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Who We Are The First United Methodist Church of Tavares has grown up with the city. It was founded in 1880, when the city itself was still young. Originally sharing space with the Congregational Church, the Members of First UMC Tavares built their first church building on Joanna Avenue in 1923. They moved to the present location in 1968. That building was destroyed by fire in 1998. The spirit was not destroyed, however! The congregation decided that it was important to stay at the location near the heart of town to be a vital part of the community, and so rebuilt on that site, with the existing sanctuary and office complex completed in 2002. First UMC Tavares is a Stephen Ministry congregation. Stephen Ministries is a not-for-profit organization, serving in many denominations. Its mission is to show the love of Jesus through people. Stephen Ministry is a distinctively Christian caring ministry in which clergy and laity work together to provide quality one-on-one care to meet the needs of people experiencing a wide range of life circumstances or crises. There is a dedicated group of specially trained volunteers who are ready and willing to assist. If you would like to talk with someone, or if you know someone who might need a special friend, please call the church office and ask for a Stephen Minister.
At our heart, we strive to bear a faithful witness to the living Christ, Jesus. We believe that His Gospel has the power to transform lives, and that His message and mission have impacts into eternity. While we are a congregation of humans—and none of us is perfect—we seek to praise God for his continued work in our lives and to impact our community through our journey of faith. We want to share the Good News we have found with all people, and to offer them the love and grace we have been given. We are on a path of continual growth as we seek to live holy lives for God. We say that our mission is to meet the spiritual and human needs of our congregation and the community we serve, and we try to accomplish this in various ways. We gather together in worship and prayer. We try to maintain a caring community through fellowship. We strive to love all through acts of service, often small acts of kindness and grace. We value continuing study for both spiritual and personal growth. We share in and support missions of all kinds, both local and around the world. Our mission and our values are rooted firmly in our beliefs: We believe in one God, who created everything. We believe that his Son, Jesus, came to live among us, died on the cross and rose from the dead so that our sins would be forgiven. We believe in the Holy Spirit, God's presence with us. Our primary source for faith and practice is the Bible. We strive to live our lives according to the pattern that Jesus our Lord set for us. The Methodist tradition has always placed a particular emphasis on how we live. For more information about this lifestyle and our beliefs, please click here. 
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