About Us

Our Vision:

Using Our Gifts Together and Sharing God's Grace

What is a Christian?

A Christian is a person that lives by the following two creeds:

• Apostle's Creed:
• Nicene Creed

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines "creed" as:

1: a brief authoritative formula of religious belief
2: a set of fundamental beliefs; also: a guiding principle

The root of the word comes from the Latin credo, which means, "To believe, trust, entrust."

Apostle's Creed: (the oldest)

"I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.

And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. AMEN."

Nicene Creed:

"We believe in one God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father by whom all things were made; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father. And he shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead, whose kingdom shall have no end. And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceedeth from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And we believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins. And we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen."

What is a Lutheran?

A Lutheran is a Christian who belongs to the Church of Jesus Christ along with other believers who profess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Lutheran Christianity was started in the 15th Century by a German Monk named Martin Luther.  He and his followers desired not to form a new church, but to reform the abuses in the church of their day.  Martin Luther's Biblical insight was that "we are justified by grace through faith."  Rather than proving ourselves by what we do, who we are, or what we own,  God's loving grace is unconditional.

"For God so loved the world that He gave his only Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."  John 3:15

What does "Zion" mean?

monument; raised up; sepulcher

In the New Testament (see SION) it is used sometimes to denote the Church of God (Hebrews 12:22), and sometimes the heavenly city (Revelation 14:1).

A stronghold of Jerusalem

Captured from the Jebusites by David
2 Samuel 5:6-9; 1 Chronicles 11:5-7

Called thereafter "the city of David,"
2 Samuel 5:7,9; 6:12,16; 1 Kings 8:1; 1 Chronicles 11:5,7; 15:1,29; 2 Chronicles 5:2

The ark of the covenant was placed in Zion
2 Samuel 6:12,16; 1 Kings 8:1; 1 Chronicles 15:1,29; 2 Chronicles 5:2
Removed from, to Solomon’s temple on Mount Moriah
1 Kings 8:1; 2 Chronicles 5:2; 3:1

Collectively, the place, the forms, and the assemblies of Israelite worship
2 Kings 19:21,31; Psalms 9:11; 48:2,11,12; 74:2; 132:13; 137:1; Isaiah 35:10; 40:9; 49:14; 51:16; 52:1,2,7,8; 60:14; 62:1,11; Jeremiah 31:6; 50:5; Lamentations 1:4; Joel 2:1,15; Matthew 21:5; John 12:15; Romans 9:33; 11:26; 1 Peter 2:6

Name applied to Jerusalem
Psalms 87:2,5; 149:2; Solomon 3:11; Isaiah 33:14,20; Jeremiah 9:19; 30:17; Zechariah 9:13

Called the city of God
Psalms 87:2,3; Isaiah 60:14

Restoration of Zion was promised
Isaiah 51:3,11,16; 52:1,2,7,8; 59:20; 60:14; Obadiah 1:17-21; Zephaniah 3:14,16; Zechariah 1:14,17; 2:7,10; 8:2,3; 9:9,13

Name of Zion applied to the city of the redeemed
Hebrews 12:22; Revelation 14:1

History of Zion Lutheran Church

In the 1890's, a group of Christians of German Lutheran decent formed this community of faith.  This makes Zion Lutheran one of Oregon's historic churches.  The present church building was built in the 1920's.  The education wing was built in the late 1950's.  Zion Lutheran Church is member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.