The United Church Creed
We are not alone,
we live in God’s world.
We believe in God:
who has created and is creating,
Who has come in Jesus,
the Word made flesh,
to reconcile and make new,
who works in us and others
by the Spirit.
We trust in God.
We are called to be the Church:
to celebrate God’s presence,
to live with respect in Creation,
To love and serve others, to seek justice and resist evil,
To proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen,
our judge and our hope.
In life, in death, in life beyond death,
God is with us.
We are not alone.
Thanks be to God.
We are not alone. We live with many others in this world God created.
Bethany walks by faith, not by sight. We know God is at work creating, often through the willing hands and hearts of Bethany volunteers.
We are apostles… followers of the Way, the Truth and the Light. He works in each of us by the Sprit. We are just flesh and blood like Jesus was, and apply our time, talents and treasures as he taught us, to reconcile the world, as it is, with the New Jerusalem it can become through our works.
We build on faith. We build from faith. There is no firmer foundation.
Many hands at labour make for light work. Bethany is willing hands, willing minds, willing hearts, celebrating together, working together, and living out our faith together, here on this beautiful Earth.
We celebrate God’s living presence, for God is very much alive in every act, every action, small or large, known and unseen, that embodies the Golden Rule – to love others as we love ourselves. Love in action is a Bethany volunteer who, by herself, by himself, or with others, rights wrongs, sets tables, stacks chairs, cooks for a supper for strangers on Sunday, sets courses, leads, follows, and does every other little and big thing to advance our Mission of love in the world.
Jesus is our judge and our hope, the example set for every action we take, individually and as a Church. Our feet carry us to places to act in his name; our arms lift in his name; our hands help and sooth in his name.
I/We honour each of you here this evening for your lay ministry, whatever it may be, past, now, future. Our Bethany volunteers tell the world – more often than not, without speaking a word – that we are servants of the Light. We live with many others in this world God created. We are not alone.
Thank you all for everything you do in Jesus’ name, and thanks be to God.
Jim Musgrave, Chair of Nominations – Bethany United Church
