Our Mission

Beliefs

We are a church of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS). With the universal Christian Church, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod teaches and responds to the love of the Triune God:

• the Father, creator of all that exists;
• Jesus Christ, the Son, who became human to suffer and die for the sins of all human beings and to rise to life again in the ultimate victory over death and Satan; and
• the Holy Spirit, who creates faith through God’s Word and Sacraments.

The three persons of the Trinity are coequal and coeternal, one God.

We accept and preach the Bible-based teachings of Martin Luther that inspired the reformation of the Christian Church in the 16th century. The teaching of Luther and the reformers can be summarized in three phrases: Grace alone, Faith alone, Scripture alone.

Through the study of the Bible, you can seek the answer to this age-old question: “Who is Jesus?”

Please read more about our core beliefs as an LCMS church here.

Holy Communion

To take communion at St. Matthew, you must believe in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine we receive the true body and blood of Christ; confess your sin, seek the assurance of forgiveness, and intend, with God’s help, to amend your sinful life.

Anyone who has not yet been instructed, is in doubt, or holds a confession differing from this belief, and yet desires to receive the sacrament, is asked first to speak with the pastor. For those simply desiring to receive a blessing from the minister, you may come forward and pass through the line with your arms crossed in front of you.

For the benefit of communicants who have reactions to the unleavened wheat wafers, unleavened rice wafers are also available. Simply indicate the need for a rice wafer to the pastor as you come up for communion.

For the benefit of communicants who need less alcohol, several individual cups containing white grape juice with a slight tincture of wine is included in the center of each communion tray. They are easily distinguished from the cups containing red wine.

For further study, see Matthew 5:23f; 10:32f; 18:15-35; 26:26-29; I Cor. 11:17-34.

Baptism

Lutherans believe that the Bible teaches that a person is saved by God’s grace alone through faith in Jesus Christ alone.

The Bible tells us that such “faith comes by hearing” (Rom. 10:17). Jesus Himself commands Baptism and tells us that Baptism is water used together with the Word of God (Matt. 28:19-20).

Because of this, we believe that Baptism is one of the miraculous means of grace (another is God’s Word as it is written or spoken), through which God creates and/or strengthens the gift of faith in a person’s heart (see Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16; 1 Peter 3:21; Gal. 3:26-27; Rom. 6:1-4; Col. 2:11-12; 1 Cor. 12.13).

Please click here for additional information regarding the LCMS doctrine on baptism.

To schedule a baptism (infant through adult) please contact the church office here and request a baptism application or ask to schedule a meeting with a pastor.