about Olivet & Mt Olivet United Methodist Churches
We make Christian disciples.
Matthew 28:18-20 describes what our work is.
Bible Scholars call this passage "the Great
Commission".
Then Jesus came to them and said,
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit,
and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.
And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the
age."
This verse contains our job description as a
congregation.
Everything we do as a church keeps this verse in
mind.
The goal of making Christian disciples is central to the
MISSION STATEMENT of Olivet UMC in Galena
adopted by the adopted by the Administrative Board
on June 7, 2004
The mission
of Olivet United Methodist Church is
to empower Christians to be
disciples of Jesus Christ.
We will accomplish this through prayer,
and by sharing the love and Word of God,
so that people will develop
a personal relationship with Jesus Christ
and have eternal life.
Our plans for
Olivet United Methodist Church are:
Witness to the community the love of Jesus, by our words and actions
Welcome all who want to know the Lord
Preach the Good News from the Bible
Have a strong and active Sunday School
Reach out to new people in the community
Support the Church with our time, talents, & treasures
Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Dictionary
describes a disciple with these words:
"Disciple - a student, learner, or pupil.
In the Bible the word is used most often to refer to a follower of Jesus."
In Matthew 10:24-25 Jesus said:
"A disciple is not above his teacher, nor
a servant above his master;
it is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the
servant like his master."
As defined by Jesus, the term disciple is based
on
the teacher/student and servant/master concepts.
Following Jesus is more than just an intellectual
exercise.
It also involves having a deep encounter with the
living God,
discovering what it means to be loved, forgiven,
nurtured, gifted, and sent out to serve.
Here are seven basics involved in being a Christian disciple:
1) Have an assurance of my relationship with God.
2) Accept baptism as an act of obedience.
3) Attend Church weekly.
4) Pray daily.
5) Study God's Word daily.
6) Tithe a percentage of my income to God.
7) Witness for Jesus, and share my faith with others.
The United Methodist Church has described
a process for making disciples
that takes place in the local church.
The following words come from our Book of Discipline:
¶122 We make disciples as we:
From The Book
of Discpline of The United Methodist Church - 2000 ¶122.
Copyright 2000 by The United
Methodist Publishing House. Used by permission.
Another way of describing what a disciple does is found in the letters SOFEW.
The letters SOFEW summarize some practical ways
we live out the Great Commission as a congregation.
SOFEW stands for
Stewardship, Outreach, Fellowship, Education, and Worship.
STEWARDSHIP MINISTRY
We are generous with our time, talents, and treasures because God has been good
to us. We use what we have to help others, knowing that we cannot out-give God.
As we are faithful to use God's gifts wisely, people come to know Jesus, the
Steward.
OUTREACH MINISTRY
We care about our community and we get involved because God first reached out to
us. That's why we extend ourselves beyond the church in social action,
ministries of mercy, and personal witness. As we stand up for God in the public
forum, people come to know Jesus, the Servant.
FELLOWSHIP MINISTRY
We love one another in practical ways because God first loved us. Friendship,
listening, and care act like magnets to draw people into our fellowship. As our
integrity is proven over and over again, people come to know Jesus, the Friend.
EDUCATION MINISTRY
We study the Bible because it contains God's Word given to us. Christian
disciples are students who love to learn and grow. As we nurture one another in
wisdom, people come to know Jesus, the Teacher.
WORSHIP MINISTRY
We gather together every week because God meets with us as we worship. Our
prayers, songs, offerings, and lessons are shared with Jesus who reveals his
majesty to us. As we open our hearts to God, people come to know Jesus,
the LORD.
If you have attended Olivet or Mt Olivet United
Methodist Church,
chances are you have been asked to consider becoming a member.
So how is that done?
The Pastor offers a membership orientation dinner about twice a year.
This event takes place at the church
and lasts about two and a half hours ( 6:00 to 8:30 P.M. ).
You only attend the one class in order to join.
If you decide that you want to become a voting member,
then you choose a Sunday morning worship to take your vows.
Attending the class does not obligate you to join.
You are welcome to check it out, see what the
United Methodist Church teaches
and decide for yourself if you want to become part of our
disciple making team.
If you would like to have one of your children
baptized
or if you would like to be baptized, the procedure is the same.
Talk to pastor Jameson and arrange to have a
pre-baptismal
interview.
Pastor Jameson will come to your home,
and talk to you about Christian baptism.
It takes about an hour for the interview.
Then you work with pastor Jameson to choose a Sunday morning
that suits, and we celebrate the baptism during the worship
service.
Baptism is the ritual of initiation
into the Christian faith.
Baptism is a sacrament of the Church
and there is never a fee for this service.
Baptism is God's gift to you
and is an important part of obeying the Great Commission.