About
Our Values and Beliefs
The words of the founder of the Methodist movement, John Wesley, echo the words of Jesus: “A Methodist is one who loves the Lord our God with all their heart and mind and strength and loves their neighbor as themselves.” Our commitment to Christ is not limited to worship on Sunday mornings but lasts throughout the week in living a life of love and service. We believe the grace and forgiving love of God is available for all people.
This is why we welcome all who wish to be part of our fellowship, and why our Communion Table is open to all people of all ages and faith backgrounds who wish to receive the love and grace of Jesus.
Our Mission
- To Know the love of Jesus in personal ways through worship, prayer and study.
- To Live the love of Jesus through acts of compassion, gentleness and justice.
- To Share the love of Jesus in our homes, our community and the world.
- To Welcome all of God’s children regardless of age, race, ability, sexual or gender orientation, and economic circumstance.
From the Pastor
February 29, 2024
Dear Church Friends,
Jesus said, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:10
I always bring more books and reading than I can handle on vacation. I somehow think that I will have hours and hours of uninterrupted time, but that usually gets taken up with meals, shopping, visiting fun places (the zoo and Japanese gardens on this latest trip to Florida) or napping.
This past week, I endeavored to read Life Worth Living: A Guide to What Matters Most by Miroslav Volf, Matthew Croasmun, and Ryan McAnnally-Linz. The book is derived from the very popular Yale Center for Faith and Culture course of the same name. It is a challenging read because the text calls you not to just read, but to engage and reflect on your life and your answers to “the Question.” (Which caused me to gaze from the beach out to the vastness of the ocean…)
“What matters most? What is a good life? What is the shape of flourishing life? What kind of life is worthy of our humanity? What is true life? What is right and true and good?…None of these phrases captures it completely. The question they try to articulate always exceeds them. It always escapes full definition…Hard as it is to pin down, it is the Question of our lives. The Question is about worth, value, good, and bad and evil, meaning, purpose, final aims and ends, beauty, truth, justice, what we owe one another, what the world is and who we are and how we live. It is about the success of their lives or their failure.” (from the introduction of Life Worth Living, p. xv)
Lent for me is a time for reflection and introspection. A time to examine who I am and who God has called me to be as a disciple of Christ. I hope you will join me on this journey. We will have an introduction to Life Worth Living in Grace Connexion on Sunday, March 3, then small groups will be scheduled for reading and reflection. Come and explore the Question!
I hope you’re enjoying the daily Lenten Devotions. If you’ve been reflecting on scripture, a poem, a hymn or anything spiritual that you would like to share, please email me or Dennis Castiglia.
Peace,
Pastor Heather
United Methodist Church
of Westport & Weston
Church office: (203) 227-4707
Pastor Heather’s cell: (203) 913-8148
hsinclair@westportumc.org
Church Staff
Rev. Heather A. M. Sinclair
Pastor
Ahyoung Son
Organist
Marilyn Smith
Administrative Assistant
John Hoddinott
Director of Music Outreach
How to Join the Church
We welcome everyone! Members, regular participants, and first-time visitors all will find the same welcoming embrace. Becoming a member enables you to make a public commitment to Christ and the church and claim the values of love and service that we hold dear.
Members hold a diversity of beliefs, but all profess faith in Christ and promise to faithfully participate in the church through their prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness.
Membership classes are offered on a regular basis and introduce newcomers to the church and to Methodism.
Our History
The current church on Weston Road celebrated a 50-year anniversary in 2017. Several of the families who took out 2nd mortgages on their homes to help fund the construction of the church are still members! But the Methodist Church roots in the area go back to 1790 when Jesse Lee, a Methodist from Virginia, rode his horse all around this part of Connecticut gathering people in homes for fellowship and worship.
The Church on Rabbit Hill
The site of the current church is adjacent to the former home of Robert Lawson, author of the children’s book “Rabbit Hill,” and the reason why it has been known as “the church on Rabbit Hill” ever since!