Our Name
The New Horizons name is derived from the word "horizon," which literally means the following:
- the place where heaven and earth come together, and
- the extent of our vision.
Therefore, New Horizons refers to the place where faith and life
(heaven and earth) come together, and it refers to the Spirit of God
expanding our vision and leading us toward new horizons of God's
kingdom for the sake of our community, nation and world.
Our Vision, Purpose, and Values
The Vision
The vision of New Horizons Lutheran Church is to be a Jesus-centered, grace-focused,
welcoming and disciple-making community of faith in God for the sake of
the world.
The Purpose
The purpose of New Horizons Lutheran Church is to welcome all people to
become disciples of Jesus Christ and to equip, empower and send them
for the sake of the world.
Our Values
- The Grace and Peace of Jesus Christ
- Hospitality to All People
- Prayer and Bible Study
- Respect for Cultural Diversity
- Small Group Ministry
- Youth and Family Ministry
- Development of Ministry Leaders
- Grace-filled Worship and Music
- Compassion for the Poor
- Loving Relationships
Our Core Beliefs
- God is love.
- Jesus the Christ was God’s love in human flesh. He lived a
life of radical, non-violent, sacrificial love for the sake of the
world. At times he exercised tough love, but he never stopped loving,
and he loved everyone all the way to his death on a cross. Through his
life, death and resurrection from death, we have come to fully know who
God really is. Jesus has fully revealed that God is love, grace, peace
and new life from death.
- The love of God revealed in Jesus Christ is the only hope for our broken and conflicted world.
- God loves you and has an eternal plan for your life.
- Because of our sinfulness, all humanity is in a broken
relationship with God. Therefore, you cannot receive God’s love,
forgiveness of sins and eternal life through your own human effort.
- Jesus Christ is God’s full provision to reconcile humanity
to God. Through Christ you are reconciled to God by God’s grace
as a free gift, not by how good or perfect you try to be.
- In response to God’s free gift of love, forgiveness of sins
and eternal life, we must daily accept that Christ is our Savior and
Lord, so that we can continually know, experience and live out
God’s love and eternal plan for our lives.
- Salvation comes by God’s grace in Christ through faith
alone, not through observing religious laws and ordinances. Salvation
cannot even be found through observing the laws of the Bible. Paul the
Apostle of Christ said that even if we live the biblical law perfectly,
we will never be able to escape pride, and pride is a sin (an idolatry
of the highest order). Therefore, seeking salvation through observing
systems of religious law is ultimately a dead-end road. However, since
our salvation in Christ comes by God’s grace through faith as a
free gift, then there is no room for pride and boasting, and we are
free to love God and love our neighbor, and such love is, after all,
the central spirit of the biblical law to begin with. (See Romans, I
Corinthians, Galatians and Ephesians)
- God has given the Church the Holy Sacraments (Holy Baptism and
Holy Communion). The Sacraments are physical signs of God’s
spiritual action. Through Baptism and Communion, God freely gives us
saving grace and continually strengthens our faith.
- The Holy Bible is inspired by God and contains God’s Word
for us, and it is the primary, authoritative source and norm for faith,
proclamation and life. Therefore, it is of great importance for our
spiritual well-being that we study the Bible regularly, especially the
New Testament of Christ.
Important Links
Our Regional Church www.rmselca.org
Our National Church www.elca.org
Our Global Church www.lutheranworld.org