The following Core Process received unanimous approval by the Church Council on May 17, 2004.  It will help Providence toward the fulfillment of its vision, “ “to be the body of Christ by glorifying God and serving others.”   The Core Process is organized around four words, that correspond to essential experiences in the Christian life.  They are Baptism, Communion, Gifts and Service.  The core process has been reaffirmed, and will be the focus of four major church-wide retreats over 2007 and 2008.

Baptism

Through baptism, we are invited to begin the Christian life.  And because we are baptized Christians, we welcome people into the body of Christ, the church.  PUMC will strive to extend a warm welcome, helping individuals to get started in their Christian lives, leading individuals to become meaningful members of the church, and offering a continuous reminder to all to claim our baptisms.

This will be most evident as we offer friendly greeters (inside and outside) and adequate parking, as we continue the work begun with the Igniting Ministry initiative (open hearts, open minds, open doors), as we wear nametags on Sunday mornings, as we offer ongoing new member exploration classes for adults and confirmation classes for youth, as we strengthen our nursery ministry and make our children’s ministry more visible, as we continue to visit first-time worship guests, as we maintain a healthy relationship with the Weekday School, as we offer new experiences such as Beginnings (for seekers) and a monthly Singles Lunch Bunch, and as we offer classes and conversations for parents whose children are baptized. 

The primary staff persons in this first phase of the Discipleship process will be Rev. Tara Ebner and Suzi Stephens, with assistance from Teresa Dunn and Fallon Boland (staff) and key lay leaders.

Communion

Through Communion, we listen, share and grow within the body of Christ. Because we are experiencing communion with Christ and one another, we are maturing as members of PUMC.  Because we are connected to a small group within the church, we receive and give support and encouragement to one another.  This is symbolized most completely as we receive Holy Communion in worship. 

The most visible signs of our communion are Sunday School classes, choirs, ChristCare groups, UMW circles and general meetings, UMM breakfasts, Providence on Wednesday meals and classes, Center of Christian Living classes, small groups (youth), Sunday evening chapel services, intercessory prayer, Disciple Bible Study groups, Companions in Christ classes, and the LiveWires fellowship.  Our communion is strengthened through accurate and consistent communication via the Voice, the website ( www.providenceumc.org) and e-mail.

The primary staff person in this second phase is Teresa Dunn, with assistance from Dr. Ken Carter, Dr. Bill Jeffries (staff), Pam Carter and key lay leaders.    

Gifts

Through the sharing of our gifts, we come to understand that Christian stewardship is a way of life:  our time, our talents, our financial resources.  A great challenge for PUMC, identified in the past few years, has been to motivate our members to share these gifts, which belong, after all, to God.  At the center of our understanding of gifts is a recognition that the Lordship of Christ becomes real to us in worship.  Therefore, we glorify God through the worship that we offer each Sunday. 

We will offer ongoing Spiritual Gift Discovery, beginning in August, and this will flow into the work of the Every Member in Ministry committee.  We will also offer ongoing small group opportunities for individuals and couples to learn more about a distinctively Christian perspective on money.  The fall stewardship campaign will be connected to prior campaigns that focused on small group participation and spiritual gifts/time and talents.  We will also lift up the future needs of the church, and the strength that comes from endowed and planned gifts. 

The primary staff person in this third phase of Discipleship is Dr. Ken Carter, with assistance from Carol Shinn and key lay leaders.  

Service  

Through service, we seek the good of the larger church in all that we do.  Many individuals:  children, youth, adults, find their greatest fulfillment in serving others, especially those in need.  Many individuals have begun to orient their lives, and give significant amounts of time and energy,  in serving others through God’s mission.  Many have also been willing to seek training that would equip them to make a difference in the lives of others.

We are served in countless ways by the members of our church; among the servants are Disciple teachers and Companions in Christ facilitators, Trustees, Greeters and Visitors of First-Time Guests, Stephen Ministry participants and leaders, ChristCare leaders and equippers, those who serve on the Local and Global Missions committees, Advocates for Christian Concerns, those who lead committees to accomplish the work of the church, those who give diakonias, and those who serve on the Committee on Lay Leadership (formerly the Nominations Committee).

The primary staff person in this phase of Discipleship is Dr. Bill Jeffries, with assistance from Carol Shinn and key lay leaders.

PUMC History