Our Beliefs and Values

Our Beliefs & Values:

FirstLight United Methodist Faith Community is Gardner’s United Methodist Church and is a part of the Kansas East Conference of the worldwide United Methodist Church.

At FirstLight, our beliefs and values are Christian and based on the United Methodist Church. In summary, we believe that…

Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior,
God is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as one Trinity,
Humans were created by God in His image and can chose to have a relationship with God or not but that they need to be in a relationship with God to be fully human,
the Church is the body of Christ and that its primary mission is to make disciples of Jesus Christ,
the Bible is the word of God and is the primary authority for our faith and practices,
and we recognize the Holy Sacraments of Baptism and Communion/Eucharist/Lord’s Last Supper.

At FirstLight, we also believe that everyone is blessed in some way to be a blessing to others and that we should use our blessings (God given spiritual gifts) to bless others.

At FirstLight, we practice an open communion every Sunday which means anyone who knows God or wants to know God is welcome to partake in the Lord’s Supper. All are welcome. All are accepted.

At FirstLight, we value the Word of God from the Bible and relating God’s Word to our everyday lives.

We believe in the transformative powers of the Holy Spirit, and strive to be in relationship with God, so that we may bear fruit in this life and the life to come, by serving the world with “love, joy, peace, patience,kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22,23)

Background on the United Methodist Church

The United Methodist Church is an 11-million-strong global church that opens hearts, open doors and opens minds through active engagement with our world.

John Wesley and the early Methodists placed primary emphasis on Christian living, on putting faith and love into action. This emphasis on what Wesley referred to as “practical divinity” has continued to be a hallmark of United Methodism today.

United Methodists are the second largest Protestant denomination in America. Methodists have played a significant role in shaping our nation, and especially the Kansas City area. The Shawnee Mission was started by Methodists. Johnson County is named after Methodist pastor Thomas Johnson. Several of the first public schools in Kansas City were started by Methodists. Della Lamb, reStart, Spofford Home, Kingswood Manor and a host of other community agencies and ministries were started by Methodists. Baker University is one of several colleges and universities in the area founded by Methodists. And there are many Methodist colleges and universities outside of the KC area including Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, TX.

United Methodists hold to the historic doctrines of the Christian faith. We value the intellect and modern science, while at the same time looking to the Bible as the authoritative guide for faith and practice. Methodists have a passionate faith with strong convictions, but we also recognize that the world is not always black and white. We are willing to ask questions, to wrestle with difficult issues, and to do so with grace and compassion.

United Methodists have been known for our emphasis on a personal faith, lived out in concrete ways in the world. We have historically valued well-informed and passionate preaching, worship that was lively, and small groups where people can grow in faith.

United Methodists have open hearts, and open minds–and welcome anyone interested in learning more about the Christian faith.

At FirstLight, we are Christians who are excited to be part of the United Methodist Church . We invite you to learn more about our rich theological heritage at www.umc.org.

If you would like to know more about what it means to be apart of FirstLight United Methodist Faith Community, please call 913-938-5600 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Pastor Brad.