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Click here for an explanation as to what
Lutheran Christianity is all about

Traditional Christian Faith and Life

for Today's People in Today's World

No one can live in the past. We rejoice that the truths of God do not change, but we want to apply them to the lives of people today. We try to keep the focus in our worship life and in our Christian education on the issues people face today.

Congregations of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod are "confessional," holding to the Lutheran Confessions as the correct interpretation and presentation of Biblical doctrine. Contained in the Book of Concord, The Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, these statements of belief were put into writing by church leaders during the 16th century.

(The simplest of these is Luther's Small Catechism).

From the Pastor

The people of Martin Luther Chapel are your kind of people.  We have hurts, hopes, needs and joys, sins and strengths.

 We have nothing without God...

and everything with Him.

We're like you. So we want to invite you to join us for worship, or to call me with questions, or to look into our School and Day Care, or just to think of us as friends of yours in the community.

 

From the Principal

 

The most special gift a parent can give to a child is a quality Christian education.  This type of education exists to share the love of Christ to each child.  It also acknowledges the responsibility to assist each child in developing intellectual, social, physical, and emotional skills, as well as spiritual growth.  To accomplish this, all subjects and activities are taught through the lens of faith in Christ.

 

 

Church Staff:

Pastor	Rev. Larry M. Vogel
Lay Assistant	Alan Cathers
South Asian Indian Evangelist	J Naveen Nischal
Administrative Assistant	Susan Johnson
Sunday School Superintendent	Amanda Shears, Kathy Dawson
Music Director	Ellen Goter
Organists	Ellen Goter, Betsy Vogel

 

School Staff:

Principal	Lisa Steele
6th grade	Amanda Shears
5th grade	Erika Strickland
4th grade	Kim MacDonald
3rd grade	Sharon Stecklein
2nd grade	Laura Coulehan
1st grade	Becky Williams
Kindergarten	Pam Schwartz
Pre-school	Michele Costigan, Kathy Harper
School Secretary	Jean Rowand
Day Care Staff	Nancy Figueroa, Edith Amoriello, Lynne Kendall, Christine Segarra, Sonia Albino, Caren Bey, Dianette Delgado, Christina Deputy, Belinda Felix, April Fulton, and Dominica Vogel

 

History of Martin Luther Chapel

and Christian School

What's Lutheran Christianity all about?

Lutherans are well aware that we're only one of many versions of
Christian identity. The two large groups are sometimes characterized as
Evangelicals and Catholics. Roman Catholics are the largest group of
Christians, comprising about half of all Christians throughout the
world. The fastest growing segment of Christians other than Roman
Catholics are the Evangelical Christians (this includes, among others,
Pentecostals and most "nondenominational" Christians). Sometimes Roman
Catholics and Evangelicals see themselves as so different from each
other that they are pretty suspicious of one another, wondering if the
other group really is Christian at all.

Where do Lutherans fit? Well, we're both! In a very real way Lutheran
Christians share the most important characteristics of both the
Evangelical and the Roman Catholic varieties of Christianity.

Five points are especially helpful to consider:

  1. The BIBLE is our final authority. Together with Evangelicals, Lutherans accept the full authority of the Bible as the deciding vote in every question of what Christians should
believe and practice (2 Tim 3:16). The Bible is the infallible rule for
Christian faith in the Lutheran understanding.

2. The GOSPEL gets the last word. The Gospel is "Good News" and it refers, specifically, to the fact that God came to us in Jesus Christ, to bring life, salvation, and hope to
humanity (Rom 1:16). Even though the Bible has lots to say about lots
of things--the best thing (the last word) is the message of Jesus
Christ. This is also a central emphasis of Evangelical Christianity.

3. Only FAITH in Christ saves. The Bible's Gospel message is a call to faith. God promises to save
those who believe. Only faith saves because faith just means trusting
in the Savior, Jesus (Eph. 2:8-9). While we emphasize good works as
part of Christian responsibility, the salvation of us person is not
based on what he has done, but on faith in what Jesus has done. That's
another mark of Evangelical Christianity.

 4. BAPTISM means belonging. Unlike Evangelicals, and just like Roman Catholics, Lutherans emphasize Sacraments, starting with Baptism.  Baptism is our promise from God that
we belong to him (Acts 2:38-39; Gal 3:27)).  When Jesus gave His command
to make disciples, He said the first thing that has to happen is to baptize (Matt 28:19).

5. COMMUNION is necessary nourishment. Again, unlike Evangelicals and like Catholics, Lutherans believe the regular reception of the Lord's Supper is an essential part of
Christian life. We believe Communion really is just what Jesus says it
is: His body and blood, for forgiveness and nourishment in faith
(John 6:53-54; Luke 22:19-20; 1 Cor 11:24-26).

Basically, what all this means is that Lutherans are

evangelical-catholic Christians, accepting core beliefs of each of the

two great groups of Christians without rejecting either group. We're

kind of stuck in the middle, but we're there by conviction: "Here we stand."