What we believe
As part of the United Church of Canada, Highlands United Church embraces its mission as a call to live out the inclusive, world-changing love of God for all persons — regardless of where they are from, what faith they are connected to, their abilities, how they identify, or who they love.
Our belief
With the Church through the ages,
we speak of God as one and triune:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
We also speak of God as
Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer;
God, Christ, and Spirit;
Mother, Friend, and Comforter;
Source of Life, Living Word, and Bond of Love —
and in other ways that speak faithfully of
the One on whom our hearts rely,
the fully shared life at the heart of the universe.
Worship
We offer worship
as an outpouring of gratitude and awe
and a practice of opening ourselves
to God’s still, small voice of comfort,
to God’s rushing whirlwind of challenge.
Through word, music, art, and sacrament,
in community and in solitude,
God changes our lives, our relationships, and our world.
We sing with trust.
Curious what that looks like on a Sunday morning? Join us for worship — in the pews or online.
Sacraments
Two sacraments mark the life of this community — both open, both rooted in grace.
Baptism by water in the name of the Holy Trinity
is the means by which we are received, at any age,
into the inclusive, loving community of the church.
It is the ritual that signifies our rebirth in faith
and cleansing by the power of God.
Baptism signifies the nurturing, sustaining,
and transforming power of God’s love
and our grateful response to that grace.
Adapted from A Song of Faith: A Statement of Faith of The United Church of Canada
Celebrated in October, January, at Easter, and in May or June
Carrying a vision of creation healed and restored,
we welcome all in the name of Christ.
Invited to the table where none shall go hungry,
we gather as Christ’s guests and friends where all are welcome.
In holy communion we are commissioned to feed as we have been fed,
forgive as we have been forgiven, love as we have been loved.
The open table speaks of the shining promise
of barriers broken and creation healed.
In the communion meal, wine poured out and bread broken,
we remember Jesus.
We remember not only the promise but also the price that Jesus paid
for who Jesus was, for what Jesus did and said, and for the world’s brokenness.
We taste the mystery of God’s great love for us, and are renewed in faith and hope.
Adapted from A Song of Faith: A Statement of Faith of The United Church of Canada
Becoming an Affirming church
One important part of our future is becoming an Affirming Ministry within the United Church of Canada. In simple terms, that means we are intentionally working to be a place where everyone is fully welcomed, included, and celebrated.
We’re learning and growing as a community so that people of all…
…can feel safe, respected, and able to be fully themselves here. Our Affirm Team is helping guide this work, and it’s something we’re committed to continuing over time.
Whoever you are, you belong here.
Our denomination
Highlands is part of the United Church of Canada, a uniquely Canadian denomination formed in 1925. It brought together Methodist, Congregational, and many Presbyterian churches with a shared vision of unity and service.
Today, the United Church is known for:
Learn more at united-church.ca.
