Biblical
First and foremost, we confess that we must listen carefully and attentively to God’s Word. We are, at heart, a community created and sustained by the Word, and thus our faithfulness will be measured to the extent to which we listen carefully to what God is saying through the Scriptures. This is why we at First Lutheran commit ourselves to diligent and prayerful reading of Scripture.
Grace-Centered
We confess that the forgiveness and grace given to all through the sacrificial and life-giving death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the centering principle that shapes our reading of Scripture as well as the ways in which we worship, witness, serve and experience God. This is why we at First Lutheran commit ourselves to shaping ministry that centers in grace and that extends God’s gracious activity in Christ Jesus in all that we say and do.
Missional
The only way to be faithful to our biblical and grace-centered beliefs is to share them with those we daily encounter. For this reason, we at First Lutheran bear witness to Christ in a manner that invites in, equips, and sends out God’s people into mission that extends God’s grace.
Responsive
The world we live in moves at a tremendous pace, and so we must be eager to learn from and respond to the various and ever-changing contexts in which we live. Faithful responsiveness to the current context for the sake of mission is the impulse that drives all we do. This is why we at First Lutheran commit ourselves to sensitive and thorough engagement of our contemporary settings and cultural context so that we might be as faithful and effective in our witness as possible.
Jesus is the center of our life and gives us the values we hold!
The Leadership of First Lutheran has identified the following attributes that we pray will increasingly mark us a community of disciples of Jesus Christ.
Hope
Meaning and purpose are tenuous, even fragile commodities in this fallen world. We value the hope born of confidence in God’s grace given through Jesus Christ.
Relationships
Life is a gift from God and meant to be shared within the bonds of community. We value relationships and the need we intrinsically have to share life with others in ways which reflect truth, candor, authenticity, and respect.
Relevance
People have needs that are not readily met within our society and culture. We value being relevant and strive to offer ministry that will meet the deepest needs of people and address the issues which they face in the twenty-first century.
Growth
When we abide in Christ, we grow from spiritual infancy to spiritual maturity. We value growth in the faith of our people which tangibly evidences our connection to Jesus Christ.
Hospitality
We are the Body of Christ, each with gifts to offer and to receive as the people of God. We value the gift of intentional hospitality and the community of forgiven sinners it creates.
Stewardship
All that we have and are comes to us as gifts from God. We value the free response to God’s gifts embodied in the desire to be faithful stewards of life, creation, ourselves, resources, and each other.
Excellence
Mediocrity is unpleasing to God. We value quality in ministry while, at the same time, rejecting fear of failure as we dare to risk for the sake of the Gospel through well-planned and well-executed ministries.
Imagination
We value imagination, innovation, and creativity of mind and spirit in our worship of God and in our service to our neighbor and world.
Courage
We reject the dangerous poles of simplistic certainty and pervasive relativism that seem to have captivated our world. Instead we value the courage necessary to boldly stand firm in the gospel, confessing the faith and hope in Jesus Christ that lives within us.