Mt. Olive Lutheran Church is part of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), a body of over 6,100 congregations throughout the United States and the world. Along with the other congregations in the LCMS, we believe, teach, and confess the following:
God
We believe in the Triune God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) who is revealed in Scripture and has been confessed by the church in the three Ecumenical Creeds (Apostles', Nicene, and Athanasian).
The Bible
We believe the Holy Bible to be the true Word of God and the only source and standard of Christian belief and life.
Humanity
We believe that all people are sinners, not just because of our specific actions, but because of the sinful nature we have inherited. Our sin separates us from God.
Jesus Christ
As Martin Luther states in his Small Catechism:
I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord. Who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true.
Salvation
If left to our own work, salvation would be impossible. Salvation is not something that we can earn. It is something that has been earned for us by Jesus Christ through His death and resurrection and is given to us freely. We receive it by Grace, through Faith.
Baptism
Baptism is not the work of man. It is God's work. The Bible teaches that through the waters of Holy Baptism God gives us his Holy Spirit and grants us the forgiveness of sins.
Since Baptism is God's work, not ours, and since ALL people are in need of the gifts Baptism offers, at we welcome people of any age to be Baptized. If you wish to be baptized or to have your child baptized, please contact the church office to set up a meeting with Pastor Koschmann.
Communion
At Mt. Olive Lutheran Church, we celebrate Holy Communion on the first and third Sunday of each month. The following Communion statement is found in our bulletin each Communion Sunday:
As a member of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), Holy Communion is celebrated at Mt Olive Lutheran Church in the glad confidence that our Lord, as His Word says, gives not only bread and wine, but also His true Body and Blood for us to eat and drink for the forgiveness of sins and the strengthening of our faith. Our Lord invites to His table those who believe He is truly present in this meal, repent of all sin, and set aside any refusal to forgive as He forgives us.
Because the Bible teaches that this Sacrament may also be abused, and that participation in the Lord’s Supper is an act of confession of faith, the LCMS ordinarily communes only those who have been instructed in the teachings of our church and who have confessed their faith in these teachings.
All are invited to the Lord’s table. Those who share our confession of faith and who wish to commune are asked to extend their hands outward to receive the Sacrament. Others who have come forward will receive a blessing from the pastor. If you have any questions about this Communion statement, you are encouraged to speak with Pastor Koschmann. Thank you for respecting and honoring our Communion practice.
For further study, see Matthew 5:23f.; 10:32f.; 18:15-35; 26:26-29; 1 Cor. 11:17-34.
But wait... There's more!
There is no way for us to possibly convey everything that we believe through our website. If you have any questions about the Christian faith or the Lutheran church, please feel free to speak with Pastor Koschmann or join us for Bible study on Sunday. In the meantime, you can read even more about what we believe HERE.