What we Believe
Lutheran Church of the Cross Mission Statement

Together in Christ, we celebrate God’s love, grace and forgiveness through worship and service. With the Spirit’s guidance, we faithfully teach and learn, love and welcome, and care for each other, our community and the world.

LCC's Welcome Information
What we believe, a brief outline
If you want a more in depth answer, you can scroll down and read more

We believe in the Triune God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 3 in 1, and 1 in 3.

We belive that Jesus is Lord. We believe that Jesus is both fully human and fully divine.

We affirm these beliefs regularly by professing the Apostles, Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds. 

We affirm two Sacraments, Holy Communion and Holy Baptism, and we believe that God is truly, fully present in both them.

We believe that we are saved by grace, through faith, and not by our own works.

We confess the teachings of the ELCA Lutheran Church.

When we say "All Are Welcome", we mean it. We welcome, affirm, and honor all people; regardless of Race, Age, Gender, Ability, or Sexual Orientation. If you need it more carefully spelled out, you can read below about how we are a Reconciling in Christ Church. If you need it more simply spelled out, we welcome, affirm, and fully include all of our siblings in the LGBTQIA+ community.

If you have more questions, you can read more in depth answers below or you can feel free to email us.

LCC's Worship Experience
We are an ELCA Church
What does it mean to be a part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America?

The ELCA confesses the Triune God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. In our preaching and teaching the ELCA trusts the Gospel as the power of God for the salvation of all who believe.

ELCA teaching or theology serves the proclamation and ministry of this faith. It does not have an answer for all questions, not even all religious questions. Teaching or theology prepares members to be witnesses in speech and in action of God’s rich mercy in Jesus Christ.

Scriptures, Creeds and Confessions

The ELCA’s official Confession of Faith identifies the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments (commonly called the Bible); the Apostles’, Nicene and Athanasian Creeds; and the Lutheran confessional writings in the Book of Concord as the basis for our teaching. ELCA congregations make the same affirmation in their governing documents, and ELCA pastors and deacons promise to carry out their ministry in accordance with these teaching sources. This Confession of Faith is more than just words in an official document. Every Sunday in worship ELCA congregations hear God’s word from the Scriptures, pray as Jesus taught and come to the Lord’s Table expecting to receive the mercies that the Triune God promises. Throughout the week ELCA members continue to live by faith, serving others freely and generously in all that they do because they trust God’s promise in the Gospel. In small groups and at sick beds, in private devotions and in daily work, this faith saturates all of life.

Teaching for a life of faith

This connection to all of life is the clearest demonstration of the authority that the canonical Scriptures, the ecumenical Creeds and the Lutheran Confessions have in the ELCA. The Holy Spirit uses these witnesses to create, strengthen and sustain faith in Jesus Christ and the life we have in him. That life-giving work continues every day, as Martin Luther explained in the Small Catechism: the Holy Spirit “calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth and preserves it in union with Jesus Christ in the one true faith.”

We are an RIC Congregation
What does it mean to be a congregation that is Reconciling in Christ?

It means that we are a part of the ReconcilingWorks network.

Since 1974, ReconcilingWorks: Lutherans for Full Participation has advocated for the full welcome, inclusion, and equity of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual/aromantic (LGBTQIA+) Lutherans in all aspects of the life of their Church, congregations, and community.

In relationships built through outreach and education, ReconcilingWorks shares Christ's message, the Gospel, which is for everyone equally. We advocate for systemic change in policy and practice in church and society, working to alleviate not only the painful symptoms of oppression but also to eliminate its root causes.

We are Lutherans working with the recognition that racism, sexism, ageism, able-ism, heterosexism, homophobia, and all the other artificial distinctions that seek to raise one group into privilege and preference over another, conspire together to diminish our world and church.

Reconciliation is a fundamental value; it is what the Apostle Paul says we are all called to do. Through our Reconciling in Christ Program, ministries, resources, events and alliances, ReconcilingWorks builds community for worship, education and support; fosters welcome and acceptance in all Lutheran settings; and advocates for the ecclesial changes necessary to ensure full participation in all sacraments, inclusive liturgical resources, and ministries of the Church, inviting all people into Gospel lives of authenticity, integrity, and wholeness.

An independent, Lutheran, membership-supported organization, ReconcilingWorks is committed to strengthen all of God’s beloved for authentic, visible, faithful lives and to work for systemic change within the church and society.

We believe reconciling works, for the sake of the world.