OUR MISSION at FIRST UNITED
METHODIST CHURCH:
To grow gracefully in faith through
worship, service and education
through the transforming power of Jesus' love
that connects us all.
Welcome to the website First United Methodist Church of Wallingford,
CT. Several people have contacted me lately thought this website,
so I'll try to answer some of the FAQ's.
What is it to be Christian or United Methodist?
You may be wondering what it is to be Christian. Or you may be wondering
what it means to be United Methodist. If you're new to Christianity,
you might experience a vocabulary shock. Christians speak in terms
that they seem to understand, but trust me, we are all learning what
they mean! Feel free to email questions - your questions won't be
as naïve as some of the answers! There are not always hard and
firm answers to questions about God. We wonder about many things,
but some of our wonderings may only be answered in the next life.
We can understand some things from the Bible, from our vast and diverse
history of traditions, from our own experiences, and from using our
God given common-sense and ability to reason. But as for the things
that only God knows, we can only wonder. Still, we want to talk about
the things of God, so church is a great place to learn & exercise
the Godly vocabulary.
The best way to get to know any church is to show up. The Christian
experience is best live and in person. The Christian experience is
about being in community. We are not a perfect community by any stretch
of the imagination. Christians are not so much hypocrites, as we are
a people in process of trying to be more like Jesus. We do not always
succeed, but we put ourselves in the company of other people who are
striving to be more like Jesus.
If you are new to the United Methodist Church, your first clues about
what this is all about will be revealed when you come to Sunday morning
worship. You receive a booklet called a "bulletin" and then
there's a songbook called The United Methodist Hymnal. The bulletin
and the hymnal are your friends. And they have a wealth of wonderful
and subtle information about the people called "Methodist."
At the top of the bulletin, you'll notice the cast of characters.
The first billing is "Ministers." All baptized people are
Ministers. We believe very much in the "priesthood of all believers."
Every person is called in their baptism to share the love and life
of Jesus Christ in the world.
United Methodists have a unique contribution to Christian faith that
you can notice in the Hymnal. As you flip through the pages, you'll
notice headings at the top. You'll see & experience the Methodist
faith through the songs in center sections of Hymnal. You'll see words
like "Prevenient Grace" (the grace of God that was there
waiting for you all along), "Justifying Grace" (the feeling
of God coming very close to you, and that causes you to be something
new & improved), "Sanctifying Grace" (doing good things
for God in the world) and "Perfecting Grace" (being fully
on the journey of loving God and others and yourself).
Like all Christians, we believe in the Trinity. We believe in one
God who is expressed through three distinct characters called: Creator,
Redeemer & Sustainer (or Father, Son & Holy Spirit). This
is much like our roles here on earth. All at the same time, we are
100% friend, 100% brother or sister, 100% daughter or son, 100% partner,
100% student or worker. In that same way, we believe God is 100% Creator
(Father), 100% Christ (Son, Redeemer) and 100% Holy Spirit (Sustainer).
Unlike other Christians, when United Methodists celebrate Holy Communion
- EVERYONE is invited. Our founder, John Wesley, believed that you
could have a conversion moment during Communion. So we don't want
to limit that experience of coming very close to God and each other.
All are welcome - the very young (usually as soon as an infant reaches
for the bread), those who doubt, those who aren't members of this
church or any church, those who have not been baptized yet - all are
welcome. And we use grape juice in the Communion cup so the very youngest
of us, and those who shouldn't have anything stronger are able to
experience the grace of God in Christ's holy meal.
Mostly, we are all on a journey. We are works in progress. We just
agree that it makes sense if we focus on matters of faith alongside
other people who are doing the same. Like when you really want to
get good at something, like a golf swing - you go to the course &
practice & watch others who have more experience. So now you're
thinking about church and practicing your faith. Sometimes you'll
feel like you're getting somewhere, sometimes you'll feel like you're
on a plateau, and other times you'll feel like you've fallen into
The Pit. All that is a part of the journey. Some of the people in
church on Sunday morning have been here all their lives, and some
are very new here. Some have come from other churches, and some didn't
come to church until they were adults. We are all practicing to be
better people in the Way of Jesus Christ. That means that we are far
from perfect, but we are on our way in Christ's Way...
What about Baptism and membership?
Also in the Hymnal, you'll see services for Marriage, Death and Resurrection
(funeral), and Baptism / Confirmation / Membership. We use similar
words in the service for Baptism, Confirmation & Membership and
it happens as a part of Sunday worship when everyone is gathered together
to praise God. The United Methodist buzzwords for membership are:
Prayer, Presence, Gifts and Service. They are not in the form of a
multiple-choice question. We're not supposed pick A, B, C or D. When
you decide to become a member, it's because you're ready to commit
to all four words. The pastor holds membership classes as people request
to join. We usually meet 4 times to learn more about each other and
what it is to be a Christian & a United Methodist. Email the Pastor
at fumc-wallingford@snet.net
if you're interested in more info.
Why come to the First UMC in Wallingford?
One of the best assets of this church is our Sunday School. We use
a method of learning called Godly Play for our pre-school and elementary
students. It is a creative way of learning by experiencing the stories
in the Bible using props & then having some creative time to respond
individually. The hour-long session is patterned after worship - Gathering,
Telling the Story, Response Time, Sacred Meal & Closing. Youth
and adult classes meet every Sunday at 9:15am too. The Youth are working
on a Labyrinth in 2004-5 and working with a curriculum that makes
the Way of Jesus real in the everyday life of teenagers. The adults
have been learning about other faiths like Islam and Judaism through
video & lively discussion. Several times a year, we have intergenerational
Mission Sundays where we learn more about serving together in God's
world. We have an ongoing relationships with Paul Newman's Hole-in-the-Wall-Gang
Camp, with South Meriden Trinity UMC's Unity House for refugees, Heifer
Project International, and with missionaries Mindy Schott in Vietnam,
Beth Weaver in New Guinea and Amber Walsh in Haiti.
Other offerings at this church:
- Bible Studies: Disciple Bible Study, Jesus in the Gospels
- Spiritual Formation: Companions in Christ series.
- Every Lenten season, there is a weekly supper and study
- A prayer group that meets twice a month
- A Memorial Garden
- Craft and Service Group meets on Tuesday mornings
- Youth Group
- Membership and active involvement in United Action of CT to create
systemic change around justice issues in our state (we work on issues
like: health care, quality education, affordable housing, public transportation)
- Working at Wallingford's Homeless Shelter
- Events through Church World Service (a yearly blanket drive is one
event)
- Ongoing relationship with Covenant to Care & Chrysalis House
- Babysitting available during the 10:30am Sunday worship service
- Healing services
- Meetings of outside groups: Al-Anon, Bi-polar/Depression group,
Augustine Fellowship, Boy Scout Troop 1, Girl Scout leadership team
- And there is space to rent...
Where can I get more info?
For more information on this church, poke around this website. To
read about the monthly activities of this church, make sure to check
out the Good News newsletter posted on this site. All the information
pamphlets in the Narthex (lobby) at church are free. There is also
an excellent pamphlet at church called The Social Principles. If you
want to know more about Methodists in general, check the "Links"
section of our website. The first link (United Methodist Church -
www.umc.org) is a really good first choice. Clicking on the "About
Our Church" bar at the top left of their home page will give
you some really good basic info about the United Methodist Church
(UMC). You'll also notice at the umc.org website & through the
Links section of this website that the UMC is a very justice oriented
and socially conscious organization.
When & where is worship, & why come?
SUNDAY WORSHIP:
8:30am (informal worship with weekly Communion)
10:30am (traditional worship)
SUNDAY SCHOOL:
9:15am
SUMMER WORSHIP:
9:30am
We're located at 941 Old Rock Hill Road in Wallingford, CT. You'll
find us across the street from Rock Hill Elementary School & next
to Marcus Cooke Park. Old Rock Hill Road is the third right off Durham
Road coming from Choate-Rosemary Hall and the stop sign at the cemetery.
Check out the directions link at this website for more assistance.
There is so much more to write about when I think about why you should
come, but when it comes to church and God - it's better experienced
than explained.
See you in Church,
Pastor Karen