Grow In Faith
What We Believe
The United Methodist Church is worldwide connection of 11-million-members seeking to live as disciples of Jesus Christ by sharing God’s love and serving our neighbors.
John Wesley and the early Methodists placed primary emphasis on Christian living, on putting faith and love into action. This emphasis on what Wesley referred to as “practical divinity” has continued to be a hallmark of United Methodism today.
We invite you to learn more about our rich theological heritage.
Church membership is not requirement. Some of our most active people have never officially “joined the church”. But membership is important to some people. It is a visible and public commitment to support the mission of the church. It is also an opportunity for our congregation to formally promise to walk along side you in your faith journey, support you in your life challenges, and to share your joys.
We offer membership classes to learn who United Methodists are, what we believe, and what it means to be a member. Feel free to join any class to learn more about membership in the United Methodist Church, even if you are not ready to pursue membership at this time.
Sumner UMC encourages lifelong formation by offering a variety of community groups including Bible study, spiritual practices, culture and church, and faith in everyday life.
Various groups meet weekly while some are short term groups. Some meet at the church, and others meet in homes.
Monday Book Group – Mondays, 4 pm
Tuesday Bible Study – Tuesdays at 10 am
Wednesday Book Group – Wednesday, 6:30 pm
Reconciling Ministries Group – Selected Thursdays, 6 pm
You can read your entire Bible in a year, or every year! With just a 20-minute investment each day, you can read the bible cover-to-cover in a year. There are lots of ways to read — front-to-back, new-and-old-testaments-simultaneously, order-of-events, order-of-writing, and others. Customize and print your plan, read online, or even have your daily reading automatically delivered to your mailbox. Click here to explore the options.
You can find our library on the bookshelfs Fireside Room. Fill out a card in the box on top of the shelves and leave it in the back of the box. Keep the book as long as you need and return it when done. You can find everything from theology to children’s books. We encourage you to leave notes that will help the next reader. Slip a note between the pages, or leave a comment on the “What Did You Think” slip inside the front cover of the book.
How to Spend an Hour in Prayer
We all pray when we have something on our minds. But regular, meaningful prayer is a habit anyone can develop. Here is a suggestion for spending an hour in prayer based on advice from Dick Eastman of the World Literature Crusade. If you spend just an average of 5 minutes at each of these, the hour may not seem long enough!
- Praise — Begin with a recognition of God’s nature.
- Wait — Give time to being quiet in God’s presence; take time to let God Love you.
- Confess — Ask for forgiveness to clear the way for powerful prayer.
- Read the Word — Thoughtfully reading the Bible is a form of prayer.
- Intercession — Pray for others who have desperate needs.
- Petition — Pray for our personal needs and the needs of our loved ones.
- Pray the Word — Many Bible passages talk to God, not about him. Try one of the psalms.
- Thanksgiving — Thank God for the specific things he has done for you.
- Sing — Sing a familiar hymn, or create a new one in your heart.
- Meditate — Medidation is active pondering on spiritual themes.
- Listen — We cannot hear what God has to say to us if we do not take the time to listen.
- Praise — End as you began, with praising God for who he is.