Welcome

1. Welcome

2. Christ Church New Members INFORMATION

3. CONTENT Facts About Christ Church Our Vision, Purpose and Values Our Root & Heritage What we believe Who Can Be Members? Steps To Become Members Your Journey With Us Service and Ministries

4. Factsabout Christ Church

5. Facts about Christ Church • A United Methodist congregation with membership and constituents little over 450 people • 175 average in worship attendance on a regular week • The building (the sanctuary, fellowship hall and Sunday School wing) was built in 1961. The Child Care wing was added in September 1, 2004. • Christ Church was formerly Grange Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church which was founded in 1911. Now exactly 100 years. • We have an active youth group and children ministry, including a youth band.

6. We also have an active United Methodist Women unit, adult group, a Boy Scout Troop, and a place for everyone. • We offer four different worship services and times: • Thursday at 6:30 p.m. -- Small group and informal • Sunday at 9:00 a.m. – Casual service in contemporary style and music with a praise band. • Sunday at 10:45 a.m. – Disciple service in more traditional style and music with a chancel choir. • Third Saturday at 6:00 p.m.—Praise worship service led by our youth and youth praise band. • We offer variety of Bible Studies weekly, and Children’s Church and Sunday School on Sunday.

7. We are a congregation socially sensitive and engaging to the need of our local community and in the world. • We believe that all people are equally worth and loved by God and in need of God in their lives. • We believe the church or its members are God’s representatives in the world. • We affirm the open policy of our national church—”open hearts, open minds, open doors.” • All are welcomed to our services and programs and to take the steps to become members.

8. OurVisionPurposeValues

9. Vision – To see God’s glory in this place

10. Purpose – Christ Church’s mission is to bring our church and the unchurched to believe in God’s salvation through Jesus’ ministry thus creating vibrant faith which leads from Baptism to Discipleship, works in present times, and causes church growth.

11. Core Values – As commanded by Jesus Christ: • Love the Lord with all your heart – worship • Love your neighbor as yourself – ministry • Go and make disciples – evangelism • Baptize and teach – fellowship • Teach them to obey -- discipleship

12. United MethodistRoot and Heritage

13. Our Root and Heritage Root of Methodism John Wesley The Beginning of a New Church Methodism in America Methodism Worldwide Today

14. Root Of Methodism • We share a history with many other Christian bodies, including • The Early Christian Church • The Church of England (Anglican Church) • Evangelical and Moravian Churches (German) • Other Methodist Churches • The United Church of Canada • We base our faith and doctrines on the Word of God – the Holy Bible which includes both the Old Testament and New Testament. “The Bible serves both as a source of our faith and as the basic criterion by which the truth and fidelity of any interpretation of faith is measured” (2008 Book of Discipline, p.104). • We entered into the history of Christendom “in the Spirit of Revival to spread Scriptural Holiness” to all people.

15. John Wesley, Founder of Methodism • Birth--Born in 1703 in Epworth, England, to Samuel Wesley, an Anglican priest, and Susanna Wesley, a devout Christian. • Education--Studied at Oxford University, a fellow of Lincoln College, ordained priest of the Church of England at the age of 25. • Origin of Methodism--While at Oxford, John Wesley and his brother Charles and few other students formed a religious society which they dedicated themselves to methodical religious life (studied the Bible and prayed daily, took communion weekly, fasted regularly, visited the prisoners, helped the poor) by which they were called “Bible Moths” and “Methodist” and it stuck.

16. Missionary Experience--In 1735, John Wesley went to the American colony of Georgia as missionary and returned two years later depressed and doubting his own faith. • Conversion—With his faith strengthened by the Moravians on the voyage to the American colony, his friends in the German Christian Society and many others, John finally rested his faith. On May 24, 1738, while attending a religious society meeting, he had a deep religious experience which he later wrote, “I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation; and an assurance was given me, that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.”

17. A New Mission—With renewed faith, John Wesley with his brother Charles and a friend, George Whitefield were energized and began to spread the Word of God’s love and salvation throughout Britain, which resulted partial in the birth of the “great awakening.” • The neglected poor and lower classes were given their first hope of salvation and their first incentive to lead better lives through Christ. • Services were held anywhere (in fields, barns, abandoned buildings, even mining pits). • Great number of people were converted and organized into religious “societies” guided by Wesley’s own teaching.

18. The Beginning of A New Church The First Methodist Episcopal Church in America

19. The Beginning of A New Church • The Societies, a new beginning—A new church emerged • As Wesley was less welcome in his own church, and as his focus shifted to the societies (1740), • As the societies began to take shape and form and the system of lay/traveling preachers implemented, • As the Methodist converts were denied of communion in the Church of England, • As Wesley began to ordain ministers to America (1784), and • As Wesley’s preachers and followers were persecuted for their beliefs • Not A Separate Sect • Methodism began as a mission or a renewal movement within the Church of England, not as a separate sect. • John Wesley did not set out to form a new church. He always maintained that Methodists were part of the Anglican Church, and encouraged his followers to take part in Anglican services and sacraments whenever possible.

20. Methodism In America

21. Methodism In America • A Lay Movement—Followers of Wesley who immigrated to the American colonies continued their faith and organized into societies. • 1766 – In New York, a small society started by Philip Embury and Barbara Heck, later became John Street Church (1768). • Similar societies were also organized in close proximity of time in Philadelphia, Virginia and others. • Still there were other Wesley’s followers who formed and established societies into different denominations of Methodism. • Missionaries Sent to America • 1769, Wesley sent his first two preachers to America. • 1784, Wesley sent Dr. Thomas Cook and Francis Asbury to lead the new Methodist movement in America

22. Three New Churches emerged • The Methodist Episcopal Church—On Christmas Eve of 1784, 60 American Methodist preachers met in Baltimore, Maryland to form the Methodist Episcopal Church, with the leadership of Dr. Cook and Asbury • The United Brethren in Christ—Founded in 1800 as a German-speaking church that followed Methodist discipline by Philip Otterbein and Martin Boehm. • The Evangelical Association—Led by Jacob Albright, first formed in 1803 as the Newly Formed Methodist Conference and later formally named The Evangelical Association. • The United Methodist Church Today • In 1946, the United Brethren and the Evangelical Association merged to form the Evangelical United Brethren (EUB) • On April 23, 1968, in Dallas, Texas, the Methodist Church (from the lines of MEC) joined with EUB to form the United Methodist Church (UMC) until today.

23. Methodism Worldwide Today Sources:Interpreter, July/August 2011

24. What We Believe • We share a common heritage with other Christians • A conviction that God has mercy and love for all people. • A belief in a triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, as expressed in the Apostle Creed. • A faith in the mystery of salvation through Jesus Christ, the resurrection of the death and everlasting life. • A celebration of the sacraments (baptism and communion) • In these and many other ways, we believe, within “the communion of saints,” a oneness in Christ. • We share 4 main guidelines for of our faith and practice • Scripture as the first and primary source • Tradition • Experience, and • Reason

25. Who Can Become Members? • All “who desire to flee from the wrath to come.” • All who earnestly repent of their sin and seek to live in peace with one another. • All who confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and are baptized in His name and promise to serve him as Lord. • All who desire to participate in the life and ministry of the church by prayers, presence, gifts and service. • All who desire to grow and experience the fullness of life in both their daily living and walking with God.

26. Steps to Become Members • Come and worship with us as our guest and visitor, as many time as God leads you. You are also welcome to join any of our programs and activities during the week. • Let us know of your desire to become a member. This can be done in one or two ways: • You can indicate your desire in the Attendance/Interest Card inserted in the worship bulletin on Sunday, or • Simply make your desire known to our pastors or members of the church

27. You will be invited to a Membership Orientation in which you will have the opportunity to meet and get to know our pastors, staff and ministry leaders better. We will share information about Christ Church, its ministries and the membership vows and other information. We would also want to know more about your faith journey. You will need to complete the New Member Information Sheet at this time if you still desire to become a member. A date will be set to receive you into membership on a Sunday in the near future. • Receiving into membership. You will be received into membership on a Sunday during worship service. The date and expectation are set at the meeting of Membership Orientation.

28. Your Journey with Us Invitation To The Journey As Christians, we grow in the knowledge of and in relationship with God and in our fellowship and service with our neighbors—church families and community. With this in mind as imperative, and as you are now a member of our own “in the family of God”, we want to invite and welcome you to a journey of a life time with us. Our journey at Christ Church involves with regular worship attendance and all aspects of ministries, activities, spiritual education, stewardship, services, and caring of one another. We are blessed to have you joining us in the body of Christ Church.

29. Your Journey with Us The Goal for The Journey Self is Lord Judgment Without reservation Unprepared Uncommitted Dead to Christ Alive to Sin Disobedient Fruits of the flesh Old life Things of God seem foolish Jesus is Lord Eternal Life With reservation Prepared Committed Alive to Christ Dead to Sin Obedient Fruits of the Holy Spirit New Life Understand the things of God

30. Your Journey with Us Taking the Steps on the Journey Sent Disciple—ready to be a worker LateDisciple—Things are getting pretty clear Middle Disciple—assignments from God; sense gifts, ministry firsts Early Disciple—follow, listen, watch, get the boat ready BabyStage—innocent, vulnerable, need food, care, love, pretty dependent, don’t know right & wrong Saving Faith—lead of faith, “marriage vows”, justified by faith Repentance—turning away from sin and toward God Conviction—sense of sin, sense of guilt, desire to change Concerned—questions about faith, eternal things, spiritual matters Unconcerned—not thinking about ultimate questions or spiritual matters

31. Services and Ministries

32. CONTENT • Facts About Christ Church • Our Vision, Purpose and Values • Our Heritage • What we believe • Who can be a member? • Steps to become members • Your journey with us • Service and Ministries If you have questions or interest in becoming a member, please feel free to email the church or talk with one of our pastors. Email: christchurchracine@tds.net

33. We are looking forward to welcome you to Christ Church We are blessed with your interest to become a part of Christ Church. Please let us know how we can make your journey with us a success and spiritually rewarded. GOD BLESS YOU! THANK YOU FOR VISITING OUR WEBSITE AND MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION