WHAT WE BELIEVE

Grace. Faith. Love. Service.

At the Heart of Everything We Believe Is Jesus Christ.

At Hammonton United Methodist Church, we believe faith is more than a list of things we believe. Faith is a way of life.

We believe God's grace reaches us before we ever know to look for it. We believe Jesus saves us, the Holy Spirit transforms us, Scripture guides us, and the Church gives us a community in which to grow.

And we believe faith is not meant to stay inside the church building.

We are called to love God, love our neighbors, grow in faith, and serve the world in the name of Jesus Christ.

OUR FAITH

United Methodists share a common heritage with Christians around the world. We are part of the larger Christian family, while also being shaped by our particular Wesleyan heritage and understanding of God's grace.

At the center of our faith is the good news of Jesus Christ: God loves us, God reaches for us, and God's grace invites us into a transformed life.

Here are some of the beliefs we share with Christians throughout the world.

THE TRINITY

We believe in one God who is revealed to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Sometimes we describe this threefold nature of God as Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer.

God is one, yet God meets us in these three distinct persons.

GOD

We believe in one God, who created the world and all that is in it.

God is sovereign, the ruler of the universe, and God is loving. We believe that God's love and grace are not distant ideas. They are something we can experience in our lives.

God reaches toward us with grace and invites us into relationship with Him.

JESUS CHRIST

We believe that Jesus is fully human and fully divine.

Jesus lived among us, taught us how to love, served those around him, and willingly gave his life on the cross.

We believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

We believe that God raised Jesus from the dead and that the risen Christ lives today.

We believe that Jesus is our Savior. Through Christ we receive abundant life and forgiveness of sins.

And we believe that Jesus is our Lord. Following Jesus means allowing his life and teachings to shape the way we live.

Christ and Messiah mean the same thing: God's anointed one.

THE HOLY SPIRIT

We believe that the Holy Spirit is God with us.

The Holy Spirit comforts us when we are in need and convicts us when we stray from God.

The Spirit awakens us to God's will, transforms our hearts, and empowers us to live faithfully.

We don't believe we have to figure out faith on our own.

God's Spirit is at work in us and among us.

THE BIBLE

We believe that the Bible is God's Word and the primary authority for our faith and practice.

We believe Christians are called to know and study both the Old Testament and the New Testament, the Hebrew Scriptures and the Christian Scriptures.

Scripture helps us understand who God is, who we are, and what it means to follow Jesus.

We don't simply read the Bible. We allow Scripture to read us, challenge us, shape us, and draw us closer to God.

HUMAN BEINGS

We believe that God created every human being in God's image.

Every person has inherent worth and dignity because every person is God's creation.

We believe that human beings have the freedom to accept or reject a relationship with God, and that all of us need God's grace and relationship with God in order to become the people God created us to be.

THE CHURCH

We believe the Church is the body of Christ—an extension of Christ's life and ministry in the world today.

The Church is more than a building. The Church is people.

It is the communion of saints, a community made up of past, present, and future followers of Jesus Christ.

The mission of the Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ and to participate in God's work in the world.

We gather to worship God, encourage one another, grow in faith, serve our neighbors, and share the love of Christ.

And that means what happens outside the church building matters just as much as what happens inside it.

THE REIGN OF GOD

We believe the Kingdom—or reign—of God is both a present reality and a future hope.

Whenever God's will is being done, God's Kingdom is present.

We see God's Kingdom whenever people and communities experience reconciliation, restoration, healing, justice, mercy, and love.

But we also believe God's Kingdom is not yet complete.

The fulfillment of God's Kingdom—the complete restoration of creation—is still to come.

Until then, the Church is called to be both a witness to God's vision and a participant in God's work.

The reign of God is personal and social.

Personally, God's Kingdom is displayed as our hearts and minds are transformed and we become more like Christ.

Socially, God's vision includes the restoration and transformation of all creation.

We don't just wait for God's Kingdom. We live toward it.

THE SACRAMENTS

As United Methodists, we recognize two sacraments instituted by Christ: Baptism and Holy Communion.

These aren't simply traditions we continue because we've always done them. They are tangible ways God's grace meets us.

BAPTISM

Through baptism, we are joined with the Church and with Christians everywhere.Baptism is a sign of God's love and forgiveness and a symbol of new life in Christ.

We believe people of any age can be baptized.

United Methodists practice baptism by sprinkling, pouring, or immersion.

A person receives the sacrament of baptism only once.

HOLY COMMUNION

The Lord's Supper is a holy meal of bread and wine that reminds us of the body and blood of Christ.

Communion recalls the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and celebrates the unity of God's family.

When we share this meal, we give thanks for Christ's sacrifice and are nourished and empowered to go into the world for mission and ministry.

EVERYONE IS WELCOME AT CHRIST'S TABLE.

We practice an open Communion table, welcoming all who love Christ, repent of their sin, and seek to live in peace with one another.

You don't have to have everything figured out before you come to the table.

Christ's table is a place of grace.

FAITH THAT MOVES

We believe faith is meant to change the way we live.

It changes how we see God.

It changes how we see ourselves.

And it changes how we see our neighbors.

So when we gather on Sunday, we aren't simply gathering to leave the world behind.

We gather so that we can go back into the world changed.

We worship.

We learn.

We grow.

We serve.

We love.

We follow Jesus.

And we do it together.

COME GROW WITH US.

Whether you've followed Jesus for decades, you're just beginning to ask questions, or you're not sure what you believe yet—

there is a place for you here.

COME AS YOU ARE.
GROW IN FAITH.
LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR.
FOLLOW JESUS.

To find out more about our faith and beliefs at umc.org.