Congregations
You may hear people use different terms to talk about local communities of Christians: congregation, church, parish. There are no really hard and fast rules for which terms to use, but generally, the term “church” is capitalized when used in a name, as in St. Barnabas Lutheran Church. People may say, “Let’s go to church," when they mean to invite you to worship or another activity. The term then refers more to the gathering of people in God’s name than it does to the building in which the gathering is held.
The term “congregation” typically points to the group of people who gather in a particular place. The use of the term “parish” may point to a group of congregations who mutually share one or several pastors, but it may also be used to refer to the local group, the congregation.
Resources
The Nebraska Synod has 265 congregations and synod-authorized worshipping communities. These resources will show you in which towns they are located and provide further information.
“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.”–Ephesians 4:4-6, NRSV