Augustine United Church puts hands and feet to its beliefs. It stands firmly within the Christian tradition, with its Presbyterian roots, while exploring cutting-edge theologies that have inspired a long-standing activist history and contribution to the well-being of the wider community.
As a United Church congregation, we recite A New Creed every Sunday, and our New Members Group studies A Song of Faith as we discern our own personal beliefs.
We believe in God, Creator of the wondrous diversity of this world. This belief challenges us to live with respect in Creation for the environment and all of its creatures. We affirm God’s creation of diverse human identities, including race, gender and sexual orientation. In our worship, we use inclusive language for humanity and for God, because we believe that God is both Mother and Father, and beyond gender. We also believe that we only know truth in part. God alone has the full picture of life and love. As Christians, we receive God’s revelation through Jesus. At the same time, we acknowledge that truth and love are found in other world religions and we work respectfully with interfaith partners to offer joint prayer services and justice initiatives.
We acknowledge the centrality of Jesus the Christ, crucified and risen, liberator of the oppressed. Jesus’ attention to the marginalized of his society challenges us to be attentive to those living on the margins of our world. For decades, we have offered hospitality and meals to those in need. We have sponsored refugee families and helped to build Fort Rouge Ecumenical Apartments, which offers subsidized, accessible housing for seniors. We support Oak Table, a ministry of hospitality for those who may be hungry, homeless and in need of advocacy and support. We are committed to social justice work in the community and the world through our own events and activities, the work of our individual members, and our partners.
We are grateful for the gift of the Holy Spirit, who moves us to compassion and care, comfort and strength, guidance and accountability. In response, we offer ministries of pastoral care and community support to our members and adherents. We also offer ongoing study groups and leadership development.
Our beliefs are reflected in our Mission Statement, our Vision Statement, and our Community Values, which can be found under Mission and Values.
