Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

  

What do United Methodists believe? 

Check out our introduction to the UMC here.  For the most complete answers to this question, please take a look at the official website of the United Methodist Church.

I am not a member of Succasunna UMC. Can my fiancé and I be married here?

The short answer is yes: Pastor Joe welcomes conversations with persons preparing for Christian marriage, whether or not Succasunna UMC is your church home. Preparing couples for successful, happy, lasting marriages is a vital part of the church’s ministry.
 
Before you call the church, take some time to think beyond your wedding to what you need for your family’s spiritual journey. If you don’t have a church home, a wedding can be an important step in establishing a lasting connection to a faith community. Come and attend Sunday worship for a few Sundays to see whether our congregation might be a good fit for you. 
 
Be sure to start this process at least six months before your wedding date. This allows enough time to do the required pre-marital counseling at a more relaxed pace. We have a strong preference for weddings in the church, believing that the sacredness of the moment is best experienced in that setting. 
 

I would like to have my child baptized in the church. What do I need to do?

First, take some time together as a family to think about the role of faith in your life. Before you call to discuss baptism with the pastor, talk together about the kind of Christian community in which you’d like your children to be raised. 
 
Then, come visit us at SUMC – not just for one week but for several. Ask questions. Get a good feel for the people, the ministry, and the pastor. If this feels like home to you, if you can see yourselves as members of the church, then you’re ready to talk to us about baptism.
 
This level of consideration is important because in the service of baptism, the congregation welcomes and takes responsibility for the Christian nurture of the child and his or her family. The family and sponsors (godparents) also make promises to raise the child in the faith. We do not take these promises lightly, and we’re sure you don’t either. It is for this reason that baptisms are always celebrated during a regular service of worship.
 

I would like to become a member of Succasunna UMC. How do I do that?

We offer membership classes regularly, several times per year.  This is time for us to get to know one another, study scripture, talk through faith questions, lay out the expectations of membership, and learn more about this congregation and the United Methodist Church.  We try to do this in a single session lasting between 1-2 hours, depending on the size of the group.
 
If you have never been baptized, then you will be baptized when you join the church. We’ll want to spend some additional one-on-one time to help you understand the sacrament of baptism and the faith commitment it represents.