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What We Believe

 

 

Reach up, Reach out!

 

The purpose of the First United Methodist Church of Santa Rosa is to create a loving community of faith that expresses itself through both personal spirituality and social responsibility; reaching up and reaching out to all people in God's love with experiences that challenge, change, inspire and engage.

 

Ministry Focus

 

As we look at the future, the ministry focus we will nurture and give priority to is:

Children and Youth

All committees and commissions work to incorporate children and youth in their ministries.

 

We are a church that believes in creating a loving community of faith:


     Reaching up - a community of faith expressing our love for God and all people through personal spirituality; challenging ourselves to examine our faith through prayer and reflection;  changing our hearts with experiences of spiritual growth; inspiring our spirits through vibrant and progressive worship; engaging our minds in theological, historical, and biblical study; and so much more.
 

     Reaching out - a community of faith expressing our love for God and all people through social responsibility;  challenging our world view by studying contemporary social and moral issues; changing our understanding of society through tangible acts of love, peace, and justice; inspiring our spirits by supporting and working with other social agencies withing the larger community; engaging our world by financially and spiritually supporting missionaries and mission projects, and leading hands-on Volunteer in Mission experiences; and so much more.  

Oneness in Christ Statement

 

    We affirm that all persons are precious to God and of sacred worth. God pours out amazing love and grace to everyone.

    We seek to be an inclusive church. We warmly invite into our life and mission all people without regard to race, nationality, sexual orientation, ability, age, gender, financial circumstances or marital status.

    We are a large and diverse community of faith. We certainly do not always agree on theology or public issues. Our desire, however, is to build bridges of mutual respect and understanding. Above all, we seek to love one another as Christ has loved us.

    We are learning that the words of our founder, John Wesley, are true: "We do not have to think alike to love alike."