I Statement of Faith:

The Lutheran faith grows out of the first thesis of the Ninety-Five Theses posted by Luther for debate in 1517 at the start of the Lutheran Reformation of the Church.

“When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said ‘Poenitentiam agite,’ he willed that the whole life of believers be one of repentance.”

So faith stems from Jesus and his Words. And this, then, results in a Christian life of repentance.

As reflected in the Confessions and Worship of the church since the time of the apostles, we believe in both the inspired infallibility and the sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures, the record of Jesus’ Words, as the rule and norm for the faith and life of all followers of Christ. Thus our confessions of faith are merely restatements (saying the same thing) as Scriptures say in the context of some confusion or denial of Biblical truths. Thus both pastors and their hearers in our church submit to the same Word of Christ, which is the church’s unity. Those holding office in the church are obeyed when they bring Christ’s Word and are forbidden and pledged not to add or subtract from it. So also, the mysteries, or Sacraments which Christ instituted in the church are not falsified by making them subject to and, thus, destroyed by a Christian’s understanding. This subjection to reason is done where Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are subjected to human judgment, are diminished and made less than Christ’s Words say they are, that is, as means of giving cross-won forgiveness, life and salvation and even the very Lord, Jesus, himself. These mysteries, as such, are received by faith, not reason and understanding.

We also believe that the key to understanding and applying Scripture is the person and work of Christ. All
passages of law in the Scripture are a mirror to show us our sin and unrighteousness, even after we come to faith in Christ, as the flesh still clings to us until physical death. The law tells us what Christ did in our place to fulfill by his holiness what sinners could not. It shows us what we desire to do in as much as we are Christians, but what our sin yet prevents us from doing perfectly in this life. Thus the law and its convicting sinners is preached to both believers and unbelievers. But this is to lead us to the Gospel. The Gospel shows us how we are saved from our sin, death and the perilous hell that awaits all sinners at the judgment day. The Gospel tells us of God’s grace in Christ Jesus alone. He bore our sin and God’s wrath for sin. So long as we are in faith in Christ we are under his protection and in his refuge and holiness, even while we are yet sinners. That is why the Christian life is a life of repentance. So long as we are sinners and he promises forgiveness we do not say we are without sin, for we would be deceiving ourselves and the truth (Christ) would not be in us. But we confess our sins, knowing that God is faithful and just and will forgive us all our unrighteousness (1 John 1. 8f). Thus our worship is
centered on God’s grace. We as sinners come and rejoice in Christ and his means of grace. We do not forsake this worship lest we forsake God and his grace and become lost. But we daily and weekly join together around Christ’s body and blood to be his body, the church. We struggle to confess him to the dying world so that others souls can be saved. And we ask God that we persevere in that faith by the power of the Spirit, lest we lose our crown.

II Lutheran Confessions

The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod accepts the Scriptures as the inspired and inerrant Word of God, and subscribes unconditionally to all the symbolical books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church as a true and unadulterated statement and exposition of the Word of God. We accept the Confessions because they are drawn from the Word of God and on that account regard their doctrinal content as a true and binding exposition of Holy Scripture and as authoritative for all pastors, congregations and other rostered church workers of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.

The Three Ecumenical or Universal Creeds

The Augsburg Confession

The Defense of the Augsburg Confession

The Large Catechism

The Small Catechism

The Smalcald Articles

Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope

The Epitome of the Formula of Concord

The Solid Declaration of the Formula of Concord

These texts are in the public domain and may be copied and distributed freely. The source of these translations is Triglot Concordia: The Symbolical Books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921).

III Our Mission to the world as recieved from our Lord:

18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Matthew 28:18-20 (NKJV)

IV Where does LAO fit in?

The Mission Statement of LAO:

To be a resource that provides members of the LCMS with the opportunity to connect with other Lutheran Christians, locally or nationally, with similar interests and demographics to build relationships that will be beneficial to their Christian walk:

Hold Fast, Encourage & Assemble!