What We Believe
WE LEAD WITH OUR HEARTS
KEEP OUR MINDS OPEN
AND WELCOME EVERYONE THROUGH OUR DOORS
What we find so great about being a United Methodist is simply this: It’s a church that touches our hearts and stretches our minds. It’s a church that accepts us as we are yet challenges us to be better. And it’s a church that gathers us to worship and then sends us out to serve in the name and spirit of Jesus Christ.
We believe the heart of our Christian faith is Christ’s love that reaches out to each and every person. In that love, we are called to be the heart and hands of Christ in our community and throughout the world.
We believe in God’s grace, which means the unearned, unmerited, loving action of God freely poured out in our daily lives. In spite of the suffering, violence, and evil we experience in the world, we believe that God’s grace exists everywhere and brings to us the hope and possibility of justice and righteousness for all God’s people.
In response to God’s grace we are a covenant community, concerned about God’s children everywhere. Just some of the ways we do this at University UMC is through our after school program which provides 50 neighborhood children with a safe place to strengthen their literacy and other academic skills. Our Health Protective and Educational Services program provides free monthly health screening tests such as mammograms, blood work, and EKG’s for persons who do not have health insurance and otherwise could not afford it. We work together with other churches in the St. Louis community to rehab Head Start Centers, build playground equipment for local neighbors and plant trees and beautify local parks. We are in mission through the Appalachia Service Project helping to rebuild and repair homes for those who cannot afford to do so on their own. We have a strong connectional relationship and mission ministry with Mozambique where we are work to provide health care, eradicate Malaria, provide job training, educate people, and build churches.
Today The United Methodist Church comprises the second largest Protestant denomination in the United States. United Methodists come in all sizes, shapes, colors, dispositions, outlooks and life experiences. Our churches are connected through a system that guides our work and governs our policies. We continue to take the lead in social, spiritual, political and moral concerns. In the tradition of John and Charles Wesley, our members study Scripture, encourage thoughtful debate, and confront the tough issues of the day. At University United Methodist Church we are not afraid to ask the tough questions about faith and life. We also respect and live in communion with the diversity of our personal thoughts and opinions.
We are a church with a family spirit. That spirit enables us to be there for each other in our joys and sorrows throughout the journey of life. You are invited to join us as we:
Know God’s Joy
Work for Justice
Practice Peace
