{"id":41,"date":"2026-10-25T00:00:56","date_gmt":"2026-10-25T00:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hvsmediastudio.dev\/emilie\/?page_id=41"},"modified":"2026-10-25T01:42:43","modified_gmt":"2026-10-25T01:42:43","slug":"what-we-believe","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/hvsmediastudio.dev\/emilie\/what-we-believe\/","title":{"rendered":"What We Believe"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n

What We Believe<\/h1><\/div><\/div>

The basic tenets of Christianity and our United Methodist tradition.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

\"Worship<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>
\n
\n
\n

Our Christian Faith<\/h2><\/div><\/div>

United Methodists belong to the wider Christian family. At the heart of our faith are God\u2019s love, the good news of Jesus Christ, and the work of the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

One God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit<\/h3><\/div><\/div>

We worship one God, known as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God creates and sustains life, redeems us in Christ, and remains present through the Spirit.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

Jesus Christ<\/h3><\/div><\/div>

Jesus is God\u2019s Son, truly divine and truly human. Through his life, death, and resurrection, God offers forgiveness, reconciliation, and new life.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

The Holy Spirit<\/h3><\/div><\/div>

The Spirit guides, comforts, and strengthens us, helping us follow Jesus and love our neighbors.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

The Bible<\/h3><\/div><\/div>

The Old and New Testaments are our primary authority for Christian faith and practice.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

Human Dignity, Sin, and Salvation<\/h3><\/div><\/div>

Every person bears God\u2019s image. Sin damages our relationship with God and others; we depend on God\u2019s grace, received through faith in Christ, for forgiveness and renewal.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

The Church and Christian Hope<\/h3><\/div><\/div>

The church is Christ\u2019s body, called to worship, nurture faith, and serve. We trust God\u2019s promise of resurrection, eternal life, and the renewal of creation.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>

\n
\n
\n

Our United Methodist Heritage<\/h2><\/div><\/div>

Our Wesleyan tradition emphasizes grace that meets us where we are and helps us grow in love.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

Grace Throughout Our Lives<\/h3><\/div><\/div>

Prevenient grace:<\/strong> God reaches toward us before we recognize or respond to that love.
Justifying grace:<\/strong> Through faith in Christ, we receive forgiveness and a restored relationship with God.
Sanctifying grace:<\/strong> God continues shaping us toward holiness\u2014greater love of God and neighbor.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

Faith Expressed in Love<\/h3><\/div><\/div>

Good works do not purchase salvation. They express a faith made alive by grace. Prayer, worship, study, compassion, and justice belong together.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

Scripture, Tradition, Experience, and Reason<\/h3><\/div><\/div>

Scripture has the primary place in our faith. Christian tradition, lived experience, and thoughtful reasoning help us interpret and apply it.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

Growing Together<\/h3><\/div><\/div>

United Methodists are connected across congregations in shared ministry. We seek to avoid harm, practice goodness, and cultivate our relationship with God.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>

\n
\n
\n

Baptism<\/h2><\/div><\/div>

Baptism is a sacrament of God\u2019s grace and our incorporation into Christ\u2019s church. United Methodists baptize infants, children, and adults, and recognize Christian baptism received in other churches.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>

\n

Holy Communion<\/h2><\/div><\/div>

We practice an open Communion table. Christ is the host, and you do not need to be a member of Emilie UMC or The United Methodist Church to receive. All who love Christ, repent of their sin, and seek to live in peace with one another are invited. Through the bread and cup, we encounter Christ\u2019s presence and receive God\u2019s grace.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>

\n
\n
\n

Living Our Faith at Emilie<\/h2><\/div><\/div>

We seek to bring people to Christ, grow together in Christ, and serve others for Christ. Questions are welcome as we learn, worship, and put love into practice.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

Connect With Us<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

Explore more: Our Christian Beliefs<\/a> \u00b7 Our Wesleyan Heritage<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-41","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hvsmediastudio.dev\/emilie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/41","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hvsmediastudio.dev\/emilie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hvsmediastudio.dev\/emilie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hvsmediastudio.dev\/emilie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hvsmediastudio.dev\/emilie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/hvsmediastudio.dev\/emilie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/41\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":162,"href":"https:\/\/hvsmediastudio.dev\/emilie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/41\/revisions\/162"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hvsmediastudio.dev\/emilie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}