Who We Are
Kindred UMC is a group of people who are in each other’s lives. We are a community attempting to find heaven together, and we believe that Jesus’s life and teachings are the best guide for how to do that.
In practice, we spend time together on a weekly basis in a variety of settings. Sometimes we host preplanned bible studies and worship. Other times we simply meet out for dinner, dancing or a spontaneous house party. Where-ever and whenever we meet, we try our best to love each other in a way that brings wholeness and peace to everyone according to the grace and love that we have received from God.
We are committed to welcoming everyone without judgement. There are no prerequisites for participating. We believe that differences of opinion and perspective add value to our group. They do not threaten us. We believe that God loves wondrous variety and so do we.
Axioms We Try to Live by
- Make requests, not demands
- Courageously bring your whole self to the conversation
- Speak humbly for yourself and no one else
- Lay presumptions aside and truly listen
- Claim responsibility for your feelings
- Keep asking questions
Pastor
Chris Haden,
I’ve grown up in the United Methodist Church since middle school. I’ve served as a youth director and worship director for several churches in Florida before I became a chaplain at Tampa General Hospital. More recently, I was the pastor for First UMC Eustis. During all this time, I became increasingly aware that the way we currently do church is simply not helping many people. So, I asked if I could try and do something different. I’ve always maintained friendships with people who do not go to church, and through those friendships, I’ve come to understand that everyone has spiritual questions and existential anxieties. Everyone needs community and grace. Everyone needs help learning how to find healing and peace. I could not be happier to work with this amazing group of people to discover God’s next expression of a spiritual community here in the Aloma area.