FAQ

In the Bible, Jesus gives the command: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” (Matthew 28:19).  We baptize people because we are commanded by Jesus himself to do so.

We believe that baptism is the entrance rite to church membership. We do not view baptism as being “something nice” that we do for the baby or the baby’s family – we see it as the beginning of a lifelong commitment. After you have worshiped here a few times, we would be happy to meet with you and talk to you about the sacrament of baptism.

At St.  Paul’s, every service, every week, we have an open communion table.  That means that if you believe that Jesus is present in the bread and wine of communion, you are welcome at the communion table. We do believe that a person should be baptized before coming for communion, but even a non-baptized person can come forward for a word of blessing. We do not ask that you be a member of this congregation to commune, not do we ask that you be a Lutheran to commune. We ask that you believe in the saving, forgiving power of this meal.

We also provide grape juice, for those who prefer that over wine. We teach that if you receive the bread, you have received a full communion. We teach that if you receive the wine/grape juice, you have received a full communion. We also offer gluten-free communion bread

By joining our congregation, you get to experience what it is like to be a part of something that is larger than you. You become part of a congregation that has proven that it makes a difference in the lives of people, both inside and outside the walls of the congregation. You are given opportunities to use your God-given gifts in the ministry of transforming lives. As your life at St. Paul’s changes you, in turn, will go from here and change others’ lives. By joining St. Paul’s, you get a better understanding of what it means to be a steward: a steward of your own self, of your finances, and of the many resources with which God has blessed you.

We see the marriage ceremony as one of the worship services of the congregation. In that regard, we tend not to do “off the street” weddings, but offer this worship opportunity to those who have demonstrated a commitment to the ministry of the Church. Call the church office (609.267.0740) to begin this conversation.

Members of the congregation are given free use of the Parish Hall, once the date of use has been scheduled on the church calendar. We do not provide paper products or food, and you are expected to clean the room to the state it was when you entered. The Parish Hall is NOT available to any for-profit group.

The Lutheran Church is actually a break-off from the Roman Catholic Church, so there are very many similarities between the two. We rely heavily on God’s grace is all we teach, preach and do. In the Lutheran Church, 1) pastors are allowed to be married, 2) pastors can be women, 3) decisions are made by an elected Congregation Council, 4) we believe that the Spirit of Jesus is present in, with, through and under the bread and wine of communion, but the bread remains bread and the wine remains wine, 5) we do not subscribe to the divine authority of the Pope, 6) confession of sins can be made within the corporate body of the congregation, 7) we believe in the priesthood of all believers, allowing lay people several of the sacred responsibilities (baptism in an emergency, absolution, preaching) normally reserved for ordained clergy, and 8) we believe there are two sacraments: baptism and Holy Communion.

We are Bible based and Christ centered. We offer worship services with a liturgical structure that is rooted in church history. We are willing to debate some of the issues presented in Holy Scripture to help keep those issues fresh in the hearts and minds of worshipers and learners. We are willing to baptize someone at any age. We believe that God has given each of us the gift of freewill and allows us to use the independence God has given us to make choices, knowing full well that sometimes we make wrong choices. We believe that Scripture is the inspired Word of God, but that it is also a living Word, applicable in different ways now than it was when it was written.

Yes! Every Sunday during the academic year, we gather in the Parish Hall at 10:00 for spirited singing, sharing and learning. The lessons are parallel to the lessons in worship.

Yes! Monday night study meets in our Study House (behind the sanctuary); Tuesday night study meets in the same building; Thursday morning study meets in the Study House.