Hopewell
United Methodist Church
Havre de Grace, Maryland 21078
Rev. Tim Dowell, Pastor
410.734.6462
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The Goal of ChristianityWhat’s the goal of Christianity? Most folks don’t know! Allow me to share my perspective. I believe the goal of Christianity is: · To get back into right relationship with God through faith in the Son of God, Jesus · To faithfully respond to the grace God has shown us by serving Christ as Lord by… o Surrendering our will to God’s will for our lives o Treating our neighbors as we would have them treat us o Allowing God’s Spirit to guide and transform our lives, that we might reclaim the image of God in which we were created, and as witnessed in the person of Jesus. The pursuit of these goals is our faithful response to the grace God has shown us in Jesus. The Christian Journey is one in which we strive by the grace of God to be holy, as Jesus was holy. Means of GraceMethodism was born out of a desire on the part of John Wesley and others to rigorously pursue this holiness. The means of doing so are traditionally known as The Means of Grace. Wesley understood the Means of Grace to be… "...outward signs, words, or actions, ordained of God, and appointed for this end, to be the ordinary channels whereby God might convey to us, preventing, justifying, or sanctifying grace." Included among these means were the daily study of scripture, public and private prayer, and the coming together of Christians to care for each others needs and to hold each other accountable in their common pursuit of holiness. The Class MeetingThe primary means of accomplishing the goals described above was the Class Meeting. The Class Meeting was a periodic meeting of people covenanting together for fellowship, study, prayer, and accountability. A lot has changed in 250 years however: Christian friends live far apart and have dissimilar schedules, making the face to face class meetings of the 18th century impractical at best. Fortunately, the 21st century offers new resources to make the Class Meeting a possibility once again – via the Internet. The PropositionI propose we reclaim this passion for seeking scriptural holiness that is the hallmark of our Wesleyan Heritage. I invite you to enter into a covenant with me, and all wish to join us, in which we will covenant together to pursue holiness through shared Bible Study, Prayer, and Accountability. Click Here to See How it Works..
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Send mail to
tim@wesleyanchapelmd.org with
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