The United Methodist Church is founded on a Wesleyan theology of grace, anchored in Scripture, and based in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ and the continuing movement of the Holy Spirit.
The Foundation of
the United Methodist Church
Senoia United Methodist
Our core values:
Gather: The church is a gathering. We gather to celebrate our faith through worship, prayer, communion, baptism, fellowship, and so much more. This is what the church does and it takes the church as the community to gather in order to make disciples.
Grow: We are called to grow in the love and grace of God. As such we are not only followers of Jesus Christ, we are also learners who grow. There are things we need to learn about God and there are things we need to learn to do for God. Through Bible studies, Sunday School, and various other small groups in the life of the church, we are a church seeking to grow disciples of Jesus Christ.
Go: Because we gather and because we open ourselves up to grow, we are given the awesome call to Go share the Good News; Go make disciples of all people; Go tell it on the mountain here, there, and everywhere we go. We Go by serving in the life of the church, and by our mission and outreach in the world.
What We Believe
WE ARE CHRISTIAN
We believe in one God. We believe that God created and sustains the universe. We believe that God came into this world in a special way through the ministry, teachings, suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. We believe that the Holy Spirit is the way that the love of God is present in the world. We believe our Christian faith was revealed in Scripture, illuminated by tradition, animated in personal experience, and confirmed by reason.
We have a passionate faith with strong convictions, but we also ask questions, wrestle with difficult issues, and do so with grace and compassion. As John Wesley said, “In essential beliefs we have unity, in non-essential beliefs we have liberty, and in all beliefs we have charity.” Regardless of one’s age, race, life-story, or standpoint, each unique individual is welcomed within our church.
WE ARE UNITED METHODIST
The United Methodist Church is a connectional church. At Senoia UMC, we are Christians who are excited to be part of the United Methodist Church. Our denomination holds to the historic doctrines of the Christian faith and traces its history back to John Wesley’s ministry of church renewal in England and North America.
Through Wesley (1703-1791), we share in older Christian tradition reaching back in history through the Church of England and the Catholic Church back to the earliest Apostles. Today, the United Methodist church is a denomination of 8.5 million Christians in the United States and about one million more around the world.
OUR SACRED WRITINGS
We believe that the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament are collections of writings inspired by God and written down by fallible people. We believe they contain what is needed to give life meaning. We believe they are worthy of our study, preaching and meditation.
SERVICE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
As United Methodists, we believe it is critical not only to believe, but to live out our faith in our personal lives, our communities and the world. During his ministry Jesus healed the sick, fed the hungry, welcomed children, forgave sinners and sought out society’s outcasts. We seek to continue his work for human wholeness by addressing both immediate needs and long-term sustainable solutions. We engage in a variety of social justice ministries with both local and global partners.