WORSHIP
Matthew 22: (37)Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' (38)This is the first and grea test commandment. (39)And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' (40)All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

Worship is at the very core of what we do at Lufkin ’s FUMC.  The Great Commandment and The Great Commission serves as the catalyst of why we do what we do.  We need to learn to worship God in every area of our lives: at home, at work, in our cars… everywhere.  We realize that worship is much more than coming to church, wearing the right clothes, saying the right things; it’s a life style.  We find the best description of worship is found in Romans 12: 1-2; “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. 

You might be asking, “How do I worship then?”  Believe it or not, worship does not happen automatically the moment you walk through the doors of the church each week! There are some choices that you can make that will bring a real difference to your focus on God during worship. As often as we attend services where we are supposed to worship, we spend very little time talking about HOW to worship. Most of us spend more time training on how to work at our computer than how to worship our creator!

Simple steps to follow to help you learn how to worship:
Be Thankful - "Let us come before him with thanksgiving…" Psalm 95:2 (NIV)  

Sing a new song - “Let us… extol him with music and song.” Psalm 95:2 (NIV)

Humbly seek Him - "Come, let´s worship him and bow down. Let´s kneel before the LORD who made us," Psalm 95:6

Intently listen - “If you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts”
Psalm 95:7-8 (NIV)

EVANGELISM
Matthew 28: (19)Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (20)and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

As the body of Christ, we are called, according to the Great Commission, to go into the entire world preaching the good news of Jesus Christ. 

MINISTRY
God made you for something special! 
Matthew 22: (37)Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' (38)This is the first and grea test commandment. (39)And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' (40)All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

We are not successful until we teach you how to minister.  The UMC believes in the “’royal priest-hood of all believers.”  That means you!  What God made you to BE determines what He intends for you to DO.  We want to help and encourage you in finding your place within our church.  This is the secret of knowing God’s will for your life! God is consistent in His plan for each of our lives. He would not give us inborn talents and temperaments, spiritual gifts, and all sorts of life experiences and then not use them! By reviewing and studying these factors, we can discover the ministry God has for us... the unique way God intends for us to serve Him.

How has God Shaped Me?
"Your hands formed and shaped me..." Job 10:8a (GN)

God has been molding and shaping you for ministry since you were born. In fact, God started uniquely shaping you even before you were born!

"Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! It is amazing to think about. Your workmanship is marvelous... You were there while I was being formed... You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe." Psalm 139:14-16 (LB)  

What is your SHAPE for ministry?
S – Spiritual Gifts
H – Heart (your passions)
A – Abilities
P – Personalities
E – Experiences

DISCIPLESHIP
Matthew 28: (19)Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (20)and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

There is no more exciting adventure or fulfilling challenge than that of a lifelong pursuit of becoming like Christ. The Discipleship Team of First United Methodist Church stands poised to lead you to a deeper and growing faith.

Within the Discipleship Ministry, you will learn practical ways for taking the “next steps” in your journey toward Christ-likeness. We are excited about the future and we are trusting God to change your life.

We want to help you grow in your…  

·          Personal Life – we have an excellent Sunday School Ministry to help you by providing opportunities for building quality, life long relationships.

·          Spiritual Life – we offer several Bible studies that will challenge you and strengthen your faith.

·          Family Life – we have ministries for all members of the family that will stand by to support you.

FELLOWSHIP
Matthew 28: (19)Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (20)and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

The Greek word for fellowship is koinonia.  In the New Testament church, the people had a passion and concern for fellowship.  We too, like the people in the new church in the book of Acts, believe that fellowship is very important to the body of Christ.  Soon we will begin creating a small group ministry within the framework of our church to provide even more opportunities for fellowship.  You can go to the church calendar to see all of the activities you and your family can be involved in.  

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