Welcome to Burlington East Presbyterian Church!

We believe this current moment – who you are and where you are at right now – is exactly the moment in which God wants to meet you. We welcome you to journey with us in faith, hope, singing, study, questions, life passages, and all of the adventures God gives. We are an inclusive community that lives to know Christ and make Christ known—we believe we can do that by living every day for Jesus and following his example to show God’s love in our relationships with God, with each other, in the world and with ourselves.

We aren’t perfect – but we are here together to journey knowing God loves us, God’s grace given to us in Jesus Christ is more powerful and deep than we could ever imagine and there is new life for us in Jesus Christ. We have a lot of hope and joy in that, and it gives us courage to live through good and tough and beautifully ordinary times. We come as we are, open to God’s Spirit, and wiling to let God shape us as a community.

You are welcome just as you are.

What we Believe

THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN CANADA

The Presbyterian Church in Canada (PCC) historically hails from our Scottish founders who came across the Atlantic in the 1600s. While the roots of our church are Scottish, the PCC today has about 1,000 congregations with members from many national and racial backgrounds. Within our denomination there are many different languages and styles of worship. There are congregations that worship in English, French, Chinese, Taiwanese, Hungarian, Spanish and Portuguese, and over 20 distinct Korean congregations. We welcome people of all backgrounds and walks of life.

GOD  

We believe God is always present, always caring, always guiding, always loving. God calls us to work for justice in the world and, most importantly, calls us to new life in and through the life of Jesus Christ. We believe Jesus died and rose again for us, and that his victory over death and sin allows us to experience grace, powerful love and eternal life when we accept Jesus as our Saviour. Day to day, God’s presence in the world is known through the way that the Holy Spirit guides us, comforts us, and leads us as individuals and as a community as we act for God’s love in the world.

The doctrine of the Trinity teaches belief in one God who exists as three “persons” within the word “person”. It arises from all that the Bible tells us about God as the Creator, the Redeemer, and the Sustainer. New Testament writers portray Jesus through his words and actions as divine and the Son of God. (John 1:1-3,14; Colossians 2:9, and Hebrews 1:1-3.)

THE BIBLE

At BEPC, we read the Bible each Sunday and learn together so that we can know Christ better and live more fully in God’s love in our actions and words.

We believe the Old Testament records God’s interaction with the people of Israel. The New Testament tells us of Jesus and the growth of the early church.

We believe the Bible has been given to us by the inspiration of God to use as a guide for our choices and our lives. That being said, we also know the Bible was written by authors using the language and understanding of their times, so it is important to look for the guidance of the Holy Spirit when interpreting God’s message for us, and pay attention to the historical and cultural contexts in which the Scriptures were written.  (Reference: 2 Timothy 3:16).

The writing of the Bible was conditioned by the language, thought, and setting of its time. We interpret Scripture as we compare passages, seeing the two Testaments in light of each other, and listening to commentators past and present. Relying on the Holy Spirit, we seek the application of God’s word for our lives.

Central to the Bible is the revelation of God in Jesus Christ.

WORSHIP

We worship every Sunday morning at 10:30. You’ll be greeted at the door. Feel free to ask if we can help you find anything or answer questions. Our worship style is ‘relaxed traditional’ and our media team makes sure the service is easy to follow. We sing, pray, listen to God’s word, and reflect on it together. Several times through the year our services are different—we celebrate communion, have drama, string T shirts across the sanctuary for Camp Sunday, or have guest speakers. Our services usually last about an hour with nursery and Sunday School provided. An informal time of fellowship follows the service—a great time to get to know people, ask questions and enjoy refreshments.

The Presbyterian Church in Canada has two sacraments.   

BAPTISM 

Baptism is a sign and seal of our union with Christ and with his church. Through it we share in the death and resurrection of Christ and are commissioned to his service.

In Baptism, water is administered in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. The water signifies the washing away of sin, the start of new life in Christ, and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Baptism is also an act of discipleship that requires commitment and looks towards growth in Christ. Those baptized in infancy are supported by parents, guardians and the church community as they learn more about God and God’s calling on their lives. They are called in later years to make personal profession of Christ when they are ready to do so. If you are being baptized as an adult, you are making a public profession of your faith as you are baptized.

Baptism assures us that we belong to God. In life and in death, our greatest comfort is that we belong to our faithful Saviour Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:19-20, 1 Peter 3:21, Luke 3:16).

Baptism is open to professing members of the church and their children/wards.

COMMUNION 

At BEPC, everyone is welcome at the communion table where we break bread and drink juice the way Jesus told us to remember him. We believe it is first and foremost the Lord’s table, not our own. Children, in consultation with their parents, are also welcome to join the church family as we participate in communion.

The bread and juice we use represent the new covenant, or promise, that God made with us because of what Christ did in his death and resurrection. The Lord’s Supper (Communion) is a joyful mystery where we proclaim, in community, that life, hope, love and promise in Jesus Christ are real and last forever.

Communion is usually celebrated four times a year or as requested in hospital visits.

REACHING & SERVING 

We believe the Christian church exists for others. We believe that our faith lives through our actions of service (James 2:14-26). In Presbyterian churches, we find evidence of activities that build community and reach out to serve others.

We believe that Jesus came into the world to demonstrate God’s love for the world and its people. We recognize Jesus’ challenge to follow him (Luke 9:23) and his final commission to us (Matthew 28:19). In our church, people of all ages learn to heal and care for each other. We are active in mission and worship beyond our own walls. As Christians, we work in the world and try to make it more like God’s kingdom.

We believe God interacts with all aspects of our lives. One of the clearest messages for us in our daily living is found in Micah 6:8: “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” To live this out we open our doors and work in our community to help God’s dream in the world be reality and to help others know Christ. Some of BEPC’s mission projects include support for vulnerable adults, seniors social events, a youth group, hosting a Christmas dinner for those lonely or in need, knitting hats and mittens, and a free Summer Adventure Camp for children in our community.

Membership: 

Membership in the Presbyterian Church in Canada is gained by confessing faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour and entering into promises with the church community to continue to learn and grow in faith as we reach out in God’s love together. Please talk to the minister if you have any questions about joining BEPC.