Mission

Hebrews 11:1
“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”

God has been kind to the Rhenish Church and has seen us through our journey. The church originated from the Rhine region of Germany and took root in Mainland China. As time went by, the church started appearing in Hong Kong and carried over to Toronto, Canada with the Good News.  Since 2008, the church has served its community by providing a place of worship and fellowship. With families in mind, the Rhenish Church of Canada purchased two acres of land at its current location in the Cornell community – Markham during December 2014.

As our mission is to be a blessing to others, our journey carries great responsibilities; to serve the community and preach the word of faith to all. The Rhenish journey is to enable a safe space for individuals and their families to find a sense of belonging and love. While helping each other to grow through shared experiences and struggles, we are aiming to achieve a community based on faith, joy and peace in God.

Nature of Mission

The mission of the Rhenish Church is to be a blessing to others.  As a part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada where worshiping, learning, witnessing and serving the community according to the gospel of God, enables the fulfillment of the mission and ministry of the church. Our mission can be fulfilled through:

Worship
Remembering God’s mighty acts in the past and promise in the future, this congregation:

  • Celebrate God by preaching His word.
  • Listening to his commands through the Bible.
  • Receive the Holy Sacraments, and respond with confession.
  • Pray, praise, give thanks and offer ourselves through tithing.

On a regular basis, our congregation gathers for worship to learn the way of God through the Bible. In accordance with the traditions of the Lutheran Church, functions that will enable this congregation to keep God at the center of its ministry include:

  • Recruiting, equipping and supporting members for leadership roles in worship
  • Using appropriate worship materials
  • Making certain that worship has a place in other functions of the congregation. 

Because our church is guided by the Bible, these functions will enable the church body to live an exemplary life for other members in the community.

Learning  

The congregation intends to develop an educational program designed to assist individuals and families to grow in grace, faith and increased knowledge of the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions for service and witness in the world. To achieve this aim, we intend to provide:

  • Learning opportunities with appropriate curriculum
  • Recruit, equip, approve and support teachers
  • Adequate study for all functions of this church. 

Witnessing

This congregation will:

  • Relying on the Holy Spirit, proclaim the Gospel by word and deed and thereby invite all people to repent and believe.
  • Recruit, motivate, equip and support its members to witness their faith at every opportunity in their daily life so that the Lord is glorified, the fellowship is strengthened, the lapsed are restored and new members are added to the congregation. 
  • Provide for the communication of the Gospel through fellowship in the wider Christian community.
  • Assure that all congregational functions witness to the faith of the church. 

Service

This congregation will live by faith active in love. It shall:

  • Motivate, equip and support its members to minister in daily life.
  • Participate as members of a caring community.
  • Serve as Christians in all the institutions and structures of the society of which they are a part.

Individually and corporately promote justice and reconciliation, meet human needs and alleviate suffering. In these efforts, the congregation will cooperate with the synod and the divisions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, The Chinese Rhenish Church Hong Kong Synod, other Christian churches and other groups in society. The church is determined to strengthen and motivate its functions and ability for service. 

Support

This congregation in faithfulness to God is driven to:

  • Provide leadership, organizational structures, facilities and funds to enable fulfillment of its functions.
  • Maintain effective stewardship practices.
  • Evaluate regularly the total life and ministry of the congregation.
  • Recruit, equip and support members of the congregation to provide for these activities.