 I came here for two reasons: a strong focus on the word of God and opportunities to get involved. About Morningstar - Beliefs
Our Vision & Mission
To reach the diverse communities of the Greater Toronto Area and beyond for Jesus Christ through a church that displays the unity of God’s Kingdom.
Morningstar’s Mission is to glorify God by leading people of all ages and backgrounds into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ.
What We Believe
We believe that Jesus Christ gave the church its purpose in Matthew 28:19-20, “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
Therefore, our purpose as a church is “to glorify God by leading people of all ages and background into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ.”
What Is A Life of Faith?
Coming to faith is the process of:
- Realizing and confessing that God needs to have first place in your life and asking Him to forgive your failures or sins. Romans 3:23, I John 1:9
- Believing that Jesus Christ is God’s Son; that He died to pay for your sins; and that He rose again and is alive today. John 3:16; Romans 10:9
- Accepting God’s free gift of salvation without trying to earn it. Ephesians 2:8-9
Our relationship to God is not restored by anything we do, but on the basis of what Jesus already did for us. Please contact us if you have any questions concerning your life of faith in Christ.
What Is A Life of a Growing Relationship in Christ?
A growing relationship in Christ is a journey that believers should be engaged in for the rest of their lives. In essence, it is establishing right relationships in all areas of our lives. The key areas in establishing a growing relationship in Christ are:
Spiritual Growth
Developing the character of Christ and becoming a more loving, honorable, courageous, and integrity-filled person. Galatians 5:22; Ephesians 4:12-13
Small Groups
Finding true community by experiencing true spiritual transformation that only happens in the context of relationships with other believers. Acts 2:42-47; John 13:35
Serving
Developing the spiritual gifts that God has given to all that follow Him, which enable them to lovingly serve one another. Ephesians 6:7; 2:8-9
Stewardship
Realizing that all we have is really God’s and that we should use it to honour Him. I Corinthians 4:2,II Corinthians 9:6-15
Our Statement of Essential Beliefs - Important Note About Our Beliefs
- In Essential Beliefs - we believe that there should be unity. Ephesians 4:4-6
- In Non-Essential Beliefs - we believe there should be liberty. Romans 14:1,4,12
- In All Our Beliefs - we believe that we must maintain love toward each other. I Corinthians 13:2
Concerning the Scriptures
We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, as originally written, were verbally inspired, and are, therefore, wholly without error and absolutely authoritative. We believe the Bible is the supreme revelation of God’s will for all people and is our only rule of faith and practice.
Concerning the True God
We believe there is one living and true God, the Creator and Governor of all things. This God exists eternally in three Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, equal in power and glory.
Concerning the Holy Spirit
We believe in the absolute and essential deity and personality of the Holy Spirit. He convinces men and women of sin, of righteousness and of judgment, and regenerates, indwells and sanctifies the believer.
Concerning Jesus Christ
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, was supernaturally conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. Therefore, we affirm his full deity and his full humanity.
Concerning Humanity
We believe that all human beings are created in the image of God but by willful disobedience they fell from their sinless state. In consequence of this all are now sinner by nature and by choice and are, therefore, under just condemnation to an eternal hell, without defense or excuse, apart from the grace of God.
Concerning Salvation
We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace through the mediatorial work of the Son of God. Salvation is wholly apart from works and is received upon the sole condition of repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. In order to be saved the sinner must be born again, being regenerated by the power of the Holy Spirit, through the Word of God thus becoming the recipient of a new nature. The regenerated person is justified before God, adopted into the family of God, is being sanctified by the Holy Spirit of God and by the Word of God and will ultimately be glorified by God. Salvation, which is the experience of God's mercy by sinful human beings, is based exclusively upon faith in Christ and there is no scriptural warrant to assume that any person can experience God's mercy in salvation outside of Christ.
John 3:16, 10:28-29, Acts 4:12, 13:39, Romans 3:20, 5:1, 8:14-16, 29-30, Ephesians 2:8-9, 1 Timothy 2:5, 11 Peter 1:4, 1 John 3:1-3.
Concerning the Church
We believe that the church universal is comprised of all the redeemed and comes to visible expression in local congregations of believers. The church is called out from the world, separated unto the Lord Jesus, and exists primarily for the worship of God. It also exists for the ministry of the Word, the mutual edification of its members, the propagation of the faith and the observance of the ordinances. We believe it is a sovereign, independent body, exercising its own divinely awarded gifts, precepts and privileges under the Lordship of Christ, the Great Head of the Church. The spiritual leaders of the local church are elders and deacons whose qualifications and duties are defined in the epistles of Timothy and Titus.
Matthew 16:18, 28:19,20, Acts 2:41,42, Ephesians 4:1-16, 1 Timothy 3:1-16, Titus 1:1-2:2, Revelation 2 and 3.
Concerning Baptism and the Lord’s Supper
We believe that there are only two ordinances for the Church. Christian baptism is by immersion in water and signifies the believer's union with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. This act of baptism precedes church membership. The Lord's Supper is a commemoration of Christ's death until He comes and should be preceded by careful, solemn self-examination. Baptism and the Lord's Supper are acts of obedience by the believer to the commands of Christ.
Matthew 26:26-29, 28:18-20, Acts 2:41, 8:36-39, Romans 6:3-5, 1 Corinthians 11:23-32
Concerning Marriage and Family
We believe that the family unit is one of God's primary institutions in the world, along with the church and civil government. The Scriptures provide us with God's standards and expectations for the home and the family. Biblically, marriage is defined as a life-long, exclusive heterosexual covenant between one man and woman. According to God's design, human sexuality is to be expressed and enjoyed as a gift from God within this context. All sexual relationship outside of the marital bond. (e.g. homosexuality, lesbianism, incest, pre-marital and post-marital sexual relationships, etc.) are offensive to God and are contrary to His standards. We also affirm that while children are gifts from God, parents are responsible before God to raise their children to know God by their example of faith and their instruction in the faith.
Baptism
According to God’s Word, the first important step after we put faith in Christ is Baptism!
“…those who accepted his message were baptized”. Acts 2:41
The Importance of Being Baptized
- It Is A Public Testimony That You Are A Follower of Christ and His Teaching.
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20
- It Symbolizes Spiritual Cleansing.
“And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” 1 Corinthians 6:11
- It Pictures the True Meaning of Salvation.
“What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life." Romans 6:1-4
Note: The word “baptize” means “to immerse or dip under water.” Water baptism by immersion is public display of obedience in following Christ's example for His baptism (Matthew 3:16). Baptism does not make you a believer - it shows that you already believe. Baptism does not “save” you - only your faith in Christ does that. Baptism is like a wedding ring - it's the outward symbol of the commitment that you have made in your heart.
At Morningstar, Baptisms are conducted at our Weekend Services (approximately every 4 months). Call the church office for more information on how you can be baptized.
Membership
One of the most frequently asked questions relating to the topic of church membership is...
“Why should I join the church, anyway? After all, it makes no difference - - I can still go to church and participate in all the activities without feeling tied down or committed.”
The last word in that quote is the first reason to join the church - - - COMMITMENT
We ask you to commit to membership for 3 reasons:
- A Biblical Reason: Christ is committed to the church. “ …Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her.” Ephesians 5:25
- A Cultural Reason: It is an antidote to the prevailing trend in our society.
We live in an age where very few want to be committed to anything…a job…marriage… our country. This attitude has produced “consumer religion.” Becoming a member is an unselfish decision. Commitment always builds character.
- A Personal Reason: It produces spiritual growth.
The New Testament places a major emphasis on the need for Christians to be accountable to each other for spiritual growth. You cannot be accountable when you’re not committed to any specific church family.
1. Steps to Becoming a Member of Morningstar:
a. Attend the Newcomers Class, complete the Membership questionnaire.
b. Enjoy an interview with two Morningstar Board members.
c. Receive the "right hand of fellowship" at a Sunday Service.
d. Participate in a New Members Fellowship with our Ministry Team.
2. Conditions of Membership:
a. You must be a born again Christian with a desire to follow and serve Christ in the fellowship of His church.
b. Believer's baptism by Immersion
c. Acceptance of the Morningstar Statement of Faith and a Commitment to the Responsibilities of Members.
3. Interview for Membership
The Board of Elders, or its representatives, interview each person who has completed a Membership Questionnaire and recommend the admission of the candidate to the Church for membership.
4. Some Questions You Will Be Asked at Your Interview
There is no reason why you should feel any concern about your interview. Usually, two Board members are involved in the interview. They are not out to trick you or embarrass you. In fact they are, one and all, very sympathetic and friendly men - Teddy Bears, really!
What they essentially wish to find out from you is whether you have personally accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. They don't expect you to be a deep theologian. The questions you should be prepared to answer on this point relate to your experience and understanding of salvation. You may wish to prepare for this by writing out a few brief words along the line suggested below:
a. Before I believed in Jesus (What life was like before my salvation).
b. How I came to believe in Jesus (The circumstances of my repentance and faith).
c. Since I believed in Jesus. (How my life has changed since becoming a Christian).
A second question they will want to ask you relates to your understanding of baptism. Again, they won't be expecting a great theological presentation. Their concern is that you have a basic understanding and awareness of why you wish to be baptized and what it means.
A third thing they will want to know about is your desire to serve the Lord at Morningstar. They will pray and discuss with you how you might find meaningful involvement in the church.
A fourth and very important thing they will ask about is, if you believe the Articles in our Statement of Faith. What we believe is important to our church's unity. They are eager to help clarify anything about our church's beliefs.
They may ask you other questions of a "get acquainted" sort and perhaps a few others, but the above four are of the essence.
Finally, there is no need to worry! So DON'T!!
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