There are many ways to talk about who we are.

One is short statement of our purpose or “mission”:

Saint Michael Lutheran Church is a welcoming community of faith, inspired by joyful worship to grow in selfless service as we share the Good News of Jesus Christ.

But what does that mean? The “story” of Saint Michael begins with a new congregation, planted thirty years ago in the open fields of western Omaha by the Lutheran Church in America. As the city grew, so did Saint Michael and today more than one thousand members call this congregation their faith home. All people, regardless of the diversity of their experience, are welcomed to encounter God’s love as we worship and serve together. We confess our fears and our failures and we hear God’s promise of healing and hope.

Worship weaves it’s way into every chapter of our story; a worship with deep liturgical roots yet practiced with innovation and freshness. We cherish music and the shared song of the church. Each week, scripture forms our faith and Holy Communion nourishes our souls. We strive to imitate Jesus, who validated the importance of both the new and the old in the kingdom of God.

We believe an encounter with grace changes us. We gain fresh perspectives and share new experiences. We continue learning about faith and practicing faith so that we might be sent out into the world, speaking and acting with love. We feed the hungry, help clothe the needy, welcome the stranger/refugee, and strive to live generous lives in response to the grace we have been given.

But the story of Saint Michael Lutheran is not only about “us”.

We belong to a larger body on a bigger mission with partnerships across the state, country and world. We are a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, one of the largest protestant denominations in America, with full communion partnerships with Presbyterian Church (USA), Reformed Church in America, United Church of Christ, The Episcopal Church, The Moravian Church, and United Methodist Church. We cherish our special “companion” relationship with the Northern Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania and have found much common ground through ongoing dialog with the Roman Catholic Church.

Who are we? We are children loved by God, seeking to share that love with others.

It’s a simple story with big implications… a story that just might change the world.