Mission of the United Methodist Church:

 "To make disciples of Jesus Christ for

the transformation of the world"


Vision of Countryside United Methodist Church:

"Called to be a Church of Blessing - Gather, Grow, Go!"


At Countryside, we are "Called to be a Church of Blessing - Gather, Grow, Go!" through the following values:

ACCEPTANCE

We respect differences in people and seek to include all in the ministries of Countryside.


JESUS-LIKE

We value the teachings of Jesus and intentionally live our lives like Him in all that we do.


RELATIONSHIPS

We desire to know and be known by God and one another.


SPIRITUAL GROWTH

We nurture the continuous growth of love and faith.


LOVE-IN-ACTION

We respond generously through mercy and justice to the needs of people in our city, nation, and world.


SAFETY

We diligently attend to the physical and emotional safety of all who gather in our church community.


INVITATION

We intentionally invite others to grow in faith and share life with us.

Countryside's Reconciling mINISTRIES STATMENT

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.

  • Membership

    Discover Countryside is an informational gathering about how to become involved in the various ministries and activities offered at Countryside. A visit to our coffee bar for refreshments, facilities tour, and Q & A are included. Child care is available by prior arrangement. For details about our Discover Countryside class, contact Brenda Bauman Swank. 



    If you are interested in joining Countryside UMC, please contact brenda@countrysideumc.org.

     

  • Confirmation

    We recognize children are members of their human families, but no one expects them to clean their rooms or empty the dishwasher until much later. In the same way, “baptized infants are members of the Church—the family of faith—but are not yet capable of sharing everything involved in membership,” By Water and the Spirit, The United Methodist Church’s official statement on baptism, teaches.

    Confirmation is an opportunity to respond to the grace of God available to us, as acknowledged in baptism, and to promise to live as a person of faith. “What God offers us must be accepted in repentance and faith,” This Is Your Baptismal Liturgy states. “Confirmation and reaffirmation are our responses of commitment, profession of faith, and rededication.”

    More information from The United Methodist Church.

    If your child is entering 7th grade, please contact Rebecca Bowles for more information regarding our Confirmation Classes.

  • Baptism

    In baptism, we acknowledge and celebrate the grace of God, freely offered to us before we were even aware of it. We confess our sin, accept membership in the family of Christ, and vow to trust in and serve Jesus Christ as our Lord. Baptism is the outward and visible sign of our covenant (holy agreement) with God to accept God's gifts of freedom and power and to grow in faith through the constant efforts of the Holy Spirit and the lifelong practice of prayer, study, service, witness and worship. Baptism is a communal celebration; the congregation vows to nurture and support those being baptized - adults or infants.

    More information from The United Methodist Church.


    Please contact us for more information on baptism at Countryside!

What We Believe as United Methodists

a  diverse

community

All persons are welcome in the United Methodist Church. Celebrating a diversity of peoples, age levels, ideas and cultures, we are enriched by our history. The United Methodist Church was formed with the union of the Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church in 1968.


United Methodists trace their spiritual heritage back to the 18th-centery evangelical leaders John and Charles Wesley, Jacob Albright and Philip William Otterbein. As these men changed their world then, today the church seeks to rethink how to effect change in the world.

biblical, evangelical, connectional

United Methodists trust free inquiry into matters of Christian doctrine. Our faith is guided by Scripture, tradition, experience and reason. Scripture is of paramount importance. For United Methodists, the Bible is the record of God's people living out God's promise.


In the 21st century, The United Methodist Church seeks to expand its robust evangelical heritage. The church seeks to give a younger generation new ways to express their faith, translate that faith into actions and make a difference in the world. Wherever the churched or unchurched turn, they will find congregations seeking to create opportunities to encounter Christ.

sharing

god's gifts

United Methodists have believed from the beginning that each of us is called to participate in the outward-reaching ministry of Jesus Christ, John Wesley and others in our "cloud of witnesses" saw our work in the simplest, plainest terms: Do no harm. Do good. Stay in love with God.


United Methodists open many doors that create opportunities to make an enormous difference in the world. Our wonderfully diverse ministries are made possible by United Methodism's connectional giving system. We do more together than any one congregation can do alone.


living & giving

god's love

We support worldwide ministry with other churches to spread the gospel, care for those seeking a connection with God and nurture communities of Christian disciples, following Jesus' model of love and generosity. We listen, reach beyond ourselves, and offer help, hope and healing to those who are rethinking how to have more meaning in their lives.


For more than 200 years, The United Methodist Church and our predecessors have addressed poverty and the disenfranchised. We are committed to growing congregations and developing Christian leaders with the skills and spiritual strength to cope with the demands of the world. We play a significant role in educating others about devastating diseases, especially those which disproportionately affect the poor. We discern ways to fight disease and to provide better health conditions for people around the world. Our church advocates for justice and equality, and offers a voice when the struggles of the helpless are unheard. We are connected, caring and concerned about ministry that challenges our passion for making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.