Expectations for Membership

• To worship regularly.
• To continue to grow in your faith by participating in a small group study.
• To serve God with your hands, by volunteering in service to the congregation and the community and world.
• To give in proportion to your income.

Discover FirstChurch

“What does it mean when we say someone’s a ‘Christian’?” “Is the church: a building, the pastor, a particular denomination, or what?” “What do Methodists believe and why do I need to know that?” “Why is First United Methodist Church so interested in helping others and not just their own congregation?” “I keep hearing about being on a ‘Faith Journey,’ but what does that mean?” “What happens at Discover FirstChurch?”

It seems there are lots of questions we have about church, whether we’re walking through the doors for the first time or have been coming for years. There are things we would like to know but aren’t sure of where to get our questions answered.

You are invited to join us for a three-week class called Discover FirstChurch where you will have the opportunity to discover answers to these questions in a friendly and fun environment. Learn the values and beliefs of First United Methodist Church and The United Methodist Denomination. Discover where you fit in and how to get connected on The Journey of faith.

Baptism

From the beginning, baptism has been the door through which one enters the church. It was inconceivable to many that one could respond to God’s grace by reciting the renunciations, affirming one’s faith in Christ and loyalty to the Kingdom, without joining the fellowship of those who are committed to mature in that faith. As the “Body of Christ” in the world, baptism commissions us to use our gifts to strengthen the church and to transform the world.

Confirmation

Confirmation is not the beginning or the end of the faith journey. Confirmation is about making disciples. It is that simple and that challenging. Credo brings worship, Sunday school, Bible study, service, and church ministries into confirmation. By participating in our confirmation program, any student 6^th grade and above will encounter the faith narrative from creation to Christianity, learn about the essential beliefs and practices of The United Methodist Church, embody the confirmation vows and embark on the Christian discipleship journey. It’s all about knowing your story, confirming your faith, and living your commitment!

Our Beliefs and Values

We are: Christian

First United Methodist Church is foremost a Christian church, followers of Jesus Christ. We hold fast to very orthodox Christian beliefs which are found in the Articles of Religion published in the “Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church.” These Articles of Religion were handed down to us by our founder, John Wesley in the 1760’s. The Articles cover basic doctrines of the faith such as: The Holy Trinity, the belief that Jesus was both fully human and fully divine, and that Jesus act of dying on the cross offers us redemption for our sin.

We are : United Methodist

The United Methodist Church is the second largest Protestant denomination in the United States. We believe that all churches within our denomination are connected to one another and we act as one body under the guidance of The General Conference of the United Methodist Church which meets as a representative body every four years.

We are an Evangelical church which distinguishes itself by melding a passion for the lost with a social consciousness that drives us to be “doers of the Word.” The U.M.C. believes the Bible, the Word of God, to be primary in the direction of our lives and the formation of our theology. We believe God gives us Experience, Reason and Tradition as secondary ways of discerning the will of God.

The United Methodist Church historically has been known as a denomination that brings together an active personal faith with a heart for the least, the last and the lost. The U.M.C. values well-informed preaching, high standards of education for our clergy, excellent worship and growing disciples through systematic Christian education from cradle to grave.

We are known as the church with, Open Hearts, Open Minds and Open Doors.

Our Purpose:

To Help people know God, Serve others and Share Jesus Christ in a changing world.

Our Mission:

Jesus Christ’s mission is to make disciples of all people of the world. At FirstChurch we say:

Our mission is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

Our Strategies:

First United Methodist Church uses the Five Fruitful Practices of a Healthy Congregation as the basis for making disciples and transforming the world.

• Radical Hospitality – Welcoming others to Christ and creating space for the guest to give their spiritual gifts to Christ’s mission.
• Passionate Worship – which allows for different styles and traditions but holds together by being authentic in willingness to give all the glory to God.
• Intentional Faith Development – Learning to love as Christ loves. We believe our knowledge of the love of God to be a life-long journey that develops as we surrender more of our will to God’s will.
• Risk-Taking Mission and Service – Love in action. We hold to the belief that faith without works is dead. We continually strive to find new ways to love our neighbor.
• Extravagant Generosity – Giving as God gives. God gives the very best of who God is, His Son, Jesus Christ and the best of what God has – creation. We encourage others to do the same.

Our plan:

We state our plan in two ways. One, we want to move people’s mindset from the church being a destination to the church being a movement. Two, we want to move the church from being simply attractional to becoming incarnational. In both ways of saying this we understand that in the twenty-first century the mindset of many Americans is that Church is a place to go to. In fact, as the old saying goes, “the church is not the building the church is the people,” We believe the church to be wherever a disciple of Christ goes in the world.

Our Values:

It is our desire to honor God by bringing glory to God in everything we do and say. We cling to the historical way of life outlined by our founder, John Wesley, who said, “Do no harm, do all the good you can and attend to the teachings of Jesus Christ. Or, stay in love with God.

Our Limitations:

We understand ourselves to be sinners who are working out our salvation with fear and trembling. We recognize that the congregation of First United Methodist Church is full of persons who are flawed, broken and weak without the grace of God. So we cling to the hope of our God continuing to be merciful, forgiving and loving toward all.

Our Story:

First United Methodist Church of San Angelo, Texas is a 135+ year old congregation with a rich history and heritage. For more information about “our story” please see the ABOUT page of our website.