First United Methodist Church

Calendar of Events | Carillon Newsletter | California Pacific Conference | GBOD | UMC

« Return to Community Outreach

Faith & Society

Faith and Society Committee is a recent development in a long standing commitment of this congregation to involvement in their local community and societal concerns. Faith and Society is part of the mission of Jesus Christ in the world.

• Mission of the United Methodist Church
"To make disciples of Jesus Christ"
Book of Discipline, Paragraph 120

"To send persons into the world to live lovingly and justly as servants of Christ...
working to develop social structures that are consistent with the gospel."
Book of Discipline, Paragraph 122

"The outreach ministries of the church shall give attention to the local and larger community ministries
of compassion, justice, and advocacy."
Book of Discipline, Paragraph 252.2b)

Faith and Society is an extension of the General Board of Church and Society whose purpose is, "To relate the gospel of Jesus Christ to the members of the Church and to the persons and structures of the communities and world in which they live. It shall seek to bring the whole of human life…into conformity with the will of God. It shall show the members of the Church and the society that the reconciliation that God effected through Christ involves personal, social and civic righteousness."
Book of Discipline, Paragraph 1002

• The Mission of this Congregation
"To share the inclusive love of God which we know in Jesus Christ with each other, with the greater Santa Barbara community, and with the world"

FAITH & SOCIETY OUTREACH AT FUMCSB

The Faith and Society Committee at FUMCSB is engaged primarily in encouraging members of the church to relate their faith to the social context within the local parish, but also in the larger society in which we all live.

A NEW GROUP!

While social witness has been part of FUMCSB since its founding, this particular committee was formed only in the past year under the leadership of Rev. Bill Porter, Chairperson.

EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH

Faith and Society began by developing educational opportunities for the congregation and community to face current issues.

• End of Life Issues: Faith & Society's earliest project was to address the concern of "end-of-life" issues. The committee organized a seminar that included a guest speaker, materials, and discussion to help participants explore the resources of faith in addressing these issues, as well as practical assistance for constructive planning.

• Faith & Society Forums: Faith & Society has initiated education forums. The 2006 summer forums were designed to inform the congregation about social outreach activities already being carried out by members of the church:
--Transition House: a local ministry to families breaking the cycle of homelessness.

--The Cottages at Cottage Hospital: a ministry providing temporary housing for families of patients in critical condition at the local hospital.

--Faith and Higher Education: discussion of how the church relates to colleges and universities such as exist in our community.

Forums being planned:
Social Principles of the UMC.
Voters Forum
Immigration

ADDRESSING ISSUES

Faith and Society affirms the rich diversity of perspectives represented in this congregation and encourages respectful dialogue in non-partison ways. Faith & Society is committed to developing ways to help the congregation to raise consciousness, deepen understanding, and increase dialogue and involvement in social issues of our community, nation, and world. In this aspect of their work, Faith and Society strives to fulfill the purpose of the Social Principles: The Social Principles are a call to all members of the United Methodist Church to a prayerful, studied dialogue of faith and practice. (from the Preface to the Social Principles)

LOCAL PROJECTS

The next area of development for Faith & Society is in the area of encouraging direct involvement in community outreach.
Members of the congregation are extensively involved in their community, for example:
--the Drop-In Center of this church that provides tutoring services primarily to youth with learning difficulties and disadvantages;
--Casa Esparanza: a homeless shelter
--Transition House: for homeless families
--Unity Shop: providing goods and services for
low-income families and individuals.

As the committee grows in strength it will begin developing strategies for encouraging volunteers in these and other hands-on ministries in the community to those in need.

A HERITAGE OF MINISTRY IN SOCIETY

A summary definition that Wesley gave, found in the first Discipline of the Methodist Episcopal Church, published in 1785, said that the purpose of the revival was: "to reform the nation and to spread scriptural holilness over the land."

The United Methodist Church has a long history of concern for social justice. Its members have often taken forthright positions on controversial issues involving Christian principles. Early Methodist expressed their opposition to the slave trade, to smuggling, and to the cruel treatment of prisoners.

A social creed was adopted by the Methodist Episcopal Church(North) in 1908…The Social Principles are a prayerful and thoughtful effort on the part of the Gneral Conference to speak to the human issues in the contemporary world from a sound biblical and theological foundation as historically demonstrated in United Methodist traditions. They are a call to faithfulness and are intended to be instructive and persuasive in the best of the prophetic spirit; however, they are not church law. The Social Principles are a call to all members of the United Methodist Church to a prayerful, studied dialogue of faith and practice.

« Return to Community Outreach