Our Mission: We are called to Love, Grow and Share Joy through Jesus Christ!
Core Beliefs
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As United Methodists, we share the beliefs of the Christian church across the millennia:
We believe in one God, the Creator of all there is (Genesis 1:1-30)
We believe in Jesus Christ, His only-begotten Son, who existed before creation and through whom all things were made (John 1:1-5), who became human and was born of the virgin Mary (Luke 2:6-12), who died for the redemption of all persons on the cross and who was raised from death to new, eternal life, thereby ensuring all who trust in Him have eternal life through Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:3-8, 20-26)
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Breath of God, who is also God, the Third Person of the Trinity, who lives in the hearts of all believers in Jesus, and whose testimony in us assures us of our salvation (Romans 8:17); we believe the Holy Spirit progressively transforms us into the image of Christ, our Savior (2 Corinthians 3:17-18)
We believe that Jesus will return at the end of time, and that He will renew all creation (Revelation 21:1-7)
We believe the inspired words of God through Scripture contain everything necessary to guide us into the way of salvation (Hebrews 4:12)
We believe that all human beings need the redemptive work of Jesus Christ for forgiveness of sins and redemption from evil and death (Romans 3:21-26)
We believe that this salvation is offered freely to each human person (Romans 5:6-10, 18)
We believe in the Church, the one body of Christ, the assembly of all those who have trusted Jesus for salvation (Ephesians 2:19-22)
Sacraments
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United Methodists celebrate two sacraments. Sacraments are visible signs of the grace of God. These sacraments are Baptism and Holy Communion.
In both these sacraments, God gives us His grace (His love and undeserved favor) through the common elements of water, bread, and juice.
Baptism is available to all persons, from birth to death. Baptism may be administered by sprinkling, pouring, or immersion. In baptism, we are cleansed from sin; we die to our old selves and rise to new and eternal life; we are identified with Jesus, our Savior; we are incorporated into God’s people, the Church.
Communion is celebrated at least monthly. All persons are welcomed to the Table of the Lord, which is indeed His table and not ours. We believe that saving grace may be received through sharing the elements of bread and juice. Parents or guardians make the decision on when their children are ready to receive Communion.
In Communion, we praise the three Persons of the Trinity; we remember the sacrifice of Jesus for us; we renew our covenant with God and with each other; and we experience a foretaste of eternity at the marriage feast of the Lamb.
The United Methodist Church
St. Mark’s is a part of the United Methodist Church, which is a network, or denomination, of thousands of churches across the United States, North America, and the world. We are all united in our common beliefs, and in our common practices. To learn more about the United Methodist Church, or to learn more about what we believe as members of the United Methodist Church, visit the Beliefs page by clicking on this link.