We Believe
In God, the Father, infinite in wisdom, power and love,
whose mercy is over all his works,
and whose will is ever directed to his children's good.
We Believe
In Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of man,
the gift of the Father's unfailing grace,
the ground of our hope,
and the promise of our deliverance from sin and death.
We Believe
In the Holy Spirit as the divine presence in our lives,
whereby we are kept in perpetual remembrance
of the truth of Christ,
and find strength and help in time of need.
We Believe
This faith should manifest itself in the service of love,
as set forth in the example of our blessed Lord,
that the kingdom of God may come upon the earth.
(Affirmation of Faith-United Methodist Hymnal #885)
Traditionally, we have emphasized the following:
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God will comfort, guide, and forgive every person, no matter who they are or what they've done.
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The scriptures of both the Old and New Testaments are the inspired word of God. (2 Timothy 3:16-17) The Bible is God’s revelation to us - a blueprint for living the Christian life - and is our source for faith and practice.
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Serving others and Christian faith go hand-in-hand.
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We find peace with God and spiritual fulfillment both in solitary moments of reflection and in a community of faith.
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Our Church is made up of people who share a personal faith in Jesus Christ.
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We seek to make our private and our public actions congruent with our faith.
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We are a global movement of churches, making a difference in the world.
In practice, we are similar to other Protestant denominations, affirming our beliefs through the sacred symbols of baptism and communion.
Through baptism, we accept God’s gifts through Jesus. There is no strict rule among United Methodists about how baptism must be performed, although sprinkling water on the head of the person being baptized is most common. Everyone is accepted and welcome at the communion table, whether members of the Church or not, children or adults.
We Believe that what we believe should be lived out with our lives!
Our Vision
God is calling Aldersgate United Methodist Church to develop and nourish disciples of Christ inside and outside the church...to be a healthier church where faith is lived out with commitment, fire, and enthusiasm.
Below are links to pages on the website of the United Methodist Church (http://www.umc.org) that define core beliefs and practices of our denomination: