God will comfort, guide,
and forgive every person, no matter who they are or what they've
done.
Serving others and
Christian faith go hand in hand.
We find peace with God
and spiritual fulfillment both in solitary moments of reflection and
in a community of faith.
Our Church is made up of
people who share faith in Jesus Christ.
We seek to make our
private and our public actions congruent with our faith.
We are a global movement
of churches that’s making a difference in the world.
We find peace with God and
spiritual fulfillment both in solitary moments of reflection and in a
community of faith. Our Church is made up of people who share faith in
Jesus Christ. We seek to make our private and our public actions
congruent with our faith. We are a global movement of churches that’s
making a difference in the world. In practice, we are similar to other
Protestant denominations, affirming our beliefs through the sacred
symbols of baptism and communion. United Methodists share with other
Christians the conviction that Scripture is the primary source and
criterion for Christian doctrine. Through Scripture the living Christ
meets us in the experience of redeeming grace. We are convinced that
Jesus Christ is the living Word of God in our midst whom we trust in
life and death.
Through baptism, we accept God’s gifts through Jesus. There is no strict
rule among United Methodists about how baptism must be performed,
although sprinkling water on the head of the person being baptized is
most common. Everyone is accepted and welcome at the communion table,
whether members of the Church or not, kids or adults.
Our identity as a denomination started with founder John Wesley, who
felt his own heart strangely warmed nearly three centuries ago. After
this experience, he was compelled to reach out to England’s poorest
citizens, which he did with the help of his brother, Charles. Their work
launched a movement that spread to the American colonies and took hold
with a fervor that still exists almost 300 years later.
Today, United Methodists comprise the second largest Protestant
denomination in the United States. Our churches are connected by a
system to guide our work and govern our policies. We continue to take
the lead in social, spiritual, political and moral concerns. In the
tradition of John and Charles Wesley, our members study scripture,
encourage thoughtful debate, and confront the tough issues of the day.
We still lead with our hearts, keep our minds open, and welcome everyone
through our doors.
Our church is made up of people, not drywall and plywood and stucco.
Church carries a lot more importance and has more soul than a building;
it is a "community of faith," meaning that church can be out in the
streets, or wherever "two or more are gathered," as Jesus told us. While
the unique function of the church is worship, it is also wherever its
members gather to celebrate God in their lives. When we pray together,
make plans together, do volunteer work together, have worship services
together, that’s church.
Being a United Methodist doesn't mean that you must believe everything
all other Methodists believe. This church encourages you to seek the
answers to deep questions not in doctrine, but instead through your own
ability to reason, using experience, tradition, and, most important, the
Bible as a guide. United Methodists are never expected to agree with the
church 100% of the time, because every United Methodist is an individual
and thereby are enabled by God to make their own discernments. Within
the United Methodist Church, "Open Hearts, Open Minds, and Open
Doors"
is not just an advertising sound byte, it is who we are!
If you should have a
question about anything written here, or a concern about something that
may not be here, we encourage you to contact our Pastor either by phone
at (865) 982-6192, or email.
