At Spring Lake Lutheran Church, you do not need to be a Lutheran to join us. Our mission is to love Jesus through serving others and to grow in faith as we share God's Word. If this fits you, please feel free to join us!
Why Lutheran?
The Protestant Reformation was a religious reform movement that swept through Europe in the 1500s. It created a branch of Christianity called Protestantism, a name used collectively to refer to the many religious groups that separated from the Roman Catholic Church due to differences in doctrine. The Protestant Reformation began in Wittenberg, Germany, on October 31, 1517, when Martin Luther, a teacher, and a monk, published a document he called Disputation on the Power of Indulgences or 95 Theses. The document was a series of 95 ideas about Christianity that he invited people to debate with him. These ideas were controversial because they directly contradicted the Catholic Church's teachings. Luther's statements challenged the Catholic Church's role as an intermediary between people and God, specifically when it came to the indulgence system, which in part allowed people to purchase a certificate of pardon for the punishment of their sins. Luther argued against the practice of buying or earning forgiveness, believing instead that salvation is a gift God gives to those who have faith.