WHAT TO EXPECT AT CHRIST OUR SAVIOR
We know getting to know a new church might make you nervous. We’ve prepared this page to help you understand what to expect when you visit as our guest at COS. Here you can learn what to expect at worship, what we believe and teach, and how we’ve become who we are.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask us. You can call us any time at (616) 866-1881, or you could send us an email. And, as always, you're invited to any of our worship services.
Our Pastors
Pastor Tim Gauger
Pastor Gauger came to Rockford in 1989 and has served as Christ Our Savior Lutheran’s pastor since its founding. He is married to Linda. Their son lives in Washington DC and their daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter live in Wisconsin.
Pastor Steve Hahm
Pastor Hahm came to Rockford in 2016 after having served at congregations in Manitowoc, WI and Baton Rouge, LA. Married to Heather, Pastor Hahm has four children, two sons-in-law and five grandchildren.
Our Worship
When you come through our doors you'll be in our gathering area. You’re invited to grab a cup of coffee or tea before heading into the sanctuary. An usher will hand you the day’s bulletin which includes the order of service on your way in.
WHERE TO SIT
Feel free to sit wherever you'd like, whether the front or the back. If you need assistance an usher can help you.
WHAT TO WEAR
Come as you are. We aren't worried about what you're wearing.
WHAT ABOUT THE KIDS
Kids of all ages are welcome at Christ Our Savior. We encourage kids and their parents to grow in faith together as they hear God's word and sing his praise.
The pastor delivers a special children's message right after the Gospel reading from God’s Word.
Speakers in the gathering room allow you to follow along with the service if you need to step out with your child.
We provide a staffed nursery during the 10:45 service to meet the needs of parents with small children (Labor Day through Memorial Day).
Following the children’s message in the 10:45 service, we have children’s church available for children in K-4th grade (Labor Day through Memorial Day).
Our Beliefs
WE ARE CHRISTIANS
The center of our faith and life is Jesus Christ. We believe that he was born, died and rose victorious as the world’s Savior from sin. All who look to him in faith share in the gift of eternal life.
WE ARE LUTHERANS
We believe in the historic Lutheran three-fold emphasis of grace alone, faith alone, and Scripture alone.
By grace alone, we mean that salvation is purely a gift of God’s undeserved love for us.
By faith alone, we mean that salvation comes through faith alone in Jesus Christ and not as the result of our own good works or effort.
By Scripture alone, we mean that everything we need for faith and life is found in the Holy Bible, which we believe to be the true and inspired Word of God.
WE ARE WELS
Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church is part of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS). The WELS, characterized as theologically conservative, is the third largest Lutheran church body in America. With national offices in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, WELS began in 1850 when three German pastors met in Milwaukee. Today, it is a group of more than 340,000 men, women, and children in nearly 1,300 congregations across the United States and Canada united by a common faith in Christ’s saving love.
As members of the WELS, we share with our fellow believers in our synod's stated mission:
The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod exists to give all glory to God by upholding, defending, and proclaiming the truth of the Holy Scriptures as articulated in the Lutheran Confessions, and by providing a means for congregations and their members to extend the reach of their God-given mission of proclaiming the gospel in Word and sacrament through joint mission efforts at home and abroad, the training of called workers, and coordination of gospel applications to encourage spiritually healthy called workers in spiritually healthy congregations and schools.