We are a Christian community that seeks to intentionally include all races and all cultural backgrounds. Our mission is to embody God’s ministry of reconciliation through our practice of worship, devotion, compassion, and justice. We believe that receiving and sharing God’s all encompassing love is our greatest challenge and our only hope.
"We are a Christian community" To be more specific, we are a United Methodist congregation which is part of an international church. With Christians of other communions, we share a belief in a triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We believe Jesus Christ is the Living Word of God through whom we are forgiven and reconciled to God. We believe that the Holy Bible is the Word of God and is the primary source for Christian life and teaching. We recognize the baptism of other Christian communions and actively seek to work for unity among all Christian churches. If you want to learn more about the specific beliefs of United Methodists click here.
"that seeks to intentionally include all races and all cultural backgrounds"
It has been said too often, but it is still true: "Sunday morning remains the most segregated hour of the week." We believe that this truth grieves the Holy Spirit and compromises our Christian witness. Christians have a mandate from Christ to welcome all of God’s children, regardless of race, ethnicity, class, status, gender, sexual orientation, or disability. Reconciliation UMC seeks to embrace human diversity and celebrate it in all aspects of the church’s life including worship, music, mission, ministry, and leadership. We want to go out of our way to say "welcome." We believe the church should be a place where strangers become friends. Every person has unique gifts and graces that enrich the Body of Christ. We need each other and we are committed to being a place that allows every voice to be heard.
"our mission is to embody God’s ministry of reconciliation" The word "reconciliation is familiar to many in our society. It implies that there are two or more parties or individuals that are divided, separated, and estranged. Historically, many of these divisions have been between people of different races and cultures. Racial reconciliation has become a prominent theme for those who wish to bring healing to our country and our communities, but reconciliation goes beyond divisions of race to include a multitude of other things that divide and separate people from each other.
Reconciliation is also a biblical word that is rich in meaning. The Bible teaches us that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) We all suffer from an original division and separation and we have all separated ourselves from God’s will and God’s way. Such separation is sin. The effects of that separation are all around us: violence, hatred, bigotry, racism, greed, hopelessness, and despair. The Good News is that "God has reconciled the world to himself" through Jesus Christ. Through Christ we are reconciled back to God. Through Christ we are reconciled to our neighbor. As followers of Jesus, we have "been given the ministry of reconciliation." (2 Cor. 5:18) This means that we are called to share, to witness, and to proclaim the reconciling and liberating love of Christ to a world that is broken and hurting.
"through our practice of worship," "Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them." (Matthew 18:20)
The Christian life is more than a set of beliefs or shared convictions. It is a way of life that includes our bodies, our minds, and our spirits. This new way of living entails new ways of being, new ways of seeing the world that those in it, and new practices and habits. Worship is the central practice of the Christian faith – we are created to praise, magnify, and give thanks to the God of all creation. Reconciliation UMC is committed to worship that glorifies God and edifies the believer.
"devotion,"
Just as we need the communal practice of worship in the Body of Christ, we also need to attend to personal spiritual growth. Acts of devotion can include personal Bible reading, prayer, fasting, meditation, and spiritual journaling. We are called to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Savior, and we cannot do so without a commitment to daily, devotional disciplines.
"compassion," To paraphrase John Wesley, the founder of Methodism: "Do all the good you can, to all the people you can, as much as you can." The practice of compassion - acts of kindness, love, and charity – are marks of a true Christian. Jesus bids us "to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and our neighbor as yourself." (Matt. 22:37-40) Jesus even goes further to say that when we minister to the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, and the imprisoned we minister to Christ. (Matt. 25)
"and justice." Our God is a God of justice and righteousness. The prophets raged against the rulers and powerful leaders of the day, without worrying about political retribution. God calls us to speak out against injustice in whatever form we may find it. We are called to be advocates for the poor, the oppressed, and the marginalized. We must not be content to practice acts of compassion and charity alone. We must also stand against evil systems and powers. We must witness in words and acts that embody God’s justice for all people.
"We believe that receiving and sharing God’s all-encompassing love"
You can’t share something you don’t have. You can’t give unless you have first received. It is only when we first receive the grace and love of God into our lives that we can share it with others. There is nothing we can do to deserve or earn God’s favor. It is given freely and it is given unconditionally. As recipients of God’s amazing grace, we are compelled to share it with the world.
"is our greatest challenge and our only hope." The road of discipleship is not easy. "Wide is the way that leads to death and narrow the road that leads to life." (Matt. 7:13-14) We do have the promise that Christ accompanies us on the journey. It is only through Christ that we can find strength to live as peacemakers, pray for our enemies, and become agents of reconciliation. "Receiving and sharing God’s all-encompassing love" does indeed remain our greatest challenge and our only hope.