The Church is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
- Ephesians 2:20-21
We declare a timeless message about Jesus Christ, our Cornerstone.
The first followers of Jesus proclaimed and wrote about his life, death, resurrection, and ascension, and what these great events mean for the salvation of sinners. This foundation, once established, never needs to be changed and never loses its power to reconcile us to God. The Good News about Jesus has been delivered to us once and for all, and we make it known to a needy world.
We pursue unity through Jesus Christ, our Cornerstone.
The Church is like a temple, because God’s presence is always with us. While the physical temple in Jerusalem was made up of immense stones, the temple of the Church is built of women and men redeemed by Christ and fit together into a tight-knit community. This structure is made up of many different types of people. We strive to set aside the hurtful divisions so common in our day and live together in love, helping with daily needs and pointing one another to the true God.
We follow the direction given by Jesus Christ, our Cornerstone.
Everything we do is aligned with the purposes of Jesus for us. Jesus calls us to build one another up, show mercy to those in need, share his love with others, and bring our praises to God. He provides us with the Bible, prayer, and the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper so that we can grow in our relationship with him. He calls elders and deacons to direct the life of the church. He reveals the right way to live in our families, workplaces, and communities. He is our Lord, and by his work in us through his Spirit, we yield joyful obedience to him.
We seek the growth given by Jesus Christ, our Cornerstone.
Throughout every generation and in every part of the world, God is building his church by bringing broken and sinful people to himself. So, we point our children to Christ. We support home and foreign missions. We participate in outreach efforts. We pray for many to trust Jesus through the preaching of the Good News. We do this because we love people. But most of all, we do it out of love for God himself, because when the temple grows, so does God’s praise, as many happy hearts and voices confess his goodness towards undeserving and burdened people.