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Our Mission

The mission of GCC is to love God and develop followers of Jesus Christ

(Matt 22:37-39, 28:18-20)

Our Objectives:

1) To worship and glorify God together as a fellowship of believers

2) To grow deeper in our faith and knowledge of God

3) To become, and to help others become more like Jesus

4) To embody and live out our core values

Image by Priscilla Du Preez

Our Story

We are just a group of Christians who are doing our best to follow our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Our roots begin with the immigration to southern Saskatchewan by Mennonites from Manitoba and Kansas in 1903. These intrepid pioneers, settling on homesteads around Herbert and in the town of Herbert formed the Herbert Mennonite Brethren Church in 1915. In 1944, Reverend Isaac Epp became the first full-time minister in our church.

 

Our church has since been blessed by many wonderful pastors and many years of God's great blessings on us. We have also had our difficult times as well just like many churches that are over 100 years old have had! We believe though that God is continuing to form us to be a people after His own heart and that we, as followers of Jesus, have been given a great commission: To make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything Christ has commanded us. And God has promised to be with us through it all.

Our Coe Values

Our Core Values

Biblical Authority

We believe that the Bible has been relevant throughout history and is relevant for today. We

believe it is authoritative in all matters of faith and life. To understand its meaning requires

thoughtful, careful study. We believe that the Bible is to be central in all our ministries.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

Passion for God

A relationship with God through Jesus Christ is essential to the Christian life. As believers we

are commanded to love God passionately, with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. We

believe that our love for God should influence every area of life. We seek to become passionate

followers of Jesus Christ who express our love for God through a life of worship, prayer, service

and obedience to the will of God as revealed in the Bible.

Matthew 6:33; Matthew 22:36-38

Romans 12:1-2

Discipleship

Discipleship is the process of spiritual growth and maturity that makes us more and more like

Jesus. A disciple is a follower or a learner of Christ; one who seeks to become like the one he or

she is following. We believe that ongoing spiritual growth is the norm of every believer. We

understand growth as a process that begins at the point of conversion to Christ and ends only

when we meet with Jesus face-to-face in the afterlife. Therefore, we encourage every believer

to study and apply the teachings of the Bible to their life and we seek to help people grow

through our various teaching ministries.

Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 5:12

Christian Calling

We believe that God has given spiritual gifts to every believer for the purpose of building up the

church. God intends for all believers to be involved in the ministry of the church. Every Christian

is a minister and has been given a unique ministry to serve in for the kingdom of God. We

believe that we can, and need to, help each other discover, discern, and exercise the spiritual

gifts we have been given. The whole body grows as each believer uses their spiritual gift for the

glory of God.

1 Corinthians 12; Romans 12;

Ephesians 4:11-17; 1 Peter 2:9 

Heart for the Lost

We believe that people who do not have a personal relationship with God through faith in Jesus

Christ are spiritually lost. Jesus commands us, his followers to share the good news of the

salvation that God offers through faith in Jesus Christ with others. Because we recognize the

greatness of the love that God has given us, we want to reach out to our neighbours, our

community and the world beyond and offer to them the love of God too.

Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8;

2 Corinthians 5:18-20

Loving Relationships

We believe that Jesus’ command to love one another is essential for a healthy, God-honouring

church. We believe that the “one anothers” of the Bible give us a practical picture of what that

love will look like. We believe that loving relationships require humility, truth, grace and

forgiveness.

John 13; 1 Corinthians 13;

1 John 3

Serving Others

Jesus is the ultimate example of true servant-hood. Those who wish to be great in the kingdom

of God must give themselves to serving others. We believe that we are most like Christ when

we are engaged in sacrificial acts of service to others. We demonstrate our love for Christ and

his love for us by serving one another through acts of kindness, mercy, compassion and

hospitality. We place a high value on demonstrating the love of God through acts of service to

our community.

Matthew 20:28; Ephesians 2:10;

Ephesians 6:7-8

What We Believe

1 / God

We believe in the one true God, the source of all life, who reigns over all things as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and lovingly cares for all creation. God the Father planned the redemption of humanity and sent Jesus Christ the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Jesus proclaimed the reign of God, bringing good news to the poor and triumphing over sin through his obedient life, death, and resurrection. God the Holy Spirit empowers believers with new life, indwells them, and unites them in one body.

2 / Revelation of God

We believe God has made himself known to all people. Beginning with creation and culminating in Jesus Christ, God has revealed himself in the Old and New Testaments. All Scripture is inspired by God and is the authoritative guide for faith and practice. We interpret Scripture in the church community as guided by the Holy Spirit. 

3 / Creation and Humanity

We believe God created the heavens and the earth, and they were good. Humans, God’s crowning act, were created in the image of God. Sin has alienated humanity from the Creator and creation, but God offers redemption and reconciliation through Jesus Christ. 

4 / Sin and Evil

We believe sin is individual and corporate opposition to God’s good purposes and leads to physical and spiritual death.

5 / Salvation

We believe God saves all people who put their faith in Jesus Christ. Through his obedient life, sacrificial death, and victorious resurrection, Christ delivers people from the tyranny of sin and

death and redeems them for eternal life in the age to come. All creation eagerly awaits its liberation from bondage into the freedom of the glory of God’s children.

6 / Nature of the Church

We believe the church is the covenant community called by God through Jesus Christ to live a life of discipleship and witness as empowered by the Holy Spirit. The local church gathers

regularly for worship, fellowship, and accountability and to discern, develop, and exercise gifts

for ministry.

7 / Mission of the Church

We believe the mission of the church is to make disciples of all nations by calling people to repent, be baptized, and love God and neighbor by sharing the good news and performing acts

of love and compassion.

8 / Christian Baptism

We believe baptism by water is a public sign that a person has repented of sin, received forgiveness, died with Christ, and been raised to new life through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Baptism is also a public declaration of a believer’s incorporation into the body of Christ as expressed in the local church.

9 / Lord's Supper

We believe that in obedience to Christ, the church observes the Lord’s Supper as a remembrance of his atoning death and to celebrate forgiveness, new life, and the fellowship and unity of all believers.

10 / Discipleship

We believe that in obedience to Christ, the church observes the Lord’s Supper as a remembrance of his atoning death and to celebrate forgiveness, new life, and the fellowship and unity of all believers.

11 / Marriage, Singleness, & Family

We believe that singleness and marriage are honored by God and should be blessed by the church. God instituted marriage as a lifelong covenant between a man and a woman for the purpose of companionship, encouragement, sexual, intimacy, and procreation. Children are gifts from God and should be nurtured by parents in the ways of God.

12 / Society & State

We believe that God instituted the state to promote justice and to maintain law and order. Christians’ primary allegiance is to Christ’s kingdom. Believers are called to witness against injustice, exercise social responsibility, and obey all laws that do not conflict with the Word of God.

13 / Love & Nonresistance

We believe that God in Christ reconciles people to himself and to one another, making peace through the cross. We seek to be agents of reconciliation, practice love of enemies, and express Christ’s love by alleviating suffering, reducing strife, and promoting justice. Because violence and warfare are contrary to the gospel of Christ, we believe we are called to give alternative service in times of war.

14 / Sanctity of Human Life

We believe that God is Creator and giver of life and highly values each person. Procedures designed to take human life are wrong. We oppose all attitudes that devalue human life, especially the defenceless lives of the unborn, disabled, poor, aging, and dying.

15 / Stewardship

We believe the universe and everything in it belong to God the Creator and that we have been entrusted by God to manage its resources. All God’s gifts, including money, time, abilities, and

influence, are to be received with thanksgiving, used responsibly, and shared generously.

16 / The Lord's Day, Work, & Rest 

We believe God’s act of creation provides the model for work and rest. In work, we use our abilities to glorify God and serve others. In rest, we express thanks for God’s provision and trust in God’s sustaining grace. In worship, we gather to commemorate the resurrection through worship, instruction, fellowship, and service.

17 / Christianity & Other Faiths

We believe God’s atoning work in Jesus is the only means of reconciling people with God. God has not left any without a witness to the Creator’s goodness and power. Christians treat people of other faiths with respect but urgently proclaim Christ as the only way of salvation.

18 / Christ's Final Triumph

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ will return triumphantly at the end of this age to destroy all evil powers, condemn all who have rejected Christ to eternal punishment, and unite believers with Christ to reign forever with God in glory.

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