• Christian Community and Hospitality

We think that life is best lived in community – people to share our joys, to support us in our hard times, and to share life with us. That means that we’re committed to welcoming everyone who comes through our doors. 

• Caring for God’s Creation

We think that the world is sacred and beautiful, and God wants us to care for it and safeguard it for future generations. 

• A Just and Compassionate Social Order

We believe that God wants the best for all of us, so we are committed to work toward a world where everyone can flourish. 

• Spiritual Practice

Spiritual practices like prayer, worship, and serving others help us grow spiritually and let God’s work of peace and compassion be done through us. They also help us live our other values: community, creation care, and justice.

We know that Christians have a bad reputation. We know Christianity has hurt a lot of people, and if you’re one of them, we’re deeply sorry. We’re committed to doing better, and we decided to put that commitment  in writing. In 2020, we adopted this statement: University Park United Methodist Church celebrates and welcomes people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions, races, ethnicities, skin colors, citizenship statuses, socioeconomic classes, ages, nations, abilities, faiths, all intersections of these, and any other descriptions of God’s people into full participation in the body of the church.

We affirm that the Divine spoke goodness into all creation and that all people are worthy of Love and Grace. We recognize that the work of creating a fully inclusive church will not be complete until the Kingdom of Heaven is fully realized. No amount of statements or actions can rid the church completely of the communal disease that is the exclusion and marginalization of God’s people, nor that disease’s lasting effects. Therefore, in keeping with our baptismal vows to resist injustice and oppression in all their forms, and as part of our life as the Body of Christ, we commit to the lifelong work of humbly seeking reconciliation with all of God’s people.

In the same vote in 2020, we joined the Reconciling Ministries Network, a group of United Methodist individuals and ministries dedicated to the full inclusion of LGBTQIA people and all others in the life of the church. Here’s the foundational statement of the RMN: 

“We celebrate God’s gift of diversity and value the wholeness made possible in community equally shared and shepherded by all. We welcome and affirm people of every gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation, who are also of every age, race, ethnicity, physical and mental ability, level of education, and family structure, and of every economic, immigration, marital, and social status, and so much more. We acknowledge that we live in a world of profound social, economic, and political inequities. As followers of Jesus, we commit ourselves to the pursuit of justice and pledge to stand in solidarity with all who are marginalized and oppressed.”

Being part of the Reconciling Ministries Network is an honor and an important part of who we are.