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Our Beliefs
Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church Missouri Synod 

As a member congregation of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod we confess the doctrines of
the Evangelical Lutheran Church as contained in the Book of Concord. If you would like to
become familiar with our confessional documents you can find a copy of the Book of Concord at
www.bookofconcord.org . In summary, our beliefs are:

THE BIBLE
We believe that the Bible is the true Word of God, without error or contradiction and, therefore,
is the only guide for determining what we believe and how to live our lives. We subscribe to
historic Lutheran statements of faith (i.e., The Book of Concord), because they accurately reflect
what the Bible teaches. (2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:21)

GOD
We believe that GOD is Triune, One God in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
(Matthew 28:19, 2 Corinthians 13:14)

HUMANITY
We believe that God created all things, including mankind which He made in His own image.
When man fell into sin we lost that image of God, yet God continues to sustain creation by His
Word. We affirm the God-given value of human life from conception to natural death. (Genesis 1-3)

SIN
We believe that every thought, word, and deed contrary to God’s Law is sin; that every human
being inherits sin; and that all sin calls for God’s wrath. (Psalm 51, Romans 5:12)

GOD’S LAW
We believe God has revealed His holy will for us in the Ten Commandments. God’s Law
condemns all who violate these commandments and leads us to the knowledge of our sin.
(Exodus 20, Matthew 22:36-40)

THE SAVIOR
We believe that because of God’s great love for us, He sent His own Son, Jesus Christ, to redeem
the world from sin. We believe that He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born 
of the Virgin Mary; that He kept God’s Law perfectly, suffered, and died, in order to pay our
debt of sin to God. We believe that Christ rose from the dead and ascended into heaven where
He rules all things for the sake of His Church. We believe that He will come again to judge the
living and the dead. (John 1, Colossians 1:16-20)

HOLY SPIRIT
We believe that the Holy Spirit calls us to faith and gathers us together around the Word and
Sacraments, Holy Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, to receive God’s continual gifts of
forgiveness, strength and peace. (Ephesians 1:13, 1 Corinthians 12:3)

BAPTISM
We believe that baptism is a washing of rebirth that offers forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation
to all who believe, even infants and children. (1 Peter 3:21, Romans 6:4-6)

THE LORD’S SUPPER
We believe that in the sacrament, Christ gives us his own body and blood in and under the bread
and wine, so that we might receive forgiveness and eternal life. (1 Corinthians 11:23-30)

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