God exists eternally as one God in three persons: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (Historically called the Trinity.) God is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. God is faithful, loving, and just.

 

Jesus is the Son of God, the second person of the Trinity. He was born to the Virgin Mary by miraculous conception. Being both fully God and fully human, He lived a sinless life, perfectly revealing the Father. By His suffering, death and resurrection, he provided the only way to salvation. He rose from the dead after three days, and ascended to heaven where He rules and reigns with the Father. He will return again to earth and rule as the supreme Judge and King of all.

 

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. His inner prompting makes people aware of their need for Jesus. He is given to every believer at the moment of salvation, to empower them to live a holy life and to grant gifts for service. He leads all believers into truth, and believers become like Christ as a result of submitting to His leading.

 

Men and women are created by God in His image and all are loved by God. We are made to know God personally and to glorify Him in our lives. However, in addition to the wonderful promise and potential, each of us also has an inner attitude of rebellion against God’s leadership in our lives. That is called sin. Sin separates us from God. No one has lived a sinless life (except Jesus) and therefore all of us need God’s forgiveness and salvation through Christ.

 

Salvation is a gift of God which we receive through faith in Christ – it can not be earned and is not deserved. Through God’s grace we confess our sin, say yes to the gift of God’s forgiveness, receive salvation through Christ, and commit to live in faithfulness to God. We are able to experience the assurance of our salvation because of God’s promise and presence in our lives.

 

The Bible is God’s word to each of us. It was written by human authors under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The scriptures are the full and final authority on all matters of faith and practice.

 

The Church is the body of Jesus Christ in the world. All persons everywhere who receive God’s forgiveness and salvation through Christ are members of this Church Universal. The local church is a gathering of Jesus followers committed to being the presence of Christ in a given community.

 

We are grateful to be a community of faith born into The United Methodist Church. We claim our heritage and eagerly carry on the the rich tradition started by John Wesley. For more information on the United Methodist Church, please visit their website: www.umc.org