Our Mission
Loving God. Loving Others.
Our Story
We love being a vital part of the Sanford, North Carolina community, where the revitalized downtown is alive with fun family activities and where we're conveniently located within 30-60 minutes of both the Triangle and Triad regions. Although Lee County is the geographical center and smallest county in the state, our community is large in heart and service!
Originally founded in 1887 as Steele Street Methodist Church, we moved in 1974 to our present location when Steele Street United Methodist became Saint Luke United Methodist Church.
We offer three distinct worship experiences each Sunday and are committed to being a
church family that loves God and loves others in everything we do.
Originally founded in 1887 as Steele Street Methodist Church, we moved in 1974 to our present location when Steele Street United Methodist became Saint Luke United Methodist Church.
We offer three distinct worship experiences each Sunday and are committed to being a
church family that loves God and loves others in everything we do.
We invite you to come worship, learn, grow, and serve with us as we share Christ’s love in our shared
UMC mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world!
UMC mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world!
We are a connectional church.
Saint Luke United Methodist Church is part of the Fairway District,
which is one of eight districts in the North Carolina UMC Conference (NCCUMC).
The NCCUMC is one of 53 conferences in the United States and currently
one of 14 annual conferences that are part of the Southeastern Jurisdiction Conference (SEJC) of the U.S.
The SEJC is one of five jurisdictional conferences in the United States.
The UMC in the U.S. is part of one of seven central conferences in the worldwide United Methodist Church.
which is one of eight districts in the North Carolina UMC Conference (NCCUMC).
The NCCUMC is one of 53 conferences in the United States and currently
one of 14 annual conferences that are part of the Southeastern Jurisdiction Conference (SEJC) of the U.S.
The SEJC is one of five jurisdictional conferences in the United States.
The UMC in the U.S. is part of one of seven central conferences in the worldwide United Methodist Church.
As part of the connectional church, we strive for
Open Hearts, Open Minds, and Open Doors.
What We Believe
About God
God, who is one, is revealed in three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
About Jesus
We believe in the mystery of salvation through Jesus Christ. God became human in Jesus, whose life, death, and resurrection demonstrate God's redeeming love.
About The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is God's present activity in our midst. When we sense God's leading, God's challenge, or God's support or comfort, it's the Holy Spirit at work.
About Grace
The Bible teaches us that everything we have from God is given because of God's great love for us (Ephesians 2:8-9). We recognize God's grace at work throughout our spiritual journeys. John Wesley, the historic founder of the Methodist movement, wrote and preached about the role of God's grace to prepare, redeem, and continually shape us into the people we were created to be.This is where the description goes.
About Humans
Genesis 1:27 asserts that we've been made in the image of the Creator. Like God we have the capacity to love and care, to communicate, and to create.
About The Church
The church is the body of Christ, an extension of Christ's life and ministry in the world today.
About The Bible
We believe that the Bible is the primary authority for our faith and practice.
About God's Reign
The kingdom or reign of God is both a present reality and future hope.
We are United Methodists.
About the United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a world-wide denomination that opens hearts, opens minds, and opens doors through active engagement with our world. The mission of The United Methodist Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
A United Methodist is someone who joins in that mission by putting faith and love into action. We believe that God loves all people, and that we share in expressing that love, so the United Methodist tradition emphasizes God's grace and serving others. We believe that Jesus Christ is the fullest expression of God's love--showing us the fullness of God's care through Jesus' teachings, death, and resurrection.
A United Methodist is someone who joins in that mission by putting faith and love into action. We believe that God loves all people, and that we share in expressing that love, so the United Methodist tradition emphasizes God's grace and serving others. We believe that Jesus Christ is the fullest expression of God's love--showing us the fullness of God's care through Jesus' teachings, death, and resurrection.
About John Wesley
John Wesley started the Methodist movement in 18th-century England. His teachings on practical divinity (living out our faith), as well as his focus on scripture, reason, experience, and tradition helped form important aspects of United Methodist practices today.
What United Methodists Believe
The United Methodist Church shares a great deal with other Christian denominations. We believe God's grace is open to all, and therefore practice "open Communion"--meaning that anyone may participate in receiving Communion. We believe salvation is an open gift from God, accepted by individuals according to their own free will. The United Methodist denomination is a "big tent" theologically, providing space for theological discourse and, at times, disagreement.
Like many other Christian groups, we affirm the beliefs expressed in the Apostles Creed. These include:
Like many other Christian groups, we affirm the beliefs expressed in the Apostles Creed. These include:
- The belief in one God, who is the Creator and sustainer of the universe
- The belief in the Trinity, that there is one God in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit
- The belief in the divinity of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who is fully human and fully divine