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 20, 2023
Dear Church Friends,
How do you describe “the kingdom of heaven”? Where do you see it “on earth as it is in heaven”? How might you, and we together as a congregation bring and bear witness to glimpses of the kingdom in our hearts and in the world around us? How do you see God at work?
During Lent, I pray that we will glimpse the kingdom in Worship, Bible Study, Missions, meetings and in our daily prayers. To see where God is at work, we must stay connected to God. I encourage you to discover a new or renewed spiritual discipline in this season. Read a daily devotional, study scripture, sit in silence for 10 minutes, fast from food to feed your soul.
The kingdom of heaven is glimpsed beyond ourselves and the walls of the church and into the community. On Ash Wednesday I, along with clergy colleagues, will be distributing ashes in public spaces in Westport. We will bless our neighbors with this expression of God’s grace and reminder of our mortality.
Each Thursday during Lent, I will be at The Porch (161 Cross Hwy, Westport) to greet you and our neighbors. Conversation, coffee and connection can be a glimpse of the kingdom. Join me! Please Note: “Meet the Pastor at the Porch” will move to Friday, March 10, that week.
If you are seeking guidance on how to practice a holy Lent, let’s talk and explore together.
Let us seek first the kingdom of God.
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 Collinge
Director of Music & Community 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!