Our Beliefs

Our mission, vision, values, and beliefs define who we are.

Mission

Connect with God, with Others, and with the Needs of the World.

At the heart of our mission, “Connect with God, others, and the needs of the world”, is a desire to live a life of faithful relationship and compassionate action.

To connect with God means nurturing a personal and communal relationship with the Divine through worship, prayer, scripture, and spiritual practices that ground us in grace. At The Vine, we create space for this connection through vibrant Sunday worship, weekly devotionals, small group studies, and special services that help people encounter God in meaningful and creative ways.

To connect with others means forming authentic, caring relationships where we support, challenge, and grow alongside one another in community. At The Vine, we do this through intergenerational fellowship events, neighborhood gatherings, shared meals, and life together in small groups. T

o connect with the needs of the world means recognizing the pain, injustice, and brokenness around us and responding with Christ-like love, service, and advocacy. The Vine responds through partnerships with local organizations, service projects, justice initiatives, and a commitment to being a good neighbor in the Plaza Midwood community and beyond. This mission invites us into a holistic, outward-facing faith that is not just about what we believe but how we live and how we love.

Vision

Our vision is shaped by three key commitments that guide who we are becoming and how we live out our faith in the world.

Become a multicultural, multiethnic, multi… church: We believe God’s vision for the church is one where all people are welcomed, valued, and celebrated. This includes not only diversity in race and ethnicity, but also in age, ability, gender identity, sexual orientation, economic background, and more. At The Vine, we seek to create a beloved community that reflects the fullness of God’s kin-dom — a place where difference is not just tolerated but embraced as a gift. This vision calls us to examine our practices, listen well, and take intentional steps toward radical inclusion and equity.

Grow deeper in discipleship: Discipleship is more than belief; it’s a lifelong journey of becoming more like Christ in love, service, and justice. At The Vine, we are committed to helping people of all ages grow in faith through worship, small groups, Bible study, service, and spiritual practices. We want to move beyond surface-level faith and into deeper transformation, where we are continually shaped by grace and empowered to live out our callings in the world.

Utilize our campus as an asset for mission and ministry: We believe the physical space God has entrusted to us is not just a building but a tool for blessing our community. Our vision is to open up our campus for creative, life-giving ministry that serves both the church and the neighborhood. That could mean offering space for support groups, hosting community events, deepening partnerships with local organizations, or creating spaces of beauty and belonging. We want every corner of our campus to reflect the love and generosity of Christ.

Together, this vision invites us to be a church that is open, growing, and outward-facing — grounded in grace and committed to God's work in the world.

Values

Family, Authentic, Generous, Justice, Platform

These core values help define the heart of who we are as a church and how we seek to live together in faith.

Family: We are an intergenerational community, and we love that. At The Vine, we believe that every generation has something to offer and something to learn. We value relationships that cross age and life stage, creating a church family where children, youth, adults, and elders are connected, supported, and growing together in faith.

Authentic: We are genuine in our expressions of hospitality, love, and compassion. We don’t pretend to have it all together. Instead, we show up as we are, with open hearts and honest conversations. Whether in worship, fellowship, or service, we aim to be real with God and with each other, creating a community of trust, vulnerability, and grace.

Generous: We are a community that gives our time, talents, prayers, gifts, and service. Generosity is a way of life at The Vine. Whether it’s showing up to help a neighbor, supporting mission work, praying for one another, or using our skills to serve the church and the world, we believe that giving is part of how we reflect God’s love.

Justice/Equity: We seek to live our faith out through justice and equity in our community and world. Our faith calls us to confront injustice and work toward a world where all people are treated with dignity and fairness. At The Vine, we engage in advocacy, service, and deep listening as we strive to embody the inclusive and liberating love of Jesus.

Platform: We are a place where *you* can offer your gifts, passions, and talents for the building of God’s kin(g)dom. Everyone has something to contribute. The Vine is a church that wants to empower and equip you to live out your calling — whether that’s through art, teaching, music, service, activism, caregiving, or something uniquely your own. We don’t just welcome your gifts — we make space for them to flourish.

Beliefs

United Methodists share a common heritage with all Christians. According to our foundational statement of beliefs in The Book of Discipline, we share the following basic affirmations in common with all Christian communities:

The Trinity:

GOD

We believe in one God, the loving Creator and sovereign ruler of the universe, who made the world and everything in it. This God is full of grace, and we can experience God’s love in our lives.

JESUS

We believe that Jesus is both fully human and fully divine, the Son of God who lived among us, was crucified, and raised from the dead, and whose risen presence lives on today. As our Savior and Lord, Jesus offers us abundant life and forgiveness of sins and calls us to follow his example in the way we live.

THE HOLY SPIRIT

We believe that the Holy Spirit is God with us, comforting us in times of need and convicting us when we turn away. The Holy Spirit awakens us to God’s will, empowers us to live faithfully and obediently, and moves with playful joy, bouncing along the timeline of our lives, stirring creativity, laughter, and new possibilities.

Human Beings:

We believe that God created human beings in God's image, that each person has the freedom to accept or reject a relationship with God, and that true humanity is found in living in relationship with the Divine.

The Church:

We believe that the church is the body of Christ, an extension of Christ’s life and ministry in the world today, called to make disciples of Jesus Christ. As the communion of saints, the church is a community of past, present, and future believers, called to worship God and support one another in growing in faith.

The Bible:

We believe that the Bible is God's Word, the primary authority for our faith and practice, and that Christians are called to know and study both the Old and New Testaments.

The Reign of God:

We believe that the kin-dom of God is both a present reality and a future hope, made visible wherever God's will is done, in Jesus' ministry, in acts of reconciliation, restoration, and healing, and in the transformation of hearts and communities. Though its full completion is still to come, the church is called to bear witness to this vision and actively participate in bringing it closer. The reign of God is both personal and social, shaping us into Christ-like people and working toward the renewal of all creation.

The Sacraments:

BAPTISM

Through baptism, we are joined with the church and Christians everywhere; it is a symbol of new life and a sign of God’s love and forgiveness, offered to persons of any age and administered by sprinkling, immersion, or pouring. Baptism is received only once in a person’s life as a lasting sign of God’s all-encompassing grace.

THE LORD'S SUPPER (COMMUNION, EUCHARIST)

The Lord’s Supper is a holy meal of bread and the fruit of the vine that symbolizes the body and blood of Christ, recalling Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection and celebrating the unity of God’s family. By sharing this meal, we give thanks for Christ’s sacrifice and are nourished and empowered for mission and ministry in the world. We practice open Communion, welcoming all who love Christ, repent of their sin, and seek to live in peace with one another.