Abiding Savior Lutheran Church


Abiding Savior Lutheran church is an Open and Affirming Congregation in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America





We are a diverse church united by a deep love of Jesus and a heart for service in the community. We are dedicated to being a sanctuary (safe-haven) for all of God's people.


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You are welcome. Your family, children, friends, spouses and partners are welcome. Your diversity and uniqueness are welcome.



What we believe



As a congregation belonging to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, we believe God is the creator, redeemer, and sustainer of life. God is the champion of the poor and oppressed. All people are created in God's image and are loved by God
We believe Jesus is the son of God and, through his life and death we are saved from our sins. We believe that Jesus arose on the 3rd day, defeating death. We believe in the Holy Spirit who inspires and guides us she dwells within us.
We believe in one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.We believe that we are saved through grace by faith, and that no amount of good works can achieve salvation. It is a free gift. We believe that good works are the fruits of the Spirit -- that is, when someone has faith and is filled by the Holy Spirit, they cannot help but do good in the world.
We believe the Bible is the inspired word of God. Compiled over centuries by many writers and editors, all inspired by God but all living within their own contexts with their own ways of looking at the world and their own ways of thinking about who God is.
At Abiding Savior you don't have to believe exactly as we believe, but we also think it's important you know the general vibe of our beliefs.
We are a Reconciling in Christ congregation, which mean we have gone through a process and declared that we are open to and affirming of people of all genders and sexual orientations. Learn more about what it means to be Reconciling in Christ here. We celebrate you for you in your wholeness.








How we Worship



At Abiding Savior worship is casual and liturgical.

As Lutherans, we have an outline to the way we do worship (the ordo) that is shared by ELCA churches across the country and Lutheran churches around the world. You might recognize the structure as being similar to an Episcopalian worship service of Catholic Mass.

However, within that structure, we can kind of do whatever we want. For Abiding Savior, that means we mix hymns and contemporary music, we use ancient and modern language. Our readings are from the Revised Common Lectionary, a selection of readings used by Catholic, Episcopal, and Mainline Protestant churches all over the world. We sing a lot. Our sermons are 10-15 minutes long. We celebrate the Eucharist (communion) every week and anyone who wants to partake is invited to do so. You are invited to come as you are -- dress up, or roll out of bed. We're glad you came.



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MEET THE PASTOR



Rev. Elizabeth Rawlings (she/they)





Rev. Elizabeth Rawlings is a trauma-informed pastor, writer, organizer, and spiritual director. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, she fell in love with Western North Carolina as a student at Warren Wilson College. Though her travels took her to Chicago and Seattle, she maintained the dream of being able to return to this land that felt like home.


Pastor Elizabeth studied theology at The Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary (where she earned her M. Div) and also has a Master's Degree in Public Administration from Seattle University. They have been a youth director. social media strategist, community organizer, barista, server, and a bunch of other things. Her theological special interests are trauma-informed ministry and social justice (particularly racial and economic justice).


In addition to serving as the interim at Abiding Savior, Pastor Elizabeth is the facilitator for Community of Spiritual Practice, a community for people from all spiritual walks who want to root themselves in spiritual practice for daily life. She lives in North Asheville with her spouse, Aaron, and dog, Bruno.


If you have any questions about the ministry of Abiding Savior or would like to become more involved, please email them at abidingsaviorlc@aol.com.



ABIDING SAVIOR IS AFFILIATED WITH





828.505.5229 | 801 Charlotte highway, fairview,NC 28730



ABIDING SAVIOR LUTHERAN CHURCH