All people seek meaning. This can come in the form of knowledge, relationships, spirituality or organized religion. We believe God’s grace, God’s unfathomable love, is available to all people as a gift through Jesus Christ. All are welcome here with their whole selves, which includes one’s race, ethnic background, past wrongdoing, socioeconomic status, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical ability and legal status. Questions and doubts are welcome.

Martin Luther, after whom the Lutheran branch of Christianity is named, once wrote, “Faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that you could stake your life on it one thousand times. … Through faith, a person will do good to everyone without coercion, willingly and happily; serving everyone, suffering everything for the love and praise of God, who has shown such grace.” Faith, then, is not about intellectually agreeing to a set of beliefs but about living in a trusting relationship with God in response to God’s grace. Faith is our confident hope that living in God’s promises sparks renewal to love and serve neighbors, as God in Christ loves us.

People who identify as Lutherans are those who actively practice their faith in the Lutheran tradition or who have joined a Lutheran congregation through membership. Becoming a member is a way of expressing one’s long-term commitment to the life and work of the church. It also expresses a commitment of resources to sustain the work of the congregation as well as the national and global church.

All types of people and families are welcome — seriously! The ELCA teaches that it doesn’t matter what your experience with religion has been or what kind of doubts or questions you might have about faith. You are welcome as you are. Many ethnicities and cultures are represented in the ELCA. Together we strive to be a church that celebrates diversity and that welcomes all people as they are. Come as you are to worship, learn, serve and grow in faith with others.

We are a church that is deeply rooted and always being made new. Our roots are in Scripture, and a collection of writings called the Book of Concord. We’re a church that continuously prays for the Holy Spirit to make the gospel alive and at work within us—to serve God’s creation with justice and love. We are equipped to live and serve in the world with all its complexities, tensions and ambiguities.

Welcoming is what our church relies on God to help us be. We recognize that there are groups and communities of people who have been hurt by experiences with church. They have been made to feel that they cannot be their God-given selves in church settings. The ELCA is continually working toward reconciliation and to share our fundamental belief that God’s love and grace are limitless and for everyone.

We are a church that rolls up our sleeves and gets to work. Lutherans actively participate in their communities, so maybe you’ve noticed our members in action — hosting meals through a food pantry, rebuilding homes through Lutheran Disaster Response, providing spiritual care in times of loss, marching for the civil rights of marginalized communities, caring for seniors at Lutheran-affiliated nursing homes, or teaching children at preschool. Lutherans have affiliations with schools, colleges, hospitals, summer camps, care facilities and many other social ministry organizations supporting communities around the country.