what we believe

Unified in mission, diverse in perspectives

Excelsior UMC is a community of people seeking to follow Jesus.
Though we are unified in our mission, we are diverse in our perspectives, experiences, and actions.
As a practice, we believe religion and faith are a dialogue, not a dictate.

Our Purpose

Loving beyond ourselves.

Our Vision

To be known as a nurturing, inclusive and courageous Christian community.

Our Mission

To share God's love by building community, serving others, and standing for justice.

Though we cannot think alike, may we not love alike? May we not be of one heart, though we are not of one opinion? Without all doubt, we may. —John Wesley

Beliefs that guide our preaching and teaching

Jesus

We believe in the teachings and life and ministry of Jesus our Christ, our Savior, as a model for bringing abundant life to all. As Christians, we seek to follow in His path. We also value other faith traditions and respect the breadth of religious experiences.

God

We believe in a living God, who dwells within us. We believe in a God who loves us exactly as we are and challenges us to grow in our love of self and neighbor.

Holy Spirit

We believe in the presence of the Holy Spirit, moving through us, individually and communally.

Bible

We believe there are many ways to faithfully interpret and encounter the Bible. We believe in the Wesleyan Quadrilateral, which allows a variety of people with deep faith and broad experiences to be in conversation together. It uses the lenses of tradition, reason, and experience together to interpret and understand the Scriptures.

Inclusivity

We believe that we are all children of God and individuals of sacred worth. We welcome and affirm persons of any age, gender, race, ethnic origin, economic reality, family status, sexual orientation, diverse ability or social standing. We became a Reconciling Congregation in 2007 as we specifically want to make clear our inclusion of the LGBTQIA+ community. All are welcome to be full participants in the life and work of our faith community.

Social Justice

We believe God calls us to care about justice and oppression in this world. We seek to educate ourselves in order to be allies and advocates for our neighbors.