May Newsletter Article

A Mission for LUMC

Longview United Methodist Church is a beacon of diversity in our community. We encourage each individual in their spiritual journey as they become a disciple for Jesus Christ.

The preceding is the new mission statement for LUMC that developed during our consultation this past winter. I am really excited about the possibilities of this mission statement. We have recognized our value of diversity in both our mission with the community and our relationship with one another. Diversity is something we should value.

Of course the hard part is living this out. While people talk about diversity we often mean a diverse group of people like me. Last year we were challenged by Kristina Gonzalez from the conference office to live with the tension of true diversity. Are we willing to be diverse culturally and theologically? Are we only willing to be culturally diverse if we all think the same way theologically? Are we willing to be theologically diverse only if we have similar economic or educational backgrounds?

Living into diversity takes a deep understanding of God’s Grace. With diversity comes conflict. Conflict is not to be avoided but approached with an understanding of God’s grace. Our mission statement is not only about the work of the church, it is also a statement about how we want to live as individuals. We are most often challenged by diversity in our personal relationships. Our friends, family and fellow church members see the world differently than we do. Sometimes it is painful to realize they do not agree with us. The challenge then is how are we going to be in relationship with those with whom we disagree?

If our relationships are informed by “become a disciple for Jesus Christ.” I believe that we will be OK. As Disciples we will go forward by the Grace of God continuing to discover the movement of the holy in our lives. May God bless us as we live into the Mission of Longview United Methodist Church.