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Can I take Communion at First Lutheran? |
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All baptized Christians are welcome at the Lord's Table. And if the process is unfamiliar (every church has its own habits for receiving the bread and wine), simple instructions are in the worship folder. While we gather near the altar for Communion, it is also distributed in the pews for those who may have difficulty coming forward. |
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Do I have to be baptized? |
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The baptismal requirement isn't a barrier to the Table - it's an encouragement and invitation to experience Baptism. Through water and the Word, Baptism expresses and affirms our rebirth into a new relationship with God. Baptism is the entrance into the new life that is in turn sustained and strengthened through the experience of Communion. Chat with a pastor to learn more. |
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Are Lutherans "born again" Christians? |
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It's been said that Lutherans are born again, and again, and again... We understand that every day offers an opportunity for rebirth - for the renewed experience of God's forgiveness, love, and assurance. Baptism is a once-for-all-time publicly witnessed expression of God's embrace. While many of us can point to a moment when Christ's influence in our lives became suddenly clear, most of us are aware that Christ had embraced us long before we recognized it, and for us life is a continual journey of growth into that understanding. |
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Do Lutherans practice adult baptism? |
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Yes, and children's baptism, and infant baptism. Some people come to faith as adults. After instruction in the faith, they are baptized after making their own expressions of faith and commitments to growth.
Most, however, were baptized as infants or young children. We believe that Baptism is God's act, and the baptized the recipient. Infants are presented by their parents and baptismal sponsors, who affirm their own faith and pledge to raise the child in the faith. Through their middle school years, youth receive extensive instruction in the faith and have the opportunity to explore their own developing questions and realizations. When they are ready, they take part int he rite of Affirmation of Baptism (often referred to as Confirmation), wherein they publicly affirm the promises their parents made, and undertake responsibility for their continuing lives of discipleship. |
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Do Lutherans have women pastors? |
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Not all Lutherans do, but the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the denomination to which First Lutheran belongs, has been ordaining women for 40 years. A number of former First Lutheran members - women and men - are now serving as pastors. |
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