Statement of Faith and Action |
We believe that all people are created in the image of God and are unconditionally loved by God. We are committed to embrace people of all ages, races, genders, sexual orientation, differing abilities, ethnic origins, and economic circumstances. We affirm that all who seek to live faithfully, that is confessing Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour, are full participants in the life, membership, sacraments and leadership of this congregation. Our desire is to build community in the midst of differences and strive to honour God’s greatest commandment, to love one another as Christ loves us.
We are a discerning community. We like to explore ideas, reflect on issues, ponder, question, consider, pursue, evaluate, and wonder. The congregation is known as an innovative group. It became, for example, the first CRC church to ordain a female pastor. In 2002 we adopted an open statement of inclusive identity. Someone once said: “Around here we never answer questions; we just ask if that was the best way to ask the question. We are a congregation that values rest. We are relaxed. We come together to unwind, be ourselves, laugh, and be at ease with each other. We are not a judgmental community. We take our cue from Jesus, who said, “Come to me, everyone who feels weary and burdened down, and I will give you rest.” We are a group of people who long for connection with each other and our world. Urban life is often busy and can be isolating. We love to connect with our immediate neighborhood here at Taunton Road, but also with all the various communities in the GTA where we live and work. We also treasure our connection to our denomination, to the worldwide church, and to people of faith in spiritual traditions other than our Protestant Reformation (1500’s) background. Coffee hour after our church services is one of our favorite times together. We also have some great groups that meet in people’s homes for Bible study, discussion and prayer. |