What's in a name? In our case, quite a lot! Our church's full name is Living Word Canadian Reformed Church
"For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." Hebrews 4:12 ESV
Living Word describes the role of the Bible as a living part of our lives and references our saviour Jesus Christ. John 1 beautifully describes Christ as the Word:
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men."
A little later we read:
"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth."
We are Canadian, meaning that we have been given the opportunity and the responsibility to preach the Gospel in our great country. We serve in this beautiful land with the mission to act as a welcoming light and preserving salt.
Reformed refers back to the Great Reformation of the sixteenth century when the Church returned to the Bible as the rule for all of life.
God's Church is the assembly of believers and their children. It is preserved and supported by God the Father through God the Son, Jesus Christ, who gathers and guides the Church by his Spirit and Word.
The true Church is known by
- The pure preaching of the gospel
- The pure administration of the sacraments of baptism and Lord's Supper
- The faithful application of church discipline.