About Us as Lutherans
As Lutherans in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, we are part of the East-Central Synod of Wisconsin. We believe Lutherans are Christians who accept the teachings of Martin Luther (1483-1546). Luther was a German theologian who realized that there were significant differences between what he read in the Bible and the practices of the Roman Catholic church at that time. On October 31, 1517 he posted a challenge on the door of Wittenberg University, titled “95 Theses” (to debate 95 theological issues). His hope was that the church would reform its practice and preaching to be more consistent with the Word of God as contained in the Bible. What started as an academic debate escalated into a distinct separation between the Roman Catholic church of the time and those who accepted Luther’s suggested reforms. "Lutheran" became the name of the group that agreed with Luther’s convictions.
Today, nearly five centuries later, Lutherans still celebrate the Reformation on October 31 and still hold to the basic principles of Luther’s theological teachings, such as Grace alone, Faith alone, Scripture alone. These comprise the very essence of Lutheranism:
Over the years, different Lutheran church bodies have been established and organized to meet the needs of Lutherans in communities and nations all over the world. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is the largest Lutheran group in North America, founded in 1988 when three North American Lutheran church bodies united: The American Lutheran Church, the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches and the Lutheran Church in America. (Description courtesy of the ELCA website: www.elca.org)
About Us as First English Lutheran Church
First English Lutheran Church was founded in 1918 as the first English speaking Lutheran church in Wausau. In 1950, the present church building was constructed to fill the need for a Lutheran church on Wausau’s northwest side. Click here to Find us on the map
Today, our members continue to work together to serve God. We are part of God’s unfolding plan. When we gather for worship, we connect with other believers. When we study the Bible or hear God’s word in worship, we are drawn more deeply into God’s own saving story. We are a sacramental church in that we believe that we are joined to the death and resurrection of Jesus through our baptism, and that Jesus comes to us to strengthen our faith and forgive our sins as we receive him in the bread and wine at Holy Communion.
We believe that a faithful congregation is a community of moral discourse where all people do not
necessarily agree with one another about all things but our common commitment to God's purposes in our lives allows space for honest disagreement and common reflection. We seek to grow both internally in our personal lives and externally as we reach out to the world in our words and in our actions. We invite those who may have grown distant from God and the church to come back home to the God who loves them.
We invite you to join us!
What we are known for in the Community?
Food Stand at the Wisconsin Valley Fair - Starting back in 1919, our Fair Stand has become a popular ministry for members and Fair-goers alike. We are proud to serve homemade meals like meat loaf with mashed potatoes, chili, pulled pork and an assortment of pies. We also serve Fair favorites like cheeseburgers and fries. Come check us out at the Fair the first week of August at Marathon Park in Wausau. We are under the big red and white canopies next to the Exhibition building.
We Care Week - An annual event where we focus on service and outreach in the community for a week. During this week you will find us hard at work for our community through quilting, highway clean-up, serving a community supper, helping at the "Neighbors Place", giving Blood, and much more. We strive to offer a variety of service opportunities for all ages.
Year-Long Benevolence and Outreach - We are a congregation that has a proud history of serving and helping our community and other charitable organizations through donations both financially and our time.
As Lutherans in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, we are part of the East-Central Synod of Wisconsin. We believe Lutherans are Christians who accept the teachings of Martin Luther (1483-1546). Luther was a German theologian who realized that there were significant differences between what he read in the Bible and the practices of the Roman Catholic church at that time. On October 31, 1517 he posted a challenge on the door of Wittenberg University, titled “95 Theses” (to debate 95 theological issues). His hope was that the church would reform its practice and preaching to be more consistent with the Word of God as contained in the Bible. What started as an academic debate escalated into a distinct separation between the Roman Catholic church of the time and those who accepted Luther’s suggested reforms. "Lutheran" became the name of the group that agreed with Luther’s convictions.
Today, nearly five centuries later, Lutherans still celebrate the Reformation on October 31 and still hold to the basic principles of Luther’s theological teachings, such as Grace alone, Faith alone, Scripture alone. These comprise the very essence of Lutheranism:
- We are saved by the grace of God alone -- not by anything we do;
- Our salvation is through faith alone -- a confident trust in God, who in Christ promises us forgiveness, life and salvation; and
- The Bible is the norm for faith and life -- the true standard by which teachings and doctrines are to be judged.
Over the years, different Lutheran church bodies have been established and organized to meet the needs of Lutherans in communities and nations all over the world. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is the largest Lutheran group in North America, founded in 1988 when three North American Lutheran church bodies united: The American Lutheran Church, the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches and the Lutheran Church in America. (Description courtesy of the ELCA website: www.elca.org)
About Us as First English Lutheran Church
First English Lutheran Church was founded in 1918 as the first English speaking Lutheran church in Wausau. In 1950, the present church building was constructed to fill the need for a Lutheran church on Wausau’s northwest side. Click here to Find us on the map
Today, our members continue to work together to serve God. We are part of God’s unfolding plan. When we gather for worship, we connect with other believers. When we study the Bible or hear God’s word in worship, we are drawn more deeply into God’s own saving story. We are a sacramental church in that we believe that we are joined to the death and resurrection of Jesus through our baptism, and that Jesus comes to us to strengthen our faith and forgive our sins as we receive him in the bread and wine at Holy Communion.
We believe that a faithful congregation is a community of moral discourse where all people do not
necessarily agree with one another about all things but our common commitment to God's purposes in our lives allows space for honest disagreement and common reflection. We seek to grow both internally in our personal lives and externally as we reach out to the world in our words and in our actions. We invite those who may have grown distant from God and the church to come back home to the God who loves them.
We invite you to join us!
What we are known for in the Community?
Food Stand at the Wisconsin Valley Fair - Starting back in 1919, our Fair Stand has become a popular ministry for members and Fair-goers alike. We are proud to serve homemade meals like meat loaf with mashed potatoes, chili, pulled pork and an assortment of pies. We also serve Fair favorites like cheeseburgers and fries. Come check us out at the Fair the first week of August at Marathon Park in Wausau. We are under the big red and white canopies next to the Exhibition building.
We Care Week - An annual event where we focus on service and outreach in the community for a week. During this week you will find us hard at work for our community through quilting, highway clean-up, serving a community supper, helping at the "Neighbors Place", giving Blood, and much more. We strive to offer a variety of service opportunities for all ages.
Year-Long Benevolence and Outreach - We are a congregation that has a proud history of serving and helping our community and other charitable organizations through donations both financially and our time.
