We are a worshiping community of The United Methodist Church.

For specifics and distinctive marks of United Methodist faith, please click here.

Belief

Some of us have been Christians our entire lives; some of us are just starting out. Fundamental to our identity is the belief that when two or more are gathered, Christ is in our midst (Matthew 18:20). We might not have all the doctrine figured out—in fact, we probably don't. We gather together for the sake of community, for healing, for learning, for growing, and for serving our communities. We believe that the Christian life matters not just for our own needs, but for the sake of the world! Been hurt by the church or church people? Many of us have, too. Can we promise it won't happen again? No, we cannot. But we can commit to learning how to grow in love and pray that God will use us in spite of ourselves.

doubt

We are also a community of skeptics, of doubters, of people who are trying to give this Christianity 'thing' a try. We live in the tension that God's presence is something to be desired, but not always readily perceived, especially when personal, national, and global tragedy strikes. If you have doubts or questions about the claims of Christianity, you would find a welcoming home here at First UMC.

hope

Whether we are on-fire believers or still figuring things out, we are united in the hope of the transformation of the world. Church and weekly worship is about the formation of identity, of habits and practices that shape how we live, move, and breathe in the world. As Christians and those exploring Christianity, we are united in the hope and active pursuit of peace, of justice, of equity, of fairness, of compassion, of generosity. Put differently, we are working toward the continued unveiling of the Kingdom or Reign of God on earth. Weekly, we pray as Jesus did: