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Lake Shore United Methodist Church 2246 Blanding Blvd., Jacksonville, Florida (904) 388-1780 |
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“John Wesley and the early Methodists were particularly concerned about inviting people to experience God’s grace and to grow in their knowledge and love of God through disciplined Christian living. They placed primary emphasis on Christian living, on putting faith and love into action. This emphasis on what Wesley referred to as "practical divinity" has continued to be a hallmark of United Methodism today.” United Methodist Church website
We, at Lake Shore United Methodist Church, have a common heritage with all Christians, and we share the following basic affirmations with other Christian communities:
Trinity We describe God in three persons using Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to describe the threefold nature of God.
God · is one God, who created the world and all that is in it. · is sovereign; that is, God is the ruler of the universe. · is loving, and we can experience God’s love and grace.
Jesus · is divine. (He is the Son of God.) · was human. (He lived as a man and died when he was crucified.) · was raised from the dead by God, and the risen Christ lives today. (Christ and Messiah mean the same thing—God’s anointed.) · is our personal Savior and the only Savior of the world. (Because of Jesus’ death on the cross, we can receive abundant life and forgiveness of sins.) · is our Lord, and we are called to pattern our lives after his. · will return to judge the world and establish his kingdom.
The Holy Spirit · is God with us. · comforts us when we are in need and convicts us when we stray from God. · awakens us to God’s will and empowers us to live obediently. · endows us with gifts which are to be used to build the kingdom of God.
Human Beings · Are created by God in his image. · can choose to accept or reject a relationship with God. · need to be in relationship with God in order to be fully human. · are lost and separated from God and are unable to enter into a relationship with God because of our fallen nature. · Can only enter into a relationship with God by being born again (by receiving Christ and accepting forgiveness for our sins and the gift of eternal life).
The Church · is the body of Christ, an extension of Christ’s life and ministry in the world today. · is “the communion of saints,” a community made up of all past, present, and future disciples of Christ. · is called to worship God and to support those who participate in its life as they grow in faith. · has a mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ.
The Bible · is God’s Word. · is the primary authority for our faith and practice. · includes both the Hebrew Scriptures (the Old Testament) and the Christian Scriptures (the New Testament), and Christians need to know and study both the Old Testament and the New Testament to grow in faith and practice
The Reign of God (God’s kingdom) · is both a present reality and future hope. · is present wherever God's will is done · Is still to come; that is, fulfillment of God's kingdom--the complete restoration of creation--is still to come. · is proclaimed by the church, which is called to be both witness to the vision of what God's kingdom will be like and a participant in helping to bring it to completion. · is both personal and social. Personally, we display the kingdom of God as our hearts and minds are transformed and we become more Christ-like. Socially, God's vision for the kingdom includes the restoration and transformation of all of creation.
Sacraments With many other Protestants, we recognize the two sacraments in which Christ himself participated: Baptism and the Lord's Supper.
Baptism · Through baptism we are joined with the church and with Christians everywhere. · Baptism is a symbol of new life and a sign of God's love and forgiveness of our sins. · Persons of any age can be baptized. · We baptize by sprinkling, immersion or pouring. · A person receives the sacrament of baptism only once in his or her life.
The Lord's Supper (Communion, Eucharist) · The Lord's Supper is a holy meal of bread and wine that symbolizes the body and blood of Christ. · The Lord's Supper recalls the life, death and resurrection of Jesus and celebrates the unity of all the members of God's family. · By sharing this meal, we give thanks for Christ's sacrifice and are nourished and empowered to go into the world in mission and ministry. · We practice "open Communion," welcoming all who love Christ, repent of their sin, and seek to live in peace with one another. |