Mission

Our Mission

The mission of the Nebraska Annual Conference is:

Making Disciples, Making a Difference

Our mission begins with seeking God's Word on the matters of mission, vision and values through prayer, searching the Scripture, knowing our culture, applying the heart for the lost, and the practice of spiritual accountability in small groups from our Wesleyan heritage.

Our mission becomes sharper as we shift from a focus on preservation to a focus on leadership that guides us to develop healthy, growing churches.

The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church, 2004 (¶120) says, "The mission of the Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ. Local churches provide the most significant arena through which disciple-making occurs." (Also see ¶121-122.)

Our charge is to love the lost, the least and the last as much as God loves them.

Our Vision

Our vision is to be a conference full of dynamic churches sharing and proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ, marked by these signs of vital discipleship:

• Radical hospitality;
  
• Heartwarming worship;
  
• Risk-taking mission and justice work;
  
• Vital faith formation and prayer;
  
• Gracious generosity; and
  
• Connectional joy and commitment.
  

This vision for the Nebraska Annual Conference sees local churches of all sizes moving toward vitality, growth and faithfulness to Jesus Christ.

A dynamic church is compelled to invite people through ministries of evangelism, worship, mission and justice to know and serve Christ. It is one where people want to participate because it meets people's deep spiritual longing and draws more and more people to God's message.

A dynamic church grows deeper in its faith in God and more engaged in its service to Jesus Christ.

A dynamic church will see an increase in first-time professions of faith in Christ, more people engaged in mission and justice work, people growing towards tithing, and pride in being a part of a community of faith.

Our Core Values

Core values are the bedrock of our beliefs as United Methodist Christians in Nebraska--the basics to which all of us can say "yes." Inside our church circles, they may appear ordinary and routine. However, when placed in the context of the culture in which we live, with its divisions between people, its focus on wealth and power, and its fascination with consumerism and self-promotion--these are radical ideas and call for urgency.

Stating our core values reminds us we are to be fundamentally transformed and transforming. We are disciples living out these values as servant leaders to make an immediate difference in Nebraska and in the world.

We believe that God, through Jesus Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit, offers grace and salvation to all persons. Central to our beliefs, are the following core values.

OUR CORE VALUES

• We value every person. Every person is of sacred worth, created and made in the image of God.
  
• We value the centrality of faith in Jesus Christ, the true Son of God, sent to bring redemption and salvation to the world.
  
• We value the Holy Spirit that dwells within and among us to empower us for ministry.
  
• We value ministry in all parts of our conference--rural and urban. We value the heritage and potential of small membership churches.
  
• We believe the Word of God is made flesh and dwells among us in Jesus the Christ, and is revealed to us through Scripture, reason, experience and tradition.
  
• We value the calling of each person to share the good news of Jesus Christ and to make disciples in his name.
  
• We value our Wesleyan heritage as a covenant community that lives out both social holiness and personal piety.
  
• We value the ministry of all believers, lay and clergy, as we serve together to transform the world.
  
• We value differences as we seek richness in diversity and integrity in inclusivity.