CONGREGATIONAL INFORMATION & PROFILE Olivet Beacon of Light Lutheran Church 2100 Bainbridge St., La Crosse, WI Olivetlutheran.

Transcription

1 CONGREGATIONAL INFORMATION & PROFILE Olivet Beacon of Light Lutheran Church 2100 Bainbridge St., La Crosse, WI Olivetlutheran.org At Olivet, we believe that God touches our hearts during worship in all kinds of ways. For that reason, we offer three distinct styles of worship on the weekends. Saturday: 5:30pm Blended Worship Each week the Saturday service features a new order of service to coincide with the worship theme and offers a blend of contemporary music and American traditional hymns led by a praise band. Sunday: 8:00am Traditional Liturgical Worship Olivet s traditional service on Sunday mornings is led by organ, brass, flute and other instruments. Cantors take part in leading the hymnal worship music for this service. Sunday: 10:00am Celebration Worship A praise band leads contemporary music in an energetic atmosphere at this worship service. Each week the 10am service offers a customized worship service based on the sermon theme Holy Communion is offered the second and fourth weekend of the month and every Sunday at our 8:00am service. Each Sunday, while the adults are in grown-up church the kids are in Kids Church in the Fellowship Hall from 10 to 11 a.m. Kids Church is a time for kids ages 4 through 5th grade to worship God, sing praises and learn through age-appropriate lessons and activities. We open with a time of worship at a child-appropriate level and then go into our Preschool, K-2, 3-4 and 5th grade classes. Our focus this year: The Story. Children too young to participate in Kids Church will hear The Story read in the Nursery. Middle School Confirmation Wednesdays 6:45-8 p.m. for 6th through 8th graders September May. As a chapter from The Story is covered in weekend worship, middle schoolers will dig deeper on Wednesday nights exploring how they fit into God s great story of love for humankind. Adult Life Group Bible Studies Each of the following focus on the chapter of The Story covered the previous weekend in worship: Tuesdays: Women s Bible Breakfast 6:30-7:15 a.m. Women s Prayer Group 7:30 a.m. The Story for Women 9:15-10:15 a.m. Wednesdays: Co-ed Studies: 10 a.m. and 6:45 p.m. in the Library Life Group for Young Adults With Special Needs 6-6:45 p.m. The Story for Women 6:45-7:45 p.m. 1

2 Fridays: Men s Bible Breakfast 6:30-7:15 a.m. Men s Prayer Group 7:30 a.m. Sundays: Olivet Bible Fellowship 8:30-9:45 a.m. Leadership Structure Fractal Method. Its origins come from both Exodus 18 and from the way in which Jesus trained his disciples and the way Paul envisioned leadership development And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will teach others also. 2 Timothy 2:2 Fractalling is the constant repetition of something over and over. It is everyone training everyone to be a leader. In organic life it is seen in the way life replicates the same pattern over and over as seen in a simple leaf off of a tree. Every leader asks Who can I get to help me on this mission? and How can I break this project down into small enough pieces to include lots of people in the mission? We have four key components: Evangelism; Connections; Discipleship and Mission: 2

3 Congregation contact information: Dorothy Payne Church Administrator 2100 Bainbridge St. La Crosse, WI

4 Olivet History Please see attached history or visit our web site at Olivetlutheran.org Olivet is a member of the LCMC (Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ) which is an international association of Lutheran congregations who are free in Christ, accountable to one another, rooted in the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions and working together to fulfill Christ's Great Commission to go and make disciples of all nations. Mission, Vision and Values Mission Statement: Sharing the Light and the Love of Our Lord Vision Statement: "God is transforming us into a Beacon of His light and love. All people are welcome here, where God empowers us to use the gifts God has given us to go out into the world, caring for others and transforming lives spiritually." Olivet's Values: Faith in Jesus Christ Passion for the Gospel Spiritual Growth Prayer Biblical Teaching Discipleship Respect for all people Love, Honesty and Trust Evangelism Worship Fun and Joy Community Change What We Teach The Bible. We teach that the Holy Bible is the living word of God, inspired by God s Holy Spirit, and our final authority in matters of faith and life. (2 Timothy 3:16, Psalm 119:105) God. We teach that there is one God (Deuteronomy 6:4), eternally existing in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19, 2 Corinthians 13:13) Jesus Christ. We teach that Jesus Christ is both fully God and fully human, who by His death on the cross has re-deemed us. (1 Timothy 3:16, Isaiah 9:6, Colossians 1:15-20) The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit s supernatural gifts are available and operative today for all Christians. (Acts 2, 1 Corinthians 12:1-31, 14:1-25, Romans 12) Human Nature. We teach that human nature is sinful and is redeemed only through faith in Jesus Christ. (Romans 3:23) 4

5 Salvation. We teach that Christ alone (Acts 4:12, John 14:6) provides salvation. This salvation is a gift. ( Grace Ephesians 2:8-9) We teach that one can be certain of eternal life. ( Assurance John 5:24) We teach that we partake of this free gift of grace by faith alone (Romans 3:28, John 3:16), and thereby enter a lifelong process of change and growth. (Romans 12:2, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Galatians 2:20) The Church. We teach that we are a part of one true Church (Ephesians 4:4-6, Romans 12:5) made up of all who believe in Christ as Lord. We extend the hand of fellowship to all members of this universal Christian Church. (Romans 15:7) Prayer. We at Olivet are a people of prayer. We teach that God answers prayer and we encourage everyone to grow in prayer. (James 5:16, Matthew 18:18-20) Baptism and the Lord s Supper. We teach that Jesus instituted Holy Baptism and the Lord s Supper. We teach that God truly acts in these sacraments, and that our faith is essential for their effectiveness. (Mark 16:16, 1 Corinthians 11:29, John 3:16) Our Lutheran Heritage and Identity. We identify with the renewal movement begun in the Lutheran Reformation. We teach the Lutheran themes of grace through faith alone, scripture alone, and Christ alone. Changed Life. We believe that becoming a Christian leads to a changed life. (2 Corinthians 5:17) We call this change sanctification, which is a lifelong process of growth in selfless love, humility, service, stewardship, and holiness under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Change and growth are not optional for those saved by grace. (James 2:17, Romans 12:2) Because a good tree bears good fruit (Matthew 7:17-18), people justified by grace through faith act on that faith and will change and grow in Christ. (2 Peter 3:18, James 1:22, 2 Corinthians 3:18, 5:17, Ephesians 4:22-24) In addition We teach that the Bible is not conclusive on a specific age for a baptismal candidate and the amount of water for baptism. We encourage a sense of readiness and a zeal for the return of Christ, but leave view on the exact sequence and complexity/simplicity of the last things up to the individual believer. Practicing our Faith We teach that a full sexual relationship belongs within the boundaries of a publicly committed marriage between one man and one woman. (Genesis 2:24, Ephesians 5:31, Exodus 20:14, Romans 1:26-27) We teach the sanctity and defense of all human life including the unborn. (Deuteronomy 30:19, Jeremiah 1:5, Proverbs 31:8) We teach that we are to be proactive in peacemaking. (Ephesians 2:14, Matthew 5:9) We teach that Christians are to work actively to break down the barriers that divide people; especially those of race, economics, and gender. (Acts 10:34-35, Galatians 3:28) We do not believe that these distinctions will matter in heaven and teach that the church on earth should begin to mirror this eventual reality. (Matthew 6:10) 5

6 La Crosse, WI La Crosse is a city in and the county seat of La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States. Lying alongside the Mississippi River, La Crosse is the largest city on Wisconsin's western border. The estimated population in 2012 was 51,647. The city forms the core of, and is the principal city in the La Crosse Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of La Crosse County and Houston County, Minnesota, with a combined population of 135,298. La Crosse is a college town and is home to the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, Viterbo University, and Western Technical College. Recognized as a regional technology and medical hub, La Crosse frequently acquires top rankings in health, wellbeing, quality of life, and education. For a detailed profile on La Crosse, WI please go to 6