Our Beliefs

IN MISSION FOR OTHERS

Overall....

We believe that God calls us, through Word and Sacrament, to be disciples and to make disciples.

Our discipleship is defined by the life, death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.

Our mission is to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with people in Canada and around the world through the proclamation of the Word, the celebration of the Sacraments, and through service in Christ’s name.

With some detail....

We believe, teach and confess . . .

That God is revealed in the incarnation, the scandal of the cross, and in the wonder of the resurrection of Jesus Christ—not in human power and glory.
That people find their true worth, meaning and purpose in life through the free gift of God’s grace in Christ alone—not through their own accomplishments and efforts.
That the crucified Christ calls us into a life of discipleship in which we are to be persons for others.
That in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we face the future with a hope and confidence that is based on Christ alone.
That everything we have is a gift from God entrusted to our nurture and care, and that the Christian life is a life of stewardship.
That the Holy Spirit calls and gathers the whole church into the mission of God, which takes seriously both the reality of the world, and the reality of Christ, with equal care.

Additionally....

We understand that the present reality of the world involves significant changes in our society, economy and culture. Technological innovations, globalization, economic and political uncertainties, and shifting morals and values have increased the sense of insecurity for many people. We further understand that the needs of the world and our opportunities for mission are found on our doorsteps and not simply at a distance.
We believe that the reality of Christ is that God promises to be with us unconditionally in the midst of the changes in our world. The church is called to name those things that cause us to be less than human. The church is called to proclaim the truth of the Gospel to others and to live according to it as a community. The church is called to stand in solidarity with, and to welcome into its midst, all those who are marginalized because of sin and who experience injustice. The cross of Christ stands opposed to any ideology that treats people as commodities or proclaims that people can earn salvation by hard work or positive thinking.

Confession of Faith Specifics

From Evangelical Church in Canada Constitution

1. This church confesses the triune God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—as the one true God. It proclaims the Father as Creator and Preserver; his Son, Jesus Christ, as Redeemer and Lord; and the Holy Spirit as Regenerator and Sanctifier. Section

2. This church confesses that the gospel is the revelation of God’s saving will and grace in Jesus Christ, which he imparts through Word and Sacrament. Through these means of grace the Holy Spirit creates believers and unites them with their Lord and with one another in the fellowship of the Holy Christian Church. Section

3. This church confesses the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the inspired Word of God, through which God still speaks, and as the only source of the church’s doctrine and the authoritative standard for the faith and life of the church. Section

4. This church subscribes to the documents of the Book of Concord of 1580 as witnesses to the way in which the Holy Scriptures have been correctly understood, explained and confessed for the sake of the gospel, namely:

a. The Apostles’, the Nicene and the Athanasian Creeds as the chief confessions of the Christian faith;

b. The unaltered Augsburg Confession as its basic formulation of Christian doctrine;

c. Luther’s Small Catechism as a clear summary of Christian doctrine; and

d. The Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Luther’s Large Catechism, the Smalcald Articles with the Treatise and the Formula of Concord as further witnesses to the unaltered Augsburg Confession.

Nature of the Church

From Evangelical Church in Canada Constitution

1. Jesus Christ is Lord of the Church. All power belongs to him as its head. All actions of this church are to be carried out under his rule and authority.

2. The Holy Spirit calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies this church, which exists as congregations and synodically recognized ministries gathered for worship, witness, education and service, and as an inclusive fellowship which has its own identity and integrity. Congregations and synodically recognized ministries find their fulfilment in the universal community of this church, and the universal Church exists in and through congregations and synodically recognized ministries.

3. This church derives its character and its powers from its congregations, synodically recognized ministries and from its inherent nature as part of the universal Church. It regards itself as standing in the historic continuity of the communion of saints and as being an expression of that Christian fellowship in today’s world.

Lutheran Confessions: Major Themes

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