Our Story

At Minnetonka United Methodist Church, we seek to be caring, inclusive and Spirit-filled in all that we do.

For 50 years, we have been faithfully working to better the world with love in  the name of Jesus Christ. We may not know you (yet) but we’re eager to welcome you to our faith community. No strings attached. We hope you’ll connect with us over coffee and donut holes before or after worship and join us for conversation during a homemade Wednesday night dinner. We encourage you to participate in a small group and sign up to serve the larger community. Getting involved is often the best way to make MUMC your home.

Whether you come to us in person or we come to you online, we are a people who value authentic relationships. We believe that God-breathed transformation begins when people walk with each other through life’s ups and downs under the uniting love of Jesus Christ.

Our Mission

is to grow spiritually, numerically, missionally and financially as we strive to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

Our Vision

is to be caring, inclusive and Spirit-filled in all that we do

A Glimpse Into the Past

September, 1972

A group of families joined together for worship to form a new United Methodist Church to serve the Minnetonka community.

February, 1973

MUMC was chartered with 44 families and 103 members. Worship services were held at the Minnetonka East Junior High (now Minnetonka Middle School East). The first annual operating budget was set at $29,900.

November, 1975

The doors to the original footprint of MUMC’s church building opened as 89 families and 222 members made the shift to 17611 Lake Street Ext. The budget set for construction of the was $277,567.

November, 1975

The completed church building was consecrated by Bishop Wayne Clymer during worship on February 8, 1976. The first Vacation Bible School (VBS) was conducted during the summer of 1976. Pictured above was the original Sanctuary (now, the Fellowship Hall).

April, 1984

Groundbreaking ceremony for phase 1 of a new education wing

1997

Addition of the office wing

2008

Expansion of the front entrance

Core Values

In light of Micah’s claim that what God requires of us is to Do Justice, Love Kindness, and walk humbly with our God and in service to our vision of being a caring, inclusive, and Spirit-filled community, we embrace the following substantive core values which we believe are deeply rooted in the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures as well as the Wesleyan Tradition:

We strive to walk humbly with the Spirit

  • We believe that we are called to make new disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
  • We are committed to help those disciples to draw closer and closer to Jesus and to forge a deeper and deeper understanding of the God we serve by offering opportunities for:
    • worship of the Triune God,
    • growth in the understanding of Scripture and the Christian faith,
    • growth in spiritual discipline and practice,
    • the deepening of Christian friendship through laughter, fun, humor recreation, conversation, joy, and the sharing of each other’s burdens, and
    • o delighting God and delighting in God.

We strive to be caring and to embody the love and kindness of Christ

  • We believe that we are called to be servants of our fellow human beings;
  • We are committed to offering comfort, meeting needs, responding to crises, reaching out in love by:
    • Offering opportunities to our members and participants for service to the world, and for responding to the needs of our community, our nation, our world.
    • Supporting the efforts of other groups and organizations to meet the needs of and reduce the suffering of the world.
    • Helping our members and participants to discover the specific gifts for service to church and world that God has given them
    • Providing resources to our members and participants that will allow them to be more effective and satisfied servants.

We strive to do justice and to be inclusive of all God’s children

  • We believe that the Realm of God which Jesus came to initiate is intended by God to include everyone.
  • We are committed to opposing unjust structures and practices in the world and in the church by:
    • Providing opportunities for members and participants to become involved in efforts to end injustice and oppression.
    • By offering education and resources to members and participants to become better informed around issues of justice, equality, and inclusion
    • By seeking to be responsible, just, and inclusive in how we behave toward one another as a congregation.

As we pursue our substantive core values we also embrace the following behavioral core values which we believe are consistent with our call to be disciples of Jesus Christ:

  • We value transparency, honesty, and good communication.
  • We value humor, laughter, fun, joy, and fellowship.
  • We value risk tolerance (we won’t always play it safe).
  • We value pushing the boundaries at the edges of our comfort zone especially around power and privilege.
  • We value prudent stewardship of time, talent, energy, and financial resources.
  • We value the creation of a culture of safety for all (especially children and vulnerable persons).
  • We value respect for others’ opinions, values, and hopes.
  • We value being open-minded and aware of the world.