Vision
Burning with the Spirit of Christ in us we are called to serve our neighbors. In following Jesus’s teaching and example, we at Our Savior Lutheran Church will feed souls through worship, word and witness while feeding our neighbor with our hands and actions.
Core Values
- Be Accessible: One of the most amazing things about Jesus was how accessible he was to the people he encountered. He didn’t keep to himself, or only hung out with the mover and shakers in society. Jesus hung out with the regular people like you and I. The scriptures tell of Jesus eating with the 5,000 (Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:30-44; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-15), hanging out with tax collectors and sinners (Matthew 9:10-17; Mark 2:13-17; Luke 5:29-39), and opening the doors to all who would listen (Matthew 22:1-14). At OSLC we try and be accessible in all that we do. From how you are greeted when you arrive on Sunday morning, to the way we worship, and how we teach and preach, all is geared towards your growth as a disciple of Jesus Christ.
- Be Faithful to God’s Word: At OSLC we know what the prophet Isaiah said is true: “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever” (Isaiah 40:8); and so our community strides to be faithful to God’s Word. Are we perfect? No, as a matter of fact we are far from it, and that’s why we value God’s Word so much. As Paul says in his Letter to the Romans: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:23-24). We are committed to following Jesus’ teachings, but we understand that it takes time and patience to apply them to our lives.
- Be Responsive to God’s Call: As disciples, we are followers of Jesus. We hear Jesus’ commission and respond to it (Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 16: 14-18; Luke 24:44-49; John 20:19-23; Acts 1:8). At OSLC we think it’s important to not just know what we believe, but also to respond to God’s call (James 4:14-17).
- Be Open to and Inconvenienced by the Holy Spirit: When God sent the Holy Spirit it was to help us remember all that Jesus said: “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will sent in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (John 14:26). It was to be a continual reminder to Christ’s disciples of where God is calling. This is not easy. Often where God calls us to go, is not where we want to go. Think about Moses for a moment. When God called him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, his first response wasn’t: “Of course!”, rather he asked God: “Why me?” (Exodus 3:11). At OSLC we strive to be open to the Holy Spirit.
- Trusting Relationships: The primary metaphor for the church in the New Testament is the body of Christ. The church isn’t an individual, it’s a group of people who come together and form a community in faith. That’s what Paul urges in 1 Thessalonians 5:11: “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” Key to this is the formation of trusting relationships. At OSLC we know there are a lot of people who do not attend church, or join a church community, because trust has been broken. We don’t want that to be a barrier, so we work hard on building trusting relationships.
The vision and values were developed in February 2022, after the merger between Shepherd of the Hills and Our Savior Lutheran Church.