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Who are Lutherans?
What do Lutherans believe?
What should I expect when I visit?
When are the worship services held, and
what are they like?
What is Holy Communion?
Can I receive Communion?
Is there any kind of preparation for those
who have never received Holy Communion?
What does All Saints offer me (and my
family)?
Do you have a Sunday school?
Is there a nursery?
How can I become a member?
What is Baptism?
How can I schedule a baptism?
What is Confirmation?
Do I have to be a member to participate in
the ministries and programs at All Saints?
Who are Lutherans?
Lutherans are evangelical Christians who believe in the
Good News (Gospel) of God’s love and forgiveness in
Jesus Christ. Martin Luther challenged the Church of his
day (in the 16th century) to return to the Bible as the
authoritative source and norm for the Christian faith,
and also rediscovered the biblical truth that human
beings are only saved by God’s grace through faith in
Christ. The term “Lutheran” actually began as an insult
used by Luther’s opponents against those who followed
his teachings and shared his beliefs. Luther himself,
however, always tried to discourage his supporters from
calling themselves Lutherans since they really follow
Jesus Christ, not Martin Luther. All Saints is a
congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America (ELCA), the largest Lutheran church body in the
United States.
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What do Lutherans
believe?
There are several core Lutheran beliefs...
Justification by grace through faith: For
Lutherans, this is the heart of the gospel. Basing his
position on Paul’s letters to the Romans and the
Galatians in the New Testament, Luther believed that we
are made right with God (justified) only through the
gift of faith. Faith is not primarily intellectual
(having the right knowledge about God) or emotional (how
hard or how sincerely one believes). Instead, faith is
relational. It is a form of trust. We are justified
through faith because faith alone trusts God’s promise
of forgiveness for Jesus’ sake.
Grace alone, faith alone, scripture alone:
At times human traditions and teachings may be helpful,
but the Christian faith can only be based on God’s
unconditional love (grace), the power of a trusting
faith in Jesus Christ, and the teachings of God’s word
as contained in Holy Scripture.
Law and Gospel: Lutherans have a
distinctive way of reading the Scriptures, based on
Luther’s insight that God’s word comes to us in two
forms – law and gospel. The law, as command, tells
people what they should do (and then reminds them of
their sinfulness when they do not do it). The gospel, as
promise, tells us what God in Christ has already done
for us. In other words, the law “accuses” us, and the
gospel “frees” us.
Theology of the cross: A theology of the
cross points us to a God who put aside divine
characteristics to become human, to suffer and to die.
It is a constant reminder of what God in Christ has done
for us, and a constant critique of human expectations
that simply focus on the majesty and power of God (a
theology of glory) apart from God’s decisive action in
human history centered in the cross of Jesus Christ.
Saint and sinner: Luther described
Christians as “simultaneously saint and sinner.” We are
not one or the other (all good or all bad), but both at
the same time. Our ongoing rebellion against God makes
us sinners. But our trusting faith in Christ makes it
possible for us to be saints through God’s grace.
Means of grace: The word “means” refers to
how things actually happen. Lutherans believe that grace
“happens” when the good news is preached, when someone
is baptized, and when we receive the Lord’s Supper.
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What should I
expect when I visit?
When you visit All Saints Lutheran Church you should
expect to find a warm, caring and welcoming community of
faith. Our guests come away marveling at how well they
have been received and accepted. We are not a large
congregation at the present time so you will never get
“lost” or be ignored. And as we grow in numbers, we are
committed to maintaining this level of closeness and
caring
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When are the
worship services held, and what are they like?
Currently, there is one Sunday worship service
that alternates between "Celebration" and
"Traditional". The
“Celebration” service (8:30) is more informal with
musical accompaniment provided by the “Celebration Band”
and typically features more contemporary hymns and
praise songs. The “Traditional” service (11:00), as the
name implies, is a traditional Lutheran liturgy using
one of the settings from the Lutheran Book of Worship
(LBW) or With One Voice (WOV). Musical accompaniment is
provided by organ or piano and this service features our
Chancel Choir. Both services, however, use the same
scripture lessons and the pastor preaches the same
sermon.
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What is Holy
Communion?
Holy Communion, or the Lord’s Supper, was instituted by
Jesus Christ on the night of his betrayal. We believe
that at the table of our Lord Jesus Christ, God
nourishes faith, forgives sin, and calls us to be
witnesses to the Gospel (the Good News of Jesus Christ).
At All Saints, we celebrate Holy Communion weekly at
each service.
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Can I receive
Communion?
As Lutherans, we believe in the “real presence” of Jesus
Christ in the Sacrament of Holy Communion (also known as
the “Lord’s Supper” or the “Eucharist”). The Augsburg
Confession states: “It is taught among us that the true
body and blood of Christ are really present in the
Supper of our Lord under the form of bread and wine and
are there distributed and received.” (Article X) All
baptized Christians who accept Christ’s presence in the
sacrament are invited to participate in the Lord’s
Supper with us and to receive Communion, whether they
are members of the congregation or not.
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Is there any kind
of preparation for those who have never received Holy
Communion?
In the case of baptized adults or older teens, Pastor
Don
is always available to meet with you to discuss the
meaning of Communion and answer any questions you might
have. Just call the church office to make an
appointment. In the case of younger children, the
congregation offers “First Communion” classes, normally
once a year. Once again, you can call the church office
to inquire when the next First Communion class will be
held.
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What does All
Saints offer me (and my family)?
At All Saints we are committed to discovering the
abundant life in Jesus Christ. Our worship, Christian
education, fellowship, and ministry efforts are all
geared to helping both adults and children find the kind
of meaning, purpose and fulfillment in life that is only
possible through a personal relationship with Jesus
Christ and then sharing that walk of faith with other
Christians.
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Do you have a
Sunday school?
Yes. Sunday school is held before
worship
service, beginning at 9:00 a.m. and running for
approximately 60 minutes (10:45 a.m.). There are classes
for every age group, including several adult classes.
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Is there a
nursery?
Yes. We offer a nursery for toddlers on Sunday mornings,
staffed by a paid attendant. In addition, we also have a
“cry room” at the rear of our nave (sometimes referred
to as a “sanctuary”) that is equipped with sound, for
those who find it necessary to step out of the worship
service with infants or other young children.
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How can I become a
member?
We regularly have new member gatherings in which the
Christian faith and the mission and ministry of All
Saints Lutheran Church are described in greater detail.
At any time, you can inquire about the next new member
gathering by calling or emailing the church office, or
speaking to Pastor Don directly.
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What is Baptism?
As Martin Luther once wrote, “In Baptism God forgives
sin, delivers us from death and the devil, and gives
everlasting salvation to all who believe what he has
promised.” In the waters of Baptism we are reborn as
children of God, and made members of the Church (which
is the body of Christ) and inheritors of eternal life.
As Lutherans, we baptize people of all ages, including
infants, because we believe that God reaches out to us
(not the other way around!) and faith is a “gift” of
baptism through the work of the Holy Spirit, not an
eligibility requirement.
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How can I schedule
a baptism?
Pastor Don would love to talk with you about baptism.
Just call the church office to set up an appointment
with him. Baptisms at All Saints take place during the
Sunday morning worship service.
Since individuals become members of All Saints Lutheran
Church through baptism, it is customary for the other
family members (especially parents, if the one being
baptized is an infant or child) to unite with the
congregation at the very same time. Exceptions to this
practice need to be discussed with the pastor.
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What is
Confirmation?
Confirmation is a special time in the lives of young
people when, after a two-year period of study in the
Christian faith, they publicly affirm their baptism
during a Sunday morning worship service. Currently, the
confirmation program at All Saints is designed for those
in the 7th and 8th grades. Confirmation Sunday is
typically scheduled for the Day of Pentecost. A young
person who has not been baptized is normally baptized at
the time they begin the confirmation program. Baptized
adults who wish to become confirmed members of the
congregation may do so through the new member process.
Adults who have not been baptized also go through the
new member process and an additional period of
instruction with the pastor.
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Do I have to be a
member to participate in the ministries and programs at
All Saints?
No! Guests are always welcome to our worship services,
programs, and events. However, we do believe that the
Holy Spirit “calls” and “gathers” the Christian church.
Thus, we also believe that uniting with a local church
or congregation through membership is an integral part
of the individual’s walk of faith.
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Still have questions?
E-mail the church office at
office@aslc.org with any questions or concerns and he
will get back to you as soon as possible.
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All Saints
Lutheran Church | 722 Rockbridge Rd. SW, Lilburn, GA 30047 | T -
770.923.7283
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