Mission Statement:

"To follow Jesus Christ and share His love with the world."
(St.) Luke 9:23; Matthew 28:20



Vision Statement:

"To be a Christ-centered community growing in faith and witnessing to God's amazing grace."
1 Corinthians 2:2; 2 Thessalonians 1:3

Core Values:
We worship God, not a worship style. At St. Luke, we gather together for INSPIRING WORSHIP! We gather together and worship (Psalm 34:3) through Word and Sacrament with both traditional and contemporary worship opportunities. We worship the living God (Psalm 100) and not the form (Article VII of the Augsburg Confession). When we gather together for worship, God meets us (Matthew 18:20) and he is a presence among us (Psalm 95).

We lead by sharing our gifts and serving others. At St. Luke, we serve with VISIONARY LEADERSHIP! We, who are many, are all part of the body of Christ and have all been given different gifts from God (Romans 12:4-11). We lead as "servant leaders" (Mark 9:35). God calls us to be Spirit-led (Ephesians 1:17) and to use our gifts to build His Kingdom (Ephesians 4:12; Romans 12:6-8).

Christian learning is a life-long experience. At St. Luke, we grow in faith with DYNAMIC LEARNING! We can't outgrow Christian Faith. As followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to move from spiritual infancy to spiritual maturity (Philippians 3:13-14; Ephesians 4:12-14), grounded in the Word (Isaiah 40:8). As we grow in faith, we turn our hearts to God, giving of ourselves and our resources—freely and cheerfully (2 Corinthians 9:7).

Lost people matter to God, and so they matter to us. At St. Luke, we go forward with IMPASSIONED OUTREACH! Jesus was sent to reconcile a lost world to God (Luke 15). We are called to reach out (Matthew 28:19), invite (John 1:46), and welcome all (Matthew 25:34-36) to build up the Kingdom of God.

Motto

"Real People…Making Jesus Real"
Romans 3:23; Matthew 28 & John 14

QUICK FACTS

• AUTHENTIC:  St. Luke isn't a congregation that's "slick" or "polished."  We don't put on a production when we worship--rather, we meet the living God.  We're an authentic community of Christ-followers who are serious about our mission, vision, and core values.

• WORSHIP:  Speaking of worship, we're not defined by one form.  Want cutting edge contemporary music and amazing bands?  We have it.  Want traditional liturgy and a choir?  We have it.  Want pastors in jeans?  We have it.  Want pastors in traditional vestments?  We have it.  We're not a church that says, "Worship this way or go somewhere else" because we think we've got it all figured out.  We offer four different ways because we don't believe everyone is a cookie-cutter worshipper; or that everyone is seeking one type of worship.

• COMMUNITY:  St. Luke is committed to the Cottage Grove community.  We're not moving out of this area.  While we are committed to Cottage Grove, we are also "home" for many households from Woodbury, St. Paul Park, Newport, Hastings, Inver Grove Heights, etc. - we are a "Washington County Church," but not moving out of town.

• UNAPOLOGETICALLY GROWING:  St. Luke is in the top 3% of the 10,500 ELCA congregations for size, with over 2,000 members and growing.  Average weekend worship attendance has grown from 425 in 2005 to over 665 in 2007; with well over 750 worshippers gathering during September through May.  While we are growing, we are committed to staying relational through Small Groups!  So, while we are experiencing rapid growth, we continue to "stay small."

• CHILDREN:  St. Luke loves kids!  Our preschool is full with over 90 students; over 275 students attend church school over the weekend; and over 100 students attend our midweek PowerLife Confirmation Ministry!  Retreats, camps, small groups, and events all help God's kids know Him more and grow closer to Him!