Welcome to St. Matthew Lutheran Church
Please note our new time and location in the margin of this page
We celebrate Divine Service each Sunday. We gather together at the call of God to receive the gifts that He so graciously wishes to pour out on us. It is His Service to us. In each element of the service, every tradition, and every ceremony confesses the promises of grace found in God's Word. As we gather together in fellowship in our small congregation here on the island of Kauai, we know that believers around the world are celebrating with us, receiving the same Body and Blood, using the same traditions, and praying many of the same prayers.
St. Matthew began as a small group of families that came to the Lutheran faith from a wide range of Christian backgrounds. Almost every adult member converted to Lutheranism being granted a desire for a worship that is centered around what God does for us, learning a deep respect for God's Law and a great appreciation for the Good News of His Grace especially considering our failure to perfectly keep His Law. For most of us there was much study and personal searching to find a church that focused on what God does for us, and the grace God offers us in the person and work of His Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is His righteousness that redeems our pitiful attempts to love our neighbor and His gifts that continue to strengthen us for that service of our neighbor.
We are a mission endeavor of the California/Nevada/Hawaii district of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.
The word synod means "walking together," and that is what we desire to do - walk together with other churches in what we believe (doctrine) and the way we do things (practice). In a synod, individual congregations link themselves together and to the other congregations through a common confession of faith and life.
We trace our faith back to the very beginning when God created the heavens and earth and first fellowshiped with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. From the first promise of a Savior in Genesis 3:15 to the Word becoming flesh - we begin to see how much God loved us, and Jesus ' sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection confirms both our hope and our future. We are the people of God - gathered together, fed and formed in His Divine Service of us and sent forth to love our neighbor.
We celebrate Holy Communion each Sunday with the biblical conviction that the body and blood of Christ are truly present with the bread and wine for the edification of the believer and the condemnation of those who do not believe. We rejoice in this mystery, where our gracious Lord gives the gift of the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation by giving Himself in this Sacrament.
If you want to know what we believe, teach, and confess about God and His Word, you may refer to our confessions contained in the Book of Concord. A good place to start in the Book of Concord is the Small Catechism (the word catechism means 'to echo back' speaking of the nature of learning the truths of God through repetition) which teaches the Faith through the explanation of the Ten Commandments, the Apostle's Creed, the Lord's Prayer, Baptism, the Lord's Supper, and Confession and Absolution.
http://bookofconcord.org/whatisalutheran.php
We Welcome YOU to join us for worship!
This is a gathering of lowly sinners before a loving and forgiving God. We have each had the pleasure of bowing our heads before our Lord, and felt the refreshing blessing of His Grace in the Absolution delivered in Word and Sacrament. We hope that we can share this blessing with you and enjoy each others fellowship here on earth; and then as we are promised, a deep abiding fellowship for eternity in Heaven.
It would be our joy to meet you and celebrate God's grace with you.
We would like to encourage those who could use prayer right now, and especially hope that if you have questions, doubts, or fears, that you will take this opportunity to hear more about God's Good News and the love that he has for His people.
We offer a special welcome to those of you who are visiting Kauai, and look forward to introducing you to our church family. As Christian brothers and sisters, it is a joy to meet more of the family! We would be blessed to have you worship with us.
We celebrate Holy Communion each Sunday.
The Lord's Supper is celebrated at this congregation in the confession and glad confidence that, as He says, our Lord gives into our mouths not only bread and wine but His very Body and Blood for the forgiveness of our sins. This eating and drinking together is our union; our unity, and this comm'union' includes union in doctrine
This union in doctrine is outwardly recognized by the confession (public statement of what you believe the Scriptures teach about a variety of topics) that you align yourself with. This is seen externally (since only Christ can see your heart) by your willing membership in a Church body that holds itself and its members publicly to that confession.
If you have not yet been instructed in the Faith, if you suffer any doubts, or if you do hold to a confession that is different from the teaching we offer here- we ask that you refrain from recieving Holy Communion when the congregation comes to the altar.
Our intention is not exclusion for no reason but we desire that your inclusion would come according to the truth of God's Word and with an understanding of what you are confessing that you are in union with when you commune with us. Please do not be offended if the pastor chooses not to commune you at the rail through an excess of caution. Know that he is simply trying to be as responsible as possible in this very important service.
If any of the above conditions apply to you, (not yet instructed in the Faith, not a member of a congregation that holds to the same confession as ours, our simply in doubt as to the presence of the Body in Communion) you are still warmly welcomed to come forward to receive a blessing from the Lord-- simply indicate so by crossing your arms across your chest and bowing your head when the pastor comes to you at the communion rail.
If you are interested in learning what we believe God's Word says about this and other important topics (what confession we hold to) so that you may become a member of our congregation and share in Holy Communion with us, please contact our pastor.