Our Beliefs

St. Mark Lutheran Church is a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). In 1988, three Lutheran denominations; the American Lutheran Church, the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches and the Lutheran Church in America, merged to become one of the largest Protestant denominations in North America, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Today the ELCA boasts over 5 million members in almost 11,000 congregations.

Rooted in our past...

Today's Lutheran churches are direct descendants of the Evangelical Reformation of the church begun by Martin Luther (1483-1546). As a professor at the University of Wittenberg, he was deeply involved in the study of and the teaching of the Bible. Luther was amazed at the differences between God's word and church practices. Corrupt officials, misguided religious practices, and unscrupulous fund raising projects abused the gospel. People were confused by a truth distorted by ignorance and superstition. Martin Luther began working for reform in the church.

	On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther touched off the reformation movement when he nailed ninety-five theses or propositions on the parish church door at Wittenberg. These theses became the basis for debating the issues facing the churches.
	In 1529, Luther published  his Small Catechism, a handbook of basic Christian instruction for the family and the congregation. Luther's Small Catechism includes the Ten Commandments; the Apostles' Creed; the Lord's Prayer; and questions and answers about baptism, confession and the sacrament of the altar; and a daily devotional for the family.
	For more information about Martin Luther and his works, please visit the Project Wittenberg web site.

Growing every day...

We believe that the Bible is God's word and that God reveals Himself to us through Jesus Christ. Because the Holy Spirit enlightens us to faith in Jesus Christ, we know and experience God's will, forgiveness, peace, salvation, and eternal life.

We are a community of people who gather to worship, praise and serve the Lord in the Tallmadge area. Through His healing, listening, accepting, and dying on the cross for us, Jesus Christ demonstrated true Christian care and love. God enables and moves us to love and care for others as He loves and cares for us.

The Gospel calls us to an unconditional regard and love for all people. We feel that everyone possess unique gifts from God. We welcome and encourage members to grow in their faith through the expression of these gifts.

More about Lutherans and our beliefs...

The ELCA has published several web pages on its web site that define the basic beliefs, practices, and sacraments of the Lutheran church and the ELCA. We invite you to visit these pages to learn more about our faith.

	What Lutherans Believe is an excellent starting point on exploring what Lutherans believe and practice. You will find brief answers to questions often asked about Lutherans and their faith.
	Confession of Faith, as it appears in the Constitution of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, expresses the basic beliefs of Lutherans..
	A Brief Description of Christianity and Lutheranism describes what is the Church and what is the Lutheran Church.