Core Beliefs
The following are the core beliefs of Shawnee United Methodist Church based on the foundational truths taught in the Bible. All of our teaching and ministry is rooted in and flows out of these biblical doctrines.
God
We believe in one God who exists eternally in three, coequal yet distinct, persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We believe that God is all-loving, all-gracious, and all-powerful.
Jesus Christ
We believe that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the Universe, fully God and fully human, unique among all creation. We believe that Jesus lived our life, announced the coming of the kingdom of God, and proclaimed the good news of forgiveness of sins.
Humanity
We believe that human beings are created in the image of God. We are given the gift of free will and we are recipients of God's grace and love. We believe that every person is a beloved child of God.
The Fall
Because we are creatures with free will, tempted constantly, we miss the mark that God sets for us; that's what sin is. The first sin recorded in the Bible is Adam and Eve eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil when God told them that was the only fruit they could not eat. While this could be a literal story from a long time ago, we mostly view this is a story that reveals our fallen nature as humans inclined to sin.
Salvation
We believe that God does not leave us in our sinfulness! Instead, God offers us forgiveness of our sins through Jesus Christ. We believe that Jesus came to Earth, lived our life, and died willingly on the cross. Doing so, he bore all of our sins in his body and sealed them in the tomb, destroying the power of sin and death forever.
Resurrection
On the third day after his crucifixion, the first Easter Sunday, Jesus rose from the dead, restoring us to life, and offering us eternal life. Because he lives, we too shall live.
The Church
We believe that the church exists wherever the word of God is read and preached, and the sacraments of Holy Communion and Holy Baptism are administered. The church is our local church- Shawnee UMC, The United Methodist Church- our denomination, and the Church Universal- everyone anywhere who professes faith in Jesus Christ.
Sacraments
We believe in two sacraments: Holy Baptism and Holy Communion. We believe the sacraments are visible and physical signs of an invisible grace.
Baptism is the sacrament of initiation in to the Church, offered to people of all ages and abilities. The water symbolizes the washing away of sin, incorporates the baptized into the family of God, and God claims the person being baptized as a beloved child.
Holy Communion is the sacrament of a holy meal, first modeled by Jesus in his last meal with his friends. We believe that, through the power of the Holy Spirit, the bread and grape juice of Holy Communion are for us the body and blood of Christ– not literally, but spiritually.
Baptism is the sacrament of initiation in to the Church, offered to people of all ages and abilities. The water symbolizes the washing away of sin, incorporates the baptized into the family of God, and God claims the person being baptized as a beloved child.
Holy Communion is the sacrament of a holy meal, first modeled by Jesus in his last meal with his friends. We believe that, through the power of the Holy Spirit, the bread and grape juice of Holy Communion are for us the body and blood of Christ– not literally, but spiritually.
Grace
As United Methodists, we're people of grace. It's what we're all about! Grace is God's active presence in our world. God's grace reaches out to us before we know who God is. God's grace helps us realize that we need a savior and helps us to repent of our sins. And God's grace works within us throughout our lives to help us be more like Jesus.