NELSON UNITED CHURCH
"We dare to live the Way of Jesus,
Embodying the Love of God"
We Believe...
“God is Holy Mystery, beyond complete knowledge, above perfect description….
Nothing exists that does not find its source in God.”
~ A Song of Faith, The United Church of Canada.
Profession of Faith
To join the United Church, members are asked to profess their faith in the triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—and to commit themselves to faithful conduct in the church and in the world. Accepting the Bible as the shared standard for our faith, members are not required to adhere to any particular creed or formulation of doctrine.
The Bible
The Bible is central to The United Church of Canada. As a source of wisdom, personal prayer, and devotion, we believe that reading and studying the Bible can bring us closer to God. It remains one of our best ways of experiencing God's continuing work of creation and liberation in the world while offering us forgiveness, healing, and new life in Jesus.
At NUC, we typically use The Inclusive Bible or The Revised Standard Version. We often refer to scripture as “the Word of God.” By this, we mean that the writer was inspired by God, and that, through the reading of scripture, God speaks to us in our time and place. These old, old stories—the various books that make up the Bible—are a living word that speaks in new and fresh ways to each generation. Yet we also know that they are the stories of two ancient communities—ancient Israel and the early Christian movement—trying to be faithful to God under difficult circumstances.The stories and teachings in the Bible have a mysterious power to inform our lives. But some of what was experienced and written then doesn’t fit with today’s world. For example, there are passages in the Bible that may be read to condone slavery or condemn homosexuality. We do not accept those interpretations.
A sacrament is a symbolic action, or ritual, by which people of faith encounter the presence and goodness of God. In a sacrament, ordinary things like water, bread, and wine are used to point us to God and God’s love, reminding us of the sacred in life. In the United Church, we celebrate two sacraments: baptism, the ritual that formally recognizes we belong to the Christian community, and communion, a symbolic meal initiated by Jesus. These sacraments are of central importance to our faith.
Baptism is a symbolic action that signifies the new life God gives us as we join the church community. Baptism uses water as a symbolic cleansing that signifies the acceptance of new life within the church family. The sacrament of baptism is the single rite of initiation into the Christian community, the church. The United Church offers baptism to all ages. We believe the gift of God's love doesn't depend on our ability to understand it, so we baptize people as infants right up through adulthood. With children, instruction is given to parents or sponsors to equip them for the child's Christian nurture. During the ceremony, which usually takes place as part of a regular worship service, everyone in the congregation pledges support for the child and their parents.
Communion —The Lord’s Supper, Holy Communion, Eucharist—these different terms refer to the same sacrament shared by most Christian denominations, a symbolic meal. Communion is celebrated at a table that suggests the dining table in our homes. At the communion table, we acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the host and all are guests. The meal uses the symbols of small pieces of bread and a taste of grape juice to remind us of Jesus’ last supper with his followers and of God’s enduring love. NUC practises an open table, inviting all who seek to love Jesus to share in this family meal.
Communion is celebrated at Nelson United Church on the first Sunday of the month and on other special occasions.
Marriage — In the United Church, we see each person as a unique, loved creation of God and welcome all people to the full life of Christian community, including marriage. We believe God intends loving relationships to be faithful, responsible, just, healing, and sustaining of the couple and those around them and that such relationships require preparation and nurture.
The United Church celebrates the marriage of
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same-sex couples,
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previously divorced people,
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couples of different religions
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people who believe in Jesus Christ and want to live faithfully to his way
We are an Affirming Congregation. We affirm that gender and sexuality are gifts of God and that all persons are made in the image of God. We welcome people of all sexual orientations and gender identities into full membership and ministry. The United Church is opposed to discrimination against any person on any basis by which a person is devalued.
Giving, Generosity, and Gratitude
NUC is supported by the generosity of its members and friends. Giving to our congregation supports local mission and ministry, the care of our building, and so on. By giving in addition to the Mission and Service of the United Church, we participate in the church’s local, national, and international work:
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supporting the worldwide church, especially in places where people are suffering
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providing United Church resources, events, and services
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training new ministers
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furthering the work of change by reminding governments to support peace, justice, and care of creation
Social Justice
We believe that we strengthen one another to work, through God's grace, for a better world. To this end, we cooperate with other churches, faith traditions, and people of goodwill to eliminate poverty and injustice, identify its root causes, and protect those who are most vulnerable.
For more about what The United Church of Canada believes, check out their website: