About us
Hope Lutheran Church (formerly Gethsemane Lutheran) is a Christian family that finds peace, hope, and joy in the truths and promises of Jesus Christ. We believe that Jesus – both true Man and true God – is our Lord and Savior. We stand wholeheartedly on the teachings of the Bible as God’s inspired, flawless Word. As such, the Bible is our authority and guide for life – in what we believe and how we live. We leave political and social advancement to the sphere of our responsibility as Christian citizens, while in the church we concern ourselves with what the Lord has called us to do: reach out with the Good News of forgiveness and eternal life in heaven through faith in Christ, as well as continue to nurture and encourage those already in the church with that same Gospel message (Matthew 28:18-20; Ephesians 2:8-9).
Our church belongs to a larger family of Christians known as the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS).
About WELS
WELS identifies itself with roots in Wisconsin because it was founded in Milwaukee, WI, which continues to be the headquarters of the church. We are ‘Evangelical’ in that we are a Gospel-minded church body (the Greek word that is translated ‘evangelical’ means ‘Gospel’ or ‘Good News’), and WELS is all about sharing the Good News that eternal life is God’s gift to all people through faith in Christ. We identify as Lutheran because we view the Christian faith in the same way Martin Luther of the 16th century did – i.e. we are saved by grace alone through faith alone through Christ alone, which is revealed to us in Scripture alone. In other words, we are Christians in the same spirit as Martin Luther was. And finally, ‘Synod’ means ‘together’. As a collection of churches (roughly 1300 congregations throughout the United States and around the world; also affiliated with over 30 other Christian church bodies throughout the world), we work together to spread the Christian faith.
For more information on the WELS, check out the synod website.
our pastor
Pastor Steven Gabb, his wife, and their three children have been at Hope since 2007. They enjoy living and working in LA and look forward to meeting you! Join us on Sundays for worship, for one of our many events or social outings. Checkout our calendar for all the goings-on at Hope. You’re always welcome to join us!
Our beliefs
ABOUT GOD
God has existed from eternity and is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. Though there is only one true God, He is three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three persons are equal in power, authority and majesty. -- ...
ABOUT GOD THE FATHER
God the Father’s special work was to create the universe and all things in it. He made us along with every creature, gave us our bodies and souls, as well as our skills and personalities. And He sustains us and all things daily by guarding and guiding, providing and protecting us in all things...
ABOUT JESUS CHRIST
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is equal with the Father in all ways – in power, authority, and majesty. Jesus is both God and man. He lived a sinless life and offered Himself as the perfect self-sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross. He rose from the dead after three days, demonstrating His power and victory over sin, death, and the devil...
ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit is equal with the Father and the Son in all ways – in power, authority, and majesty. Sinners are unable to, by our own decision or effort, come to believe in Christ as our Savior. But the Holy Spirit calls us to faith through the Gospel message. He makes us aware of our sin and, therefore, our desperate need for a Savior...
ABOUT THE BIBLE
The Bible is God’s Word to us. It was written down by human beings under the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit, a process called inspiration. Since the Bible is God’s Word, it is perfect – free and clear of all mistakes, errors, and contradictions...
ABOUT HUMAN BEINGS
People were originally created in the spiritual image of God, meaning they were sinless and holy. Since the fall of mankind into sin, this is no longer true. Now, all people are born sinful (‘spiritual DNA’ passed from parents to their children) and are, by nature, constantly inclined to sin...
ABOUT SALVATION
Salvation is God’s free gift to us. It comes to us through no effort or decision on our part. We can never make up for our sin by self-improvement or a life of goodness and kindness. God won salvation for us by loving us, sending His Son Jesus Christ to live a sinless life and to die a sacrificial death on our behalf...
ABOUT OUR PURPOSE IN LIFE
Believers in the true God live to honor Him for His acts of love and to make Him know in the world. First and foremost, our purpose is to seek and find God, who has revealed Himself to us in Jesus Christ, and to understand His plan of salvation. Once God has called us to faith, we live to serve and obey Him, not by obligation but out of love and gratitude...
ABOUT A LIFE DRIVEN BY GOD
The apostle Paul (1 st century Christian missionary) clearly tells us what a life driven by the love of God looks like: “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again”...
ABOUT THE LIFE TO COME
Human beings were not created to die, but to live in harmony with God forever. But when sin came into the world, death came as a natural and tragic consequence of sin. People will still exist forever, but the question is whether each person will exist eternally separated from God because sin or eternally in God’s presence through Christ...