What we value as a community of faith

We take Jesus, the Bible, and Methodism seriously.

We follow Jesus as our Christ and Lord above all else, seeking to become more like Jesus every day. We know God by upholding the Bible as our primary source of belief, studying it with authenticity and curiosity so that it guides our lives. And we express our Christian faith through the Methodist tradition, affirming God’s grace freely given, and God’s perfecting work in and through us.

The Gospel and the church are for all people—no exceptions.

Because every person is made in the image of God, we welcome all people into our community of faith. Regardless of our differences—age, race and ethnicity, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, socioeconomic status, and more—we follow Jesus and strive to live graciously together as one. And when we earnestly struggle or disagree, we do so in love and with compassion, seeking to understand one another.

All Christians are called to minister to the world.

God empowers us to serve our neighbors and transform the world so that the Kingdom of God may be “on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). As members of the Body of Christ, all Christians are called to this holy work, and are given unique gifts by God to make up the priesthood of all believers. And while God reigns in our hearts today, we also anticipate Jesus’ return when all will be reconciled and restored to God forever.

Our Guiding Principles

We are guided by the Holy Spirit. As a community of faith, we commit ourselves to earnest prayer and honest conversation (“conferencing”) to discern the will of God for us. We put our trust in God to “make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert” (Isaiah 43:19). 

We are guided by faithful stewardship. We recognize that stewardship of what God has given us is essential to the Christian life. We faithfully care for all our collective resources, and commit ourselves individually to a deeper understanding and practice of stewardship. 

We are guided by what God will do. Giving thanks to God for all that God has already done, we commit ourselves to the “new thing” God is doing in and through us. We make decisions today that strengthen our community’s life and witness, and secure our future.