Mission
To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
Vision
To be a welcoming and serving church that embraces the diversity of our community and the inclusion of all God's children, mobilized to address the specific needs of families, neighborhoods, and schools.
values
Inclusive and Open
Our call is to be inclusive of all God's children and to celebrate the diversity of our community, embracing the richness of our differences and fostering a community where everyone feels valued, respected, supported, and loved. That looks like seeking intentional involvement and empowerment of people, where the inherent worth and dignity of all, based in the Imago Dei, is honored. Thoughtful exploration of faith and scripture is encouraged.
At Katy First UMC, we share in our common call to be an inclusive church for all people. For LGBTQ+ persons, we are affirming of their call and full participation in the life of the church. While those who attend or are members of Katy First have differing understandings on human sexuality and marriage, we share in our call to love all people so that there are no restrictions into full participation in the life of the church in membership, leadership, sacrament, marriage, or pursuit in a call to ministry.
Grace and Action
We value actively demonstrating our love of God through the caring of others with our time, talent, and resources. You will find a people who put grace first and seek to live out their convictions with humility and love. Compassion and promotion of peace hold together a love of God and love of people, serving through meeting the needs of our community.
Tradition and Authenticity
We value the deep traditions of our faith, reverent thoughtful liturgies, and uplifting hymns. We prioritize authenticity and genuine expression, aiming to embrace the best of our tradition to be a wellspring of life for our modern moment.
A Word for the Disillusioned, Deconstructed, and Done
from Pastor Mark
We recognize and see that many people of good faith find themselves disillusioned, in faith deconstruction, or done with church and religion. I get it. Certainly, I've walked through many days like this myself. Maybe that's rooted in past experiences where harmful ideologies were present. Maybe that's rooted in deep theological convictions such as nonviolent atonement. Maybe spiritual or emotional manipulation has left you with broken trust. Or maybe it's frustration with the church not embodying the same love and grace that Jesus spoke of and embodied himself. In the past few years, we've experienced many things from pandemic, politics, and protest that have sparked a rethinking of faith and church. If you find yourself there, I want to say to you that we see you. We aren't a perfect church, but we do seek to live out a faith that we believe can help heal some of the wounds many of us might be carrying. You have a place here among us, and we'll be better for it.
Next Steps
Taking a next of faith or involvement in the life of the church can look like many things. We want to help make it easier for you to grow in your faith and find connection into the church community.
Next Steps Monthly Meeting | Every 3rd Sunday of the Month | Parlor Room
Every 3rd Sunday of the month, we host a short gathering after our 11:00 worship service where you can learn more about the church and find your next step of involvement. Pastor Mark hosts a conversation where we can meet you, and you can receive information about who we are, what our ministries look like, and to ask questions you may have about the church, faith, or anything else! This a great way to get a bigger picture of the ministry of the church, and to find areas of connection. This meeting is held in the Parlor Room, which is located in our Connection Center area between the elevator and restrooms.
Baptism | Children and Adults
We believe the sacrament of baptism is a celebration and recognition of our identity and belonging in God and God's church. We baptize both infants and adults in the United Methodist Church. If you would like more information about the United Methodist understanding of baptism or you would like to receive baptism for yourself or one of your children, then please click the button below.
Church Membership | Join Sundays are the 4th Sunday of Each Month
When you're ready to join your walk of faith with a community of faith, then membership is the next step. Membership in a church gives us a community where we are grown in faith together. If you are interested in membership at Katy First, we encourage you to attend a Next Steps meeting or reach out to Pastor Mark.
Every 4th Sunday of the month, we have our "Join Sundays" where we invite all who are ready to join the church to join at the end of the service. If you are ready to make the next step of membership, please fill our the membership form below.
All the children big and small
In our children's ministry, we acknowledge that we do not possess all the answers and instead embrace the concept of collaborative learning. Our aim is to stimulate curiosity, encourage exploration, and invite questioning, rather than offering rote responses. Our ministry places high value on the distinctive perspectives and life experiences of every child and strives to establish a secure and accepting environment where they can express their thoughts and ideas without apprehension of criticism or exclusion. Our ultimate objective is to cultivate a feeling of togetherness and inclusion within the community, where children feel validated, appreciated, and encouraged.
everyone's welcome at katy first