And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20
The Bible is written that we might believe in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord. It speaks powerfully to the forgiveness of sins, which is found in Him alone. It teaches what it means to live a life of love toward God and others, as well as a life of integrity and purpose concerning God’s design for each of us. It was written by men as they were directed by God’s Holy Spirit, and so it is timeless truth without error or contradiction.
God revealed Himself as three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All three Persons participated in the creation of the world. It is God the Father, the First Person of the Triune God, who continues to care and provide for people. We believe, “All this He does only out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy.” It is also the Father’s passion that all people would be saved from sin through Jesus Christ, His Son.
Genesis 1:1-2, 26-27 | Psalm 19:1 | John 1:1-3, 14; 3:16 | II Peter 3:9
Jesus Christ is God the Son, the Second Person of the Triune God. He is eternally true God. In His birth and death, He was also true man, but without sin. By His death on the cross, He took upon Himself the punishment for sin that was due to all people. By His Easter Resurrection, He gained the victory over sin and death that is shared with all who believe in Him. At His Second Coming, all history will have its completion in Him.
Matthew 1:20-23 | John 1:1-2, 14 | Acts 4:12 | Romans 6:23 | Philippians 2:5-11
The Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Triune God. He is the One who builds faith, hope, and love into the lives of people as they hear God’s Word and come to know Jesus Christ in a profound, personal way. The Holy Spirit convicts people of their sin. He assures people that their sins are forgiven. He gathers people into the Church. He gives gifts to empower people for Christian witness and service. As people continue to hear, read, study, and trust God’s Word, He brings them to spiritual maturity.
John 14:16-17 | Romans 10:9-17 | John 16:8 | Colossians 1:13-14 | Acts 2:38-42 | Acts 1:8 | I Corinthians 12:1, 4-7 | Hebrews 5:11-6:1
The Church is the community of all who have come to faith in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord. It is more than one local congregation. God has given the Church two great gifts to share with the world: Baptism and Holy Communion. In both, God is present, along with visible elements, to bring forgiveness of sins and strengthening of faith. The Church is God’s ambassador of His eternal and unconditional love for the world!
Matthew 16:15-18 | Ephesians 2:19-22; 5:25-27 | Matthew 28:16-20 | I Corinthians 11:23-26
Sin is the condition of all people that separates them from God. Sin entered into the world through the disobedience of the first man and woman. It continues today as disobedience toward God, discord and dysfunction among people, and personal pain, distress, and death. No matter how hard a person tries or how good that person lives, there is no escape from sin apart from the work of Jesus Christ. Sin always results in eternal death and separation from God. Therefore, every person has an essential need for the Savior.
Forgiveness of Sins is the gift and promise of God through Christ that the separation of God and people has been paid for by the Savior. To be sure, Christians are not perfect, but they are forgiven. There is comfort and joy in knowing this gift is extended for all to receive by faith. This gift distinguishes the Christian faith from those religions or philosophies that emphasize the works and obligations of people to somehow please God.
Psalm 103:8-13 | II Corinthians 5:17-21 | Romans 8:31-39 | Luke 18:9-14
Eternal Life means death is no longer something to be feared. Rather, all those who trust in Jesus will live in joy with Him in heaven for eternity. Death is simply a doorway to that place which He has prepared and purchased for all believers through His own death and resurrection victory!
John 11:25-26; 14:1-6 | I Corinthians 15:54-56 | Revelation 21:4-5
Lutherans believe that a person is saved by God’s grace alone through faith in Jesus Christ alone. Jesus Himself commands us to baptize all nations (see Matthew 28:19-20). This, we believe, includes infants. He tells us that baptism is water used together with the Word of God. 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 strengthens the gift of faith in a person’s heart (see Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16; 1 Peter 3:21; Galatians 3:26-27; Romans 6:1-4; Colossians 2:11-12; 1 Corinthians 12:13). We believe this because the Bible says that infants can believe (see Matthew 18:6) and that new birth (regeneration) happens in baptism (see John 3:5-7; Titus 3:5-6). The faith of the infant, like the faith of adults, must be fed and nurtured by God’s Word (see Matthew 28:18-20), or it will die.
Prince of Peace celebrates The Lord's Supper every Sunday at all worship services. We believe that the sacrament of Holy Communion is a gift of Christ to His Church; however, all who receive this gift must first examine themselves concerning matters of Biblical faith and Godly living. “Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.” 1 Corinthians 11:28 (ESV). Therefore, prior to celebrating Holy Communion, we ask that you prayerfully consider the following:
We believe your “Yes!” to these questions affirms a common faith with Lutheran Christians and is your invitation to our Lord’s Table of Holy Communion. What if I'm not sure? Please keep reading.
We encourage non-communing children to accompany their parents for a personal blessing. For those who choose not to receive wine, white grape juice is available in each communion tray. Gluten free wafers are available as well.
Should I receive Holy Communion?
First of all, if you’re new to Prince of Peace, we understand how hard it can be to come and risk not knowing what to do. Thank you for taking that risk. We are glad you are here!
If you’re wondering if you should receive Holy Communion, please consider the following questions.
If you answered “Yes” to any of these questions, we encourage you not to receive Holy Communion because we desire you to be blessed and not harmed. “For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.” 1 Corinthians 11:29 (ESV)
Instead of receiving Holy Communion, we invite you to come to the communion rail, cross your arms and receive a blessing from one of the servers.
After the service, we invite you to contact a Pastor or Elder. Their contact information can be found at www.princeofpeace.org It is our desire to walk with you so that one day soon we will commune together with you and our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Vision of the universal Church of Jesus Christ and, therefore, our faith community, Prince of Peace Lutheran Church (POPLC), remains the same as stated in Matthew 28:
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and MAKE disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
The Church of Jesus Christ has one universal Vision and is embraced not when people can quote Matthew 28 but when they personally begin to live out the call of Jesus.
Bottom line, we are disciples seeking to make disciples!
What differentiates one church from another is not the Vision but their approach to the Vision. In other words, all Christian churches have the same WHY (Matthew 28). The difference is HOW each church body carries out the Vision.
We make and grow disciples by equipping ALL who follow Jesus to be the Church in the places where they live, work, and play.
We are known more for what we are for, rather than what we are against.
We are not afraid to fail forward. We always seek new and creative ways to share Jesus, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
We serve and meet the needs of those in our community and around the world. The Church does not exist for us.
We take the Gospel seriously but don’t take ourselves too seriously as we laugh, celebrate, and rejoice together.
We bring our best to all that we do, knowing that God has made us His influencers in this world.
We use our gifts to serve God’s Kingdom as contributors, not consumers. We reject just talking about it and embrace action.
In spite of how the name Lutheran may sound, we are followers of Jesus Christ, not Martin Luther. We call ourselves Lutherans because, like Luther, we believe that the center of the Christian message is the cross of Jesus Christ. Like Luther, we believe that the Bible is not a book of morals, but a song of redemptive love. But most of all, like Luther, we believe that God says what He means and means what He says. If you happen to share these beliefs, then it looks like maybe, you’re a Lutheran, too.
Our church is a part of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS). We believe the Bible is the Word of God and that when God speaks, we should listen. Period. You can learn more about the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod HERE.
