St. John's Lutheran Church

Our Faith

What Lutherans believe: A faith founded on good news

At the heart of everything is our belief, based on scripture and reason, that we are saved by God's grace alone, through faith in Jesus alone. These comprise the very essence of Lutheranism:

We are saved by the grace of God alone -- not by anything we do as no one is good enough or can be good enough.

Our salvation is through faith in Jesus alone -- no one is good enough, but God so loved the world that He sent His one and only Son (John 3v16) to suffer the consequences for every sin that has, is and will ever be committed (Isaiah 53) so that anyone who believes that Jesus, the Son of God, is saved by His mercy alone.

The Bible is the norm for faith and life -- the standard by which teachings and doctrines are to be judged. In the Bible we find the Gospel (the message of what God has done through Jesus). We read the Bible through the "lens" of the Gospel, meaning we know that all the prophecies and laws and promises, find their fulfilment in Jesus and whatever Jesus says supersedes all else.

Over the years, different Lutheran church bodies have been established and organized to meet the needs of Lutherans in communities and nations all over the world. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is the largest Lutheran group in North America, founded in 1988 when three North American Lutheran church bodies united: The American Lutheran Church, the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches and the Lutheran Church in America. Learn more about the History of the ELCA.

Lutherans are part of a reforming movement within the whole Christian church; as a part of practicing their faith, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and its predecessors have engaged in ecumenical dialogue with other church bodies for decades. In fact, the ELCA has entered into cooperative "full communion" agreements (sharing common convictions about theology, mission and worship) with several other Protestant denominations, including:

- The Moravian Church

- The Episcopal Church

- The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

- The Reformed Church in America

- The United Church of Christ

The ELCA has an ongoing dialogue with the Roman Catholic Church, and in 1999, representatives of the Lutheran World Federation and the Roman Catholic Church signed the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification. This represented a historic consensus on key issues of faith and called for further dialogue and study together. To learn more about these ecumenical relationships, visit Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Relations.

Lutheranism is a faith tradition that is open to all, regardless of background. The ELCA alone is almost five million members strong, with nearly 10,500 congregations across the U.S., Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. We welcome you to learn more about our church and find out how we can help you along life's path.

For more information about the ELCA, please visit their website at https://www.elca.org/ about/what-we-believe

Mission and Values

OUR MISSION: Who we are, and what we do.

Marked with the Cross of Christ forever,
We are claimed, gathered and sent for the sake of the world.

VALUES: Why we are who we are, and why we do what we do.

We are a church:

• that belongs to Christ. here is a place for you here.
• whose unity is in Jesus, who gathers us around word and sacrament.
• that believes Jesus is God’s “Yes” to us. Our lives can be a “Yes” to others.

• that believes God is calling us into the world – together.
• that rolls up our sleeves and gets to work.
• that is a catalyst, convener, and bridge builder.
• that is energized by lively engagement in our faith and life.
• that is deeply rooted – and always being made new.

OUR VISION: How we do things.
We, Saint John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, are disciples of Jesus Christ; a community of faithful people who, by God’s gift of grace alone, are free to orient our lives around Jesus’ commandment to love God with all our heart, all our soul, and all our mind; and to love our neighbors as ourselves.

With love for our neighbors WE SERVE compassionately by feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, sheltering the homeless, strengthening the weak, and defending the vulnerable in efforts
of justice and peace.
With our hearts WE CARE genuinely. Providing comfort and support to those who feel sick, lonely, broken, excluded, bullied, or ashamed.
With our soul WE WORSHIP joyfully. With roots in tradition, we are made new in our experience of God’s presence among us in music, preaching, prayer, communion and baptism.
With our minds WE LEARN purposefully; finding direction for our lives and support for our moral values as we grow in discipleship of Jesus.

Centered on God’s love for all people we endeavor for our church to be a glimpse of the kingdom of heaven where imperfect people are perfectly loved, welcomed and where all people matter to God. In consort with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, we are doing God’s Work with Our Hands.

We Serve, Care, Worship, & Learn: Our vision

OUR VISION: How we do things.

We, Saint John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, are disciples of Jesus Christ; a community of faithful people who, by God’s gi of grace alone, are free to orient our lives around Jesus’ commandment to love God with all our heart, all our soul, and all our mind; and to love our neighbors as ourselves.

With love for our neighbors WE SERVE compassionately by feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, sheltering the homeless, strengthening the weak, and defending the vulnerable in e orts of justice and peace.
With our hearts WE CARE genuinely. Providing comfort and support to those who feel sick, lonely, broken, excluded, bullied, or ashamed.
With our soul WE WORSHIP joyfully. With roots in tradition, we are made new in our experience of God’s presence among us in music, preaching, prayer, communion and baptism.
With our minds WE LEARN purposefully; nding direction for our lives and support for our moral values as we grow in discipleship of Jesus.

Centered on God’s love for all people we endeavor for our church to be a glimpse of the kingdom of heaven where imperfect people are perfectly loved, welcomed and where all people matter to God. In consort with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, we are doing God’s Work with Our Hands.

Our Church History

1812 Began meeting under Henry A. Muhlenberg in private homes.

1818 Lutheran congregation was granted permission to use the existing Reformed Church in Sinking Spring for worship and its burial ground.

1854 Lutheran and Reformed congregations formally agreed to joint use of the building, sharing all expenses equally. Congregations met on alternate Sundays.

1896 Lutheran and Reformed congregations terminated the agreement and separated. Lutheran congregation received $2,500 and a parcel of land to the west.

1899 Consecration of the first organ.

1906 Electrical fixtures replaced gas lights.

1912 Steam heating system installed.

1925 Extensive interior renovations resulted in the removal of the central pulpit and communion table in favor of the) current arrangement. Also, a Tellers-Kent pipe organ was presented to the congregation by W.W. Webber in memory of his mother.

1959 Groundbreaking held December 20th for educational building.

1960 Christian education buildings constructed to the rear of the church. Cornerstone laid on September 18th and dedicated on December 18th. A chancel rail and kneeling facilities added to sanctuary.

1961 St. John’s celebrates 150th anniversary in October.

1973 Schlicker organ dedicated June 3rd.

1987 Celebration of 175th anniversary on October 18th.

1988 Summit Avenue parking lot dedicated.

2011 Casavant organ is installed.

2012 St. John's celebrates 200 years!