Suggestions for writing your statement of faithTell a story about you: Be specific. Take your faith out of the ether and ground it in the events of your life. Consider moments when your faith was formed or tested or changed. Think of your own experience, school, and family, and tell of the things you know about the faith journey that no one else does. Your story need not be heart-warming or gut-wrenching—it can even be funny—but it should be real. Make sure your story ties to the essence of your daily life approach and the shaping of your beliefs.
Be creative: Your statement doesn't need to be an essay or prose. It could be a poem, a drawing or photograph. Use whatever form captures best how you connect with and understand God. If you are writing an essay, use words and phrases that echo the way you usually speak. Be positive: Please avoid preaching or editorializing. Tell us what you do believe, not what you don’t believe. Avoid speaking in the editorial “we.” Make your essay about you; speak in the first person. |
This I Believe is an international organization engaging people in writing and sharing essays describing the core values that guide their daily lives. Over 125,000 of these essays, written by people from all walks of life, have been archived on their website, heard on public radio, chronicled through books, and featured in weekly podcasts. The project is based on the popular 1950s radio series of the same name hosted by Edward R. Murrow. Their website has some excellent examples you can use for inspiration.
|
|
|
Statement of Faith
Questions to Consider
(Use these as prompts to stimulate your thinking as you prepare your Statement of Faith.)
What do you believe about God?
Questions to Consider
(Use these as prompts to stimulate your thinking as you prepare your Statement of Faith.)
What do you believe about God?
- Is God omnipotent (all powerful)?
- Is God omniscient (all knowing)?
- Is God immanent (right here among us) or transcendent (above everything)?
- What does it mean that he was the Son of God?
- What does it mean that he was a savior?
- Was he a human being, God, or both?
- Does the Holy Spirit influence what happens in the world?
- What is God doing in the world right now?
- How do you know when you feel God’s presence?
- Why do we pray?
- What difference does it make when we pray?
- How often should we pray?
- Is everything in the Bible true?
- How do we know that the Bible is from God?
- Is the Bible the only book that can teach us about God?
- Why do we worship?
- What difference does it make when we worship?
- Why do we have the sacraments (communion and baptism)?
- Why should people join a church?
- Why this church?
- Why the United Church of Christ?
- How do we learn to be good people?
- Why does it matter whether or not we are good people?
- Do we have to help others to be good?
- Do you have to be Christian? Does it help?