About Us | St. Matthew's Lutheran Church

Vision, Mission & Doctrine

The world has always been unstable -- a rapidly changing environment full of much that is beautiful, but also full of many tragic events and circumstances. The world is still like that, and so is this great city in which we live. We see -- daily -- much that is true and beautiful, but we also see and hear about much that is scary, hurtful, and threatening.

In the midst of such challenges and tumultuous circumstances, the Church is built upon the eternal and unchanging Rock -- our Lord Jesus, who gave His life that we might have abundant life here, and life for eternity in heaven. Jesus was with the Father from before the creation of the world, yet chose to be born of a woman, entering this sin-broken world to live, die, and rise again for us! He died so that we can walk forgiven. Clean. Free.

The Gospel

This good news -- this Gospel -- is the foundation of our congregation’s proclamation. It is the wonderful, life-changing truth which we celebrate weekly. It is this love of God in Christ Jesus which propels us to love mercy and seek justice, and to care for those whom the world may despise or forget about. The Bible says that, for Christians, what really counts is “faith expressing itself through love.” (Galatians 5:6) We thank God for the faith His Holy Spirit works in us, and for the joy the Spirit gives us in living out the love of Christ for each other, and for others.

What Does This Mean?

What does this mean for our regular, weekly gatherings at St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church of Canarsie? We gather around God’s Word, to hear and to give thanks for His promises to us. We gather, weekly, around His table, to receive Holy Communion, through which He feeds and strengthens His people. And, empowered by these gifts, we serve each other, and the world. We do so at our jobs, and in our homes. We serve through leading Bible studies and small-group discussions, and by teaching in our Sunday School and in our congregation’s Great Commission Christian School. We serve by praying together, and by praying individually. We serve by giving of our time and financial resources to support evangelism right in our neighborhoods as well as around the world. All because of God’s love for us, made known in Jesus!

Our Congregation

As a congregation of the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod, the sisters and brothers of St. Matthew’s are thankful for a rich heritage of Bible-based teaching, worship and practice -- all centered in the work and person of Jesus Christ. We are grateful for the truths so powerfully and clearly proclaimed by Lutheran Christians for the past five centuries: the importance of Law and Gospel preaching; ministry done through the power of Word and Sacrament; and justification by grace, for Christ’s sake, through faith alone.