About the Lutheran Church of God's Love

God's Love is a community of deeply-held beliefs - in Christ, in the creeds and sacraments of the Church, and in Scripture. We offer a haven of calm and reflection in today's chaotic times. And a place to rejoice and praise the Lord! God’s Love is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

We worship a variety of styles at our three weekend services. In the traditional service, we use the liturgy and hymns taken from the Lutheran Book of Worship, Our adult and children's vocal and bell choirs provide an uplifting accent. The contemporary service adheres to the basic tenets of the Lutheran faith in an informal way. Our popular Rejoice! praise band uplifts us with contemporary Christian music. The HeartSong service, on Saturday evening, provides gentle piano music from our Worship and Praise Songbook in a meditative setting.

A place where you can belong

We welcome new members and offer a variety of opportunities to get involved. Through their involvement, God's Love members form close relationships and grow in faith together.

Our Pastors and Staff

The Rev. Janet Peterman is our interim Senior Pastor. She began her ministry here in July of 2008.

The Rev. Laura Ingersol is our Associate Pastor. She began her ministry here with us in 2003. Her experiences include serving Lutheran churches in Baltimore and Boston.

Risë Kagan is our Director of Choirs.

Walt Kull is the Director of our Rejoice! praise band.

Come home to God's Love

Coming home to God's Love is like coming home - to a warm, caring family of acceptance and faith. With strong ties to our rich history and tradition, yet an eye on the changing needs of the community, we are walking boldly into the future together. A future of hope, excitement, and growth in Jesus Christ.

What we believe

We, baptized members of the Church of Christ, responding in faith to the call of the Holy Spirit through the Gospel, unite to preach the Word, administer the sacraments, and carry out God's mission. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. This congregation confesses Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and the Gospel as the power of God for the salvation of all who believe.

The Word of God is . . .

a. Jesus Christ is the Word of God incarnate, through whom everything was made and through whose life, death, and resurrection God fashions a new creation.

b. The proclamation of God's message to us as both Law and Gospel is the Word of God, revealing judgment and mercy through word and deed, beginning with the Word in creation, continuing in the history of Israel, and centering in all its fullness in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

 c. The canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the written Word of God. Inspired by God's Spirit speaking through their authors, they record and announce God's revelation centering in Jesus Christ. Through them God's Spirit speaks to us to create and sustain Christian faith and fellowship for service in the world.

************************************************

Our doctrine and teachings . . .

This congregation accepts the Apostles', Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds as true declarations of the faith of this congregation. This congregation accepts the Unaltered Augsburg Confession as a true witness to the Gospel, acknowledging as one with it in faith and doctrine all churches that likewise accept the teachings of the Unaltered Augsburg Confession.

All power in the Church belongs to our Lord Jesus Christ, its head. All actions of this congregation are to be carried out under his rule and authority.

The Church is a people created by God in Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit, called and sent to bear witness to God's creative, redeeming, and sanctifying activity in the world.

************************************************

To participate in God's mission, this congregation as a part of the Church:

a. Worships God in proclamation of the Word and administration of the sacraments and through lives of prayer, praise, thanksgiving, witness, and service.

b. Proclaims God's saving Gospel of justification by grace for Christ's sake through faith alone, according to the apostolic witness in the Holy Scripture, preserving and transmitting the Gospel faithfully to future generations.

c. Carries out Christ's Great Commission by reaching out to all people to bring them to faith in Christ and by doing all ministry with a global awareness consistent with the understanding of God as Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier of all.

d. Serves in response to God's love to meet human needs, caring for the sick and the aged, advocating dignity and justice for all people, working for peace and reconciliation among the nations, and standing with the poor and powerless, and committing itself to their needs.

e. Nurtures its members in the Word of God so as to grow in faith and hope and love, to see daily life as the primary setting for the exercise of their Christian calling, and to use the gifts of the Spirit for their life together and for their calling in the world.

f. Manifests the unity given to the people of God by living together in the love of Christ and by joining with other Christians in prayer and action to express and preserve the unity which the Spirit gives.

****************************************************

THE MAJOR STRATEGIES OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN - 2004

Building Community- We will define ways that we can grow together as a community of Christian believers. We will build unity and relationships among the community so we can support each other in carrying out the church’s mission.

Christian Education-God’s Love will establish varied programs of lifelong Christian Education. These learning opportunities will consist of varied educational experiences through which shared Christian values are nurtured and persons are enabled to grow together in faith.

Youth In Church and Community-Increase the involvement of our youth in the church & community and provide a rewarding experience.

Stewardship-We will nurture greater personal commitment by motivating each individual to prioritize his or her service to Christ through the use of both human and financial resources.

Evangelism-We will spread the word of God to visitors and our community while replenishing the enthusiasm of inactive members.

Outreach-We will continue to support existing outreach efforts and develop new programs in order to deepen our local and global impact and engage congregants.

Our community includes members and non-members.  

Because of our Strategic Plan, several committees, task forces, and small study groups have formed to support these strategies and our corresponding ministries. More programs are developing to respond to the Strategic Plan.