We believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in His only Son–Jesus Christ our Lord. We do not believe that we have it all figured out. For moral, social and theological issues, we refer back to our source, the Holy Scriptures, through the lens of our rich Methodist heritage. (A more in-depth look at United Methodist beliefs can be found on the General Church’s website www.umc.org but here are a few): 

     •We believe in one living and true God, who has revealed Himself in three ways: as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 

     •We believe that Jesus is the Son of God, born of the virgin Mary, truly God and truly man, who for us and our

       salvation came down from heaven. He atoned for the sins of all believers when He died on the cross. Three

      days later, God raised Him from the dead. He now lives and reigns with God the Father and the Holy Spirit. 

     •We believe the only way of salvation is to confess one’s sin and to trust in Jesus Christ as one’s personal  

       Savior and Lord.

     •We believe one day Jesus will return to earth in triumph. He will receive all believers into His eternal Kingdom

       and will judge both the living and the dead.

     •We believe the Bible was inspired by God and contains all things necessary for salvation. When read under

       the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Bible is our true rule and guide for both faith (what we believe) and

       practice (what we do).  

While there are many different expressions of faith within churches around the globe, Chapin UMC seeks to be different from some by holding fast to the truths found within the pages of Holy Scripture and living out a vibrant, contagious, orthodox Christian faith. Our hope is to be used by God in His work of renewing the local church, so that people from all walks of life will come to saving faith in Jesus and grow in His love.

Our Core Values

Biblical Authority (2 Timothy 3:16) We believe that the Bible is our ultimate authority for what we believe and for what we do as a church and as individuals. If we drift from this Core Value we will become irreverent and irrelevant. Life is as good as it will get when we are surrendered to the authority of the Word of God. Maximum freedom is found under (not out from under) God’s authority. 

Intimacy with God (Revelation 3:15-20) Have you ever been a part of a relationship that you wanted to go to a deeper level, but the other person in the relationship wouldn’t go there with you? The Bible describes God as One who desires to have an intimate relationship with us, but we politely stiff-arm God to keep Him at a safe distance. God desires a relationship that is much more than casual and respectful – He desires intimacy. 

Authentic Community (Hebrews 10:23-24) Yes, your relationship with God is very personal - but it was never intended to be private. Intentionally doing life together (growing, praying, sharing together) so that there is a natural sense of accountability, belonging, and caring is critical – because life change happens best in the context of small groups. (Circles > Rows) 

Relational Evangelism (1 Corinthians 9:19-23) If you had to turn over your life, your finances to: (a) a total stranger; or (b) a trusted friend – who would you choose? People (who normally stay away from church) come to church because of the consistent encouragement of a trusted friend. Lost people matter to God; therefore, they matter to us. We are to be about investing in trusted friendships for the sake of eternity. (Invest and Invite). 

Strategic Service (Acts 6:1-7) This simply means to serve strategically. The key for CUMC to be all that God has called us to be is for every one of us to ask the question, “Where am I needed most?” and then for every one of us to respond by saying, “I will apply my heart and my hands to the place of greatest demand.”