St. John Church

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ST. JOHN LUTHERAN CHURCH

(The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod)

Alma, Kansas

A family united by faith in Christ gathering around God's Word and Sacraments.

To reach out in Christ-like concern and Christ-borne love to each other and to those without Christ!

ANNUAL REPORT 2023

Constitution of St. John Lutheran Church of Alma, Kansas

PREAMBLE:

According to the Word of God (1 Corinthians 14:40; Colossians 2:5), every Christian congregation should do all things decently

and in order. Therefore, we the members of this congregation accept and subscribe to the following constitution and by-laws

according to which all affairs of our congregation shall be conducted.

ARTICLE I - NAME:

The name of this congregation shall be: St. John Lutheran Church of Alma, Kansas, Inc.

ARTICLE II - MISSION OF CONGREGATION:

The mission of St. John Lutheran Church, a family united in faith in Christ Jesus who gathers around the Word and the

Sacraments, is to reach out in Christ-like concern and Christ-born love in ministry to each other and to those without Christ.

Therefore the objectives of this congregation shall be:

A. To nurture the active discipleship of each of her members by conducting public divine worship services; offering the

Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper frequently; giving instruction in God’s Word at her day school, at small and large group

Bible classes, at Sunday School, and in her youth groups; and encouraging her members to study their Bibles privately

and to have a family altar.

B. To reach out to the unchurched and hurting people in the community through personal witness, organized evangelistic

programs, Adult Confirmation instruction, educational ministries, and benevolent works.

C. To bring new members into Christ’s sheepfold and God’s family by the Sacrament of Holy Baptism.

D. To assimilate new members into her ministries.

E. To cooperate with the agencies of the District and Synod in carrying out the District-wide and world- wide mission of the

church.

F. To do all things to the glory of God in conformity with His word and the confessional writings of Article III of this

Constitution.

ARTICLE III - CREED:

This congregation accepts and acknowledges all the canonical books of the Old and the New Testaments as the inspired Word

of God, and all the Symbolical books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church as a true and sound exposition of Christian doctrine

taken from and in full agreement with the Holy Scriptures; and in this congregation no doctrine shall be taught or tolerated

which is at variance with these symbols, and according to them all doctrinal differences and religious questions are to be

judged and adjusted. These Symbolical books are: The Apostolic Creed; The Nicene Creed; The Athanasian Creed; The

Unaltered Augsburg Confession; The Apology of the Augsburg Confession; The Smalcald Articles; Luther’s Small Catechism;

Luther’s Large Catechism; The Formula of Concord.

ARTICLE IV - MEMBERSHIP:

The membership of this congregation includes the following:

Baptized Membership: all members who have been baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

Communicant Members are those:

(1) who are baptized in the name of God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost;

(2) who accept all canonical books of the Old and New Testaments as the only divine rule & standard of faith and life;

(3) who are familiar with at least Luther’s Small Catechism and declare their acceptance of it;

(4) who attend divine services faithfully;

(5) who live Christian lives and do not live in manifest works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21);

(6) who partake of the Lord’s Supper frequently after their confirmation;

(7) who contribute regularly and faithfully, as God has prospered them, toward the building of Christ’s Kingdom in the

congregation and throughout the world;

(8) who devote their time and talents to the extension of the Kingdom of God;

(9) who permit themselves to be fraternally admonished and corrected when they have erred;

(10) who are not members or affiliates of secret societies or other organizations conflicting with the word of God; and

(11) who do not participate in any unionistic practices with other churches, denominations, or organizations which are

not in fellowship with our congregation and synod.