Weddings
BCUC is a welcoming, inclusive and an affirming congregation. We acknowledge that marriage is a covenant between two people, regardless of sexual orientation, who share a life-long commitment to love each other and who ask God’s blessings to affirm this union. The wedding ceremony, in the form of a Christian liturgy, may take place in the church building or offsite.
Baptisms
At Bells Corners United Church (BCUC), we believe that the sacrament of baptism celebrates God’s love and our response to God. It is a holy covenant – a promise of God to us, of parents to their children, and of the church community to the support and nurture of all. Baptism proclaims and celebrates the invisible grace of God with the visible sign of life-giving water. Through this sacrament, people, young or old, are baptized into the Christian faith. In the United Church, baptism is the means by which people are welcomed into membership in the church. Since young children are not able to profess their own faith, the parents and we in the church act on their behalf.
Funerals and Celebrations of Life
“Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me. In my father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?”
BCUC is committed to offering faith celebrations that remember and honour those who have died and to providing spiritual support and care to those who are grieving. These pastoral care services are a significant ministry of BCUC through its Pastoral and Spiritual Care Team and they are available to all people in the community, whether they are affiliated with the United Church of Canada or not. BCUC professes that a Christian funeral, also known as “a celebration of life” is an extension in the life of faith; therefore, we encourage individuals and families to hold these faith celebrations in the church sanctuary of BCUC.