for not following His commands. But the Bible also reveals the Gospel-the "good news" of God's love and forgiveness.

E. What is the Missouri Synod?

+ The people who belong to the local congregations of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod are people of the Bible. The Bible is our Sacred Scriptures, the Word of God. We treasure God's Word because it teaches us about eternal life through Jesus Christ. The Word is Gospel ('good news") because it assures us of God's love and faithfulness. It inspires us to tell others. It moves us to help people in need.

+ As members of some 6,100 congregations, we count 2.6 million baptized members in The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. We emphasize the local congregation where people hear the Word, grow in the Sacrament, namely Baptism and the Lord’s Supper and then help one another.

+ Our Synod--our national organization--serves in support of and on behalf of its local member congregations. Support includes Sunday school lessons, hymn books, resources for ministry, and worship material. Local churches receive help for special areas of ministry to serve people in both the congregation and the community.

+ As a Synod we combine our strengths and resources to do things that individual congregations can't do. We send missionaries to other countries, maintain colleges and seminaries, provide loan funds for building churches, and operate a health and retirement system for full- time church workers.

F. What is meant by the word, “Synod?” + The word synod comes from two Greek words: “syn,” meaning "a meeting or assembly," and “hodos,” meaning a “way or journey." We describe ourselves as congregations "walking together," because our congregations all confess and practice the same teachings of God's Word.

+ The Synod was formed in 1847 by 16 congregations, representing German Lutheran settlements in several U.S. locations. It was first known as the German Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States.

+ While our forefathers were German, today we count members with ancestry from every continent, including North America.

+ the national office is in Missouri-in Kirkwood, part of the St. Louis metropolitan area.

+ Together we coordinate missionaries in 43 other countries and connect with 19 partner churches worldwide. We provide food and medicines where there is famine, and we give support and instruction so other people can become self-sufficient.

+ Because God's Word tells us that he knew us even before we were conceived, Missouri Synod Lutherans care for human life. That is why we oppose abortion, yet offer love and forgiveness to those who have been affected and help when we can.

+ Our care for human life moves us to give from our personal resources to support hospitals, nursing homes, adoption services, and helping programs for individuals and families.

G. We Are A Teaching Church
+ Our Missouri Synod congregations operate the largest Protestant school system in the United States. We have 1,000 preschools and day-care centers, 998 elementary schools, and 64 high schools.

+ Our 10 colleges prepare professional church workers and offer Christian training. The closest college to us is Concordia University, Ann Arbor, MI. Two seminaries, located in St. Louis, MO and Ft. Wayner, IN provide education beyond the bachelor level to prepare pastors for our congregations.

+ Because God's Word is so important, we emphasize Christian nurture: Our congregations offer Sunday school for children, youth, and adults. We hold other Bible study classes and small-group ministries to help people of all ages learn and apply the Word in their daily lives.