Doctrinal Statement of Lucerne Community Church

Our doctrinal statement identifies the core beliefs of the congregation, voted on and approved by our members in our church By-Laws. The list serves to provide those essential elements of belief to our Christian faith. The Bible tells us that Jesus is with us whenever two or three are gathered in his name (Matthew 18:20). Likewise, experience tells us that disagreement exists whenever two or three gather as well. While we may not agree on every possible point of theology, our doctrinal statement articulates our fundamental unity with each other in God as made possible through our Father in heaven, our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. 

Points of belief not expressed in our doctrinal statement are considered secondary. As such, they are left to the discernment of each believer as each works out their own salvation (Philippians 2:12). And when discussion around those secondary beliefs occur, each person should express their views with patience, gentleness, and humility. But, moreover, we should do so with love, remembering Paul’s word to the Corinthians:

If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3

Purpose, Mission, and Vision of the Church

Lucerne Community Church is organized for the purpose of glorifying God. To this end, our mission is to promote an understanding of and an obedient response to the Word of God. Our vision is to build a unified community of worshiping and growing disciples that will be equipped and deployed to evangelize to the lost and to build up fellow believers in the faith.

Doctrinal Beliefs of the Church

“In essentials: unity in nonessentials: charity; in all things: Jesus Christ!”

This church affirms the following as its fundamental beliefs about:

The Holy Bible both Old and New Testaments, to be the in­spired Word of God, without error in the original writings, the complete revelation of His will for the salva­tion of mankind and the Divine and final authority for all Christian faith and life.

In one God, Creator of all things, infinitely perfect and eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

That Jesus Christ is true God and true man, having been con­ceived of the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary. He died on the cross a sacrifice for our sins accord­ing to the Scriptures. Further, He arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven, where at the right hand of the Majesty on High, He now is our High Priest and Advocate.

That the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ, and during this age to convict the world, regenerate the believing sinner, indwell, guide, instruct, and empower the believer for godly liv­ing and service.

That humanity was created in the image of God but fell into sin and is therefore lost and only through regeneration by the Holy Spirit can salvation and spiritual life be obtained.

That the true Church is com­posed of all such persons who through saving faith in Jesus Christ have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit and are united together in the body of Christ of which He is the head.

That only those who are thus members of the true Church shall be eligible for membership in the Lucerne Community Church.

That Jesus Christ is the Lord and Head of the Church, and that the Lucerne Community Church has the right under Christ to decide and govern its own affairs.

That water baptism and the Lord’s Supper are ordinances to be observed by the Church during the present age. They are, however, not to be regarded as means of sal­vation.

That the shed blood of Jesus Christ and His resurrection provide the only ground for justifica­tion and salvation for all who believe, and only such as receive Jesus Christ are born of the Holy Spirit, and thus become children of God.

In the personal and imminent coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and that this “Blessed Hope” has a vital bearing on the personal life and service of the believer.

In the bodily resurrection of the dead; of believers to everlasting blessedness and joy with the Lord, of the unbeliever to judgment and everlasting separation from God