Pastor Ryan Mitchell | Church (608) 883-2185 | christuswels.office@gmail.com
Pastor Ryan Mitchell | Church (608) 883-2185 | christuswels.office@gmail.com
o We believe in one God in three distinct persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
o God is the Creator of all things, holy and loving, and worthy of all worship and praise.
Deuteronomy 6:4 – “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.”
o The Father cares for us as his children and works all things for the good of those who
love him.
o From eternity, the Father planned our salvation and sent his Son to redeem us.
Ephesians 4:6 – “One God and Father of all, who is over all and through all
and in all.”
o Jesus is true God and true man. He became human to live the perfect life that we
could not.
o He lived a perfect life, died on the cross for our sins, and rose from the dead on the
third day.
o Through him we have forgiveness of sins and eternal life.
Romans 5:8 – “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we
were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
o The Holy Spirit works through the Word and Sacraments to bring people to faith and
keep them in faith.
o He gives gifts to believers for service and strengthens us to live as God’s people.
1 Corinthians 12:3 – “Therefore I want you to know that no one who is
speaking by the Spirit of God says, ‘Jesus be cursed,’ and no one can say,
‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit.”
o The Bible is God’s inspired Word, without error, and our final authority for faith and
life.
o God’s Word is true – it is for all people and it is still relevant today. God tells us
everything he wants us to know about him in Scripture.
o The Bible shows our need for a Savior and the good news of salvation in Christ
Jesus.
2 Timothy 3:16 – “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching,
rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.”
o We are told that we are God’s special creation, but we have sinned and fall short of
the perfection that God demands from us.
o We are sinful beings that cannot make ourselves right with God. We can’t help but do
evil and we are in need of a Savior from sin.
Romans 3:23 – “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
o We are saved by God’s grace alone, through faith in Jesus Christ, not by our own
works.
o This is the free gift of God to all who believe.
Ephesians 2:8-9 – “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith –
and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no
one can boast.”
o The Church is all believers in Christ across time and place.
o God gathers his people into local congregations for worship, teaching, fellowship,
and mission.
o Christus is part of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), a nationwide
synod of Christian churches united in faith and teaching. The WELS is a theologically
confessional and conservative church, which means we reflect the truths of the Bible
in what we believe and practice.
o Our church subscribes to the Lutheran Confessions (gathered in the Book of
Concord) because they are a faithful summary of the teachings of the Bible. They
don’t replace Scripture, but they point us back to it. These confessions express the
truths of God’s Word clearly and guide us in teaching and practice today.
Jude 1:3 – “Contend for the faith that was one for all entrusted to God’s holy
people.”
o Baptism is God’s gift that brings us into his family and gives eternal life and salvation.
In the water and words of Baptism, the Holy Spirit creates faith in our hearts. In the
same way that we are saved through hearing and believing the words of the good
news about Jesus, God says that we are also saved by the good news
communicated through the waters of Baptism.
o We practice infant baptism because Scripture shows that God’s promises belong to
children as well as adults (Acts 2:38-39). Babies are included in God’s family and are
brought to faith through this holy sacrament.
Matthew 28:19 – “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
o The Lord’s Supper is Christ’s true body and blood, given with bread and wine for the
forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation.
o We practice close communion – inviting to the table those who are united with us in
confession of faith. This loving practice is meant to honor God’s Word and ensure
that those who commune receive this gift to their spiritual blessing (1 Corinthians
11:27-29).
1 Corinthians 10:16 – “Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks
a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a
participation in the body of Christ?”
o In response to God’s love, we seek to live lives of faith, hope, and love.
o We love God and serve our neighbors in all we do.
1 John 4:19 – “We love because he first loved us.”
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