Gordon United helps celebrate the following life and other events:
Baptism – In the United Church, baptism formally recognizes someone as belonging to the Christian community. You can be any age to be baptised. During the ceremony, everyone in the congregation pledges support to encourage you through the Christian life or support the parents in instructing their children. Because of the lifelong nature of these commitments, it is essential that the sacrament of baptism be as meaningful as possible. To that end, national and local policy have been developed to offer guidance as to the appropriate preparation for receiving baptism. Contact our church office during the week and leave your request, your name and your number. You will be contacted and a mutually convenient meeting time will be arranged between yourself and the minister or a Session member. The church has produced a Baptism of Children (2017) pamphlet. Some people would like a celebration after baptism. Please refer to our fee schedule for rental charges for the church hall or kitchen.
Weddings Congratulations! We rejoice with you in your decision to be married. Christian marriage is a lifelong commitment that is made to God by two people in front of family and friends.
The United Church celebrates the marriage of same-sex couples, divorced people, couples of different religions and all people who believe in Jesus Christ and want to live faithful to his way. If you are a member of a faith community a marriage preparation course is recommended in the planning stages with the Minister. If you are not a member of a faith community you will be required to undertake the marriage preparation course before being wed through Gordon United Church. There is more to marriage than one ceremony. We at Gordon United are here to support your marriage. In the coming years, know that you are welcome in our community, whether you be seeking worship opportunities or a place to talk about the realities of married life. If there is any way in which we can be of service, please let us know. Please refer to our Wedding pamphlet for more information. Please see our Fees Guide 2017 for charges for services, and our facilities page for rental space.
Celebration of Life/Funerals – Our commitment to you is to assist you in creating a Christian service that celebrates the life of your loved one in a personal and meaningful way. The service is created in conversation with our minister in hopes that it will reflect the life of the deceased. When you meet with the minister you will be asked to reflect on the deceased’s life, recall stories that capture his or her spirit and articulate what he or she valued. This information will be used to build a service that is personal and meaningful. At minimum, services include prayers, scriptural readings and words of remembrance. In addition, some services include instrumentals, soloists, choirs, hymns, readings from favourite authors, presentations from associations and clubs, open opportunities to share memories and other special elements. Although the minister is willing to lead the entire service, family and friends are encouraged to participate. See our Funeral and Memorial package 2017 for more information. This includes a fee guide for services and rental of facilities as well as catering.
Confirmation Confirmation is an adult expression of faith. Many people are baptized as babies, when their parents made a choice to raise them in the Christian faith. When people are old enough to do so as teens or adults, they are invited to spend some time learning more about the Christian faith and the United Church of Canada, in order to make a mature choice to continue to follow Jesus. This choice is recognized in worship through Confirmation, also known as Reaffirmation of Faith. Confirmation makes a person a full member of the United Church of Canada and of the particular congregation in which they are confirmed. The learning process can take many forms, depending on how many people are interested in becoming members at one time: reading and discussion sessions one-on-one with the minister, short intensive sessions with “homework” reading and research, or a longer course held over several weeks or a weekend. Teens and Adults can be baptized and confirmed at the same time. Those interested in Confirmation/Adult Baptism/Membership can contact Rev Heidi through the office.
Church membership – Whether you are a member or not, you belong to Gordon United Church. We encourage membership. Please read our You Belong brochure for more information on membership. The church offers a Study groupsUnited Church 101 course from time to time which helps with membership issues.
