God is the creator and sustainer of everything there is (Psalm 104), who's infinite in power, wisdom, justice, goodness, and love. God is also the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three distinct but inseparable persons. And God has a dream for our lives: that we would be joyful, compassionate, and holy. When we reject God's dream for us and go our own way, God responds with grace, forgiveness, and second chances.

A lot of times, when the Bible and Christians mention God, they're referring specifically to the Father. God the Father is the one who, because he loved the world, gave his only Son (John 3:16), so that we could become his sons and daughters (1 John 3:1). 

But if you really want to know who God is, just look at Jesus.

Jesus is God in the flesh. He's human like us: he had a mom, he bled, he cried. He's also God: the Son of God the Father, our King, the Savior of the world. Through his words and his actions, he showed us the kind of life we were made for, a life of abundance (John 10:10). He was God's dream come true. Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave for us to defeat death and offer us everlasting life instead (2 Timothy 1:10). In every situation, relationship, and interaction, we strive to follow in his footsteps (Luke 9:23).

After his resurrection, Jesus eventually went to his Father's side in heaven. But he didn't leave us alone: he sent us his Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is God's active presence in our midst. The Spirit lives in us and transforms us into new people, more loving, joyful, patient, and kind people (Galatians 5:22-23)—in other words, people who look more like Jesus! The Spirit also empowers us to serve God and share God's love in the world (Acts 1:8). We can encounter the Holy Spirit every day through things like prayer, connecting with other believers, studying the Bible, and a thousand other ways.

Speaking of the Bible...

The Bible is a library of ancient books that are inspired by God's Spirit and communicate God's dream for the world and for our lives. The founder of the Methodist movement, John Wesley, called himself "a man of one book." The Bible is our book: the rule and guide for what we believe and how we live. It's a lamp to our feet and a light for our paths (Psalm 119:105). Every time the church gets together, the Bible is front and center.

The local church is a gathering of people trying to follow Jesus and encounter the Holy Spirit together—because we can't do this on our own. Churches worship together, study together, and pray together. Churches also serve the world around them together, as the "body of Christ" (1 Corinthians 12:27), Jesus's hands and feet here on earth. United Methodist churches practice two sacraments, baptism and holy communion, as ways of encountering God's transforming power and we believe that Jesus's church and salvation are available for absolutely everyone.

Salvation is God's gift of a new life that starts now and lasts forever. God saves us from sin's grip on our lives right here and now, by remaking us into new people with revamped hearts and habits (2 Corinthians 5:17). God also saves us from the consequences of our sins when this life's over, by giving us new, everlasting life with him in a new world where there's no more death, grief, or pain (Revelation 21:1-4). And you don't have to earn or deserve this gift. All you have to do is ask.