We believe we are created in the image of God, male and female.
Believing that God’s will for us is goodwill,
we follow in the footsteps of God’s beloved Son,
Jesus the Christ.
We believe Jesus lived to forgive, and showed us that by serving one another,
we are connected to the heart of God.
We believe we share Jesus’ mission to bind up and heal the broken hearted.
We believe that Jesus took the burden of our regrets and sorrows
upon his own shoulders, and bore them to the cross where they died with him.
Jesus was buried, but on the third day God raised him from the dead, as promised.
After Jesus’ resurrection, we believe God sent the Holy Spirit to empower Jesus’ followers.
The Holy Spirit was their ever-present advocate, counselor of truth, and companion.
We believe that same Spirit resides with us, interceding for us,
and empowering our work in the name of the Christ.
The Spirit reminds us daily to love God and one another as
the Christ loved us. Amen.
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Gracious and Loving God, how sweet it is to ponder your grace, to bask in the light of your mercy and love. It is as lovely and gently glorious as the sunrise. We pray never to have a sense of alienation from you or our community of faith. Let us never —not for a single second — take for granted your outpouring of goodwill and concern. With each and every breath we take you remind us of your presence. With each and every step we take, we are reminded that your handiwork knit each of us together in our mother’s womb. Even if we aren’t as nimble as we once were, keep our spirits limber as we serve you in the name of the Christ. Amen.
INVITATION TO THE OFFERING
In the United Methodist Church if a member is not attending the church where enrolled, the member is requested to: 1. reaffirm their baptismal vows and return to living in community with that church where their name is recorded; 2. request a transfer to another UMC where the member will return to living in that community of faith; 3. arrange transfer to a particular church in another denomination; 4. request withdrawal. If the church can’t find the member to offer these choices their name may be removed from the rolls by a vote of the charge conference. The gospel of John asserts that a vine branch cannot bear fruit unless it is attached to the vine, so too the Christian cannot bear fruit unless he or she is similarly attached to Jesus who is the vine who gives us life and consequent produce.
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