Our Beliefs

Great question! By following this link, you are either looking for answers, or are wondering if your beliefs will fit in at River Hills United Methodist Church. If it’s the first, we are a community where we value good questions as well as reflective answers, but we don’t expect everyone to share the same answers. All are welcome. We are a community of grace whose certainty is focused on love and who strives to live by the example of Christ. If you feel that you might fit into a community that explores their beliefs and their faith, and desires to live them out in the word, River Hills UMC will be a great place for you to connect.

Learn more about The United Methodist Church at www.umc.org.

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River Hills UMC adopted a Statement of Inclusion on Jan. 28, 2020:

We, the members of River Hills United Methodist Church, believe in the sacred worth of all human beings, and as such, we believe that all of God's children should be able to have full participation in the United Methodist Church, including ministry and marriage. We disagree with the decisions by our denomination that continue to discriminate and exclude both LGBTQIA+ people and those called to support their full life in the United Methodist Church. We look forward to joining with like-minded churches and conferences to explore a more inclusive Methodism that includes all people, united by our love of Jesus Christ, and steeped in a Wesleyan heritage. In the meantime, we will continue to be a connectional United Methodist Church by supporting its mission and ministries.

We welcome all of God's children and celebrate diversity that comes in our creation. We seek to faithfully live into the motto of an inclusive church by being a place of truly, "Open Hearts. Open Minds. Open Doors."

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More information is also available in our virtual New Member Class, found in the "I Am New" tab.

We believe the scriptures of both the Old and New Testaments are the inspired word of God. United Methodists center our teaching and our lives on scripture, but we don't all interpret it the same way. Some in our community would extol the inerrancy and infallibility of the Word (the source of its writing is God and is to be taken literally), while others are more concerned with the faithfulness of its interpretation (understanding the context and scholarly criticisms enriches the word). The important thing is to read it and then ask questions about its meaning for your life of discipleship.

We believe in one God, who is revealed as three…the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer). God is greater than any one understanding, but created us in God’s own image. To know God is to grow greater in love with all that God has created and to seek understanding through scripture, tradition, reason, and experience. God is love and wants to be in relationship with each of us.

Jesus is God in flesh as revealed in scripture. The Gospels give us four stories about the life, death, and resurrection of a man who came not to condemn the world, but so that the world through him might be saved.

The Holy Spirit is God's presence in the world and through those seeking to be empowered to live a life that reflects the lifestyle, values and character of Jesus. Evidence of the Holy Spirit is revealed through gifts demonstrated by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control.  We believe that each person is blessed with gifts. Not all have the same gifts, but each gift is necessary for God’s greater plan for creation.

While often identified by structure or name, "church" is experienced in the community of faith. It is the place we go to grow, learn, celebrate, and remember. The early church was devoted to learning and fellowship. We also believe that service to our community and alongside our neighbors is an important part of being the Church. We believe our facility is a gift from God that we are called to share with the community we serve.

All are welcome on the first Sunday of each month to share in the celebration of Holy Communion. By breaking the bread and sharing the cup, we remember Jesus and the forgiveness he offered us. You need not be a member, nor do you need permission or approval to share in this celebration. There are no age or baptism requirements. After a time of prayer, the pastor will invite everyone who would like to receive communion and explain how communion will be served that day.

Everyone is welcome to come forward, but no one should feel any pressure if the time is not right for them. Communion is served to people of all ages, with grape juice being served in the cup. A gluten-free option is always available. If persons are unable to come forward, simply indicate to an usher that you would like to receive communion, and the servers will bring it to you toward the end of the celebration. We also invite our members to bring communion to those who are unable to come to church on Sunday mornings. If you would like to receive communion and are unable to come to worship, please call our office at 952-890-2515, and you will be included the next time communion is brought out into the community.

Baptism is one of the two sacraments recognized by The United Methodist Church (the other being communion). Sacraments are moments where by ritual, we experience a sacred connection with God through our actions. In baptism, God uses water as a means of divine grace. It is recorded that when Jesus was baptized, the heaven’s opened up and a voice was heard to say, “You are my son, my beloved, in whom I am well pleased.” We believe that as children of God, this heavenly proclamation is made at every baptism. It also marked the beginning of Jesus ministry, and by the end of his earthly ministry, he directed the disciples to baptize everyone. As a means of grace, it is a gift given to us by God. There is nothing we can do to earn or deserve it. We just receive it. In keeping with that belief, we believe that infant baptism is consistent with scripture and how we practice our faith. We also believe that there is no need to be baptized more than once, and so we fully recognize the baptisms of other Christian churches. Adults are also welcomed to be baptized when they are ready to receive the sacrament. Baptism is not done in private, but is celebrated within community. Most of the time, it occurs on Sunday morning during worship. Exceptions are made in extenuating circumstances. Water is used symbolically during the baptism. Full immersion is not typically our practice, but has been done on special occasions at the request of the person being baptized.

If you are interested in being baptized or having your child baptized, please complete the contact form below, and we will reach out. No one is ever turned down who is willing to participate in the sacrament of baptism.