What are services like?
Blended Service: A conglomerate of songs, hymns, and spiritual songs with a small praise team, an organist, and spoken responses for the given theme each week. The 5:00pm Saturday service and the Sunday 9:15 a.m. will be exactly the same.
Traditional Service: All across the U.S. Lutheran Church Missouri Synod congregations use a set format (the liturgy) for worshiping. Cross follows that tradition using the Divine Service formats from Lutheran Worship at our Sunday 7:50am service.
Contemporary Service: At Cross we seek to speak the language of the culture in our geographic area. Although many would say it comes from the youth, the vast array of ages who watch any TV or use a computer or cell phone communicate in picture and text format. This service helps this culture deal with the issues of today in all aspects of our contemporary format of worship. We meet in a gym, the Courts of Praise, with a praise band leading us in modern songs at our Sunday 10:30am service.
What is the community like?
We believe in the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. We believe in one God in three persons.
We believe that God the Father created the universe. He is loving, compassionate, just and kind. His deepest desire is to live in an intimate relationship with all people, and He constantly extends an invitation to experience that relationship to all humankind.
We believe that, because of God’s desire to live in a relationship with us, God became a human being in the person of Jesus. Born to the virgin, Mary, Jesus is both fully God and fully human. Jesus came to embrace us with God’s love through his death and resurrection, removing all the barriers – sin, guilt, and shame – that keep us from enjoying that embrace. We believe that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Through Him and Him alone people can experience a relationship with God their Creator.
We believe that the Holy Spirit is the presence of God among us. Through the Spirit, God lives in us and empowers us to live the Christian life. We believe that all Christians are Spirit-filled and have Spirit-given gifts that enable them to serve Christ through the church, in the community, and around the world.
We believe that the Bible is God’s Word and is absolute truth. The entire Bible is God-breathed and God-inspired and is the only authority for faith and life.
We believe that the church, be it a local congregation or the worldwide fellowship of believers, is the Body of Christ. As His Body, we are invited to worship him, serve Him, and be the vehicle through which the Good News of Jesus Christ is shared with the world.
We affirm and identify with the Confessions of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod. We affirm the essence of grace alone, faith alone, and Word alone.
We believe in and practice the Sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion.
We believe that through the waters of Baptism God initiates and welcomes us into a relationship with Himself. He adopts us into His family, making us His, offering us all of the promises and gifts of the Gospel. Through Baptism God gives the gift of new life, not based on our decision, but on God’s. We practice and believe in infant Baptism as it captures the essence of the Gospel – God accepting us before we can accept Him.
We believe that in the Lord’s Supper (Holy Communion) Jesus gives us His body and blood to eat and to drink together with the bread and the wine. At the same time, along with His love, we receive the forgiveness of sins and all God’s kindness. Communion also encourages us to live out the Christian life each day, while drawing us closer to God Himself and to one another.
We believe that human beings have been created in the image of God and therefore have supreme worth and value. Their worth is dependent not on accomplishments, but on God’s love. Because God sees humanity as worth dying for, we uphold the dignity of each individual.
At the same time, we acknowledge that humanity is separated from God because of sin. We joyfully proclaim the Good News that because of Jesus Christ forgiveness is a reality. God sent Jesus not to condemn us, but to save us – to deal with the problem of sin on our behalf. Because of Jesus we can enjoy God’s love and kindness each day.
We believe in and anticipate the return of Jesus. Though we don’t know the day or the hour, we joyfully proclaim His soon return. At the last day, Jesus will judge all people who have ever lived. His judgment will show his perfect justice and his amazing grace. Believers in Christ will live with him in heaven in perfect happiness forever. Those who die rejecting God’s forgiveness will go to never-ending punishment in hell.
What if I'm not a Christian?
Whether you are just beginning on your spiritual journey, are seeking to know God or reconnect with Him, or are a committed Christian who wants to dig deeper in your faith- know that you can find a home here at Cross. It is a place where the pieces in life can begin to fit together, as we explore life's purpose together.
All are welcome!
