Who We Are & Our Beliefs
Home Harbour is a ministry of Cowan Heights United Church and part of The United Church of Canada. We are rooted in the Reformed & Methodist Christian traditions, and as such, we are rooted in our belief in God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. We are grounded in the stories of the Bible that remind us what it means to follow in God’s way of love, justice, forgiveness, and compassion.
Sacraments
A sacrament is a visible reminder of God’s grace and goodness, which can sometimes be difficult to see. In the sacraments, ordinary things like water, bread, and wine point us to God and God’s love.
In the United Church, we celebrate two sacraments: Baptism, the sacrament that formally recognizes we belong to the Christian community; and Communion, a meal instituted by Jesus that reminds us of God’s presence in our lives.
At Home Harbour, we celebrate Communion every week, as we remember Jesus’ life, love, forgiveness, grace, and inclusion. All are welcome at the table.
Children
Children are full and welcome participants in our community, and are at the heart of what we do. They bring unique ideas, perspectives, and talents that inspire us and point us to the ways God is at work in our lives.
We work hard to appreciate the gifts, personhood, and agency of people of all ages, from grandparents to newborns. Children aren’t viewed as “adults-in-waiting,” nor are they on display for the amusement of adults. Children are valued members of our community.
Marriage & Relationships
We celebrate families and relationships of all shapes and sizes: singles, couples, married, divorced, separated, or “it’s complicated.” We celebrate families of origin and families by choice. Every family, no matter its composition, is unique, special, and a valued part of our community.
We are proud to celebrate and affirm the marriage of couples of any gender, previously divorced people, and couples of different religions. Our church has celebrated same-gender marriage since it became law in 2004.
We see people as unique, loved creations of God. We believe that relationships and families require attention and nurture. We believe God intends all relationships and families of all shapes and sizes to be faithful, responsible, just, healing, and sustaining of themselves and those around them.
The Bible
We believe that the Bible is a source of wisdom, and we use the words of scripture in our prayer and devotion. We believe the Bible can teach us about the ways God is at work in the world.
We often refer to a passage as “the Word of God.” By this, we mean that the writer was inspired by God. We also know that the various books that make up the Bible are the stories of two ancient communities trying to be faithful to God under difficult circumstances. Some of what was experienced and written about by the ancient Hebrew and early Christian communities does not fit in our world today. We do not condone slavery, for example, or discriminate against members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Nevertheless, in its stories, teachings, and wisdom, the Bible continues to have a mysterious power to inform our lives.
Inclusivity
We seek to welcome everyone the way that Jesus did, regardless of age, gender identity, health, race, sexual orientation, differing abilities, or economic circumstance.
Jesus welcomed everyone, and we do our best to follow his example. We are proud supporters of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, we uplift the gifts and talents of our entire congregation, and we value the voices of everyone in our community.
It did not matter to Jesus whether you were rich, or barely getting by; ill or healthy; self-made or educated; popular or a loner; secure or full of doubts. So we do our best to follow Jesus’ example. We welcome everyone!
Social Justice
Caring for one another was central to Jesus’ ministry and teachings. He called his followers to feed the hungry, satisfy the thirsty, shelter the homeless, clothe the naked, care for the sick, and visit those in prison.
We believe that our actions are important and that what we do, through God’s grace, helps to build a better world. We partner with various organizations, including Bridges to Hope, Stella’s Circle, the Safe Harbour Outreach Project, and St. John’s Pride to help eliminate poverty, protect those who are vulnerable, and make our community a better place. We frequently run food drives, hygiene product drives, and fundraisers for various community organizations. We also have a food pantry on our church property that helps serve the needs in our own neighbourhood. We attend rallies to show our support for “Black Lives Matter” and “Ending Islamaphobia” because we believe our voice as followers of Jesus Christ matters. It is how we help make our community a better place.
We also support The United Church of Canada’s Mission and Service Fund, which helps people across Canada and throughout Europe, Africa, Asia, Latin America, Oceania, and the Caribbean. This enables us to feed the hungry, care for the sick, and shelter the homeless far beyond our normal reach.
Connect With Us
Welcome to Home Harbour! We’re so excited to get to know you. Please fill out this form so we can keep you updated, share more about how you can be involved, and welcome you into our church community.