The Ministries of The Lutheran Church of Martha & Mary

The mission of our congregation can be broadly categorized into six ministry areas;

WORSHIP, LEARNING, WITNESS, SERVICE, CARE & FELLOWSHIP, and SUPPORT

WORSHIP our most visible ministry area, is gathering to praise and thank God, to hear God speak through the Bible and apply it to daily life in preaching, to meet God’s love in Holy Communion, to receive God’s people through Holy Baptism, and to lift our spirits heavenward with music. With your support, we are able to offer two different styles of worship, Traditional and Contemporary. We offer Communion every week, and provide a wide variety of musical opportunities through our Senior Choir, Bell Choir, and our worship band, “Moving Mountains”. We offer Outdoor Worship during the summer, and special services for the festivals of the Church Year. Our worship experience is enriched by our Pastor and Director of Music, both committed to maintaining the rich heritage of the Christian liturgy, while innovating for the future of worship. Participation by lay people as worship leaders is encouraged.

LEARNING a foundational ministry area, begins at birth as parents of infants are taught the meaning of baptism, and their children are enrolled in the Cradle Roll. It continues with Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, and Youth Ministry. It moves into adulthood with opportunities of Bible Study and adult classes. Christian Education is an area that is growing rapidly at Martha and Mary. Our Sunday School enrollment continues to grow as more and more young families join our congregation. Our children also have their own Music Time each week, under Michael’s direction. A new Youth Group has been formed, under the leadership of several committed leaders. We are also becoming involved in a new community based Youth Ministry program, to introduce our young people to other committed Christians in our area. Attendance at our Sunday morning Adult Forum Classes is growing, and we have added an evening Bible Study to our schedule, for those unable to attend on Wednesday mornings.   

WITNESS stands at the center of the mission of the whole Church. Commanded by Christ to “make disciples of all nations”, we reach out locally to those who visit us at worship, and to others in our community who may need a church home. Our Evangelism Team is busy every year, and has had great success getting the word out about Martha and Mary. We are developing new strategies both to attract and retain new members, and look for the support of the whole congregation in this effort. Our witness to Jesus is also spread throughout the world, as we support our West Virginia and Mexico Mission Teams, and by the benevolence we share with our synod and the ELCA. By these efforts, we make Christ known both locally and abroad.

SERVICE in the name of Jesus is a hallmark of the Lutheran Church of Martha and Mary. Jesus came to us as a servant, and brought healing to a broken world. Following his example, we put our faith into action by participating in the CROP Walk, supporting our local Food Pantries and relief agencies, providing volunteers and donations to PADS, giving support to members of our congregation through We-Care projects and Ryan’s Fund, and our new effort, begun in 2002--providing shelter for homeless women and their children through the WINGS program.

CARE AND FELLOWSHIP includes the care provided by our pastor (hospital and shut-in visits, pastoral counseling, crisis care, etc.) as well as care provided by members of the congregation to one another, both one-on-one, and in small groups. Fellowship—working, playing, meeting, and celebrating with our sisters and brothers in Christ—reinforces our spiritual identity and helps to build up the body of Christ. We constantly seek new opportunities to gather together to strengthen our common bond, and to include others into our life together as the church.

SUPPORT is the necessary structure that makes our ministry possible. It includes our staff and our facilities. We are fortunate at this time to have a dedicated staff who have the interests of this congregation at heart; our Pastor, Gretchen Winkler; Director of Music, Michael Stutzman; our Parish Secretary and our Custodian.

Worship, Learning, Witness, Service, Care and Fellowship, and Support. These are the areas in which our ministry is carried out. This summary of the Ministries of Martha and Mary represents only a portion of what we have accomplished together in the past. With your continued support, imagine what we can accomplish together in the future!