St. John's United Methodist Church

New Membership Classes | Communion | Baptism | Confirmation | Home

Areas of Interest

New Membership Classes

Spargo Hall Rental

Pastor | Calendar of Events | History of St. John's | About the Wharton Community

New Membership Classes

New Membership Classes are held twice a year. These classes are usually seven weeks in length, concluding with a welcoming of new members during our worship service. Please contact Pastor Jeff Campbell if you are interested in becoming a member of St. John's.

Communion

Served the first Sunday of each month. Shut-ins may call the church office to request the sacraments be brought to their home.

The Lord's Supper, Holy Communion, Eucharist . . .

Each of these names is taken from the New Testament and highlights certain facets of this sacrament's many meanings. Calling it the Lord's Supper reminds us that it is a meal instituted by the Lord Jesus Christ and hosted by him at his table whenever it takes place. Calling it Holy Communion reminds us that it is an act of the most holy and intimate sharing, making us one with Jesus Christ and part of his body, the church. Calling it the Eucharist, a term taken from the New Testament Greek word meaning thanksgiving, reminds us that giving thanks to God for all that God has done is an essential part of the meal itself. By using different names, we acknowledge that no single name can contain the rich wealth of meanings in this sacred act.

What do United Methodists mean when they call this act a sacrament?

Our Confession of Faith states: "We believe the sacraments, ordained by Christ, are symbols and pledges of the Christian's profession and of God's love toward us. They are means of grace by which God works invisibly in us, quickening (bringing to life), strengthening and confirming our faith in him. Two Sacraments are ordained by Christ our Lord, namely Baptism and the Lord's Supper." The term is taken from the Latin sacramentum, which was a Roman soldier's pledge of allegiance. A sacrament is God's pledge of allegiance (love and faithfulness) to us and our answering pledge of allegiance to God.

Do United Methodists believe that the bread and wine physically or chemically change into Christ's flesh and blood in this sacrament?

No, we believe that the change is spiritual. They signify the body and blood of Christ for us, helping us to be Christ's body in the world today, redeemed by Christ's blood. We pray over the bread and cup that they may make us one with Christ, "one with each other, and one in service to all the world."

I am a Christian but not a United Methodist. Am I invited to receive Communion in a United Methodist Church?

Yes indeed. It is the Lord's Supper, not ours, and it is Christ who invites you. As our ritual puts it: "Christ our Lord invites to his table all who love him, who earnestly repent of their sin and seek to live in peace with one another." We do not refuse any who present themselves desiring to receive. Whether you should receive Communion with us is between you and God.

I do not wish to receive Communion because doing so would be disloyal to my religion or my denomination. May I attend a United Methodist Communion service and not receive Communion?

Yes indeed. We do not want anyone to feel unwelcome because, for whatever reason, they do not choose to receive Communion. Simply remain seated when others go forward, or pass the bread and cup along if they are passed to you, and no one will question what you do.

Should I receive Communion if I feel unworthy?

Two thousand years ago Jesus ate with sinners and those whom others scorned. He still does. None of us is worthy, except by God's grace. Thank God we don't have to earn worth in God's eyes by our goodness or our faith. Your sacred worth, and ours, is God's free gift. No matter what you have done, or what your present condition, if you want Christ inyour life you are welcome at his table. Communion provides the opportunity for you to confess your sins, to receive forgiveness and to indicate your intention to lead a new life.

May young children receive Communion?

Certainly. As The United Methodist Book of Worship puts it, " All who intend to lead a Christian life, together with their children, are invited to receive the bread and the cup." We remember that when some of Jesus' disciples tried to keep children away from him he said: "Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs." (Mark 10:14)

But do young children know what they are doing when they receive Communion?

Do they understand the full meaning of this holy sacrament? No, and neither do any of us. It is a wonderful mystery, and children can sense wonder and mystery. Children cannot understand the full significance of family meals, but we feed them at our family tables and at Christ's family table. Young children experience being loved by being fed. They sense the difference between being included and excluded at a family meal. They have the faith of a child, appropriate to their stage of development, which Jesus recognized and honored. Indeed, he said to adults: "Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it." (Mark 10:15)

May I receive Communion without standing or kneeling?

Certainly. In some United Methodist congregations most persons receive Communion while standing, while in others most receive while kneeling; but you are always welcome to receive while seated. If others are kneeling at the rail, you may remain standing and you will be served. You may also come forward and be seated on the front row, or come forward in your wheelchair, and you will be served. Or you may notify an usher, and someone will come to you and serve you where you are seated.

If someone in my family wishes to receive Communion but cannot come to the church service, can Communion be brought to them?

Certainly. As an extension of the congregation's celebration of the Lord's Supper, Communion is brought to persons, wherever they are, who wish it but could not attend the service. This can be done by the pastor or other clergy, or by designated laypersons.

Is Communion possible at weddings, at healing services, or at funerals or memorial services?

Yes. If you wish to arrange this, talk with your pastor.

- Taken from a United Methodist Pamphlet prepared by the Rev. Hoyt L. Hickman.

Baptism

Baptisms can be arranged by contacting Pastor Jeff. Either the parents, grandparents, or the sponsor of the child should be a member of St. John's.

About Baptism. . .

We receive our identity from others, from the expectations of friends and colleagues, the labels society puts upon us, the influence of family. To become Christian is to receive a new identity. You no longer allow others to tell you who you are. Christ now claims you and instructs you. A Christian is one who has "put on Christ." Baptism celebrates becoming that new person. That is why the Church's ritual begins with putting off the old, renouncing sin and evil powers of the world, and pledging our loyalty to Christ.

God Initiates the Covenant.

We believe that in baptism, God initiates a covenant with us, announced with the words, "The Holy Spirit works within you, that being born through water and the Spirit, you may be a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ." This is followed by the sign-act of laying hands on the head.

God Has Chosen Us.

The most important thing about us, our true identity, is that we are now sons and daughters of God. That is why the introduction to the Baptismal Covenant states, "We are incorporated into God's might acts of salvation and given new birth through water and the Spirit."

Why Baptize Babies?

From the earliest times children and infants were baptized and included in the Church. Some recite Jesus' words, "Let the children come to me, for such is the Kingdom of God" as scriptural authority for this ancient tradition. However, a more consistent argument is that baptism, as a means of grace, signifies God's initiative in the process of salvation. John Wesley preached "prevenient grace," the grace that works in our lives before we are aware of it, bringing us to faith.

Baptism is Forever.

Because baptism is a sacrament of God's grace, and a covenant God has initiated, it should not be repeated. God's continuing and patient forgiveness, God's prevenient grace, will prompt us to renew the commitment first made at our baptism.

Baptism is the Beginning, Not the End.

Baptism is the beginning fo a life-long journey of faith. For the child, the journey begins in the nurturing community of the Church, where he or she learns what it means that God loves you. At the appropriate time, the child will make his or her first confession of faith in the ritual the Church traditionally calls confirmation.

What is a Sacrament?

The word "sacrament" is the Latin translation of the Greek word "mysterion". From the early days of the church, baptism was associated with the mystery that surrounds God's action in our lives.

- Taken from a United Methodist Pamphlet prepared by Mark C. Trotter.

Confirmation

We offer a confirmation class each year for 7th graders and above. This will be a ten week course leading up to Eastor. Please let Pastor Jeff know if you are interested.

About Confirmation. . .

What parents or guardians initiated in the baptism of a child, the child when they become a young adult confirms through the process of Confirmation. Confirmation is an opportunity for young adults to explore their faith - what it is they claim to believe. During this process the pastor or an individual designated by the pastor leads the young adult through the foundations of the Christian faith while exploring the traditions of The United Methodist Church, as well as other denominations and religions. At the end of the Confirmation course, the young adult chooses to confirm and claim the baptism from their childhood. The young adult then becomes a full-member of The United Methodist Church and is offered opportunities to begin participating fully in the ministry of the church.

(Back to the Top)