God's Vision for the Neighborhood
We believe God's vision for Rotterdam, Schenectady County and the greater Capital Region is a community grounded in human connection and sustainability*, where everyone can live abundantly, where everyone can learn from our diversity and where everyone can live free from fear.
*We define sustainability as “addressing present economic, social and environmental realities without compromising the ability of future generations to do the same.”
*We define sustainability as “addressing present economic, social and environmental realities without compromising the ability of future generations to do the same.”
Our Core Values
We are a welcoming and inviting congregation.
Grounded in Ephesians 2:14, "For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us," in response to God’s unconditional love for all people, and in our belief that all people are beloved of God and made in the image of God, we therefore welcome and actively invite people of all ages, races, ethnicities, nationalities, sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions, relationship statuses, socioeconomic statuses, disabilities, and mental and physical conditions into full participation in the body of Christ. We believe that these things make the church diverse, beautiful, and reflective of God, and we therefore affirm the beauty, value, and gifts of each and every person.
We commit to striving continually to become a welcoming, affirming, and celebrating community. We commit to the work of anti-racism, in institutions and internally, interpersonal and structurally. We commit to breaking down dividing walls and building a community where each and every person would know they are loved, affirmed, and celebrated by God.”
We are a proactive congregation.
Grounded in Acts 1:8, “…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth,” we believe the Holy Spirit empowers and leads us as we prayerfully take risks, develop innovative ministries and get to work witnessing to Christ through word and deed.
We are a learning congregation.
Grounded in Psalm 25: 4-5, “Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long,” we believe that justified by grace we can freely question, discover and grow in our understanding of the Good News of Jesus Christ through worship, faith formation, social action and fellowship.
We are a socially engaged congregation.
Grounded in Micah 6:8, “What does the Lord require of you but do justice, and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God,” we believe acts of individual service and striving for peace and justice, grounded in prayer and worship, all go hand in hand. Guided by the canonical Old and New Testaments, the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds, and the confessional documents and social statements of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, we serve our neighborhood as a safe place for difficult conversations about the social issues of our time. In collaboration with interfaith and ecumenical partners, nonprofits, businesses and local government, we serve Christ in the face of our neighbors.
We are a congregation together.
Grounded in Ecclesiastes 4: 9;12,“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up the other; but woe to one who is alone and falls and does not have another to help... A threefold cord is not quickly broken,” we believe no one is created to live alone. A diverse family of imperfect people, we celebrate together and worship together, eat together and sing together, serve together and discern together, journeying through life together in community with Christ and one another.
Grounded in Ephesians 2:14, "For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us," in response to God’s unconditional love for all people, and in our belief that all people are beloved of God and made in the image of God, we therefore welcome and actively invite people of all ages, races, ethnicities, nationalities, sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions, relationship statuses, socioeconomic statuses, disabilities, and mental and physical conditions into full participation in the body of Christ. We believe that these things make the church diverse, beautiful, and reflective of God, and we therefore affirm the beauty, value, and gifts of each and every person.
We commit to striving continually to become a welcoming, affirming, and celebrating community. We commit to the work of anti-racism, in institutions and internally, interpersonal and structurally. We commit to breaking down dividing walls and building a community where each and every person would know they are loved, affirmed, and celebrated by God.”
We are a proactive congregation.
Grounded in Acts 1:8, “…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth,” we believe the Holy Spirit empowers and leads us as we prayerfully take risks, develop innovative ministries and get to work witnessing to Christ through word and deed.
We are a learning congregation.
Grounded in Psalm 25: 4-5, “Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long,” we believe that justified by grace we can freely question, discover and grow in our understanding of the Good News of Jesus Christ through worship, faith formation, social action and fellowship.
We are a socially engaged congregation.
Grounded in Micah 6:8, “What does the Lord require of you but do justice, and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God,” we believe acts of individual service and striving for peace and justice, grounded in prayer and worship, all go hand in hand. Guided by the canonical Old and New Testaments, the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds, and the confessional documents and social statements of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, we serve our neighborhood as a safe place for difficult conversations about the social issues of our time. In collaboration with interfaith and ecumenical partners, nonprofits, businesses and local government, we serve Christ in the face of our neighbors.
We are a congregation together.
Grounded in Ecclesiastes 4: 9;12,“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up the other; but woe to one who is alone and falls and does not have another to help... A threefold cord is not quickly broken,” we believe no one is created to live alone. A diverse family of imperfect people, we celebrate together and worship together, eat together and sing together, serve together and discern together, journeying through life together in community with Christ and one another.
God's Purpose for Our Congregation
We are a Spirit filled congregation grounded in Jesus Christ, nourishing our local community in body, mind and soul.
Saved by grace, renewed by worship and set free by the love of God, we collaborate with like-minded individuals and organizations to feed the hungry, bridge divides and build a sustainable neighborhood in Rotterdam, Schenectady and the wider Capital Region of New York.
Our congregation confesses the Triune God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Through our preaching and teaching, we proclaim the gospel as the renewing power of God for all of creation.
Saved by grace, renewed by worship and set free by the love of God, we collaborate with like-minded individuals and organizations to feed the hungry, bridge divides and build a sustainable neighborhood in Rotterdam, Schenectady and the wider Capital Region of New York.
Our congregation confesses the Triune God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Through our preaching and teaching, we proclaim the gospel as the renewing power of God for all of creation.
Our Beliefs
As a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, we identify the Old and New Testaments, the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed and the Lutheran confessional writings contained in the Book of Concord as the basis for our teaching. Every Sunday in worship we hear God’s word from the Scriptures, pray as Jesus taught and come to Holy Communion to be set free by the liberating love of Christ. Throughout the week we live by faith, serving others freely and generously in all we do, trusting God’s promise in the gospel.
In baptism, we covenant to imperfectly live out the following promises:
1) to live among God’s faithful people,
2) to hear the word of God and share in the Lord’s supper,
3) to proclaim the Good News of God in Christ through word and deed,
4) to serve all people, following the example of Jesus,
5) to strive for justice and peace in all the earth.
A more detailed resource from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America explaining our five baptismal promises can be found by clicking the button below.
In baptism, we covenant to imperfectly live out the following promises:
1) to live among God’s faithful people,
2) to hear the word of God and share in the Lord’s supper,
3) to proclaim the Good News of God in Christ through word and deed,
4) to serve all people, following the example of Jesus,
5) to strive for justice and peace in all the earth.
A more detailed resource from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America explaining our five baptismal promises can be found by clicking the button below.