We are the people of the
United Methodist Church.

 We believe in:

Prevenient Grace - That God's love surrounds us even before we are aware of it. This grace leads us to want to please God, to discover God's will, and to an awareness of our sin.

Justification & Assurance - God reaches out to the repentant believer with an accepting and pardoning love. Through faith in Jesus Christ, we are justified, forgiven and restored to God's favor. This experience of conversion can be sudden and dramatic or gradual.

Sanctification & Perfection - God's sanctifying grace helps us grow more loving toward God and our neighbors, drawing us toward God's gift of Christian perfection, being perfect in love.

Faith & Ministry - Faith in God's redeeming work in Jesus Christ is the only response to God's love we need. However, we express our salvation in ministry, sharing God's love with others.

Mission & Service - Salvation always involves Christian mission and service to the world. Personal religion, evangelical witness and social action go hand-in-hand and build on each other.

Nurture & Mission - The church nurtures our personal faith and equips us for mission and service in the world.

 The United Methdodist churches nearest to you are part of a world-wide church that holds to the basic teachings of Christianity.  United Methodist congregations are one part of the whole church of Jesus Christ made up of many denominations.

More than 41,000 UM congregations around the world welcome everyone who seeks to respond to God's love, to grow in spiritual strength, and to participate in congregations providing support and opportunities for service.  Everyone is welcome to attend services and to receive Holy Communion.

As followers of Jesus Christ, people of UM faith give special emphasis to certain Christian truths:

1. Everyone can know God's love through Christ and be changed. This is God's "amazing grace."

2. This grace fills us with an assurance that we are God's beloved children, and gives us courage to live our lives with strength, integrity, love and compassion.

3. God wants us, both as individuals and as communities to be better than we are. So we are active in applying God's truth to our own lives, and to the larger communtiies of which we are a part.

While we are bound together by these truths, we celebrate a wide diversity of opinions about many matters. John Wesley, founder of the Methodist movement, said that Methodists are not defined by their opinions but by how much they love God and "shed God's love abroad in the world."

United Methodism is an "amazing connection" of persons called by God, inspired by the Holy Spirit, and walking in the footsteps of the risen Christ. We invite you to join us for the journey. 

 

As the Gravel Hill Church Community. . .

 We feel that our Purpose is:  To learn, live and share Christ.

 We feel that our Mission is:  To provide a faith community where we learn about Christ through study and worship, live Christ through mission and fellowship, and share Christ with the world.

We share the Vision:  To cultivate spiritual, emotional, and physical growth.

 

The History of Gravel Hill...

 Gravel Hill United Methodist Church has a very rich past. In 1846, Henry and Elizabeth Landis sold a portion of their farm to the trustees of the church for a sum of $5.00. This plot of ground was 60 square perches and included an area for a cemetery. The first church erected on this site was known as "Zion's Church on Gravel Hill" and was a member of the United Brethren Church denomination.

In 1905, the original church building was torn down and a new building was constructed. In 1911, the United Brethren Church merged with the Evangelical Church and Zion's Church on Gravel Hill became known as Second Evangelical Brethren Church. In 1952, additions were added to the north and south ends of the building to create a new chancel area and room for additional seating. In 1956, another addition was added to the north to allow for a larger sanctuary, In 1968, a second merger took place between Evangelical United Brethren Church and The United Methodist Church. The Second Evangelical United Brethren Church was renamed Gravel Hill United Methodist Church. In 1969, an education wing and fellowship hall were completed. In 1996, the church celebrated 150 years on Gravel Hill. A year long celebration of "Shining the Light of Christ" culminated with a picnic and dedication of the pavilion behind the church.

Tragedy struck Gravel Hill United Methodist Church on the evening of February 3, 1998. A fire caused by an electrical problem totally destroyed the sanctuary and extensive smoke and water damage affected the remainder of the building. The fire which destoyed the church, turned out to be a catalyst that brought the church together stronger than ever. The love and support Gravel Hill experienced from the community of Palmyra and surrounding areas in the weeks following the fire inspired the church to rebuild the structure as a worship center for the community. The fire, along with the outpouring of gifts and offers of help, changed the focus of our ministry. We went from maintaining ministry within our church family to looking outside ourselves, following Christ's great commission to go into all the world making disciples.

Gravel Hill has been a strong spiritual church since it's beginning. We are committed to learning, living and sharing Christ's love with our community and Christ's community around the world.