“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
Ephesians 2:8,9
Foundational Beliefs:
Elm Creek Canadian Reformed Church believes all things contained in the Bible, God’s Word. It is at the core of our identity, as this is the only way to know God. As a Reformed Church, we hold to the “Five Solas” from the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century. We believe that the “Five Solas” capture the very essence of the Gospel, Good news of Jesus Christ. As followers of Jesus Christ, we cling to God’s promises made in baptism, endeavour to repent from our sins, and we seek our life in Jesus Christ. We commit to loving and serving God according to His Word, avoiding worldly ways, and working to overcome our sinful nature.
The Five Solas of the Reformation
Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone)
We believe the Bible is the perfect and inspired Word of God. It’s through the Bible that God reveals Himself and shows us how to live as His people. The Bible fully explains God’s will and tells us everything we need to know for salvation. As the ultimate guide for our faith and actions, Scripture is the highest authority in our churches. It directs how we live and what we believe.
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
Sola Fide (Faith Alone)
We Believe that salvation is obtained only through faith in Jesus Christ, not by human effort or works. Believers are justified (declared righteous) before God by faith alone. We believe good works naturally flow out of genuine faith, like fruit from a healthy tree. But we they do not contribute to salvation. Instead, salvation rests entirely on trusting in Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection.
“…a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.”
Sola Gratia (Grace Alone)
We believe that people are saved purely by God’s grace, not because they are somehow better than other people. Grace is undeserved gift. The bible teaches that those who disobey God deserve eternal punishment. But in God’s grace, he saves us by sending Jesus to take the punishment we deserve. Salvation is all about what God has done for us, not about what we do that makes us deserving of salvation.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
Sola Christus (Christ Alone)
We believe that Jesus Christ is the only way to be saved and have a relationship with God. Both His perfect life and His sacrifice on the cross are crucial for our salvation. Jesus lived a sinless life and though 100% innocent of all sin, died in our place to pay the penalty for our sins. We can’t rely on ourselves, or anyone or anything else for salvation—only Jesus can save us.
Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)
We believe that everything we do, whether in our lives or in our worship, should be done to honour and glorify God. God’s glory is the highest purpose and the chief end of humanity. We believe that God not only created everything for his glory, but also recreates sinners and this world for his glory. He is deserving of all our praise and honor.
“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
We subscribe to 3 Creeds of the early Church as well as 3 Confessions that are summaries of the Word of God from the time of the great Reformation in the 16th Century. These documents faithfully summarize God’s Word but possess human authority and must always be tested against the divine authority of Scripture.
Creeds:
Apostles Creed
Nicene Creed
Athanasian Creed
Confessions:
Belgic Confession
Heidelberg Catechism
Canons of Dort
Creeds and Confessions
Other Central Biblical Teachings
God’s Sovereignty
We believe that God rules over everything in creation, and nothing can stop His plans from happening. He has complete control over all things and works out His purposes perfectly, no matter what. This means we can trust that His plans are always good and will come to pass.
God’s Covenant
We believe that God makes a special promise He makes with believers and their families. It includes His promise of salvation and calls us to have faith in Him and live according to His commands. This covenant shows God’s commitment to us and our responsibility to follow Him.
God’s Church
We believe that God’s Church is gathered through the faithful preaching of His Word, the celebration of sacraments, and the practice of discipline. These elements help build up and guide the church community, making it strong and faithful in its mission to live out God’s teachings.
God’s Cultural Mandate
We believe that believers should bring every part of their lives—like family, society, and politics—under the rule of Christ. This calling involves applying God’s teachings to all areas of life, showing His influence in everything we do.
Humanity’s Fall
We believe humanity’s fall began with Adam and Eve’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden, as recorded in Genesis. This rebellion against God’s command brought sin and death into the world, corrupting human nature and separating us from God. As a result, every part of human nature—our thoughts, desires, and actions—has been affected by sin, making us incapable of seeking God or doing good on our own. All people are born sinful and deserve God’s just punishment. However, through God’s grace, salvation is offered to us through Jesus Christ, the only way we can be forgiven and made right with God.
The Sacraments
The sacraments of Baptism and Lord’s Supper are administered in the worship services. As soon as it is feasible, parents request to have their newborn child baptized in the assembly of God’s people. As for the Lord’s Supper, in our church, it is celebrated every 2 months.
Baptism
Baptism is sacred rite (or sacrament) which shows a person’s inclusion into the family of believers, the church. We baptise in obedience to the command of Jesus Christ, who told his followers in Matthew 28:19, “to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” The bible teaches that those who turn to God as adults be baptized after they repent of their sin and publicly confess their faith in Jesus Christ. This what the apostle Peter urged the unbelieving crowd. He said, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will received the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). When a person is baptized, they are sprinkled with water (or in some places immersed under water), which symbolizes that by believing in Jesus Christ they have been washed/cleansed by his blood. They are given new life by the Spirit.
We also believe that God in his grace, extends the promise of forgiveness of sins by Christ’s blood to the believers’ children. Throughout the Old and New Testament, God is a God who works with believers and their children (see Genesis 17:7). As Peter says in Acts 2:39, “For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” Since the promise of forgiveness of sins and transforming work of the Spirit is promised to our children, we also baptize the children of believers. Baptism points to these gospel promises that God also extends to them, which they are called to receive in faith.
Lord's Supper
Lord’s Supper is the only other sacred rite (or sacrament) that we celebrate. On the night before Jesus was crucified, our Lord gave to his followers a special meal. This meal consisting only of some bread and wine (pretty small meal), was given spiritual significance. Jesus “took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, ‘This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me’” (1 Corinthians 11:23-29). This is symbolic language, we do not believe that when we eat the bread or drink the wine, we are eating the body and blood of Christ. Rather, the Bible teaches that when we eat and drink, we are remembering Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. We remember that he suffered what we should have suffered for our sin, and how he took our punishment at the cross. Through Lord’ Supper, Jesus assures the believer of his self-less love and that he truly died as our substitute.
This meal is also visual representation of our unity together with Jesus. The Bible uses the picture of a body, which is made up of many parts but all united together. We believe that Lord’s Supper is picture of our unity together, as the “body of Christ” (1 Cor 10:17). It is a reminder to live in unity to one another. Because Christ loved us so much, therefore, we are also called to love one another (1 John 4:10). Since this meal shows our unity is believers in Jesus Christ, the bible teaches that only believers can participate in this sacrament.
Come! Join us in Worshipping our God
We hold 2 worship services each Sunday at 10:00AM and 2:30PM
Special Services are held on Good Friday, Christmas and Ascension Day.