ELCA Teaching

The ELCA confesses the Triune God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. In our preaching and teaching the ELCA trusts the Gospel as the power of God for the salvation of all who believe.

ELCA teaching or theology serves the proclamation and ministry of this faith. It does not have an answer for all questions, not even all religious questions. Teaching or theology prepares members to be witnesses in speech and in action of God’s rich mercy in Jesus Christ.

Scriptures, Creeds and Confessions

The ELCA’s official Confession of Faith identifies the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments (commonly called the Bible); the Apostles’, Nicene and Athanasian Creeds; and the Lutheran confessional writings in the Book of Concord as the basis for our teaching. ELCA congregations make the same affirmation in their governing documents, and ELCA pastors promise to preach and teach in accordance with these teaching sources. This Confession of Faith is more than just words in an official document. Every Sunday in worship ELCA congregations hear God’s word from the Scriptures, pray as Jesus taught and come to the Lord’s Table expecting to receive the mercies that the Triune God promises. Throughout the week ELCA members continue to live by faith, serving others freely and generously in all that they do because they trust God’s promise in the Gospel. In small groups and at sick beds, in private devotions and in daily work, this faith saturates all of life.

Martin Luther explained in the Small Catechism: the Holy Spirit “calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth and preserves it in union with Jesus Christ in the one true faith.”

Our values

Our values are grounded in faith, in our biblical and Lutheran confessional sources and our love of God and neighbor. They speak to the way this church lives and practices our faith, and they will guide how we journey forward in Christ as church together.

Forgiveness and reconciliation – We are reconciled to God by God’s forgiving mercy. Forgiveness and reconciliation flow from what God has made us to be in Jesus Christ and what God is doing with us in the world. As a people of God, we embody forgiveness in speech, action and relationships, and our ministry in reconciliation is foundational.

Dignity, compassion and justice – Each person is created in God’s image. We respect this God-given right to dignity and, inspired by the life of Jesus, show love and compassion for all people. Through proclamation of the gospel, through worship and as servants of God working for healing and justice in the world, we uphold and seek to protect the dignity and human rights of all people.

Inclusion and diversity – As Christ’s church, we value the richness of God’s creation and offer a radical welcome to all people, appreciating our common humanity and our differences. We are a church that does not view diversity as a barrier to unity. We recognize and will challenge dynamics of power and privilege that create barriers to participation and equity in this church and society – for women, people of color, minority ethnic groups, people with disabilities, people who are marginalized or living in poverty, and the LGBTQ community.

Courage and openness to change – Because we trust in God’s promise and understand faith to be a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, we are emboldened to embrace learning and change in our spiritual and institutional journey as church. This means we are open to new ways and willing to take risks to discover God’s plan for this church.

Faithful stewardship of God’s creation and gifts – As church together, faithful stewardship is about holding to God’s purpose and ensuring the responsibilities and resources that God has entrusted to us are used with great care and with accountability to God, to each other and those served by this church.

Faith and Society

Find the ELCA's 13 Social Messages here

Messages cover the following topics: Human Rights, Gender-based violence, Mental Illness, People Living with Disabilities, Terrorism, Commercial Sexual Exploitation, Suicide Prevention, Immigration, Sexuality: Common Convictions, Community Violence, End of Life Decisions, Homelessness, Israeli/Palestinian Conflict, AIDS

Find the ELCA's 12 Social Statements here

Statements cover the following topics: Abortion, Caring for Creation, Church in Society, The Church and Criminal Justice, Death Penalty, Economic Life, Education, Genetics, Health and Health Care, Human Sexuality, Peace, Race/Ethnicity and Culture

LGBTQIA+ Inclusive

"Families today come in many shapes and sizes: married or unmarried heterosexual couples with or without children, single parents with children, singles living alone or together, and married or unmarried same sex couples with or without children. The Bible and Seeds of Faith Church recognize the importance of families and kinship and we encourage the bonds that make it work. Therefore In the spirit of Jesus’ inclusivity this church bestows its blessing on loving committed relationships whether they are same sex or opposite sex through the Service of Holy Matrimony. Just as we are welcoming in this church to the other attributes that make us unique, the sex that one is attracted to is not an exception." - From the Seeds of Faith Statement on Inclusivity, 2018

Racial justice

Seeds of Faith's Statement Summary:

A Statement of the Seeds of Faith Lutheran Church Council Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

In response to the social unrest and cries for racial justice in our nation, Seeds of Faith, in compliance with the Southeastern Iowa Synod Council and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:

Condemn racism, white supremacy, and all acts of injustice against Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC).

Seeds of Faith is committed to the love and welcome of all people. Jesus’ love was and is unconditional for the whole world and God asks us to love in this same way. Therefore, Seeds is dedicated to the long-haul process of dismantling racism and white supremacy from our lives, our communities, and our nation’s systems and institutions.

CLICK HERE for Seed's extended/full statement.

You can find the Southeastern Iowa Synod's Statement here: https://seiasynod.org/synod-news/statement-from-synod-council/

You can find the ELCA's Anti-Racism Pledge here: https://www.elca.org/racialjusticepledge?_ga=2.133369677.2107043770.1603218824-280859094.1537204141

CLICK HERE for a list of resources to help you dig deeper, hear BIPOC voices, and learn more about racism and white supremacy in America.