Past, Present, & Future
For Everyone to Experience Peace Beyond Understanding
Founded in 1870, St. Peter’s Lutheran Church has been gathering to hear and proclaim the good news of Jesus for 150 years. St. Peter’s is a multi-generational community of Christians dedicated to following the way of Jesus Christ. Since 1871, we have had St. Peter’s Lutheran School, which provides Christ-centered education to students from preschool to 12th grade. Each day, we continue to share the Good News of life in Jesus!
WHO WE ARE
St. Peter’s is a community of people gathered by the peace of Jesus and sent to amplify Jesus’ pattern of life in the people around us. As we receive peace from Jesus, we are sent to share that peace into the world.
St. Peter’s is a denomination member of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.
OUR MISSION
Working together with God to bring people into wholly connected journeys in Christ.
OUR VISION
By 2032, we envision 500 households in the Big Rapids area experiencing peace beyond human understanding through the courageous amplification of a shared pattern life in Jesus though relationships, encouragement, and equipping.
OUR DREAM DISCIPLE
Our Dream Disciple is the goal we have before us in following Jesus for every person at St. Peter’s. We will never be perfect, so that’s not our goal. Our goal is to imitate Jesus’ pattern of life, so that His peace would be amplified in imperfect people.
Our Beliefs
We are committed to following, trusting, teaching, and sharing only the truth of Scripture and all of the Word. This is our heartbeat and it gives us our direction every day.
Triune God
We are created and loved by the only true God. God reveals Himself to us in Holy Scripture as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three persons and yet one God.
Creator
In the beginning, God created the entire universe and everything in it by the power of His Word.
Holy Bible
The Bible is the Word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit, through human writers. These Scriptures are the sole source of our teaching to show us truth.
People
Men and women were made in the image of God and therefore deserve dignity and respect. People are also sinful, fallen creatures. We cannot save ourselves and we are completely reliant on the saving grace of Christ. (Genesis 2:27-28, Romans 3:23)
Jesus, Savior
Because of God’s love, He sent His only Son, Jesus, to rescue us from our lost condition. Jesus was born, suffered, crucified and died in our place (Good Friday), and raised again.
Salvation
Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation. He is the only one who can forgive our sins and grant us eternal life. (John 14:6)
The Church
The Church is the body of Christ. It is the community of believers who have been saved by grace. The church is called to love God and to love others. It is called to be a light in the darkness and to share the good news of Jesus Christ with the world. (Matthew 5:14, Matthew 16:18)
Means of Grace
The Holy Spirit draws us into a faith with God and we receive forgiveness and eternal life, restoring us to a relationship with our Creator, through baptism and communion.
Baptism
Scripture says that baptism is the connection of Jesus’ promise of life and forgiveness with regular water applied to each person from God to give them faith through the Spirit. (1 Tim. 3:21, Acts 2:37-41)
Communion
Jesus’ words say the Lord’s Supper is a miracle gift to believers. It is his body and blood with the bread and wine to forgive our sins and unite us with him and his church.
Discipleship
Through the Church and His Spirit, God equips and empowers believers to serve Him by serving others and sharing the good news about Jesus.
Jesus’ Return
The end of time will come when Jesus Christ returns to earth. He will judge the living and the dead and will establish his eternal kingdom. We believe that all who have put their faith in Jesus Christ will be saved and will be raised to life and will live with him for eternity on the new heavens and the new earth. (Revelation 21:1-4)
Triune God
We are created and loved by the only true God. God reveals Himself to us in Holy Scripture as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three persons and yet one God.
Creator
In the beginning, God created the entire universe and everything in it by the power of His Word.
Holy Bible
The Bible is the Word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit, through human writers. These Scriptures are the sole source of our teaching to show us truth.
People
Men and women were made in the image of God and therefore deserve dignity and respect. People are also sinful, fallen creatures. We cannot save ourselves and we are completely reliant on the saving grace of Christ. (Genesis 2:27-28, Romans 3:23)
Jesus, Savior
Because of God’s love, He sent His only Son, Jesus, to rescue us from our lost condition. Jesus was born, suffered, crucified and died in our place (Good Friday), and raised again.
Salvation
Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation. He is the only one who can forgive our sins and grant us eternal life. (John 14:6)
The Church
The Church is the body of Christ. It is the community of believers who have been saved by grace. The church is called to love God and to love others. It is called to be a light in the darkness and to share the good news of Jesus Christ with the world. (Matthew 5:14, Matthew 16:18)
Means of Grace
The Holy Spirit draws us into a faith with God and we receive forgiveness and eternal life, restoring us to a relationship with our Creator, through baptism and communion.
Baptism
Scripture says that baptism is the connection of Jesus’ promise of life and forgiveness with regular water applied to each person from God to give them faith through the Spirit. (1 Tim. 3:21, Acts 2:37-41)
Communion
Jesus’ words say the Lord’s Supper is a miracle gift to believers. It is his body and blood with the bread and wine to forgive our sins and unite us with him and his church.
Discipleship
Through the Church and His Spirit, God equips and empowers believers to serve Him by serving others and sharing the good news about Jesus.
Jesus’ Return
The end of time will come when Jesus Christ returns to earth. He will judge the living and the dead and will establish his eternal kingdom. We believe that all who have put their faith in Jesus Christ will be saved and will be raised to life and will live with him for eternity on the new heavens and the new earth. (Revelation 21:1-4)
