What We Believe

“With Christians of other communions we confess belief in the triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This confession embraces the biblical witness to God’s activity in creation, encompasses God’s gracious self-involvement in the dramas of history, and anticipates the consummation of God’s reign.

The created order is designed for the well-being of all creatures and as the place of human dwelling in covenant with God. As sinful creatures, however, we have broken that covenant, become estranged from God, wounded ourselves and one another, and wreaked havoc throughout the natural order. We stand in need of redemption.” - 102 “Basic Christian Affirmations”, The Book of Disciple of the United Methodist Church, 2016.

We believe God is revealed to us in three persons in one, the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God reigns over the universe that He has created and sustains it by being active and involved in creation. God is present in our lives, in the sufferings, the celebrations, and all moments otherwise. God will ultimately judge humanity. In His infinite love for us, God offers us redemption, a way to be reconciled to Him: through salvation in Jesus Christ.

We believe Jesus is the incarnation of God – meaning that God was the actual person of Jesus in Nazareth and was simultaneously fully human and fully divine. We believe that Jesus is our Lord (the one whom we devote our allegiance to and follow willingly) and our Savior (the one who offers us the free gift of salvation). We believe that Jesus overcame the power of sin and death on the cross by His Resurrection, fulfilling God’s promise to us.

The Holy Spirit is God with each of us that profess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. It is God inspiring and empowering us to live obediently to Him. The same Holy Spirit that came upon Jesus is the same Holy Spirit that resides in all believers across time and space.

We believe that God created human beings in His image and are given the gift of free will. Through sin we have become corrupted and strayed away from God. We believe that all human beings are in need of a relationship with God, and through our free will we choose to accept or reject this relationship and, ultimately, reconciliation.

We believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God that tells a single story of God’s love and his relationship with the people of God. The Bible contains all things necessary for salvation. It is used as a guide for our life and our faith and expressed how we are called to love God and love one another.

We celebrate the two Sacraments that Jesus participated: Baptism and The Lord’s Supper.

Baptism is the beginning of new life and a sign of God’s love for us. It is the cleansing of our sins made possible by God’s mercy and forgiveness. Through baptism, we are initiated into the Church. Persons of any age, including children, may be baptized in our church by means of sprinkling, immersion, or pouring. Infants and children that have been baptized will have the opportunity to profess their faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior through Confirmation.

The Lord’s Supper, also known as the Eucharist and Communion, is a partaking of the symbolic body and blood of Christ through bread and wine (juice). It celebrates the birth, life, death, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. By receiving this gift of grace offered to us, we are reinvigorated and empowered to go into the world for God’s mission and ministry. We practice an “open table” that welcomes everyone who loves Christ, repents of their sin, and seeks to live in peace with one another to receive Communion. This act of grace is offered by God regardless of church membership or denominational affiliation.

We believe that the church is the body of Christ – those that have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior – whose responsibility is to be an extension of Christ’s life and ministry in the world today. As a body of believers, the church is called to worship God together, to grow in faith, and to go into the world to make disciples for Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world through acts of mercy, charity, and piety.

West Lawn UMC has always had an open-door policy in support of the West Lawn Community.  Because of this, we open our buildings for support groups and outreach events for seniors, children, families, teachers, sports teams, first responders, coaches, and administrators.  We welcome open, honest conversations, but do not promote or endorse any one political organization, ideology, or movement.  The West Lawn UM Church and West Lawn UMC Preschool stands firm in its belief that God’s kingdom is diverse, and every person is loved by God.  We are committed to recognizing and assisting those who are hurting and marginalized. We believe that it is the job of every Christian to serve as conduits of grace, mercy, and love to all people.  To that end, we support opportunities for authentic dialogue as we continue to recognize, respond, and speak out against hate, injustice, and racism in our community.   We will continue to pray for and support local school districts, law enforcement agencies, and community leaders as they facilitate constructive discussions and set policies against injustice and racial inequity in our schools, our community, and our world.