Dear Friends in Christ, We are a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, which has 5.2 million members in over 11,000 congregations. As Lutherans, we believe in God's mighty love poured out for us in his Son, our Lord Jesus. We hold fast to salvation by God's rich grace, made personal for us by our faith. We trust in God's abiding presence through his Holy Spirit, and we know that forgiveness comes to us through our trusting faith in Jesus' death and resurrection, along with our making that faith active in our lives daily. Ours is a JOYOUS faith, celebrating the wonders of God all around us, and depending on his care for our lives now and forever. Ours is a LIVING faith, nurtured through study, worship, an active prayer life and the sharing of our hope with fellow Christians in our midst. Ours is also a SHARING faith which seeks to tell this Good News to all we meet, and to help those in need, both in our own area and around the world.