To be a "community reflecting God's love with a place at the table for EVERYONE." 

A few years ago, the congregation council held a retreat and began to ask ourselves, “What is Faith Lutheran’s unique call in Chico and Butte County?” For a year we wrestled with that question, and our answer culminated in this very statement. With this statment came our vision, a way we can live out our shared mission:

Welcomed in Worship

Worship is where many people first experience divine welcome, and welcome into a loving and affirming community through the people we encounter. We welcome you -as you are- to worship with us, making a point to ensure that Faith Lutheran Church is a place of connection. That connection is made through greeters, ushers, Sunday School teachers, musicians, and all the worship leaders happy to see you here. When we experience divine welcome, it naturally draws us to be gathered with a spiritual community.

~

Gathered with Community

The Christian life is a life of intentional relationships, relationship with God, relationship with our siblings in Christ, relationship with our neighbor in need, and relationship with ourselves. Real relationships go deeper than listening to someone else talk for an hour a week. We do this by having small interest, age, and hobby based groups that go on throughout the week. Staying engaged with each other in and out of worship helps us see God in the midst of our journeys, and we're able to support each other through prayer and fellowship. We are the body of Christ, not as individuals, but together. When we are strengthened by the love and support of regular, intentional, spiritual community, we feel called to equip ourselves for a holy purpose.

~

Equipped for Purpose

We all yearn for purpose greater than ourselves. In Christ we are called to love and serve our neighbor. The Holy Spirit gives us unique gifts with which to answer Christ’s call. What are your gifts? You may be aware of some and unaware of others. We help each other pinpoint gifts through discussions over coffee, taking the Enneagram test, and other fun and insightful ways. When we become aware of our gifts, we can apply those gifts and strengthen the community of Christ’s living body; when we feel equipped for purpose by the Holy Spirit, we cannot help but go forth to reflect this love to others through service.

~

Sent to Serve

The greatest joy is not to receive but to give. Having received so much from God, we overflow with blessings and seek others upon whom to bestow them. Whether we serve as individuals, pairs, small groups, or as the whole congregation our ultimate purpose is to share the love of Christ in whatever we do. May we, through our service, invite others to know the love of Christ and invite others to do the same. 

You. Your family. Your friends. Anybody seeking worship, community, and service. 

You do not have to be a rostered member to participate at church. Our church services, Communion, community service events, music, arts and crafts, small groups, resources, and fellowship are for all of us here on God's beautiful, green earth! You can have a mixed background of faith or religion, and come from any political, vocational, or economic background. All races, genders, orientations, and ages are welcome here.

To get involved in any capacity, give us a call at the office, 530-895-3754, or email us at office@chicofaithlutheran.org, and let us know what you're interested in! 

The Lutheran movement began with the Protestant Reformation in 1517 (500 years ago) when the Roman Catholic monk, Martin Luther (for whom Lutherans are named) wrote and shared his 95 Theses: oppositions and propositions pertaining to indulgences and other practices of the Catholic church. Folks with Catholic backgrounds who come to a Lutheran church for the first time tend to notice similarities between us and the Catholic church, especially when it comes to imagery, Communion, and worship itself - - an astute observation! Our group is indeed rooted in the Reformation. Our movement encourages individuals to engage with these sacred writings and to experience the freedom and love from “the source of the universe:" God. We join this movement by attempting, in our imperfect, human way, to seek justice, to show mercy, and to share this love with all living things from our own place and time.

The cornerstone of our physical church on E. 1st Avenue was organized in 1950 by Pr. E.A. Haye and built by the hands of hard working parishioners. In the late 1980s, the sanctuary was rebuilt, and the education wing was added to the campus. In 1990, our pipe organ was installed. And finally, in 2016, our current pastor, Ben Colahan, was installed. The installation of an organ and a pastor are quite different, mind, but we are glad for both.

Faith Lutheran Church is a part of the broader Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s story is both ancient and timely. It’s a story of a powerful and patient God who has boundless love for all people of the world. It’s a story that brings deep meaning, comfort and strength to a growing community of people who live in modern, often unsettling times.

We are a church that is deeply rooted and always being made new. Our roots are in Scripture and a collection of writings called the Book of Concord, as well as in the rich histories of our congregations. We’re a church that strives to be faithful to the gospel and work toward more justice and wholeness in the world.

We are equipped to live and serve in the world with all its complexities, tensions and ambiguities. All are welcome here.

The broader body of the church is known casually as "Churchwide," and is overseen by Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton. Churchwide offers support to its Synods, regions with their own, unique congregations.

The ELCA is broken up into "Synods," or regions.

We are a part of the Sierra Pacific Synod, whose headquarters are located in Berkeley, California. The Sierra Pacific Synod consists of Northern California and parts of Western Nevada, and is staffed by Bishop Jeff Johnson and several teams.

Synods are broken up into "Conferences," or smaller areas.

For example, there are 9 Conferences (areas) in our Conference, Redwood Mountain Conference 1. Other Conferences in the Sierra Pacific Synod are located further south, in the Bay Area, and parts of Nevada. A "Conference Dean" (a rostered pastor) is in charge of each Conference and oversees the function of its independent churches. Redwood Mountain's Dean is Pr. Janet Blair.

Faith Lutheran Church in Chico, along with many other churches across America, is a Reconciling in Christ congregation.

"Reconciling in Christ" congregations are congregations who openly welcome people of all gender identities, gender expressions, and sexual orientations, and are committed to racial equity. That means that people of any race, gender, and orientation may attend church, take Communion, and serve as clergy from pastors to bishops.