Our Vision of Ourselves:
As Lutheran Christians, we are redeemed by Christ to be people of God, inviting all to faith-filled worship, challenging all to grow in faith, reaching out to all in faithful service and witness.
What These Words Mean to Us:
Lutheran – We are Christians who uphold, value, and are guided by the Lutheran tradition especially as articulated in the Lutheran confessional writings. This tradition informs our worship, understanding of the faithful life, and service and witness to others.
Christians – We confess the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and the Gospel as the power of God for the salvation of all who believe. We accept the canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the inspired Word of God and the authoritative source and norm of our proclamation, faith and life.
Redeemed by Christ – God proves God’s great love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us and redeemed us. We can respond to the One who first loved us, we can live lives of faith, only because God first loved us. Our lives of faith are acceptable to God only because God first loved us.
To be people of God – Just as Israel was blessed to be a blessing to all the peoples of the earth, so too the people of God – the church – are called by God and empowered by the Holy Spirit to be a blessing to others, to carry out a unique vocation: service to God and to the world God loves.
Inviting all – All who are searching for God and all who have been found by God are welcome at Ascension. Our doors are open. Our hearts are open. Our hands are extended in greeting.
To faith-filled worship – Worship is at the center of our life together. In worship we proclaim the Gospel and celebrate the sacraments so that all may experience God’s promised presence and give God thanks and praise.
Challenging all – In our life together, as sisters and brothers in Christ, young and old alike, we encourage one another, building one another up, admonishing those who are complacent, encouraging those who are fainthearted, helping those who are weak, and are patient with one and all.
To grow in faith – Faith is expressed, manifested, and strengthened by disciplined action: praying frequently, studying Scripture diligently, worshipping regularly, inviting others often, passing on the faith, serving for the sake of others, and giving freely. These practices begin in childhood, are nurtured in adolescence, and mature in adulthood. Growing in faith is a lifelong process.
Reaching out to all – The needs of the world are many and varied. People in need are close at hand and far away. Each person in need is made in God’s image. The creation and each person in need is loved by God. In each person in need we meet Christ.
In faithful service and witness – All that we are, all that we have, is a gift from God. God has given each of us these gifts and called us to share in caring for and redeeming all that God has made. We serve others, care for the earth, work for peace, and pursue justice so that others may know the redeeming love of Christ.