Our History and Beliefs
Christ Church is a community of Christians who are excited to be part of the United Methodist Church.
A Brief History of Christ United Methodist Church
Rev. Will Reed was appointed the organizing pastor of Christ Church in June 1983. As Rev. Reed and others joined together in the first worship service on July 17th, 1983 in the Kaneb (now Unocal) building, they gave birth to a new vision of “helping people find meaning and purpose to life.” Within two months, the congregation had grown significantly and services were moved to Clements High School on September 17th. On October 9th, 1983 Christ United Methodist Church was officially chartered with a membership of 107. Groundbreaking for a sanctuary occurred on May 19th, 1985 followed by the first worship service in that sanctuary on November 30th, 1986. Membership reached 1,356 by 1993 and 3,279 by 2003. Membership in 2010 totals over 5,000. Much has been done and many hands have served and been served.
The mission of Christ United Methodist Church is to be people helping people find fullness in Christ. To accomplish our mission, our church is committed to four essential strategies: Worship, Connect, Grow, Serve. We provide relevant opportunities for everyone to encounter God in weekly Worship. We intentionally Connect people in faith forming relationships and into deeper involvement in the church. We create environments to Grow spiritually in Sunday School classes for all ages, HomeGroups and Bible studies. We offer opportunities to Serve as the hands and feet of Christ in the church, community and world.
Virgil Harris prepared a video history of our church as part of our 25th Anniversary Celebration if you would like to learn more about our history, pastors and growth through the years.
What Is a United Methodist?
Methodists have open hearts and open minds, and welcome anyone interested in learning more about the Christian faith.
United Methodists are the second largest Protestant denomination, holding to the historic doctrines of the Christian faith, and we share a common heritage with other Christians, including:
- Conviction that God has mercy and love for all people
- Belief in a triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
- Faith in the mystery of salvation through Jesus Christ
- Trust in the Bible as the authoritative guide for our faith and how we are to live
- Celebration of the sacraments of baptism and Holy Communion
What We Believe
Grace is God’s loving action in human existence through the Holy Spirit. It is undeserved and unmerited. Grace is a gift from God; it works even before we believe.
God endows each person with dignity and moral responsibility. The full splendor of true humanity is seen in Jesus Christ.
Change in the human heart can and does occur though grace and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Faith and good works belong together. While we are saved by grace through faith, we also affirm that faith without works is dead.
The sacrament of baptism ushers us into the Christian church universal, the family of Christ. Through baptism, we accept God’s gift of grace through Jesus Christ and yield our lives to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Water is the special symbol of baptism. One can be baptized at any age; sprinkling is most commonly used, but pouring and immersion are also permissible. One baptism is all that is ever needed; we do not rebaptize.
The sacrament of Holy Communion (the Lord’s Supper) is a holy meal of bread and juice that symbolizes the body and blood of Christ. By sharing this meal, we give thanks for Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for our sins. Holy Communion recalls the life, death and resurrection of Jesus and celebrates the unity of all the members of God’s family. Christ our Lord invites to his table all who love him, who earnestly repent of their sin and seek to live in peace with one another. One does not need to be a United Methodist or a member of Christ Church to receive communion with us.
For More Information
If you would like to know more about what it means to follow Christ, please call 281.980.6888 and ask to speak to one of our pastors.