St. John’s Willow Creek is more than just a church, we are a family. Since she began in 1869, St. John’s has been about family. St John’s was started by families that recognized a need to have a place of worship, and families have worked together to make St. John’s a center of worship and community life for over 140 years.
Though things have changed much in the Willow Creek area since 1869, St John’s remains focused on what brought those families together so many years ago: families and friends worshiping together and praising God for the many blessings He’s showered upon us through His Son Jesus.
What We Believe
Above all, St John’s believes, teaches, and boldly confesses that Jesus is the true Son of God, fully God and fully man, who has come into this world to bear the burden of our sins upon the cross. We believe that all mankind is sinful and fallen, that as individuals we are sinners in need of forgiveness and salvation. We praise and glorify our Lord Jesus, because He has, by the cross of His suffering, cleansed us of every sin of thought, word, and action, that these transgressions are forever and fully forgiven, and the guilt of those offenses forgotten. We celebrate that because Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice for our salvation, and because He has conquered death and the grave through His victorious resurrection, we are free from the tyranny of the devil and will live forever with Jesus in His kingdom when He calls us each by name from this present earthly pilgrimage to our eternal rest.
St. John’s is also a member congregation of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and accepts without reservation the contents of the Book of Concord of 1580 to be a faithful expression and explanation of Holy Scripture. We hold the entire Bible, both the Old Testament and the New Testament, to be the pure Word of God, and firmly believe that all which is necessary for salvation is revealed by God in His Word.
How We Worship
In our worship at St. John’s we desire to fulfill the words of Jesus among us: “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him.” (John 4:23) As we worship our Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the focal point of our faith is that Jesus has accomplished our forgiveness and salvation through His perfect life, sufferings, death, and resurrection.
Our understanding of worship is that all things are done to the glory of God, and for this reason everything is done according to His will and desire. When we worship, we are uplifted by the message of the Gospel, which prevails above all other elements of the service. This message is that we are loved, forgiven, and restored by Jesus. In our Sunday morning services we use the orders of worship and the hymns as printed in The Lutheran Hymnal, and often sing hymns from the Lutheran Service Book.
We also offer a time of worship and study on Wednesday evenings. These services are of a more relaxed setting in the church basement and focus on the study of God’s Word while incorporating the singing of hymns and a time for prayer.
At St. John’s, we regularly celebrate the Lord’s Supper. We keep this most sacred meal in very high regard, as we believe that in the consecrated bread and wine we receive exactly what Jesus declares: “Jesus took bread…and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body.’ And he took a cup, and…gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’” (Matthew 26:26-27) Because we celebrate this meal with deep sincerity, we kindly ask visitors to talk to the pastor before receiving the Lord’s Supper.
