The three persons of the Trinity are coequal and coeternal, one God. Lutherans confirm their belief in and love for the Triune God when we repeat the words of the three universal creeds: The Apostles' Creed, The Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed.

 

We also accept and teach Bible-based teachings of Martin Luther that inspired the reformation of the Christian Church in the 16th century. The teaching of Luther and the reformers can be summarized in three short phrases: Grace alone, Faith alone, Scripture alone.

Grace alone
God loves the people of the world, even though they are sinful, rebel against Him and do not deserve His love. He sent Jesus, His Son, to love the unlovable and save the ungodly.

The word "Synod" in The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod comes from the Greek words that mean "walking together." LCMS congregations voluntarily choose to belong to the Synod. Diverse in their service, these congregations hold to a shared confession of Jesus Christ as taught in Holy Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions.

St. Andrew is the patron saint for fishermen, because he and his brother, Simon Peter, were fishermen from Bethsaida; they also had a house at Capharnaum, where Jesus stayed when he was preaching in the neighborhood. Andrew was first a disciple of St. John the Baptist, but when John pointed to Jesus and said, "Behold the Lamb of God!" Andrew understood. At once he left John to follow the Christ.

 

Andrew had not long been with Jesus when he realized that this was truly the Messiah, whom the Scriptures promised and John proclaimed. This is why Andrew is called the first disciple of Christ. Filled with joy, Andrew brought his brother Simon (St. Peter) to Jesus, and Jesus received him, too, as His disciple.

At first the two brothers continued to carry on their fishing trade and family affairs. One day, when they were about to set out in their boat to fish, Jesus went to the shore and called them both to Him. When they asked "What do you want of us, Lord?" He replied, "Come with Me, and I will make you fishers of men." With this, Andrew and Peter left their nets for good. James and John also were called at this same time, and Andrew appears with them and his brother at the head of the list of the twelve apostles. It was he who brought to Jesus the boy with the five barley loaves and two fishes at the feeding of the five thousand.

After Christ ascended into Heaven, St. Andrew traveled to many lands preaching the Gospel. The Christian historian Eusebius writes that he preached in Scythia. St Gregory Nazianzen says that he went to Epirus, St Jerome that he was in Achaia. He is said to have been crucified by the Roman proconsul at Patras in Achaia. He was tied to a cross, not nailed. As a result, he lived for two days, during which he preached continuously to the crowds of people who came to see him.

The missing apostrophe in the name of our church is no mistake. Instead, our name  St. Andrews without an apostrophe  proclaims us to be a congregation full of St. Andrews. Each of us is a St. Andrew, a fisher of men  and women and youth and families, in fact, of all.