Mission Statement

 

 

"To be a Church that practices loving as Jesus loved

so that lives are changed as people grow in faith and love of God."

 

 

 

Basis for Our Mission

 

The basis for our mission is in direct response to the words of Jesus as found in the following scripture passages: 

 

• The Great Commandments given by Jesus in Matthew 22:37-39— “He (Jesus) said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all you soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment.  And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”

 

• A New Commandment given by Jesus in John 13:34—“I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.”

 

For the people of Zion UMC this means that first and foremost we are to love God with every fiber of our being.  We believe our love of God is in response to God’s great love for us as seen in His creation and in the sacrifice of His only Son, Jesus.

 

Secondly, we are called to love our neighbor as ourselves.  This means we are called to treat everyone we encounter with the same love and respect as we would desire for ourselves.  We believe the best example of “loving your neighbor as yourself” is seen in the life of Jesus as found in the Gospel stories.  Therefore, we believe that we are called to “Love as Jesus Loved.”

 

Thirdly, we are called to take seriously Jesus' command to love one another as he has loved us.  Again, we believe it is by following his example of love as found in the Gospel stories that best helps us understand and live out this command.