We strive to live into our baptismal vows by placing Christ at the center of our lives. “No longer I, but Christ who lives within me," as the apostle Paul said.
By our baptism into Christ we embrace our shared ministry: to be present as Christ to all the People of God, and especially to advocate for justice for the poor and marginalized peoples of the world.”
Jesus revealed the passionate love and abundant grace of God. We are called, personally and particularly, to be Christ-followers, bearers of his Presence in our world. As Christians, our life's work is to grow into the image of our Lord: to love and forgive, to heal and bless, to nourish and care for all God's people, just as He did. We interpret all things in light of our Lord's commandments to love God with all our hearts and souls and minds and strength; and to love our neighbors as ourselves.
We are deeply rooted in the teaching and work of John Wesley and the tenets of historic Methodism: the earnest study of the Scriptures, devout prayer, and determined engagement in the world. Wesley insisted that real faith is not opinion or rote belief, but is a way of living. Our theology is shaped and informed by the "Wesleyan Quadrilateral" of Scripture, tradition, reason, and experience.
We strive to live into Wesley’s profound teaching that with grace comes responsibility. When we experience the generous and healing grace of God, we are empowered and invited to likewise take up our rightful roles as co-creators with God, of the Kin-dom of God on earth. We are called, through grace, to become as servants to each other, to become prophets, to become healers of all the social, political, and personal wounds as we find them among our neighbors.
We are inclusive, affirming, and welcoming. Your gender, sexuality, age, ethnicity, physical ability, social standing or financial conditions are part of the rich tapestry of created humanity. They add to our diversity and our understanding. We seek, in the words of St. Ignatius of Loyola, to "find God in all things".
Jesus did not scorn the world, but went forth boldly — facing all of its sins and sorrows and complexities — to preach forgiveness, to restore hope, to feed the hungry, heal the sick, to bless and console — and, above all else, to love. God sent Jesus to do those things, and the Lord sent us to continue His work: that's what Christians do.
We engage in dialogue with those of other faiths, and those of no faith. We delight in the discoveries of science and space exploration, finding in these further revelations of God's majesty. Our Scripture studies include the insights of modern theologians as well as the "old masters."
We believe the Good News of Jesus the Christ is for all people, at all times, in all places. God is love, and that radiant joy-filled eternal goodness shall never be overcome by darkness, despair or destruction. We understand the Gospel to be both a promise and a mandate: Christ's kingdom is to be established in our world. When we experience the abundant beauty, extraordinary mercy, and overwhelming love of God, the only reasonable response is to love, forgive, bless and rejoice unceasingly (1 John 4:19). As we follow the Living Christ, we seek to encourage and lift one another up in our journey along Christ’s Way.
All Creation is holy ground, a grace-filled gift. Everyone and every thing can reveal God's love and grace — if we have eyes to see. Above all else there is Jesus the Christ: the singular, defining sacrament of God. In Him we find the ultimate meaning of life, and rejoice in our Creator's unfailing love.
We honor and celebrate the traditional Sacraments; mindful of the fact that there is much beyond what is merely apparent. We believe that God's healing grace and transforming power can do great things — outside of what we may imagine we control. The Holy One cannot be confined; Spirit travels wherever it pleases.
We honor the Bible as the divinely-inspired record of human efforts understand and serve the Eternal Presence they encountered. When interpreted in the light of Christ’s revelation of God’s unfailing love and mercy, it is not a dusty historical document, but a Spirit-infused love letter to humanity.
The Holy Scriptures can still speak to us, but we must approach their words reverently: with prayerful, teachable hearts. In the inimitable words of the Reverend William Sloane Coffin, “The Bible is like a mirror, when a jackass peers in, you can’t expect an apostle to peer out.”
At our founding the NMC declared that we are a Peace Church. We seek the end of war; and we dedicate ourselves to waging peace in every aspect of society. This takes many forms: work for justice, literacy, employment, and education, as well as the "simple" daily witness of Christian compassion and kindness to those we meet.