About Trinity Lutheran Church, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario

+ About Trinity +

In joyful obedience to the mandate of our crucified, risen, and reigning Lord Jesus Christ to “make disciples of all nations” by baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and by teaching them to hold fast to everything He has entrusted to his disciples (Matthew 28:19-20), we, the baptized people of God gathered by His grace at Trinity Lutheran Church in Niagara-on-the- Lake, commit ourselves to:

+ the preaching and teaching of Jesus Christ crucified for the forgiveness of sins from the Holy Scriptures, which are the true font and source of Israel, to the goal of repentance and the forgiveness of sins in Jesus' name;

+ ongoing catechesis* of all ages from the Holy Scriptures, the Lutheran Confessions, particularly the Small and Large Catechisms, and the orthodox liturgy and hymnody of the Lutheran tradition;

+ prayer, both corporate and private, for all needs and circumstances of people, and the instruction and encouragement of every member in the devotional life of study and prayer;

+ the witness of every member within his or her calling and position in life as a member of Christ's royal priesthood anointed in Holy Baptism, and the intentional outreach by the congregation to the surrounding community;

+ first-fruits, proportionate thankoffering, both corporately and individually, as a tangible and concrete expression of our gratitude to God for His manifold gifts to us;

+ the recruiting, training, and support of future pastors and teachers of the church and the support and sending of missionaries, at home and abroad, in cooperation with other congregations who share a common confession of the Christian faith with us.

*For those unfamiliar with the term “catechesis, Concordia Catechetical Academy offers the following great definition:

Catechesis is God's way of teaching to convert sinners to the new life of faith in Christ for the forgiveness of sins.

Teaching the Word of God and passing on the language of our holy faith, so that the baptized learn...

+ how to receive God's gifts in the Divine Service,
+ how to pray,
+ how to confess,
+ and how to live

As a congregation, we pray that we will be…

Strongly in the Word so that…

+ we believe personally the good news of the forgiveness of our sin through the life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and joyfully apply this Gospel message to our daily life.
+ the study of the Holy Scriptures is a high priority for us personally, for our families, and for our congregation.

People-sensitive and Christ-centred so that...

+ we reflect the love of Christ in our lives as we care and show concern for those around us.
+ in response to the Gospel, we extend care and compassion to hurting people, caring for their spiritual needs and for their physical needs.
+ we are sensitive to the diversity of cultures and the variety of needs among our own membership and among the unchurched in their communities.
+ working together with sister congregations, our district and our Synod, we equip professional church workers and lay members to meet the challenges and opportunities for service to God in the 21st century.

Reaching out boldly with the Gospel so that...

+ more people in our community, our nation and throughout the world are drawn by the Holy Spirit to believe that Jesus Christ, God's Son, is their only Saviour from sin and their only hope for eternal life with God.
+ we reach out boldly with the Gospel of Jesus Christ to our community, inviting others into our midst in order to receive the grace of God through Word and Sacrament.
+ we, by God's grace and blessing, experience numerical growth.
+ we work together with our district and Synod to bring the Gospel message to more and more people throughout Canada across a wide variety of cultures.

Faithful to the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions so that...

+ we prize highly that which we as an Evangelical Lutheran church believe, teach and confess.
+ we provide a bold witness to our Scriptural and Confessional faith, in both word and deed.
+ we are a genuine Gospel-centered, Word and Sacrament based, community of faith.
+ the goals and priorities of our congregation flow from and are shaped by the Holy Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions.

Marked by peace and unity so that...

+ we build and strengthen the bond of peace and unity among us and by the grace of God overcome divisions, acknowledge legitimate differences and eliminate roadblocks to the work of the Holy Spirit.
+ we joyfully trust and support one another in our common mission and ministry.

Adapted from the Fivefold Vision Statement of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod