Tarrytown United Methodist Church

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Five Hundred Years of Reformation

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This month marks a significant moment in the life of the Christian Church: the 500th anniversary of the beginning of the Protestant Reformation.

Already the year has been punctuated by moments of commemoration across the world. Churches from many traditions have gathered to give thanks for the renewing impulses unleashed by the Reformation, repent for the ongoing brokenness and divisiveness of Christ’s body, and look forward in hope to the healing and unity of the Church.

As United Methodists today, nearly 500 years after the start of the Reformation, what is its significance to us?

After all, we are not the descendants of Luther. Our roots are deep in the Anglican tradition—both John and Charles Wesley were priests in the Church of England. Yet there are a number of reasons we should observe the day. The themes of the Reformation remain the great themes and principles of our own faith today. The great schism that occurred in the church remains with us. Our fractured denominations have entered into dialogue and cooperative activities that have brought us closer together.

This month we may observe this anniversary with a sense of moving toward unity and community. It is an opportunity to repent of the sins of the past and to celebrate our common faith. Reformation today can represent healing of old wounds as, together, we all work to build and strengthen Christ’s church and love one another as Christ has loved us.

One Faithful Promise

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In 1703, John Wesley was born into a church of watered-down, low expectation Christianity. Most Christians saw God as a kind of heavenly vending machine, perhaps granting what we might need or want, but otherwise, staying out of our business.

On August 11, 1755, in a village church in England with 1800 people in attendance, Wesley introduced a new Covenant Renewal Service designed for Methodist Christians to re-set and re-commit their lives to Christ, to be altogether Christian, not almost Christian.

To prepare us, Wesley outlined five steps for spiritual renewal:

  1. Confide in God
  2. Compose Your Spirit
  3. Claim the Covenant
  4. Choose Faithfulness
  5. Connect to God in Prayer

This fall we ask everyone in the TUMC community to engage with us in a study of a powerful little book, One Faithful Promise, by Magrey R. deVega. A number of small group study options will be available. Learn more about the small groups >

In recent years, we studied together a number of foundational Methodist principles:

Wesley’s Three Simple Rules or “General Rules”
  1. Do no harm.
  2. Do all the good that you can.
  3. Stay in love with God.
Wesley’s Five Marks of a Methodist
  1. A Methodist Loves God
  2. A Methodist Rejoices in God
  3. A Methodist Gives Thanks
  4. A Methodist Prays Constantly
  5. A Methodist Loves Others

The General Rules teach conduct, what we are called to do. The Five Marks teach character, who we are called to be. This year, with One Faithful Promise, we seal all this with a renewal of the covenant, committing our lives to God within a community making the Christian adventure together.

Rev. Bobbi Kaye Jones and Rev. David Gilliam

Signup for a One Faithful Promise Group >

Preparing for Harvey

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Information, Updates, and How to Help

Emergency response leaders from the Rio Texas Conference are currently meeting to prepare the United Methodist response to Hurricane Harvey.

rio texas annual conference logo tarrytown united methodist church

Be sure to check their website for updated information and ways you can help. Also, follow their Hurricane Harvey blog or follow them on Facebook and Twitter for the very latest.

Disaster Response Teams

From the Rio Texas Disaster Response Committee

Hurricane Harvey is taking aim at the central Texas coast and is sure to affect our conference. We anticipate needing response teams by early next week, so now is the time to get prepared. Disaster response needs/call outs will be communicated via email and on the Disaster Response Facebook page.

  1. Give to the Rio Texas UMC Disaster Response Fund for immediate and long term response by making a donation onlineor by marking any offering “RIOTX Disaster Response.” TUMC will also be taking a special offering on September.

    Give Online >

  2. Attend Early Response Team training. This day-long training prepares volunteers and is required to participate on the front lines of response and cleanup. We anticipate that affected communities will be requesting ERT teams for weeks or even months after the water recedes and would like to have a large group of trained TUMC members who are ready to respond. The Rio Texas Conference is currently offering trainings on Saturday, Sept. 2 in San Antonio and Saturday, Oct. 7 in Austin. I anticipate additional training dates to be added.

    Signup for the San Antonio training on September 2 >
    Signup for the Austin training on October 7>

If you are already ERT trained and have not been contacted, please email Rachel Wright.