About First Houston

A year before falling in defense of the Alamo, Colonel William Barrett Travis wrote to the General Conference of the Methodist Church requesting Methodist pastors for the new Texas Republic. The Methodist Church responded by assigning three missionaries to this new area, and one of them established our church in 1839. Since then, we have planted many churches and ministries in Texas, in an effort to live out Jesus’ prayer for things to be, “...on earth as it is in heaven.” Today, we live out our calling in the city of Houston through our missions, ministries, community, worship, prayer, and study of Scripture. 

Plan Your Visit

If you are planning to visit our downtown campus, we have available parking during the weekday in a specific lot and on Sunday we have additional parking lots available for you and your family!

Church Address:

1320 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002


Weekday Free Parking Spaces:

Travis Lot: 1306 Travis Street, Houston, TX

Our parking during the weekday are marked in yellow RESERVED on the ground parking space. 


Sunday Free Parking:

Travis Street Lot: 1306 Travis Street, Houston, TX

Clay Street Lot: 910 Clay Street, Houston, TX

Our Beliefs

The United Methodist Church represents a global family of approximately 1 million members across more than 39,460 congregations. We strive to open hearts, minds, and doors by actively engaging with our world and community. United Methodists share a rich Christian heritage and, as outlined in our foundational beliefs within The Book of Discipline, we affirm the core faith values held by the universal Christian church.

  • The Trinity

    We describe God in three persons. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are commonly used to refer to the threefold nature of God. Sometimes we use other terms, such as Creator, Redeemer, and sustainer. We believe that God is sovereign; that is, God is the ruler or the universe. We believe that God is love, and we can experience God’s love and grace.


  • The Father

    We believe in one God, who created the world and all that is in it. We believe that the Father is still creating and all that He creates is good.


  • Jesus

    We believe that Jesus was human. He lived as a man and died when he was crucified. We believe that Jesus is divine. He is the Son of God. We believe that God raised Jesus from the dead and that the risen Christ lives today. (Christ and Messiah mean the same thing-God’s anointed.) We believe that Jesus is our Savior. In Christ we receive abundant life and forgiveness of sins. We believe that Jesus is our Lord and that we are called to pattern our lives after his.


  • Holy Spirit

    We believe that the Holy Spirit is God with us. We believe that the Holy Spirit comforts us when we are in need and convicts us when we stray from God. We believe that the Holy Spirit awakens us to God’s will and empowers us to live obediently.


  • Humans

    We believe that God created human beings in God’s image. We believe that humans can choose to accept or reject a relationship with God. We believe that all humans need to be in a relationship with God in order to be fully human.


  • The Church

    We believe that the church is the body of Christ, an extension of Christ’s life and ministry in the world today. We believe that the mission of the church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ. We believe that the church is “the communion of saints,” a community made up of all past, present, and future disciples of Christ. We believe that the church is called to worship God and to support those who participate in its life as they grow in faith.


  • The Bible

    We believe that the Bible is God’s Word. We believe that the Bible is the primary authority for our faith and practice. We believe that Christians need to know and study the Old Testament and the New Testament (the Hebrew Scriptures and the Christian Scriptures).


  • God's Reign

    We believe that the kingdom or reign of God is both a present reality and a future hope. We believe that wherever God’s will is done, the kingdom or reign of God is present. It was present in Jesus’ ministry, and it is also present in our world whenever persons and communities experience reconciliation, restoration,and healing. We believe that although the fulfillment of God’s kingdom, the complete restoration of creation is still to come. We believe that the church is called to be both a witness to the vision of what God’s kingdom will be like and a participant in helping to bring it to completion. We believe that the reign of God is both personal and social. Personally, we display the kingdom of God as our hearts and minds are transformed, and we become more Christ-like. Socially, God’s vision for the kingdom includes the restoration and transformation of the world.


  • Sacraments

    With many other Protestants, we recognize the two sacraments in which Christ himself participated: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper


  • Baptism

    Through baptism, we are joined with the church and with Christians everywhere. Baptism is a symbol of new life and a sign of God’s love and forgiveness of our sins. Persons of any age can be baptized. We baptize by sprinkling, immersion, or pouring. A person receives the sacrament of baptism only once in his or her life.


  • The Lord's Supper

    The Lord’s Supper is a holy meal of bread and wine that symbolizes the body and blood of Christ.The Lord’s Supper recalls the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and celebrates the unity of all the members of God’s family. By sharing this meal, we give thanks for Christ’s sacrifice and are nourished and empowered to go into the world in mission and in ministry. We practice open Communion, welcoming all who love Christ, repent of their sin, and seek to live in peace with one another. We believe that through Communion, we can experience God’s grace.


Our Mission Statement

First Houston United Methodist Church exists to transform lives and communities by putting God’s love into action. 

We live out this mission through five spiritual practices that shape our faith and guide our ministry:

Gather

Worshiping together as

one body.

Get Connected

Building meaningful relationships in Christ.

Grow

Deeping our faith through out study & discipleship.

Go

Serving and sharing God’s love in our community &

the world

Give

Offering our time, talents, & resources to God’s mission.

Worship Services

Through every service, First Houston seeks to glorify God, grow in faith, and embody the love of Jesus Christ as one church family.

Traditional Worship Service

Worship is held every Sunday at 11 AM. Our worship service blends the richness of tradition with contemporary elements. The highlight of every service is a Christ-centered message that speaks to everyday life, and our world renowned choir leads us in powerful music. Our congregation is a diverse community of all ages, from all walks of life, who come together every week to worship and praise God.

Altar Umoja - African Worship Service

Our Altar Umoja service celebrates the diversity of God’s people through African flavors and expressions of praise, including worship in Swahili and French. Altar Umoja gathers at 11:30 AM for swallowship (fellowship with food) and worship begins at 12 PM  on the second floor of the church. On the first Sunday of each month, we worship and take Communion together in one service at 11AM. Translation devices are available upon request.

Wednesday Prayer Service

Our Wednesday Prayer Service is dedicated to spiritual renewal, a half-hour service, in a quiet space for prayer and communion. Living, Working, or visiting, You are welcome to join us in this intimate time of worship. 


A sacred respite in the middle of the work week, join us during your lunch break for our half-hour prayer service. Located in our chapel, join us for prayer, communion, and a devotional on Wednesdays at 12pm. Communion is available for everyone.