WHAT WE BELIEVE

Rose Hill Methodist Church

 
 
We believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; the third day he rose from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.
 
We believe every person is of sacred worth and created in God’s image. We commit to Jesus’ example of inclusive love, care, and intentional hospitality with persons of every race, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, faith story, physical or mental ability, economic status, or political perspective. We respect our diversity of opinion and expressions of faith. Therefore, as God loves us, so let us love and serve in the name of Christ. As members of the Global Methodist Church our Mission is to make disciples of Jesus Christ who worship passionately, love extravagantly, and witness boldly.
 



GOD’S GRACE

 

Our Methodist heritage is rooted in a deep and profound understanding of God’s grace. By our very nature, we are prone to wander, to leave the God we love.  Yet, God never abandons us.  God’s love for us remains strong and constant to the point that the Word of God came and took human form in the person of Jesus.  His life, death, and resurrection has taken away the sin and guilt of our human activity and given us new life as a gift.  God’s pursuit of us and God’s willingness to die for us are acts of grace – God’s gift to us that we do not deserve and have not earned, yet we are freely given.  Another aspect of God’s grace we embrace is the ongoing work of transforming us more and more into the image of Christ.  That is not our doing but God’s doing in us.  Our task is simply to open ourselves up the working of the Holy Spirit in us.  We do that by seeking to live in holiness of heart and holiness of life – another way of saying we seek to live and love as Jesus.

SACRAMENTS OF THE METHODIST CHURCH

The Methodist Church recognizes two Sacraments, or sacred rites, that were performed by Jesus with his Disciples. They are the Sacrament of Holy Baptism and the Sacrament of Holy Communion.

The Sacrament of Holy Baptism

Baptism marks the beginning of a Christian’s lifelong journey of faith with Jesus Christ. It is a sacred pact, joining us not only with God the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, but also with the family of the church. Any person of any age may be baptized, and need only be baptized once. Baptism involves water, either through pouring or sprinkling upon the head, or full immersion of the body. The water and the work of the Holy Spirit in baptism convey God’s saving grace, the forgiveness of our sins, and new life in Jesus Christ.


The Sacrament of Holy Communion

Communion, also known as the Eucharist, is a reenactment of the Last Supper, when Jesus broke bread and shared wine with his Disciples on the night before He was betrayed and crucified. It is a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving the church offers to God for all God has done, is doing, and will do to save us and renew all things in Christ. Through offering ourselves in praise and thanksgiving, and through receiving the bread and cup—which the Spirit makes for us the body and blood of Christ—celebrating the Lord’s Supper together nourishes and sustains us in our journey as disciples of Jesus Christ. The table of Communion is open to all people, of all ages.