Faith United Methodist Church
Thursday, February 23, 2012

FAQ

The following is a list of frequently asked questions.  You can select a particular question or continue down the page to view all of them.

Questions

  1. Where can I park?
  2. What do children do during the Sunday service?
  3. Can I get married at Faith UMC even if I'm not a member?
  4. What is Open Communion?
  5. What is Hunger Sunday?
  6. In a “thumbnail” version what is The United Methodist Church?
     

Where can I park?

Special needs parking is located directly south of the church building with the drive off Oakhurst Ave.  General parking is located a bit further south beyond a lawn area with drives off both Oakhurst Ave. and Charlotte Ave.

What do children do during the Sunday service?   

Jesus Christ held a special place in his heart for children and here at Faith we do our best to follow His teachings.  Children are always welcome in our church services, but we understand that it can be a long time for the attention span of some children. 

  • A nursery is available to the west of the Sanctuary, for our youngest visitors.
  • We provide activity bags to help occupy those that are a little older.    These "Wiggler Worship Bags", containing crayons and coloring books, are located in a basket as you enter the sanctuary (or ask an usher for help).  At the end of the service the bags can be returned to either an usher or the basket.
  • The ushers also have a special children's bulletin with activities.
  • Early in the service our pastor calls the children forward for a short message and then those children ages 3 through the 5th grade are released to attend age appropriate Sunday School classes.  When the service is over, parents can find their children in one of the classrooms down the corridor to the east. On Communion Sundays, the children are returned to the service so they can share in the breaking of the bread with their family.

Can I get married at Faith UMC even if I'm not a member?

Yes, Faith United Methodist Church welcomes people from the community as well as members and their families to use its building for such joyous occasions.  Please view our Wedding Policy or contact the church office for additional information.
 
 

What is Open Communion?

In the United Methodist Church, we practice an open communion, which means that you need not be a member of our congregation or even of our denomination to come to this Lord's Table.
 
Press the play button to see the pastor's video clip on open communion.
Video clip is around 1.5 MB.  Download times will vary.
 

What is Hunger Sunday?

Hunger Sunday is the 4th Sunday of each month.  A special offering is taken during the service to benefit the hungry in our area through the ministry of North End Community Ministry (NECM).
Grocery offerings for our NECM Hunger Sunday (and any other time you would like to donate) can be placed in the grocery cart in the narthex. You can also place the plastic and paper bags that you donate in this cart. Please mark each of your grocery bags with the $ amount in each bag.
 

 In a “thumbnail” version what is The United Methodist Church?

The United Methodist Church is an 11-million-strong global church that opens hearts, opens doors and opens minds through active engagement with our world. Our mission statement is to “Make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”
John Wesley, the founding parent of Methodism, 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.
In John Wesley’s balanced and rigorous ways for thinking through Christian doctrine, we find four major sources or criteria, each interrelated. These we often call our “theological guidelines”: Scripture, tradition, experience, and reason. The Bible is the foundational source of our faith; Christian traditions of sacraments and teaching inspire us; human experience and practical reason help each person to “work out their salvation” experience for day to day application (Phillipians 2:12).
United Methodists come in all sizes, shapes, colors, dispositions, outlooks and life stories, but share a unique history and faith perspective. Our members speak many languages and live in many countries.
No matter how or where they serve Jesus Christ, United Methodists do God’s work in a unique structure—referred to as “the connection." This concept has been central to Methodism from its beginning. Connectionalism comes to life through our clergy appointment system, our mission and outreach, and through our collective giving. We live out our call to mission and ministry by engaging in ministry with the poor, combating diseases of poverty by improving health globally, creating new places for new people and renewing existing congregations, and developing principled Christian leaders. No one congregation can do all these ministries, but together—through the power of our connection—we can make a tremendous difference.
We invite you to explore more through conversation with our pastor and/or visiting umc.org. This web page was used to help develop the above statements.