GC41 A Church with Purpose: Towards an Ecclesiology for The United Church of Canada in the 21st Century

“We sing of a church
seeking to continue the story of Jesus
by embodying Christ’s presence in the world.

We are called together by Christ
as a community of broken but hopeful believers, loving what he loved,
living what he taught,
striving to be faithful servants of God
in our time and place.

Our ancestors in faith
bequeath to us experiences of their faithful living; upon their lives our lives are built.

Our living of the gospel makes us a part of this communion of saints, experiencing the fulfillment of God’s reign
even as we actively anticipate a new heaven and a new earth.

The church has not always lived up to its vision. It requires the Spirit to reorient it,

helping it to live an emerging faith while honouring tradition,

challenging it to live by grace rather than entitlement, for we are called to be a blessing to the earth.

We sing of God’s good news lived out, a church with purpose:

faith nurtured and hearts comforted,
gifts shared for the good of all,
resistance to the forces that exploit and marginalize, fierce love in the face of violence,
human dignity defended,
members of a community held and inspired by God,

corrected and comforted,
instrument of the loving Spirit of Christ, creation’s mending.

We sing of God’s mission.” A Song of Faith 2006