Mission Statement
Vision, Values and Mission Statements
The leadership and people of St. John Lutheran Church are strongly committed to striving to live out its Vision, Value and Mission Statements that have been developed over the past several years.
OUR VISION
“GROWING DISCIPLES OF JESUS”
OUR VALUES
WORSHIP:
Our first response to the good news of God’s unconditional love in Jesus is to worship. Gathered by the Spirit, around Word and Sacrament, we praise God, pray, confess our faith, give thanks, experience fellowship with God and others, hear God’s Living Word, receive God’s blessings, and arise to serve others.
SACRED SPACE:
We strive to provide a welcoming place where all can enter into God’s presence, and experience the wonder, peace, majesty, grandeur and mercy of the God who loves us all.
MAKING A JOYFUL NOISE:
In gratitude and joy, we lift our praises to the LORD, so that through “our music God may be glorified.” We seek to utilize the varied gifts planted within this community of faith to sing, ring, and play music so that “every instrument is tuned for praise.”
A CARING COMMUNITY:
We recognize that when God calls us to faith in Christ, we are joined to a community where we can experience genuine warmth, deep friendships, and loving relationships. We are aware that God calls us to invite others into this same caring community of faith, and challenges us to demonstrate Christ-like hospitality to all.
NURTURING DISCIPLES:
We will offer meaningful opportunities for children, youth and adults to hear, learn and experience the good news of God’s love in Jesus. From cradle to grave, we will strive in all we do, to nurture disciples of Jesus who love God and others
Our Mission
We are a Christ-centered and caring congregation called by God to share the good news of salvation for all people.
SERVICE & OUTREACH ASSISTANCE: St. John Lutheran Church partners with and supports with donations of food and cash, community agencies to provide assistance to individuals and families in need through First Call for Help (419.734.6645)
ALCOHOLIC ANONYMOUS: AA groups meet here at St. John Lutheran Church on Sundays at 7:30 pm and Wednesdays at 7:30 pm.
SCOUTING: The congregation serves as a sponsoring organization for a Cub Scout pack under the leadership of Kim Auxter. Contact the church office for more information.
THE GATHERING: St. John Lutheran Church partners with area congregations and agencies to provide a FREE MEAL and Blood Pressure Screenings on the last Thursday of the month. The meal is served from 4:30-6:00 pm and is open to ALL. It is a time when people gather together for fellowship around a wholesome meal. Some baked goods are available at no cost.
TRACTORS TO TANZANIA: Members and friends of St. John Lutheran Church have come together to provide used tractors to the people of Tanzania, seeking to lend a helping hand so that the people of that country may be fed more effectively.
COMPANION CONGREGATION: St. John Lutheran Church has entered into partnership agreements with two congregations from around the world.
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Our first connection is with the Nkuhungu congregation of the Dodoma Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania.
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Our second connection is with the Backa Palanka congregation in the Slovak Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Serbia. This congregation is served by Pastor Jasmina Kotas-Medved, our former Community Pastor in our ministry at St. John@TheBay.
Through these partnership we seek to recognize and celebrate our unity with Christians around the world. We regularly send letters and small gifts as part of this mutual relationship. We constantly remember one another in prayer as we seek to be faithful to our One Lord, Jesus Christ.
LUTHERAN WORD RELIEF: Through our connection with Lutherans here in the United States of America and Lutheran from around the world, we support through our offerings, education and prayer the work of the ELCA World Hunger Appeal and Lutheran Disaster Response, which responds to disasters here and abroad. Over the past years we have hundreds of kits and quilts to alleviate human need and suffering.