Core Beliefs

Our Values

West End Christian Reformed Church belongs to the Christian Reformed Church in North America, a denomination with about 300,000 members in 1000 congregations across the United States and Canada.

  • We call ourselves CHRISTIAN because we follow the teachings of Jesus. We believe that Jesus Christ, as our Saviour and Lord, brings us into a wholesome relationship with God and we try to obey him in all of life.
  • We call ourselves REFORMED because our roots are found in the Protestant Reformation and this shapes our teaching and lifestyle from generation to generation.
  • We call ourselves CHURCH because God’s Spirit gathers us together and enables us to serve God and commit ourselves to each other for support and service in our community and beyond.

Our first commitment is to the Bible, both the Old and the New Testament, which we interpret in the light of the creeds and confessions listed next. Along with our Vision, Mission, and the Apostles’ Creed, we have adopted five other statements of faith: the Nicene Creed, the Athanasian Creed, the Heidelberg Catechism, the Belgic Confession, and the Canons of Dort. You can find these statements of faith in the back section of the grey hymnal in the pew rack; you can also find them on-line at the website of the Christian Reformed Church in North America.

In addition, we have adopted as a Contemporary Testimony the statement Our World belongs to God, posted in full on our denominational website.

Christian Reformed Church Symbol

Our emblem is a cross in a triangle. The triangle represents the Trinity, our belief in the one God we know in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The cross symbolizes our belief in Jesus Christ’s sacrificial death for our salvation.

Vision Statement

As vital members of God’s growing family, we celebrate, nurture and share life in His kingdom of grace

The Christian Reformed Church is a diverse family of healthy congregations, assemblies, and ministries expressing the good news of God’s kingdom that transforms lives and communities worldwide. As a fellowship within the Reformed tradition, West End Christian Reformed Church desires to be a faith community in which:

  • Jesus Christ is confessed as Lord and our new life in Christ is celebrated.
  • God’s word is proclaimed, the sacraments are celebrated, and mutual care is exercised.
  • Sins are confessed, prayers are offered, and gifts are presented with gratitude.
  • Public worship is a praise-filled celebration of God’s grace.
  • All members are empowered to present the Good News of salvation and the love of Christ to each other, to the community, and to the world.
  • All members engage in ministries of love, justice, and mercy.

Our Mission

As people called by God, We gather to praise God, listen to him, and respond. We nurture each other in faith and obedience to Christ. We love and care for one another as God’s people. We commit ourselves to serve and to tell others about Jesus. We pursue God’s justice and peace in every area of life.

APOSTLE’S CREED

We recognize as fellow-Christians all people who accept the teachings of the bible as summarized in the Apostles’ Creed. This creed is called the Apostles’ Creed not because it was produced by the apostles themselves but because it contains a brief summary of their teachings. I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic* church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. *that is, the true Christian church of all times and all places