WHAT WE BELIEVE
Our faith has been handed down to us by the church through the Holy Scriptures, the creeds, our music, and by the lives of all Christians throughout history. We have roots in the Protestant Church and as a United Methodist Church, we share a common history and doctrine with United Methodists all over the world (www.umc.org).
We believe in God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
We worship the one living and true God, gracious and everlasting, of infinite power, wisdom and goodness. We believe Jesus Christ is God made flesh, he is Lord and Savior, and through him God offers salvation to all people.
We believe in the resurrection.
Jesus died and rose again to forgive our sin, to defeat the power of sin and death, and to reconcile us to God the Father. Because Jesus was raised from the dead, when he returns, we too can be raised.
We believe in the Holy Scriptures.
The Bible is God’s word to us, and contains all things necessary for salvation. The Scriptures are inspired by God, and are useful for teaching, correction, and training us to live holy lives.
We acknowledge the reality of sin and of our free will.
Since Adam and Eve disobeyed God, every human being has been guilty of sin. Left to ourselves, we are lost. In his grace, God offers to save us through the life, death and resurrection of his Son, Jesus Christ. God does not force his salvation on us; in our free will we may accept it or reject it.
We believe in the Christian life.
It is the privilege and duty of every disciple to follow Jesus and grow in his likeness through habits of holy living, such as worship, Scripture reading, prayer, fasting, and gathering in small groups.
We believe in the sacraments.
The sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion are outward and visible signs of God’s inward and spiritual grace, tangible ways for us to receive God’s love. Because we believe God loves and welcomes all people, all are welcome to be baptized, including children. Similarly, all who love Jesus, who repent of their sin, and who seek peace with their neighbors are welcome at the communion table.
We believe in the Church.
The Church, though flawed because of our sin, was made in the image of Jesus Christ and is a sign of God’s kingdom on earth and a messenger of God’s good news for the world. The Church is the best way for us to fulfill our purpose in life: loving and serving God and one another.
