Most of us, somewhere, from someone who influenced our lives in some way have heard, “Go for it… reach for the stars.”  Jesus put it a little differently, yet with the same impact, “Let your light so shine before others that they may see your good works and glorify your father in heaven.”

Jesus went on to say that we are to build a city (a community) on a hill so others can see it, like a light shining in the darkness.  People know we are a community on a hill. God’s light is found in and through God’s people, called, gathered and sent into the world to bring Good News to all.  We are to be a beacon of hope for other people:  light shining in their darkness.  As members and friends of this congregation we live in a covenant community of life together.  There are a few guiding principles which let others know who we are.

We are ELCA Lutheran
Grace centered in Christ.
Biblically and confessionally grounded.
Renewed constantly in experience of the Living Word through Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, the Cross and the Resurrection. 

We are Church
Our primary unifying practice is weekly worship around Word and Sacrament and a grateful response of personal giving, service and hospitality.
As the Body of Christ, our interdependence is a gift of God that we are called to live out.
Our stories, worship, service and gifts are regularly magnified beyond us through collaborative partnerships that are local, synodical, national and global through the Evangelical Lutheran Church and beyond. 

We are Evangelical
By the work of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, we can have open hearts, open minds and open arms. We can be loving, giving, sharing, learning, teaching, caring and inviting people of God.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not our possession to be safeguarded, but a means of grace and blessing to be strewn across God’s broken world, like stars scattered in the night sky.
Success in any ministry is measured by how far we extend the reach of the Gospel and the reconciling love of God beyond the walls of our church. 

We are Empowered
God is working in, with and through each of us for a more faith-filled future. Every gathering of people of faith has the capacity to reach higher and further into God’s creation.
Cultivating and equipping people to become passionate leaders who increase our collective wisdom and facilitate change is crucial for the expansion of the priesthood of all believers.
The Vision is the “Big Picture” of where God is calling each of us. The mission and vision is not ours, but God’s. We prayerfully discern what God is doing in our midst and join with God through God’s revelation and our actions.