Background: 
An Abundance of Riches 

The Mission of the United Methodist Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world by proclaiming the good news of God's grace and by exemplifying Jesus' command to love God and our neighbor in all that we do.  In carrying out this mission, we are seeking the fulfillment of God's reign in the world. 

As United Methodists, we believe it is critical not only to believe, but to live out our faith in our personal lives, our communities and the world.  In order to bear a faithful Christian witness to Jesus Christ, we believe we must reflect critically on our biblical and theological inheritance, striving to express faithfully the witness we make in our own time. 

FUMCR has a rich and deep foundation of vision connected to “change through leadership” for over 100 years driven by our abiding faith as Christians and United Methodists, abundant God-given gifts and congregational members whose personal spiritual journeys have greatly affected the world in which we live.

The Challenge: 
A Transformative World

As such, with this rich legacy of leadership and serving, we are once again challenged to think about the future, as we come to rest on yet another firm foundation in which to look to the future as stewards of Jesus Christ.  The world in which we live, work, play and worship is undergoing unheard of transformation and together with our commitment to the Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations raises the critical question: what or who is God calling us to be in the future? 

The Response to the Challenge: 
Creating the Future Today

This is the basis for the formation of the Strategic Visioning Initiative, since it is imperative that we understand our times in order to lead the church in this twenty-first century of recognized, transformational change.

Whether it is to eradicate abject poverty, stamp out deadly diseases by improving health globally, renew church worldwide based on Five Practices, or the development of principled Christian leaders for the church and world, FUMCR is at a unique moment in time in which it can take a leadership role to address many of these issues.  How?  By leveraging its abundant blessings and gifts, while simultaneously providing for congregational spiritual development in this journey.