- What about our name, “ First Lutheran Church ”? Our mission statement is based on that name: “ First Lutheran Church , Putting Christ First.”

The four core values of the North American Lutheran Church are also well worth remembering: Christ-Centered, Mission-Driven, Traditionally-Grounded, and Congregationally-Focused. I don’t have a “mnemonic” to remember them by – at least not yet! But I have memorized them, and I will be writing about them in upcoming issues of The Messenger. The first one is like our First Lutheran mission statement. “Putting Christ First” and “Christ-Centered” mean exactly the same thing: that as a church, and as individuals, Jesus Christ is who we are all about.

Sincerely in Christ,

Pastor Carl L.M. Rasmussen

pastor@kirklandflc.org