Our Mission

To Share the Heart of Christ from the Heart of McKinney ... To teach, to preach, and to heal

And Jesus went about all the cities and towns, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease, and every infirmity.
Matthew 9:35

We believe in one God unified in three:

• God the Father - God has created and is creating. The nature of God is to create and make new.
• God the Son - Jesus, as God's son, is the savior of the world. He taught, healed and lived as the "word made flesh." As such, Jesus was fully human and fully divine. He offered himself up to be crucified for the sins of the world. In paying the price for our failure, Jesus the Christ has bridged the gap between humanity and God. Through the resurrection of his body, he continues to live for all those who follow him by faith.
• God the Spirit - God continues among us as the sustaining presence in our lives.

We believe in the salvation of Jesus Christ for all humanity
The human condition - In the beginning God created humans in his image. Given the choice to follow God or follow self, we continue to follow the ways of self. As such we separate ourselves from God. We live in a fallen state in need of God's grace that comes through Jesus Christ. New Life in Christ - Salvation is the result of the continued work of God's grace. From birth, the spirit of God is working to bring us into a relationship with him. Through faith in Christ and acceptance of him as Lord, we are justified for a full, new, complete relationship with God. Through a continued relationship with Christ through the practice of discipleship we are sanctified in our walk with him. We believe in the work of God through the Holy Spirit and the Church

• The Church as the Body of Christ in this world - The church continues as Christ's body in this world. Through the gifts of the Holy Spirit, individual members of the church fulfill Christ presence in the world.
• The Bible as the revealed Word of God - God continues to inspire and speak to each generation. We believe the Bible is the living, inspired, sacred word of God that continues to reveal God's love to each generation. As such it includes all that is necessary for faith and practice.

We believe in the presence of God through baptism and Holy Communion
The practice of baptism sets the Christian apart from those not in the church. The scripture calls all followers of Christ to be baptized. It is the holy mark of God's presence in a person's life. The regular practice of the Holy Communion reminds us of the presence of God through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus as the Christ. In the breaking of the bread and blessing of the cup of Christ we celebrate God's holy and sacred presence with Christ's followers. We believe all Christians are called to share the good news of Christ's work in this world. Christ is working through people and institutions to bring healing and transformation to our broken world. As fully developing disciples of Jesus Christ we are called to witness to this life transforming work in our words and actions. We believe the work of Christ through his followers and the church will result in the ultimate victory of God on earth.

The following scriptures are critical to our mission, values and work as the church of Jesus Christ:

• Go make disciples... (Matthew 28:18)
• Go into all the world... (Mark 16:15)
• You are my witnesses... (Luke 24:48)
• Feed my sheep... (John 21:17)
• In Jerusalem... Judea... Samaria...to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8)

Core Values
A fully developing and growing follower of Jesus Christ accepts the Lordship of Christ and upholds the following:

• Lives under Biblical authority - accepts the Bible as God's sacred gift, containing all things for living and salvation
• Worships - shows genuine adoration and love of God through personal and corporate expressions of worship
  Prays - builds a personal relationship with God by being in continuous communion with God.
• Participates in spiritual growth and study - works to better understand the Bible and God's will for one's life as well as the community and world.
• Participates in the Body (the church) - to build one another up in fellowship, spiritual care, and learning about the ways of God.
• Serves others in the name of Christ - to serve God by serving others with our gifts and resources
  Practice Biblical stewardship - lives sacrificially, offering to God a minimum of the tithe.

These core values are practiced in the developing follower of Jesus Christ by participating in a pathway of true worship, spiritual growth and service in the name of Christ.

• Weekly worship and daily prayer - The fully developing disciple of Jesus Christ is committed to daily prayer and the attendance in weekly worship with other Christians.
• Weekly study and daily Bible reading - The fully developing disciple of Jesus Christ is committed to participate with other believers in spiritual growth and study of the Bible.
• Weekly use of God's gifts and abilities for service - The fully developing disciple of Jesus Christ is committed to use God's gifts for service in the church and community.

Organizational Values As fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ we value our relationships with others, with self, and with God as reflected in the great commandment of Jesus as recorded in Mark 12:

One of the scribes, when he came forward and heard them disputing and saw how well he had answered them, asked him, "Which is the first of all the commandments?" Jesus replied,
"The first is this: 'Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with your entire mind, and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

Mark 12:28-31

First United Methodist Church has divided its ministry into these areas:

• Love of God (our worship of God and proclamation of God's word)

We are organized to provide opportunities to worship God and develop a vital prayer life. In our worship, we strive to preach Christ to all people.

• Love of Neighbor (our service to others and ministry in the world)

We are organized to reach out to our neighbors and to the world with the healing work of Christ.

• Love of Self (our spiritual growth through study and fellowship)

We are organized to provide opportunities for all ages to grow in their relationship with God and with others. We are committed to teach the biblical message of God's love, the salvation of Christ, and the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit through the Church.