Welcome to the First Lutheran Church, (ELCA) International Falls!
Thanks for looking us up! We are located about one block away from the Rainy River, which separates the USA from Canada. We enjoy this borderland with its lakes, rivers, trees and wildlife through which we catch a glimpse of God's creativity.
We see ourselves as a progressive church that welcomes all as participants and where diversity is celebrated. A combination of openess to new ideas yet having respect for past traditions helps us grow spiritually. Our congregation has often been called friendly. We worship in the Lutheran liturgical style and offer alternate services as well. Visitors, seekers, and newcomers are Gods's gifts to us. Folks are not pressured to "join" but are certainly welcome to do so if they wish. Together we learn to trust God and attempt to respond to God's goodness by serving our neighbors. You are welcome to participate here for as long as you like.
So we invite you to get acquainted! Come to a Sunday Worship service: 10:30 AM Festive Worship with Holy Communion.
Come into the site and check things out! We believe in an open attitude that allows for honest questions of depth as we try to live a life that matters and that is grounded in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Vision Statement
First Lutheran Church will be a congregation that shares God's grace by:
- Proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ with integrity
- Welcoming all to active involvement in ministry
- Offering a non-judgmental encounter with God through the celebration of liturgical worship with Word and Sacrement
- Responding faithfully to the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20 to grow
- Committing ourselves to serving the needs of our congregation and the community at large
Proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus with integrity
The way we speak the message of Christianity is important. God loves us simply because we are. That's the Gospel. In Christ, God has made a decision to claim us as his children, forgive our wrongdoings, grant us faith and give us purpose. This decision does not depend on us. It does not depend on how religious we are, how good we look or feel. Jesus liberates us from a tiresome religion of do's and don'ts to a joyful life of love. This Good News takes hold of us and creates the desire to do good deeds for our neighbors. The Gospel is about new life as a result of such grace. We are blessed first - then we respond in a natural way by becoming a blessing to others.