IDENTITY

At Platte Woods Church, we want to be known first by the kind of people we are and the kinds of lives we live as followers of Jesus. Jesus’ mission was to bring people into full life, abundant life, and we believe that’s a life the world desperately needs. And so we invite all people into full life together in Jesus Christ. When we say all, we mean all.

A note from Yvi Martin, lead pastor at Platte Woods Church.

At Platte Woods Church, we want to be known first by the kind of people we are and the kinds of lives we live as followers of Jesus. Jesus’ mission was to bring people into full life,  abundant life, and we believe that’s a life the world desperately needs.

We invite all people into full life together in Jesus Christ. And when we say “all,” we mean all.

You don’t have to have everything you believe all figured out,  because belonging is more important than belief.
You don’t have to look, think, identify, or love like everyone else, because curiosity is more important than conformity.
You don’t have to have all the answers, because courage to create a more just world is more important than keeping the status quo.

To step into a faith journey at Platte Woods Church is to step into a community where everyone can belong, be curious, and be courageous.

We may not all think alike, but we can love alike.
And that’s how we want to be known.

Our Commitments

Belonging for All

God loves and cherishes every person, and so do we. We are intentional about creating a spiritual home where all people, especially those who have been kept out, are fully welcomed and included.

 

Full Inclusion of LGBTQ+ People

We affirm the full participation of LGBTQ+ individuals in every aspect of our church’s life, including worship, membership, marriage, leadership, and ministry. We celebrate the diversity of God’s creation and recognize that all people are called to full life in Christ.

 

Equality in Leadership

We believe God calls people of all genders to lead, preach, and serve. Leadership at Platte Woods Church is based on calling and giftedness, not gender or identity.

 

Diversity as a Strength

Jesus modeled curiosity and connection, reaching out to the marginalized and listening deeply to their stories. We follow that example by valuing people of all backgrounds, ages, abilities, cultures, and perspectives.

 

Courage to Do Justice

The Holy Spirit calls us to mend what is broken in our world. We are committed to mercy and justice, standing with those who have been excluded and working for a church and society where all people can flourish.

  • Belonging

    Our biblical foundations introduce us to a God who loves and cherishes every person God has made, and so our hearts long for every person to know they belong and have a spiritual home here in our church. We value belonging, so we intentionally make space for others, especially those who have been kept out.

  • Curiosity

    Jesus models for us a genuine openness to others, notably those excluded, marginalized and othered. And so we desire to learn, understand and draw closer to God, other people, and creation.

  • Courage

    The Holy Spirit provokes us to see and to mend what is broken in our world. And so we are willing to step into the hard place, make the unpopular choice, do the difficult thing, even if it costs us – because we know it is the right thing, the loving thing.

Our Vision

To become a loving, welcoming community constantly formed by these shared spiritual practices:

GATHER - GROW - GIVE - GO

When we exercise our spiritual muscles, we grow in our faith. So together, our community gathers for worship and sacraments, grows in our experience of prayer and scripture, gives of our time and our money, and goes in acts of mercy and justice and on pilgrimage (or spiritual journeys). Repeating these practices, all throughout our lives, shapes us into the kind of people who live differently than the what the world demands.

At Platte Woods Church, you don’t have to have it all figured out – none of us do – but we believe that if your curiosity draws you into practicing these 4 G’s – Gather, Grow, Give and Go – then your life will begin to change. And together we’ll grow stronger and deeper into the full and meaning-full life that Jesus invites us to. Our beliefs don’t change us. Our practices do.

Mission

Inviting all people into full life together in Jesus Christ.

Here are a couple of resources that help unpack the mission of PWC:

LIFE TOGETHER BY DIETRICH BONHOFFER
EMOTIONALLY HEALTHY CHURCHES

Spiritual Practices

  • People are wired for community & connection with each other.  We each desire to be in relationship with other people. These days, even in the hyper-connected world in which we live, loneliness & disconnection are common and concerning. At Platte Woods Church, a vital part of what we do and who we are is the practice GATHER. We do this when we worship & when we practice the sacraments of baptism & communion. These practices help us connect with God & other people as well as build & strengthen our relationships - with God, with other people, and with creation.

  • The United Methodist Church recognizes two sacraments - baptism & communion.  

    These two practices have a special place in the Church because Jesus commanded them & participated in them both directly. Baptism marks the beginning of one’s life-long journey as a follower of Jesus & communion nourishes & sustains Jesus followers as along the way.  

    Baptism is God's work of cleansing us of sin & beginning the work of renewing us fully into the image of Christ. At Platte Woods Church, all are welcome to be baptized, regardless of age, race, gender, orientation, nationality, education level, social status, or mental capacity. Through baptism, one experiences the justifying grace of God & the cleansing power of the Holy Spirit. Using water, one can be baptized in various ways: immersion (going under the water), pouring (having water poured over one’s head), or sprinkling (having water sprinkled on one’s head). The United Methodist Church recognizes one baptism and, once baptized, one is initiated and incorporated into the universal Church.  

    Communion – also known as Holy Communion, Eucharist, or The Lord’s Supper - is a ritual meal Jesus himself served & enjoyed. Just like Jesus & his followers 2,000 years ago, we today use two common food elements – bread & juice/wine. By sharing & receiving these elements, we experience God’s grace, love & hope. Platte Woods Church has an “open table,” anyone & everyone can receive communion – for any and all who wish to know and experience God’s love and grace are welcome to come to the table & receive.

  • Each day is an opportunity to GROW. A vital part of each person’s faith life is deepening one’s relationship with God & other people.  

    At Platte Woods Church, we believe we GROW through  reading & experiencing Scripture and prayer. Reading & experiencing Scripture means exploring the Bible – both the Old and New Testament – and how the stories revealed in Scripture guide our lives, just as they guided Jesus and his followers some 2,000 years ago. Scripture reveals to us the story of God’s never-ending, all- encompassing love for God’s creation and how God is still creating, redeeming, and sustaining all of creation – even now! 

    When people talk about Scripture or the Bible, people say a lot of different things. As United Methodists, we believe the Bible is a library of sacred scripture as well as a guide to faith & salvation. There is nothing magical about the Bible; rather, the Bible is a guide to our faith & how people – both in the past, now and in the future – might live in relationship with God & others. We believe God inspired the Biblical writers to compose the words & God is at work through each of us when we read & experience Scripture – both alone and together. The Bible is a collection of 66 books – 39 in the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) & 27 in the New Testament. These passages were told, written & compiled over a 1,000 year period (600 BCE to 400 CE) across three languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, & Greek). Within the Bible are various literary styles: oral traditions, songs, poems, histories, legends, proverbs & wisdom, letters, Gospels & more. Yet through it all is a single theme: God’s desire to be in a loving relationship with God’s people – no matter what.  

    We believe all Scripture is inspired by God, meaning God worked & works in & through regular people just like you & me to reveal the truths of Scripture. Scripture reveals to us WHO we are & WHO God calls us to be, WHERE we come from & WHERE we are called to go; WHEN God has been & is at work in people’s lives, HOW God works in & through people’s lives & WHY God seeks to be in relationship with all of humanity. 

  • Prayer is the practice of communicating with God and can take many forms: speaking, singing, crying, yelling, screaming…even silence can be prayer. Prayer also includes paying attention to and listening to how the Spirit is working on our lives, in our lives and through our lives. Prayer can and does provide comfort, encouragement, peace, inspiration, and activation. Prayer creates space to deepen our connection to God as well as a deeper connection to one another and God’s creation as we pray for not only ourselves, but the world, those in need, those around us and so many others. 

    * We look forward to praying with you! To submit a prayer request, go to: Prayer & Care Form

  • The practice of GIVING includes both giving of our time - Sabbath – as well as giving of our financial resources –Tithe.

    To Sabbath means to “stop.” Sabbath is a time to rest, refresh, reflect and reconnect to God. We do this both as a reminder & testament to God’s own Sabbath (as described in the creation story in Genesis) as well as our own mortal need to physically, emotionally, mentally & spiritually rest our minds, bodies and spirits. Sabbath is an opportunity to focus on one’s relationship with God and intentionally spend time with God – doing the things which bring you joy & happiness with God.

  • To Tithe is to support God’s ministries & outreach through Platte Woods Church with one’s financial resources. At Platte Woods Church, we believe a healthy understanding & stewardship of one’s personal finances & resources is an important part of one’s spiritual life. Tithe literally means “one-tenth” and was a Biblical mandate as described in Scripture, inviting God’s people to honor God with the fruit of their labors and work. God desires for us to give joyfully, cheerfully. Giving in support of the many ministries at Platte Woods Church not only impacts those in the community who receive the help. Giving also impacts one’s own life as well. As Jesus-followers, we strive to be generous people and be the best stewards possible of the gifts we have been given. 

       
    We also believe giving includes sharing one’s time, talents and abilities! This means giving in service within the faith community by serving within one or more of the many ministries at Platte Woods Church – be it as a mentor with kids or students, helping greet & welcome people during worship as a member of the Hospitality Team, singing or playing a musical instrument in the band or choir, helping the Tech Team bring to life the audio/video during worship services and special events, serving on a Ministry Team or Leadership Council – these & so many other ways are available at Platte Woods Church for YOU to serve God & give of who you are & what you have to share! 
     
    For more information about what it means to GIVE, check out PWC’s Sermon Series, All You Can:  
    Week 1 – Earn All You Can - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3CKqd5JmOg 
    Week 2 – Save All You Can - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pl_UbLyrkSk 

      Week 3 – Give All You Can - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEaheWdyli8 

  • Our world can be a scary place. People often feel frightened & divided, alone & in need.  At Platte Woods Church, we believe each of us has an opportunity & responsibility to GO into the world and make the world a little less scary, a little more united & a lot more kind & helpful! At Platte Woods Church, we GO through Acts of Mercy & Justice and Pilgrimage.  

    Acts of Mercy & Justice follow Christ’s example of living in loving service to others; showing mercy to those in need & seeking justice for those oppressed & excluded. As Jesus-followers today, we strive to be like Jesus as we GO into the world to serve, showing mercy & seeking justice while helping those in need in our communities and throughout the world. 
     
    Acts of Mercy include personally caring for those in need – the sick, injured, isolated, and lonely.  We show Christ’s mercy when we are a presence in the lives of those in need around us. 
     

  • Acts of Justice

    include communally caring for those in need by resisting evil, injustice & oppression in whatever forms these present themselves. This means learning about the oppressive systems which cause people to feel isolated, excluded & othered as well as seeking to dismantle these unjust systems and create new forms of life-giving and hope-filled community. We seek justice when we advocate on behalf of those who have been oppressed, mistreated, excluded, and othered and we invite them into a community in which they can find a sense of belonging – where they are seen, heard and cared for.

  • We likewise GO on Pilgrimage, a journey in which we anticipate encountering the Divine. Journeying into both new and unusual places as well as places we’ve been before, when we GO on a pilgrimage, we look for God in each place we travel in order to better understand and discern where God is calling us and what God is calling us to do. During a pilgrimage, one often discovers new things about one’s self as well as God as our faith is expanded and we experience personal transformation. A pilgrimage can be alone or in community and can include a variety of experiences: a trip to the local super market to pick up canned goods for those in need, a monthly trip to an outreach partner like Hillcrest or Lazarus Table, picking up trash and litter on the side of Prairie View Road, an annual outreach trip to Pine Ridge Reservation or the U.S.A/Mexico border, or even a journey to the Holy Land – each of these examples of pilgrimage provide ways to deepen one’s connection to God & expand one’s faith!

To step into a faith journey here at Platte Woods Church

is to step into a community where everyone can

belong, be curious, and be courageous.

We may not all think alike, but we can love alike.

That’s how we want to be known.