We are a small, rural church but we are certainly excited about ministries in our community and in the world.

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We all share a faith in Jesus Christ, but The United Methodist Church encourages us to think for ourselves, so we don't necessarily share the same opinions about every faith issue or social concern. And there are lots of us: 8.5 million United Methodists live in the U.S., and 1.5 million more worldwide, with the largest growth in membership occurring in Africa and the Philippines.

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As United Methodists, we have an obligation to bear a faithful Christian witness to Jesus Christ, the living reality at the center of the Church's life and witness. To fulfill this obligation, we reflect critically on our biblical and theological inheritance, striving to express faithfully the witness we make in our own time.

John Wesley and the early Methodists were particularly concerned about inviting people to experience God's grace and to grow in their knowledge and love of God through disciplined Christian living. They placed primary emphasis on Christian living, on putting faith and love into action. This emphasis on what Wesley referred to as "practical divinity" has continued to be a hallmark of United Methodism today.

Our Christian Roots

United Methodists share a common heritage with all Christians. According to our foundational statement of beliefs in The Book of Discipline, we share the following basic affirmations in common with all Christian communities:

Trinity

We describe God in three persons. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are commonly used to refer to the threefold nature of God. Sometimes we use other terms, such as Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer.

Excerpt from What Every Teacher Needs to Know About Theology (Discipleship Resources, 2002), p. 13.

We Believe

    * We believe in one God, who created the world and all that is in it.

    * We believe that God is sovereign; that is, God is the ruler of the universe.

    * We believe that God is loving. We can experience God's love and grace.

    * We believe that Jesus was human. He lived as a man and died when he was crucified.

    * We believe that Jesus is divine. He is the Son of God.

    * We believe that God raised Jesus from the dead and that the risen Christ lives today. (Christ and messiah mean the same thing -- God's anointed.)

    * We believe that Jesus is our Savior. In Christ we receive abundant life and forgiveness of sins.

    * We believe that Jesus is our Lord and that we are called to pattern our lives after his.

    * We believe that the Holy Spirit is God with us.

    * We believe that the Holy Spirit comforts us when we are in need and convicts us when we stray from God.

    * We believe that the Holy Spirit awakens us to God's will and empowers us to live obediently.

    * We believe that God created human beings in God's image.

    * We believe that humans can choose to accept or reject a relationship with God.

    * We believe that all humans need to be in relationship with God in order to be fully human.

    * We believe that the church is the body of Christ, an extension of Christ's life and ministry in the world today.

    * We believe that the mission of the church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ.

    * We believe that the church is "the communion of saints," a community made up of all past, present, and future disciples of Christ.

    * We believe that the church is called to worship God and to support those who participate in its life as they grow in faith.

    * We believe that the Bible is God's Word.

    * We believe that the Bible is the primary authority for our faith and practice.

    * We believe that Christians need to know and study the Old Testament and the New Testament (the Hebrew Scriptures and the Christian Scriptures).

    * We believe that the kingdom or reign of God is both a present reality and future hope.

    * We believe that wherever God's will is done, the kingdom or reign of God is present. It was present in Jesus' ministry, and it is also present in our world whenever persons and communities experience reconciliation, restoration, and healing.

    * We believe that although the fulfillment of God's kingdom--the complete restoration of creation--is still to come.

    * We believe that the church is called to be both witness to the vision of what God's kingdom will be like and a participant in helping to bring it to completion.

    * We believe that the reign of God is both personal and social. Personally, we display the kingdom of God as our hearts and minds are transformed and we become more Christ-like. Socially, God's vision for the kingdom includes the restoration and transformation of all of creation.

With many other Protestants, we recognize the two sacraments in which Christ himself participated: Baptism and the Lord's Supper.

Baptism

    * Through baptism we are joined with the church and with Christians everywhere.

    * Baptism is a symbol of new life and a sign of God's love and forgiveness of our sins.

    * Persons of any age can be baptized.

    * We baptize by sprinkling, immersion or pouring.

    * A person receives the sacrament of baptism only once in his or her life.

The Lord's Supper (Communion, Eucharist)

    * The Lord's Supper is a holy meal of bread and juice that symbolizes the body and blood of Christ.

    * The Lord's Supper recalls the life, death and resurrection of Jesus and celebrates the unity of all the members of God's family.

    * By sharing this meal, we give thanks for Christ's sacrifice and are nourished and empowered to go into the world in mission and ministry.

    * We practice "open Communion," welcoming all who love Christ, repent of their sin, and seek to live in peace with one another.

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