About The Way Church
Let’s just get this out of the way: you didn’t come to this site primarily to read our welcome, but if you’re still reading, then it means we’ve got your attention for at least another 5 or 10 seconds. One of the many things our congregation enjoys about serving each other here is the family feel. It isn’t uncommon for visitors to share how welcome and friendly the people here are, whether they’re guests at worship or one of our kid-friendly family events offered throughout the year. That sense of community allows us to be real and to open up to each other a little more. Don’t worry, that doesn’t mean you’ll get put on the spot to share some feel-good testimony. Just don’t be surprised when someone comes up and sparks a conversation with you out of the blue.
We also don’t hide the fact that we are unapologetically confessionally Lutheran when it comes to what we believe. What does this mean? It means that we’re straight shooters – we believe it because it’s in the Bible. If it can’t be found there, then we don’t believe it, and we don’t bother believing it unless we can back it up from the Bible. Of course, it also means that our world revolves around Jesus Christ. He is why we’re here. His is the message we proclaim. His is the relationship we treasure the most.
That’s us, in a nutshell. If you’re still reading, then we were mistaken – we had your attention for longer than ten seconds. We hope to have it even longer in the future when you come spend some time with us in person!
What We Believe
John 3:16 has been called the gospel in a nutshell—and for good reason. In that one verse we're told all that we need to know for our salvation. God loves us. He sent his son to die for us. Believe it. So why do we need any further statements of belief?
Throughout the history of the Christian Church, errors have crept in challenging basic beliefs established in God's Word (for example, some deny that Jesus Christ is true God; others deny the concept of the Trinity – that God is in fact Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). The early church fathers drafted creeds, or statements of belief, to clarify these biblical truths. As WELS Lutherans, we hold to three main creeds that have been the pillars of Christianity for centuries: the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed.
In the 16th century, Martin Luther and other reformers addressed the false teachings and practices of the Roman Catholic Church. Luther came to see that sinners are saved by the grace of God as a result of Jesus Christ's perfect life and perfect death on the cross—not through any merit or effort of their own. Luther and others authored the six Lutheran confessions—to which we as WELS Lutherans still subscribe today because we believe they are a correct explanation of biblical truth.
In modern times, leaders within our own synod found it necessary to clarify the differences between us and other church bodies, particularly those that also call themselves Lutheran. If you'd like an expanded explanation of our specific beliefs, you'll find it here.
