Have questions? We have answers.

What if I don’t fit in at church?

For one reason or another, sometimes people feel like they don’t fit in at church. We are a community that doesn’t think the same, or vote the same, or love the same, but we are trying our best to follow in the way of Jesus. We’re simply trying to work on our own relationship with God, and we try to help others do the same. We are making space for conversations that allow us to know each other. Once you know part of someone’s story, you may find that you are not as different as you think.

Why do you ask for financial gifts?

It is our weekly practice of generosity to support the work of the church financially. Everything we have comes from God. The way we use those gifts is the practice of stewardship. Offering back to God, from a place of gratitude, is what we are called to do as Christians. It is the weekly embodiment of sharing. About 70 to 75% of our contributions get spent in the following areas: staffing, programs, worship, and facilities. Other expenses include social justice, pastoral care, benevolence, and hospitality.

Do I have to get involved to attend worship?

You are more than welcome to simply enjoy the service without feeeling pressure to be involved in any other activities. That being said, should you decide at some point that you’d like to learn more about opportunities to meet people and make new friends, visit the Get Involved page.

How much should I give and how often?

Whatever you decide to give, it needs to come genuinely from your heart. When people give to the church in accordance to the amount with which God has provided them, the needs of the church are easily met. This is God’s design for providing the financial resources for the church’s current and future needs.

How old is Islington United Church?

The church that came to be known as Islington United Church was established about 1818 as a Methodist society in what was the settlement of Mimico on the Dundas highway adjacent to Mimico Creek. The current building in which we worship is 77 years old. 

Which Bible does the United Church use?

Each Congregation can choose which translation of the bible to read in regular worship. Islington United and many United Churches across Canada use the New Revised Standard Updated Version.

What religion is Islington United Church?

Islington United Church is part of The United Church of Canada, which is the largest Christian Protestant denomination in Canada. 

We were formed in 1925 from a joining of the Methodist Church of Canada,  two-thirds of the Presbyterian Church of Canada and the Congregational Christian Churches in Canada. Later the Evangelical United Brethren Church also joined. We are in full communion with the United Church of Christ, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). 

What does the United Church of Canada believe?

We embody broad theology and worship experience across the country. The policies of the church are inclusive and liberal: there are no restrictions of gender, sexual orientation or marital status for a person considering entering the ministry; interfaith marriages are recognized; communion is offered to all Christian adults and children, regardless of denomination or age.

What is The Trinity?

Excerpt from A Song of Faith (2006):

With the Church through the ages,
we speak of God as one and triune:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
We also speak of God as
    Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer
    God, Christ, and Spirit
    Mother, Friend, and Comforter
    Source of Life, Living Word, and Bond of Love,
    and in other ways that speak faithfully of
the One on whom our hearts rely,
the fully shared life at the heart of the universe.

We witness to Holy Mystery that is Wholly Love….

Does the United Church have sacraments?

The United Church celebrates two sacraments — baptism and communion —by which we encounter the presence and goodness of God. In company with the churches of the Reformed and Methodist traditions, we celebrate these two sacraments as gifts of Christ. In these sacraments the ordinary things of life — water, bread, wine — point beyond themselves to God and God’s love, teaching us to be alert to the sacred in the midst of life.

United Church Faith statements