O U R W O R S H I P

Order of Service

Colossians 3:16-17 – Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing, psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Our Order of Worship

  • Invocation—We call on the name of our Savior God as we praise Him.

  • Confession and Absolution—We acknowledge that we have not done what God asks and have sinned. Then, we are assured of forgiveness because of what Jesus Christ has done for us.

  • The Word—We hear selections from the Old Testament and the New Testament with a brief explanation of each reading.

  • Response to the Word—We respond with Hymns, Psalms, prayers, and offerings for the things God has promised to us and for the strength to do what he has asked.

  • Creed—Statement of our beliefs.

  • Holy Communion—We practice member Communion with those who are members of WELS or ELS congregations. We offer Communion on the 1st & 3rd Sunday of every month.

  • Offering—We give to help the Lord’s work in our community and around the world.

  • Blessing—We hear one last assurance of God’s care.

What We Believe

The Bible, Creeds, and Confessions

The Bible and Lutherans teach that the Bible is the true word of God. It is inspired by the Holy Spirit. This means that God breathed into the writers the exact thoughts and words they were to write. As a result, every statement in the Bible is the truth. One part of the Bible explains another part. It is the only guideline for the faith and life of Christians. We are to read and study it diligently. It clearly teaches all we need to know to obtain our eternal salvation.

The Lutheran church recognizes three ancient creeds as accurate expressions of Bible teaching: the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed. For more regarding these creeds, please click this link.

https://wels.net/about-wels/what-we-believe/creeds/

Martin 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 – The Small Catechism, The Large Catechism, The Augsburg Confession, The Apology (Defense) of the Augsburg Confession, Smalcald Articles and The Formula of Concord. For information on these confessions, please click this link.

https://wels.net/about-wels/what-we-believe/lutheran-confessions/

Baptism

The Bible teaches that baptism is a holy act. It is instituted by God. Using water and God’s Word it offers and gives the forgiveness of sins, spiritual life, and eternal salvation. It is meant for young and old, including children. Infants also are sinful and therefore need the spiritual rebirth brought about through baptism.

Matthew 28:19 – “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”

John 3:5,6 – Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to the spirit.”

Mark 16:16 – “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”

Member Communion

The Bible and Lutherans teach that Holy Communion is a holy act instituted by Christ. Together with bread and wine we receive Jesus’ true body and blood. In this special meal Jesus gives the forgiveness of sins, strengthens our faith, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe. Only people who repent of their sins and receive proper instruction in the Christian faith should be admitted to this sacrament.

The Bible teaches that the Lord’s Supper is a unique communion of Christ and the individual believer as well as a coming together of people who hold to the same beliefs.

Matthew 26:26-28 – While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

1 Corinthians 10:16 – Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?

1 Corinthians 11:28 – Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup.

Because of these Scriptural truths, we practice member communion at New Hope. To ensure that everyone receives this sacrament to their spiritual benefit and not harm, we invite members to come forward. If you have not communed with us before, please first speak with the pastor before joining us.