Who We Are (Staff Contact List)
OUR CORE VALUES
Being a disciple of Jesus Christ is a lifelong journey of faith, growth, discovery, and celebration. Our purpose as a church is 1) to invite people into that journey with us, 2) to challenge, equip, and encourage those on the journey, and 3) to impact our world both locally and globally in the name of Jesus Christ.
1. Celebrating and affirming the Journey that has brought us to this time and place.
We celebrate and affirm the journey of our faith community in both the Old and New Testaments, and the journey of the early church that has brought us to this place and time.
We celebrate and affirm our heritage and beliefs as United Methodists and our Wesleyan heritage.
2. Journey towards discipleship.
We believe growth as a disciple is what it means to be in a healthy relationship with Jesus Christ.
Growing as a disciple includes but is not limited to the six marks of discipleship:
- Regular study of God’s Word
- Being in worship weekly
- Praying daily
- Using our God-given spiritual gifts in service to others at and beyond First United Methodist Church
- Being connected in community
- Giving of our time and resources
3. The journey is made in community.
We believe in the sacred worth of every person in creation. We believe we are called to create a community of faith where all people are welcomed, valued, loved, and accepted without exception. We believe being connected with other believers in an authentic faith community is where we find the resources to grow as disciples. These include but are not limited to prayer, accountability, support, challenge, encouragement, healing, fellowship, and love.
4. The path may change, but our Journey’s destination remains the same.
As disciples, we believe that we are called to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a way in which each new generation will be able to hear, understand, and respond to the call of Christ on their lives.
As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are called to be aware of where God is at work in our world and join the Holy Spirit in that work.
We encourage and celebrate innovation in ministry and forward thinking.
As we continue to follow the ever-changing path God guides us on, we will do all in our power to live out our ministry and journey with excellence which is honoring to God.
5. We are called to invite others into our Journey.
We believe that a role of a disciple is to remember that people matter to God.
We are instructed by Christ to reach out into our world and invite others to join us on this journey.
We believe it is important to love all those around us and always be ready to share about the hope that we have, whether it is by love, action, or personal testimony.
We are called to be Christ to those in our homes, schools, workplace, community gatherings, and any place we might interact with God’s people.
6. The Journey always takes us into our world to make an impact.
We believe our community of faith exists to help us grow as disciples, so that we may participate in God’s redemptive work in our world.
We are called to impact our world locally and globally. As children of God, we cannot ignore the hurt, pain, and injustice that exist in a fallen world.
We are called to reach out to all who have need.
We are called to be leaders in the stewardship and care of our earth, conservation of our resources, care for the poor, and in the fight against injustice and oppression.