About
Our Guiding Statement
Christ Lutheran Church is a growing family of believers who love, accept, and welcome all, so that we may share God’s love in word and deed.
Here at Christ Lutheran Church...
Statement of Faith
We believe, teach, and confess that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Lord, and that through faith in Him we receive forgiveness of sins, eternal life and salvation. We confess that, “our works cannot reconcile God or merit forgiveness of sins and grace, but that we obtain forgiveness and grace only by faith when we believe that we are received into favor for Christ’s sake, who alone has been ordained to be the mediator and propitiation through whom the Father is reconciled”.
We believe, teach, and confess that all Scripture is given by the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit and that God is therefore the true Author of every word of Scripture. We acknowledge that there is a qualitative difference between the inspired witness of Holy Scripture in all its parts and words and the witness of every other form of human expression, making the Bible a unique book. We therefore believe, teach and confess that since the Holy Scriptures are the Word of God, they contain no errors or contradictions but that they are in all their parts and words the infallible truth.
We believe, teach and confess that God, by the almighty power of His Word, created all things. We also believe that man, as the principal creature of God, was specially created in the image of God, that is, in a state of righteousness, innocence, and blessedness. We affirm that Adam and Eve were real historical human beings, the first two people in the world, and that their fall was a historical occurrence which brought sin into the world so that “since the fall of Adam all men who are propagated according to nature are born in sin” We confess that man’s fall necessitated the gracious redemptive work of Jesus Christ and that fallen man’s only hope for salvation from his sin lies in Jesus Christ, his Redeemer and Lord.
We believe that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven and that all who die without faith in Him are eternally damned. We believe that those who believe in Christ will enjoy a blissful relationship with Him during the interim between their death and His second coming, and that on the last day their bodies will be raised. The basis for the grace of God that alone gives hope to sinners is the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
We believe, as Martin Luther put it in his explanation to the second article of the Apostles’ Creed, “that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person . . . not with gold or silver, but with his holy, precious blood and with his innocent suffering and death. . . .” (Luther’s Small Catechism with Explanations, p.14).
We believe all people are created in the image of God and yet unique in every way. We teach and believe that all people fall short of God’s divine glory and all people are sinners. We hold certain conduct as sinful such as same sex marriage, pre-marital sexual contact and cohabitation, elective abortions, alcohol and drug abuse, pornography, child and elder abuse, and the like. Most importantly, we believe our God is gracious and will forgive the repentant sinner. We stand firm on God’s word and confess, teach, and believe that it is our duty to reach out to all God’s people with the Good News of Christ and his redeeming sacrifice on the Cross.
Beliefs
God comes to us in ways that are helpful to us, and in ways that we can handle. Jesus links his gracious, transforming Word to water in Baptism, to bread and wine in Communion, and to the pastor’s voice in Confession and Absolution. The sacraments are a big deal, and the Bible says that people who are unready can receive Communion to their harm. Therefore, the pastor tries to help by making sure those who receive Communion are in a right state of mind to receive (1 Corinthians 11:27-29).
“Our Lord speaks and we listen. His Word bestows what it says. Faith that is born from what is heard acknowledges the gifts received with eager thankfulness and praise. Music is drawn into the thankfulness and praise, enlarging and elevating the adoration of our gracious giver God. Saying back to him what he has said to us, we repeat what is most true and sure.” Dr. Norman Nagel. While not rigid in practice, we delight in using many of the “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs” (Ephesians 5:19) that the church throughout the centuries and across many human cultures has evolved to use to receive God’s gifts and respond in praise, as well as occasionally using more modern musical expressions of the faith as a supplement.
Lutherans hold to a receptive spirituality: we receive the gifts that God gives us. God is in the driver’s seat. Jesus is the center of everything, and it is His death on the cross that gives us abundant life. We grasp hold of the gifts with yet another gift: faith. While all of creation bears God’s imprint, He specifically gives us His Word in the Bible, and so we gladly hear His Word to us. Come, take the journey with us!
We are all at different points in our spiritual walk as the Lord calls us through the Gospel (the Good News of Jesus). If you live in the area, and are looking for a church home, we want you to join our congregation as a full member. If you are a seasonal resident of the area, we would like you to become an associate member. The first step is contacting the church office to arrange a visit with pastor, who will assess where you are at in your walk with Jesus. He may suggest 6-8 additional meetings/classes to give you a very basic understanding of the teachings of the Christian faith as given to us in Luther’s Small Catechism. Some who are familiar with the basic teachings of the catechism will most likely be invited to join by affirmation of the faith.
History
Approximately 33 A.D. Jesus suffered, died, and rose again to win for us the forgiveness of sins, the end of shame, and abundant life. The church received the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, 50 days after Easter. We stand in line with the historic church throughout the centuries.
1517—On October 31st German monk Martin Luther posted 95 debate points in Wittenberg. Luther did not want to form a new branch of the church. Rather, he wanted the problems of the church of his day to be fixed. We stand in line with the church of Martin Luther, resting solely on the grace that is given to us through faith in God’s Word alone.
1847—German immigrants came to the United States to seek religious freedom to worship and live lives according to the faith taught in the Bible as understood by Martin Luther. The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod was formed under the leadership of C. F. W Walther, its first President and revered theologian. The LC—MS adapted confessional Lutheranism to the American context. We stand in line with the founders of the LC—MS.
CHRIST LUTHERAN CHURCH
1963 Christ Lutheran was formed as a mission congregation to share the Good News of Jesus with those in North Lakeland. We stand in line with our congregation’s charter members in their mission to reach our community in Christ. Through snowbird associate members and electronic media, our reach extends far beyond North Lakeland and Polk County.
LEADERSHIP
Reverend Walter J. Synatschk served from March 1963 to July 1964. For the next year Vicar Richmeyer & visiting pastors served our congregation. In August, 1965, our second pastor was called, Reverend Lee W. Steffen, who served Christ Lutheran for twenty years from 19654-1985. From September 1985 to December 1986, Teverend John Kutz and visiting pastors served. Then in January 1987 our fourth pastor came to us. Reverend Paul N Rauscher served our congregation for twelve years until July 1999 when he took a call to Deltona, FL. Reverend Karl Thiele and visiting pastor saw us through a two year vacancy. Then in July 2001 Reverend Thomas E. Block accepted the call to be pastor at Christ Lutheran to 2001 to 2019.
Rev. Walter J. Synatschk
1963-1964
Vicar Edward J. Richmeyer
1964-1965
Rev. Lee W. Steffen
1965-1985
Rev. Paul N. Rauscher
1987-1999
Rev. Thomas E. Block
2001-2019
Christ Lutheran Church announced a new pastor, Reverend Christopher Hazzard, in January 2021.
Christ Lutheran continues to proclaim the Good News of Jesus, the One to whom all of the Bible points, and we continue to give God’s gifts in the sacraments. We invite you to join us in the journey!
