The Lutheran Churches of the Common Confession (LC3)

Strengthening the Work of the Gospel Among Churches of the ELCA

Imagine Lutheran churches, one by one, recommitting themselves to the mission and ministry of the Gospel, and working together to bring the Word of Christ to a new generation.

The Lutheran Churches of the Common Confession (LC3) is an association of congregations from across the country, which is lifting up such a vision. By covenanting with each other around a shared statement of faith — The Common Confession — our congregations seek to bring clarity to the modern Lutheran message, build trust among fellow-workers in Gospel, and move forward together within the Church with a common goal and direction. Through cooperative projects, shared resources, and mutual support, we are committed to communicating an intentional Christian witness that is founded on confessional Lutheran theology and grounded in the authority of the Word of God.
It is not the intent of the LC3 to form a new denomination or church structure, but to inspire a positive and active Lutheran witness within our present context. Like the mission societies of former generations, we have come together to help each other be faithful in our common calling to share the gospel of Jesus Christ, both at home and abroad.

The Common Confession

1. The Lord Jesus Christ
   We are people who believe and confess our faith in the Triune God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We trust and believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.
2. The Gospel of Salvation
   We believe and confess that all human beings are sinners, and that sinners are redeemed by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. God alone justifies human beings by faith in Christ, a faith which God creates through the message of the Gospel. As ambassadors for Christ, God uses us to speak his Word and build his kingdom.
3. The Authority of Scripture
   We believe and confess that the Bible is God's revealed Word to us, spoken in Law and Gospel. The Bible is the final authority for us in all matters of our faith and life
4. A Common Confession of Faith
   We accept and uphold that the Lutheran Confessions reliably guide us as faithful interpretations of Scripture, and that we share a unity and fellowship in faith with others among whom the Gospel of Jesus Christ is preached and the sacraments are administered in accordance with the Gospel.
5. The Priesthood of All Believers
   We believe and confess that the Holy Spirit makes all who believe in Jesus Christ to be priests for service to others in Jesus' name, and that God desires to make use of the spiritual gifts he has given through the priesthood of all believers.
6. Marriage and Family
   We believe and confess that the marriage of male and female is an institution created and blessed by God. From marriage, God forms families to serve as the building blocks of all human civilization and community. We teach and practice that sexual activity belongs exclusively within the biblical boundaries of a faithful marriage between one man and one woman.
7. The Mission and Ministry of the Congregation.
   We believe and confess that the church is the assembly of believers called and gathered by God around Word and Sacrament, and that the mission and ministry of the church is carried out within the context of individual congregations, which are able to work together locally and globally.

Resources

Site: The web site for LC3 is www.commonconfession.net

If you would like more information on how your congregation
can join the Lutheran Churches of the Common Confession

Email lcccinfo@optonline.net

You can go to our web log which we update more frequently. You have the ability of asking questions or entering a discussion. Go here.

You may also wish to go at this time to the archived information at the web site of our friends at the WordAlone Network here.

Download This Document: Who Are LC3