FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What should I wear to worship?
Honestly, this question is much less important than we tend to realize. Wear whatever makes you and those around you comfortable. If you want to dress up for church, by all means, go for it. If you believe it's judgmental and unfair when we force people to dress up for worship, wear something else.
The bigger issue is this: if you have issues with the way people are dressing at Illumine, come find Pastor Nathan Loersch. We'll talk about it, because there's probably something that needs to be addressed. What exactly that is will get figured out when we talk - and at the end of the day, isn't that why we come to church, anyway?
What do you offer for kids?
Serving the whole family is very important to us. On Sundays, it looks like this:
The whole family is invited to the main worship service at 10am. We provide unique kids activity folders each Sunday with colored pencils and crayons for children.
There is a special message just for kids up front with Pastor Nathan during the worship service.
There is a staffed nursery available for children 0-4, directly out the back of the worship space, on the way to the family restroom.
Sunday School for children of all ages takes place after the service, simultaneous to a class for adults and teens (Sunday School will resume September 8th, 2024, after a summer Sabbath).
What kind of church is this?
Sub-question 1: Is this one of those hipper-than-thou contemporary outfits that prides itself in out-relevant-ing everyone else but won't actually talk about Truth, Jesus, Doctrine, or have a standard for interpreting the Bible?
Sub-question 2: Is this one of those holier-than-thou denominational outfits that prides itself in out-correct-ing everyone else but won't actually listen, care for the community, or accept people who think differently?
Answer to all of the above: Obviously, we don't want to be a stereotype. Illumine has standards for interpreting the Bible so we don't just put our desires and whims into it. We belong to a national Lutheran denomination headquartered in Wisconsin. However, we're not so arrogant that we think the local church is anything more than the sum of the people who participate in it. Every new person brings adjustment, change, and a fresh voice.
If you're concerned about Illumine because of some previous experience, get in touch and let us know. We'll address your concerns. We're not too big to care for you, but we're big enough to have great things to offer everyone.
What are Illumine’s core values?
GOSPEL: Nothing saves anyone except for Jesus.
SALVATION: Illumine exists to find and serve the unchurched and de-churched. Decisions made at Illumine are based not on those who have been here longest, but on those who are not here yet.
PROGRESS: A disciple grows by engaging with God’s promises in worship, education, and community service. Worship yields rest. Education yields wisdom. Community Service yields purpose. Together, they help a person see life better.
SERVICE: “We love because he first loved us (1 John 4:19).” Christians serve. It’s what we do.
COMMUNITY: We can do more together than we can alone. To measure the value of a church, measure the strength of the community within it.
RELATIONSHIPS: Fellowship is best when lay-led (not staff-led) and organic. Empowering and equipping people to engage one another in genuine relationships works better than enforcing relationships.
PLANTING: More churches make more disciples. As an organization, we must be organized toward multiplication. (Every time a campus of Illumine reaches 50 member families, it is time to start another campus.)
PERMISSION: We give permission for Christians to do what God has called them to do within our contexts of ministry.
IDEALS: Ideals (not abuses) guide vision, and demographics guide details. Tradition is not unimportant, but by itself it doesn’t add value.
How do I become a member of Illumine?
First, love Jesus. Second, love others. Third, show that love by engaging in ministries at Illumine. Hopefully sooner than later, we'll get you enrolled in a class called "Bible 101" that will introduce you to Illumine's approach to God and the Bible, and once you've completed the course, you're a member (if you want to be).
What's the difference between Lutherans and other Christians?
First of all, not all Lutherans are exactly the same. Some don't sound like Martin Luther at all.
Martin Luther (the German pastor from the 1500s, not the American champion of racial equality) led a movement that brought a straying church back to the teaching of God in the Bible. This means that Lutherans (who teach like Luther) teach what the Bible teaches.
People aren't "basically good." We are basically selfish. While we were originally created to find a fulfilling purpose in relationships with other people and especially with God himself, in our flawed way of approaching life we think our greatest purpose is to please ourselves.
To fix this, and to make it so every life that has ever been lived isn't a complete disappointment, God became a human (Jesus Christ) and lived correctly. He had perfect relationships with everyone around him and with God.
He then GAVE, for free, his perfect life to all people, replacing their disappointingness. We don't deserve this. We don't earn it by being good. It's just there for us to believe in.
The great news in the point above is communicated to us, clearly, in the Bible. God delivers that love to us through the Bible and through Baptism and Communion.
Since Jesus' life took away our old and disappointing state-of-being, we have a new and full-of-peace-and-purpose-state-of-being!
what denomination is Illumine?
Illumine Church first and foremost follows the Bible. We find that the teachings of the Bible are correctly represented in the Lutheran Confessions (or here). These documents were prepared in the 16th century during the Protestant Reformation. Undeniably, life is not the same today as it was in Germany in the 1500s, but fortunately for all of us, God remains the same forever. The truths of grace and love and redemption and the practical wisdom for life that God has given us through his word are just as real and useful as they were when Christians 500 years ago sat down to summarize them so that God's people could see their God better.
Like the Christians of yesteryear, Illumine Church works to help people like you see life in light of the truth. What God says works, which means that all people, including the people of Rock Hill, can use what God's given them. Half a millennium from now, it's possible that people will look back on the work Illumine does for help in their knowledge of God. Being a part of history is a uniquely humbling privilege - what part will you play?
Is Illumine part of a larger church body?
Illumine is one of many congregations associated with an international church body called the WELS. The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) is a cooperating group of congregations headquartered in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Since 1858, the congregations of the WELS have been working together to do, as a whole, what individual congregations cannot. They train pastors, teachers, and other ministerial staff. They send missionaries all over the world - everywhere from Taipei, Taiwan to Rock Hill, SC. They publish excellent theological and practical resources for the church. They do considerable relief work wherever there is need. Illumine is proud to be a member congregation of the WELS.
How do I contact Illumine for event rentals?
It's easy! Just click the button above, email illuminechurch@gmail.com, or call (803)810-9398.