stpaulsmi.com - Church Statement

Overview of St. Pauls:

Established in 1926
Seven pastors in 78 years
Member of the English District, one of thirty-five districts of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.
Pastor David A. Rutter, MDiv, Concordia Theological Seminary, Ft. Wayne, IN, 1993.

Church Statement and Beliefs:

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church is a caring congregation which seeks to remain faithful to the Word of God. Our message is “Christ crucified for the sins of all people, that only in Jesus Christ is Eternal Life”. We endeavor to faithfully preach and teach the Word of God through which the Holy Spirit builds the Church. Visitors who later join the congregation testify to the love within the congregation that they observed and personally received during their first visit. We are a warm congregation, strict in our beliefs and practices, and alive with Christ in our hearts. You are always welcome to the weekly services or any of the programs stated below. For further information about our beliefs, please refer to the section entitled, “Theological Statements and Beliefs”.

Besides the two worship services, within the congregation exist many opportunities for spiritual growth.

For adults, we offer Bible study on Sunday mornings and during the week, and a thorough instruction course, “God’s Word and your Religion”, detailing the doctrines of the Lutheran church, not only for purposes of review and refreshment, but also for anyone interested in the beliefs of the Lutheran Church, and/or toward becoming a Lutheran.

For children, we offer Sunday School at 9:45, utilizing excellent Bible-based materials from Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO, and a 15-minute opening session in which many hymns and the 23rd Psalm are learned over the course of a year. Catechism instruction for children begins in the 5th grade with a 2-year program introducing many of the Bible stories, and continues in the 7th grade for 2 more years during which Martin Luther’s Small Catechism is taught, as well as numerous Bible verses and some hymn texts. All courses are taught by the Pastor. We also offer periodically a Saturday morning Puppet Program in which the Word and love of God is shared, an annual Spring Egg Hunt, a weeklong summer Vacation Bible School program, and a Youth Group for children in the 7th through 12th grades. Please call and request to be placed on our mailing list for these wonderful programs.

In addition, we offer a Wednesday Noon Prayer Service, approximately 30 minutes in duration, during which a Biblical text is read, a hymn sung, and prayers offered both silently and audibly by the pastor, who receives requests from the assembled congregation.

Within the congregation also exist many opportunities for service in the Kingdom of God.

The Stephen Ministry program is active and a blessing to many, as several trained members of the congregation regularly visit and pray with others who are having difficulties. The Sweet Dreams Pillowcase Project meets monthly to manufacture colorful pillowcases for the children at St. John Hospital and the Van Elslander Cancer Center. The Warming Hearts Project meets monthly to knit and crochet goods for those in need. In addition, the congregation supports a food-pantry, sends monthly donations to church-body missionaries and periodic donations to local charities and various Right to Life organizations.

Opportunities to serve within the congregation besides the Church Council, the Board of Elders, the Board of Trustees, and the Board of Finance, also include the choir, gardening, a Ladies Aid Guild, a Men’s Club, a local chapter of the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML), the Altar Guild, and Ushers and Greeters, to name a few.

At this time, the congregation is involved in a Building Project, entitled, “Building for Christ: Sharing the Faith”, an approximately one-million dollar project toward which nearly four-hundred thousand dollars has been pledged during the first three years. We hope to begin building in the Spring of 2005. It is a very exciting time in the life of the congregation!

Lutheran School tuition aid is provided to members who desire to send their child(ren) to a local Lutheran School.

Baptisms, weddings, and funerals are conducted by the Pastor for members and non-members.Please contact the parish office (586) 777-0215 Monday, Wednesday or Thursday, 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. for more information regarding any of the programs and services cited above.