New Here? Let us introduce ourselves.
We are a United Methodist Congregation! The mission of The United Methodist Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
A United Methodist is someone who joins in that mission by putting faith and love into action. We believe that God loves all people, and that we share in expressing that love. So the United Methodist tradition emphasizes God's grace and in serving others. We believe that Jesus Christ is the fullest expression of God's love--showing us the fullness of God's care through Jesus' teachings, death and resurrection.
What do United Methodists believe?
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Our Christian Beliefs
We believe in a triune God – Creator, Christ, and Holy Spirit. We believe humans have been made in the image of God and therefore have the capacity to love and care, communicate, and create. The church is the body of Christ, an extension of Christ's life and ministry in the world today. We believe that the Bible is the primary authority for our faith and practice.
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Sacraments
The United Methodist Church recognizes two sacraments, baptism and communion. These two acts have a special place in the church because Jesus commanded them and participated in them. Baptism marks the beginning of our lifelong journey as disciples of Jesus Christ. We baptize people of all ages. Communion nourishes and sustains us on the journey.
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Connectionalism
Connectionalism has been central to Methodism from its beginning. The United Methodist structure and organization began as a means of accomplishing the mission of spreading scriptural holiness. Methodism's founder, John Wesley, recognized the need for an organized system of communication and accountability and developed what he called the "connexion.”
When is our worship service?
We worship each week from 10:30 am-11:30 am! You can find us at 10801 Downey Ave, Downey CA 90241. Our worship services are traditional in nature, featuring hymns, musical offerings from our choir and handbell group, scripture readings, liturgy, and a sermon. We celebrate an open communion table, meaning you do not have to be a member of this church (or any church) to partake in the sacrament. All are welcome to attend worship here at Downey UMC.
What are some upcoming opportunities to connect?
We want to formally invite everyone to attend our 170th Anniversary Homecoming Celebration. This will be in two months on Sunday, September 8th at 10:30am where we will have a worship service and a meal to follow in the fellowship hall.
This is Downey UMC's 170th year in ministry which makes us one of the oldest congregations in all of Southern California. This anniversary celebration event also serves as a homecoming for anyone that has ever been connected to our church, nursery school, and other church programs. During our meal, we will have tables out with scrapbooks, historical artifacts, and pictures from our many years of history. We have some items for you to see that date back to the 1800s.
We have also spent this past year working on a new vision, and we plan to share it at this celebration. This celebration will be of our rich history. It will be a time for people to fellowship like a big class reunion. But also it will be a celebration of what God is presently doing within the church to continue Downey UMC's ministry for another 170 years.
All are welcome!
Source: Various pages of umc.org