About Us
Our Northside purpose statement is based on the biblical purpose that Christ determined for His church.
Scripture in the New Testament contains five “cornerstones” describing the purpose and functions of the church and what it needs to be and do. We are committed to fulfilling all five tasks that Christ ordained for His church to follow:
- Evangelism: Communicating God’s message to those outside the current membership of the church.
- Fellowship: Belonging to the family of God and living as an active participating member of our church family.
- Discipleship: Educating and edifying God’s people to know, obey, and follow the teachings of Jesus and the Scriptures.
- Ministry: Learning to “love thy neighbor as thyself.” The church exists to minister; to live out God’s love for mankind by meeting human needs.
- Worship: Gathering to express love for God and our joy in knowing Jesus Christ.
We also believe that for our church to be healthy, we need to be balanced in all the five areas.
After reviewing what the Bible says about the church, we incorporated these cornerstones into our purpose statement. (Note: We’ve inserted the words to illustrate how each one of them is portrayed.)
“To invite people into a relationship with Jesus Christ (evangelism) and membership in His family (fellowship), grow together toward Christ-like maturity (discipleship) and equip ourselves for our ministry in the church and in the world (ministry) in order to glorify God’s name” (worship).
There is incredible power in having this clearly defined purpose for our church. By following this purpose statement our church will always be united in purpose and mission.
Isaiah 26:3 says “God gives perfect peace to those who keep their purpose firm and put their trust in Him.”
As we discover and embrace the tasks that God has given His church, we can use this statement to measure our progress.
Who is The United Methodist Church?
“Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors” is the motto of The United Methodist Church.
We are a world-wide church, and the largest mainline denomination in the United States.
We believe the Christian faith is grounded in the love and grace of God, experienced through Jesus Christ, and empowered by the Holy Spirit.
We are a people dedication to a life of Christian purpose – “Do no harm. Do good. Stay in love with God.”
Our Mission is – “To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”
We believe: that God is understood in three distinct forms. Father, Son and Holy Spirit are commonly used to refer to the threefold nature of God. Sometimes we use other terms, such as Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer.
We believe: in one God, who created the world and all that is in it. We believe that God is sovereign; that is, God is the ruler of the universe. We believe that God is loving. We can experience God’s love and grace.
We believe: that Jesus was human. He lived as a man and died when he was crucified. We believe that Jesus is divine. He is the Son of God. We believe that God raised Jesus from the dead and that the risen Christ lives today. We believe that Jesus is our Savior. In Christ we receive abundant life and forgiveness of sins. We believe that Jesus is our Lord and that we are called to pattern our lives after his.
We believe: that the Holy Spirit is God with us. We believe that the Holy Spirit comforts us when we are in need and convicts us when we stray from God. We believe that the Holy Spirit awakens us to God’s will and empowers us to live obediently.
We believe: that God created human beings in God’s image. We believe that humans can choose to accept or reject a relationship with God. We believe that all humans need to be in relationship with God in order to be fully human.
We believe: that the church is the body of Christ, an extension of Christ’s life and ministry in the world today. We believe that the mission of the church is “to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” We believe that the church is “the communion of satins,” a community made up of all past, present and future disciples of Christ. We believe that the church is called tow worship God and to support those who participate in its life as they grow in faith.
We believe: that the Bible is God’s Word. We believe that the Bible is the primary authority for our faith and practice. We believe that Christians need to know and study the Old Testament and the New Testament (the Hebrew Scriptures and the Christian Scriptures.)
For more information, please visit the United Methodist website: www.umc-org and / or www.infoserv.umc.org or call 1-800-251-8140.
2 Corinthians 13:5 says “Examine yourselves to see if you are in faith; test yourselves.”
We hope this Northside Purpose Statement will provide us with direction and inspiration as we continue our lifelong journey with Christ.