Avondale United Methodist Church is a Christian community in the historic Avondale/Riverside area of Jacksonville. Although our creeds and beliefs are important to us, we believe that it is in the consistent practicing of our faith which changes and shapes us into people of love and grace. The disciplines, habits, or practices which define our common life together as a church are what best describe us as a community of disciples. When you visit us for worship, you will find us practicing our faith in five essential ways:
The Practice of Radical Hospitality
We are a friendly and welcoming church to all people. No matter who you are or what you believe, you will find a hospitable place to explore your relationship with God. In addition to friendliness and genuine hospitality, we hope to offer you ways of becoming part of our family. We hope that you will make new friends and begin to feel a sense of belonging that extends beyond a handshake and a smile. We know that the more we practice the radical ways of Christ’s hospitality, the more closely we will come to resemble him as his followers in the world. As we have been adopted into the family of God through the love of Jesus Christ, we hope to offer open hearts, open minds, and open doors—an entry into the fellowship of our common life together as “The Heart of Avondale.”
The Practice of Passionate Worship
As a United Methodist congregation, our passion in worship is deeply formed by the rich history of the church’s liturgical tradition. Mosaic (8:45 am) is a contemporary service of the Eucharist or the Lord's Supper brought to expression through heartfelt and invigorating praise and worship music, drama, dance, technological media, and highly participatory congregational acts of worship. Traditional worship (11:00 am) is a service of Eucharist or the Lord's Supper shaped by the great hymns of the church, music in the classic style with organ and choir, and other more contemplative acts of prayer. At both services of worship, we believe that our practices carry us more deeply every week into an encounter with the living God that shapes us into the body of Christ. As you worship with us, you will find that that the center of our celebration revolves around the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the center of our joy and the source of our common life together as “The Heart of Avondale.”
The Practice of Intentional Discipleship
At Avondale United Methodist Church, we seek to follow Jesus Christ: his teachings and the patterns of his life of service and love to the world. In order to do that, we value critical and intentional thinking about matters of faith and discipleship. Our hearts and minds are gifts from above and so we use both in order to deepen our understanding of the God of Jesus Christ by studying our faith. Through these practices, we believe that we are being changed and molded into those whose knowledge and experience of God is growing, so that our lives might more closely resemble the self-giving life of Jesus. Small groups meet regularly during the week and on Sunday mornings between services exploring topics pertinent to the deepening of our spiritual lives. Questions about matters of faith and the following of Jesus Christ in today’s world are considered gifts in our community as we seek to become “The Heart of Avondale.”
The Practice of Salty Service
When you come among us at AUMC, you will find us committed to the well-being of our neighbors in the community, the nation, and the world. In our worship, and in all other areas of our life together, we seek to explore ways of carrying the heart of God to the poor, the marginalized, and the oppressed. We desire to do this in risky ways that move us out of our comfort zones and into a closer walk with Jesus Christ who came not to be served but to serve. Through mission and service in our community to “the least of these,” we find that we are changed and strengthened as we move toward becoming “The Heart of Avondale.”
The Practice of Extravagant Generosity
At Avondale UMC, we recognize the pressures individuals and families feel over matters of money. However, the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments make clear that money or “mammon” is perhaps the primary stumbling block to faith as it is mentioned over 900 times. Money and discipleship are linked in direct relationship to one another: our commitment to Christ is measured in large part by our willingness to give of our money. A pastor of a church once said during the offering, “no matter what we say or do, this is what we think of you.” A gasp was heard in the worship service. At Avondale UMC, you will find a community that aims to give 10% of all that we earn (the tithe) with an eye toward even greater growth in giving. By practicing generosity, we believe that we will become more generous, more giving, and therefore, more like Jesus. In this and in all of the essential practices of our faith, we seek to become “The Heart of Avondale” for the life of the world.