Study Guide   01-24-10

Our Church’s Purpose 

The two creeds listed below are from the United Methodist Hymnal. There are several versions of them, used by various Christian groups, and have been developed over a span of time since the time of Christ. 

The Apostles Creed is the oldest Christian creed, although its origins are not clearly known. It is believed to have been an early baptism liturgy and notice that it is structured in Trinitarian format of belief: Father, Son, Spirit.

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Apostles Creed

I 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, died, and was buried;*
   the third day he rose from the dead;
   he ascended into heaven,
   and sitteth at the right hand of the Father Almighty.
   from thence he shall come again to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
   the holy catholic (all Christians) Church,
   the communion of saints,
   the forgiveness of sins,
   the resurrection of the body,
   and the life everlasting. Amen.

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The Nicene Creed below was first developed in 325 AD by the Council of Nicaea, called by the Roman Emperor Constantine. There were later Councils that produced revisions from the original and it has been revised further into various formats by various Catholic and protestant groups. Originally, at issue were theological arguments around the Trinity and namely, the person and nature of Jesus Christ. The format is Trinitarian and clearly identifies Jesus as both human and divine.  

Nicene Creed

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. 

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, 

   begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father.
   Through him all things were made.
   For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven; by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and    became truly human.
      For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures;
      he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. 

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
   Who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the Prophets. 

   We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
   We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of   sins.
   We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.  

*universal
This translation is the version in the current (1989) United Methodist Hymnal.

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Mission statement of the United Methodist Church: “Making Disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world”

(the last phrase “for the transformation…” was added at the last General Conference in 2008)

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Mission Statement of FUMC Grove

Making Disciples of Jesus Christ by …

“Building Christian community where the love of God is freely shared, the gospel of Jesus Christ is clearly encountered, and the Holy Spirit transforms life.” 

This statement for our church was adopted originally in 2001. It also is intentionally Trinitarian in format and seeks to define not only who we are but what we are about in terms of mission.

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All of the ministry of FUMC is structured around the Five Purpose Areas of ministry, as defined by The Purpose Driven Church, Rick Warren, author, and has been our general structure since the year 2000. It is not the only ministry structure model, but has been adopted over the years as one for our use. All of our administrative committees and work are designed to support, enhance, encourage, and enable the ministry purposes.