We at Emmanuel believe that love and respect should govern the way we interact with one another. No matter where you come from, who you are, or how you identify yourself, there is a place for you here at Emmanuel.
We are currently in conversation about our future, our vision, and our core identity statements, working to define who we want to be as a church.
Our first step has been to create and formally adopt (April 19, 2023) the following statement around inclusion…
The Emmanuel Baptist Church Statement of Inclusivity
Emmanuel Baptist Church believes that love and respect should govern the way we interact with one another. Though we may have diverse perspectives on faith, theology, and biblical interpretation, we are drawn together by a love for Jesus, care for one another, a passion for our community, and a desire to invite others to share in this with us. No matter who a person is, where a person comes from, or how a person identifies themselves, there is a place for them within the community life of Emmanuel. We welcome into membership and leadership all who have made a commitment to follow Jesus, without regard to their race, ethnic background, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, income, education, ability, and other factors that give rise to division and marginalization.
At present our denominational affiliation is with the Canadian Baptists of Western Canada. Though our denomination (CBWC) sets policy over ordination and ministerial protocols, one distinctive of being Baptist is the recognition of the autonomy of each local church within a denomination.
As a result, at Emmanuel we are working to address and set right ways in which we are complicit in exclusionary practices, whether that be through our own church policies or through our affiliation with the CBWC denomination.
Our weekly community gathering is on Sunday at 10:30 am. Music, prayer, stories, Bible texts, teaching, art, and interactive community moments are all regular components of the liturgy. Drop us a note if you have any questions we can help you with or come visit in person. You can drop a note to either a staff person or Board member by clicking here.
OUR VISION
God-dependent, Jesus-Rooted, Spirit-Led
OUR MISSION
To fully love God and all people, for God’s Kingdom, pleasure, and glory.
OUR VALUES
We value Scripture
We are committed to living under the authority of Scripture, allowing it to form our imagination, inform our identity, transform our living, and to communicating its truth and relevance in our current context.
We value Prayer
We are committed to cultivating a life of prayer through which we pay attention to the Holy Spirit, pursue Christ’s kingdom, and submit to His lordship.
We value Generosity
We are committed to being a generous community, giving freely and cheerfully of our attention, abilities, resources, time, and spiritual gifts.
We value Diversity
We are committed to honouring the uniqueness of one another in mutual respect, love and hope for human wholeness.
We value Creativity
We are committed to affirming the role of the imagination and the arts in our community, and to exploring and expressing the life of the Holy Spirit in new and fresh ways.
We value Community
We are committed to being a community where all are welcomed, known and loved.
We value Outreach
We are committed to engaging the community beyond ourselves through actions and words that communicate the love of God as revealed in Jesus Christ.
We value Justice
We are committed to extending Christ’s reign by paying attention to issues of injustice, advocating for the poor and powerless and working toward healing and reconciliation in our community and the world.
We value Love
We are committed to loving others, seeking their well-being with compassion and mercy.