LUMC is connected to the United Methodist Church, founded on the teachings and practices of John Wesley in the 18th century, which emphasized disciplined Christian living and putting faith into action.  Today's United Methodist Church was formally created with the merger of The Methodist Church and The Evangelical United Brethren Church in 1968. 

Connectionalism is a central concept of Methodism. As United Methodists we are called to engage in ministry with the poor and disadvantaged.  We recognize that no one person or congregation can accomplish all that needs to be done in the world, but through the power of the connected church we can make a huge difference. 

Following are a some of the key beliefs and practices of the United Methodist Church: 

• We believe in one God in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—who created and is the ruler of the universe.  We believe that God is loving, and that we can all experience God’s love and grace.  

• We believe that God's grace is freely given to all persons and we can choose how to respond to this gift. We believe that when we accept the gift of grace, we are made whole and reconciled by the love of God. As we continue to grow in Christ, with God's help and sanctifying grace we move closer to the goal of being perfected in love and to experience a holiness of heart and life. 

• We believe that Jesus was both fully human and fully divine, that he lived as a man and died when he was crucified. Jesus is the divine Son of God who was raised from the dead and lives today. Jesus is our Savior, who died that our sins be forgiven, and who calls us to pattern our lives after his. 

• We believe that the Holy Spirit is God with us, who comforts us when we are in need, calls us back when we stray from God, awakens us to God’s will, and empowers us to live obediently. 

• We practice the sacrament of Baptism by sprinkling or pouring; as a symbol of new life and a sign of God's love and forgiveness of our sins. Persons of any age can be baptized, and a person receives the sacrament of baptism only once in his or her life. 

• We practice the sacrament of The Lord's Supper (Communion), which is a holy meal of bread and cup that symbolizes the body and blood of Christ.  The Lord's Supper recalls the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, and by sharing this meal we give thanks for Christ's sacrifice and are nourished and empowered to go into the world in mission and ministry. All who love Christ, repent of their sin, and seek to live in peace with one another are welcome to partake of The Lord's Supper, regardless of age or affiliation. 

See http://www.umc.org/what-we-believe for more about United Methodist beliefs.