Why Living Hope Lutheran Church?
Recall our mission statement: As recipients of God’s grace through the gospel of Jesus Christ, Living Hope exists to proclaim the gospel in Word and sacrament in our community and throughout the world in order to bring the lost to Christ and to nurture believers for lives of Christian service.
Remember the Scripture that inspired our name as a church: “By God’s great mercy he gave us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, into an inheritance that is undying, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. Through faith you are being protected by God’s power for the salvation that is ready to be revealed at the end of time” (1 Peter 1:3b-5).
Can you comprehend it? By your baptism, you have received new birth. An inheritance of eternal life and blessing with Jesus forever is being kept in heaven for you! God has done this in Christ for you. He said “It is finished” for you. How can we not share this message of Good News for all?
While most churches are giving up on this message to accommodate to the culture or are withdrawing into enclaves or are fighting political battles, Living Hope stands firm and reaches out with the timeless message of God’s grace in Christ.
Living Hope is…
A church family rooted in Christ through the gospel.
A distinguishing characteristic of our church is its emphasis on teaching and learning the Word of God. Visitors regularly comment on the expositional nature of our sermons and the educational focus of our worship. People who take our Jesus and Me class regularly comment on the depth in which we study the Bible and how much it opens their eyes to the truth. This is sadly unique among churches today. It is our strength.
Our vision is to be a congregation where people learn the Bible. This is how God establishes and fosters a relationship with each individual in his church family through faith. It is also how we grow closer to each other in love.
Education defines not only our nurture, but our outreach. We want to advertise Jesus and Me and Confirmation Class in our community and personally invite friends to attend with us. For many, coming to a class with a friend can be less intimidating than coming to a service. The dialogical nature of a classroom builds trust and relationships between people in a way that corporate worship doesn’t.
A long-range goal in education (beyond the scope of our present plan) is to start a Lutheran elementary school.
Living Hope is…
Strengthening relationships in Christ through His Word.
The family is the basic building block of both society and the church. When the family suffers, society suffers. When the family suffers, very often its members’ relationship with Christ suffers. Many unbelieving families experience the misery of brokenness and recognize the damage it inflicts. Help is also needed by families within our congregation.
Since Jesus’ love is the essential—and often missing—ingredient for familial love, marriage and family ministry provides an opportunity to proclaim the gospel to people who hunger and thirst for its peace. Programs that meet marriage, family, and other relationship needs provide opportunities for our members to invite friends to events that meet their needs with the gospel.
Living Hope stands as a link between heaven and earth in Midlothian and central Virginia. By God’s grace, we deliver his gifts to people by joining him in his mission.
In a world as broken and desperate as ours,
how can we keep this Good News to ourselves?