Shepherd of the Lakes

WHO WE ARE:

Shepherd of the Lakes Evangelical Lutheran Church, a member of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), has served the Roscommon area for over 25 years. During the the late 1980s and early 1990s, a number of WELS Lutherans had reitred to their cabins "Up North." There was no WELS church in the area and so in 1991 they joined together to start one. Worshiping in the Roscommon County Senior Center at 510 South Street, St. Martin Evangelical Lutheran Church was born.

It was in that Senior Center that our church grew in number under the shepherding of a number of different pastors: Pastor Herb Filter (1991-2001) Pastor Paul Prange (2001-2006), Vicar Gary Jurgens (2003-2004), Vicar Fred Schurman (2004-2005), Pastor Doug Carter (2006-2008), Pastor Adam Seelow (2008 - present).

For 23 years St. Martin worshiped in the Senior Center until 2013 when the old library building went up for sale. Early in 2014 St. Martin purchased the building, expanded the parking lot, installed a steeple, added a sign, and even changed our name. With our own building in the community we wanted a name that fit the community and could be easily understood by all, not just our members. Given the proximity of Higgins and Houghton Lakes, as well as smaller lakes scattererd around the area, we thought Shepherd of the Lakes Evangelical Lutheran Church fit well.

WHY WE ARE HERE:

The mission of Shepherd of the Lakes is to serve all people in God’s world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ on the basis of the Holy Scriptures (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15). We are a "Gospel" centered congregation and so bear the name "Evangelical."

Our primary objective is to proclaim the law and the gospel in our congregation, community, and the world (2 Timothy 4:2), so that through the means of grace the Holy Spirit might:

A. lead sinners to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ for life and salvation (Luke 24:46-48).
B. strengthen believers in faith and living for Christ (Romans 10:17).
C. equip believers as disciples, stewards, witnesses, and servants to share the gospel and live their faith
(Ephesians 4:11-12; Matthew 5:16).

WHAT WE BELIEVE:

We believe that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God and the only foundation for Christian faith and life.

We believe that the Triune God, revealed in the Bible as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is the only true and living God.

We believe that all have sinned against God, fall short of his glory, and deserve to be eternally condemned to hell.

We believe that God sent his Son, Jesus, into the world to become our Savior from sin and from the condmenation our sins deserve. He did this by living a perfect life for us, dying on the cross as payment for our sins, and rising from the dead on the third day, guaranteeing our own resurrections on the last day.

We believe that it is only through faith created by the Holy Spirit that a person can personally receive the benefit of Christ's life, death, and resurrection. I cannot by my own thinking or choosing believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to him.

We believe that Jesus will come again on the last day to judge the living and the dead. He will take with him to heaven all those who trusted in him for eternal life.

We join in this confession with over 1,200 congregations of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod and with them carry on a world-wide ministry.