Participating in God’s Renewal and Flourishing

Calling of the Community 

The Vision of Renewal is a reality we receive by faith. It begins in the Triune God, the Father who creates, the Son who redeems, and the Spirit who renews—and draws us into His life. Here we is how confess our collective faith

1. The Triune God

We believe that there is one living God, eternal and unchanging, who exists in Three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is the foundation of Christian belief, the mystery of the Trinity—coequal, coeternal, consubstantial. In saying this, we are not asserting three gods, but one God in three Persons, each fully God, each fully engaged in the work of salvation. We believe that Jesus Christ is God and Lord, most clearly revealed through His incarnation - taking on flesh, fully human - and through His resurrection - triumphing over sin and death, fully divine. This faith has been confessed by the Church across time and tradition, and it is articulated most clearly in the Nicene Creed. In affirming this creed, we take our place in the historic and global community of believers who proclaim the Lordship of Christ.

We believe in one God

the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and Invisible

one Lord Jesus Christ,

the only-begotten Son of God,

begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father by whom all things were made;

who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.

He suffered and was buried, and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father.

And he shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead, whose kingdom shall have no end

And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceedeth from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who spoke by the Prophets.

And we believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church

We acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins

And we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come

2. The Scriptures

We believe that the Scriptures, in its most basic articulation, is a collection of 66 books - 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament - through which we can hear and know the living God. This collection of literature - spanning history, poetry, prophecy, wisdom, and letters - reflects God’s active presence in creation and in human life. We believe these Scriptures are divinely inspired, trustworthy, and authoritative, revealing God’s character and will for all people, and culminating in the person of Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh.

3. Baptism and Faith

We believe that baptism, administered in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, accompanies a profession of faith in Jesus Christ and marks one’s belonging to the people of God. We affirm that this act of baptism, with water and in the Triune Name, together with the proclamation of faith, reflects God’s gracious work in forming His people. It accompanies faith in Jesus Christ and marks our belonging to the people of God, expressing both God’s promise and our response of trust.

4. Salvation and the People of God

We believe the Gospel - the good news of Jesus Christ, in his life, death and resurrection—has saved humanity from sin, and has ushered in a new creation and true humanity, which is the union of persons to and transformation into the likeness of Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:3-4, Ephesians 4:13). 

We believe that the people of God, in its most basic articulation, are those who have heard the Good News of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who believe that Jesus is Lord and desire to follow the way of Jesus being human (which is to experience life as Jesus does and to live in the life of the Triune God). 

We believe that being part of God’s people does not diminish our humanity; rather, it is the way to become more fully human. Human cultures and communities will express this life of following Jesus in ways that are shaped by their particular context and we celebrate that diversity. For these reasons, we acknowledge that we are living as a “new humanity” and live under its implication within the presence of and obedience to the living God.

5. Following Jesus as Lord

This calling to follow Jesus is expressed through our affirmation to “love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength,” and to “love our neighbours as ourselves” (Mark 12:30–31)

We learn this way of love as Jesus teaches us to pray and worship (in the Lord’s Prayer and the Sacraments), to live faithfully (through the promises of the Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount), and to know God (as confessed in the Nicene Creed and the Holy Scriptures). We believe that, together with all Trinitarian churches and Christians, we share in this common journey and witness to the world.

6. Holiness

This calling also involves a shared pursuit of holiness: We believe that God, the author of life, has created, called, and shown humanity the way to live (1 Peter 1:15-16) in intimate relationship with Him and to reflect His character. 

7. Worship

We believe that God, the one who holds all things together, is worthy of all worship. We believe that all of creation participates in declaring and proclaiming God’s goodness (Psalm 19:1, Romans 1). We believe that worship involves our entire lives (Romans 12:1) and that worship is only possible through the work of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 10:19-21). We believe Jesus Christ draws our worship and our service into His worship (Hebrews 13:15-16), within the life of the Triune God (Hebrews 10:22, Hebrews 12:22-24). The Triune God is worshipping, interceding and glorifying Himself (Romans 8:26, 8:34). For these reasons, we draw into the worshipping God and proclaim His glory in all things, including our day-to-day living, our praise, and our prayers.

8. Right Relationships

We believe that God, the author of life, has designed humanity to flourish in relation to one another. We believe that God has revealed the pattern and the ways in which human relationships are to be conducted. We believe that God’s redemptive plan shapes all human relationships to the correct orientation. For these reasons, we are called to imitate Christ in the way we live in relation to one another and in obedience to God’s revelation for all relationships.

9. Stewardship

This calling to live in right relationship extends also to our work and our care for creation: We believe in the goodness of God’s creation and the call for humans to be stewards of it (Genesis 1:29-31) still stands. We believe that God’s redemptive plan includes the redemption of non-human creation and God does not intend for its destruction. For these reasons, we are called to join with God in the stewardship of creation, taking our work seriously toward the flourishing of all creation.

10. Justice 

This calling draws us into God’s heart for justice: We believe that God is a God of justice and will bring all things into account. We believe that God uses human governments to restrain evil. We believe God is a God for the sake of the poor, for the oppressed, for the exploited. He is a God that frees and protects. For these reasons, we are called to join in with God for the justice of the poor, the oppressed, and the exploited (Romans 15:7).

11. Generosity and Hospitality 

This calling invites us to reflect God’s generous and hospitable nature: We believe that God’s action and posture towards creation is out of abundance, generosity and love. God creates, gives, and provides out of His loving character to meet the needs of His creation (Exodus 34:6, Acts 17:24-25, John 3:16, Matthew 6:32-33). We believe that all of creation (including our lives, our money and our possessions) are gifts from God (Psalm 24:1, Ecclesiastes 5:19, James 1:17). We believe that God desires the welcome of all peoples, in particular those viewed as strangers and enemies (Matthew 5:43-48). We believe that the worship of created things is incompatible with the worship of God (Matthew 6:19-21). For these reasons, we are called to join with the loving and generous God in our giving (2 Corinthians 9:6-12), in meeting the needs of others (1 John 3:17), and in the hospitality of strangers and enemies (Hebrews 13:2).

On Participation in God's Renewal

Curated by the Leadership Collective — For updates, questions or shared discernment, contact connect@renewalchurch.ca