First of all, we believe that we as a human beings have a fundamental problem. To say the least, we are not what we are meant to be. We have failed to keep God’s will, expressed to us in the 10 Commandments. Therefore we are subject to and deserve nothing but death now and eternally. This is our basic problem as human beings when we are born into the world.

But we believe that God did not leave us alone in this problem. Rather he has acted. He has revealed himself to us through his Word. He has shown us that he is the Father who created all things; that he sent his only Son, Jesus, to rescue us from sin and death by his life, death, and resurrection for the world; that he sends his Holy Spirit to unite us to Christ to share in his resurrection from the dead and obtain eternal life. God’s revelation of himself, written in the inspired words of the Scriptures (or the writings of the Prophets and Apostles), is summarized in the words of the three ancient Creeds of the church: the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed.

The Nicene Creed

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried. And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures and ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father. And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church, I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins, and I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Since God has revealed himself to us again, we call on him in prayer. We call on him especially using that prayer Jesus gave us: the Lord’s Prayer. We believe that God is our Father again through faith in Jesus, and that he truly hears us whenever we speak to him in prayer.

We also believe that God has given to his church the gift of the Sacrament of Baptism. Baptism is a work of God, in which water is poured over a person while speaking God’s Words: “I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.” Baptism is a powerful work of God by which a person is joined to Jesus' own death and resurrection and receives the gifts of life and salvation through faith in him.

We also believe that God has given his church the authority to forgive sins on earth. Therefore when we come together for church services, we confess our sins to God, and hear the minister declare the forgiveness of sins to us. Because of what Jesus said about confession and forgiveness, we can be confident that our sins are truly forgiven when we hear they are forgiven.

We also believe Jesus has given us another Sacrament called the Lord’s Supper, or the Eucharist, or Holy Communion. In it we eat and drink Jesus’ true body and blood under bread and wine which has been consecrated by the words Jesus gave us. As we receive his body and blood we remember his great love for us by dying for us on the cross, and we look forward to meeting him in at his return. In this Sacrament Jesus is truly present with us, forgiving us our sins and giving us new life through faith until then.