Our Mission
HEART RIVER LUTHERAN CHURCH (ELCA) is a family of Christians who proclaim the Gospel and seek to live the message of our Lord.
WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN a unique opportunity to respond to the calling of the Holy Spirit. In this setting, we will provide a ministry of Word and Sacrament to all who seek Christian growth and caring support.
ON BEHALF OF THE WHOLE CHURCH. Heart River Lutheran Church (ELCA) strives to respond to the needs of the residents and staff of the North Dakota Youth Correctional Center, the Heart River Correctional Center, and all who gather with this family of Christians.
Welcome for All
Heart River Lutheran Church is a gathering of followers of Christ, who calls us to reconciliation and wholeness. We seek God in community, believing we are all equally valued children of our Creator, created in God's image. We commit to:
- Welcome, embrace, and celebrate people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions.
- Welcome, embrace, and celebrate all who have been excluded because of race, ethnicity, ability, age, or economic status.
- Support all regardless of their status (past, present, or future) within the criminal justice system – incarcerated, supervised, caring for one who is incarcerated, or working within the system.
- Work to end racism, in institutions and internally, interpersonally, and structurally.
- Commit to learn and grow in knowledge and understanding, personally and as a community.
We pledge to live as reconciling people and to welcome and advocate for all God's beloved children.
What We Believe
We preach and teach a Gospel of the Cross as expressed in the words of the Apostles' Creed and understood by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. We believe that God's creative work is active in the world and in all God's people today. We believe that faith is a gift given by the Holy Spirit, and that we are made new as siblings in Christ Jesus. God's love is boundless, and we are called to celebrate and share the Good News.
