About Us
The Gathering House seeks to Connect with the community, while Equipping believers to Serve God and others
Our Beliefs
We believe that God has given us His Word, the Bible, without error to teach us about how we are to live and follow Him. We believe that the Bible is the authoritative standard for every age and every life. (2 Timothy 3:16)
We believe that God exists in three persons: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and that these three are eternal and one. We believe that God is the sole creator of the universe. (Genesis 1:1, 2 Peter 1:21, 1 Corinthians 8:6, John 10:30, 2 Corinthians 13:14)
We believe that Jesus Christ is 100% both God and man. He was born of the virgin Mary and lived a perfect and sinless life, in which He taught us how we ought to live; He performed many signs and wonders, displaying that He is God as revealed in the scriptures. We believe that Jesus was crucified, paying the penalty for the sins of everyone who puts their faith and trust in Him alone. We believe that He was bodily raised from the dead three days later, proving God's acceptance of His sacrifice. (Matthew 1:18-25, Matthew 5:17-20, 1 Corinthians 15:1-11)
We believe that, after Jesus' resurrection, He spent time with the believers before ascending into heaven, where He is currently at the right hand of God the Father interceding for the saints. We also believe that He will return for those who have put their faith in Him. (Romans 8:34, Acts 1:9-12)
We believe that mankind's natural state is not neutral, but rather enemies with God. We are all sinners through Adam's sin in the garden and deserve God's wrath because of our sin. Through sin we receive both physical and spiritual death. (Romans 3:23, Romans 5:8, 1 Corinthians 15:22, Romans 6:23)
We believe that the only way to be made right with God is by putting our trust in Jesus; in Him alone can we be forgiven of our sins. Jesus paid for our sins by offering Himself in our place on the cross, and God accepted Christ's payment on our behalf. (Romans 3:25, Ephesians 2:8-9)
We believe that once a believer has put their faith in Christ, they are given a new nature and the Holy Spirit who is the assurance that we will spend eternity with God. This is entirely apart from any works on our part, but through faith in Jesus Christ alone. (2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 1:14, Ephesians 2:8-9)
We believe that a true believer can receive punishment for their sins and miss out on some blessings that come with the Christian walk, but they cannot ever lose their salvation. (Romans 8:1, Romans 8:38-39)
We believe that the local church is to be a representation of the body of Christ, which is all believers in the world who have put their hope in Jesus. We believe that the Holy Spirit has gifted every individual in the church with different gifts, which we are all called to use to build up the body of Christ. We believe that it is vital for a believer's spiritual health to be in a church where they can grow and be challenged, equipped, and blessed. (1 Corinthians 12:4-11, 1 Corinthians 12:12, 1 Corinthians 12:27-31)
We believe that when a believer dies they will depart to be with Christ in Heaven, which is far better than this earth. We believe that for those who trust in Jesus Christ there is hope after death, while those who reject Christ face only the judgement of God for their sins. (Philippians 1:23, John 3:36)
We believe that there is a very real spiritual battle going on between God and Satan. We believe that God has already defeated Satan through the cross, but has allowed him to operate as a defeated foe until Christ's return. He does this to allow more people to come to put their trust in Him. (Ephesians 6:9-18, 2 Peter 3:9)
Our Values
Godliness
The triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is the center of this ministry. Our deep desire is to glorify Him in all that we do by following His example, in Christ, through the enabling of the Holy Spirit.
God's Word
We believe the Bible to be God's Word and accept its authority as the ultimate guide for our lives, both individually and corporately.
The Body of Christ
We believe that God has created each of us as unique members of one body of believers. He has equipped each of us with gifts that are given for the good of the whole. We seek to identify and utilize these gifts for the purposes of expanding and strengthening His Kingdom. We also seek to care for each member out of the wealth of Christ's love.
Unity
We understand that our identity in Christ is inextricably linked to the depth of our unity and love for each other. We are committed to strengthening the bonds that bind us together and lovingly address issues that have the potential to divide us.
Grace
As grateful recipients of God's grace, we seek to extend that grace to all those who connect with any one of the Gathering House's ministries or members.
Integrity
We serve a perfect God whose dealings with mankind have always been right and just. We seek to model this Godly commitment in all of our relationships.
Relationships
We serve a God who paid the ultimate price to foster deeply intimate relationships with those He created. He created the church through building loving and accountable relationships. We experience God each day in relationship and understand the incredible potential inherent in building relationships within and outside the church.
Governance
Our God is a God of order and authority. We appreciate the need for clearly defined roles, responsibilities, and lines of authority that are in keeping with God's Word.
Outreach
We consider evangelism to be inextricably linked to the process of discipleship. Christ's final words to His disciples included a mandate to multiply or make disciples by spreading the good news of salvation throughout the world. We feel called to apply this mandate in both local and global settings, and we seek to do this in a manner that is clear and understandable in our post-modern context.
Discipleship
Being a follower of Christ is a dynamic maturing process that requires education, mentoring, and experience. We understand the importance of intentionally and strategically developing passionate disciples of Jesus Christ.
Complementary Ministry
Eastern Ontario is rich in church and para-church organizations pursuing similar missions. The Gathering House is committed to working with and supporting these other ministries.
Spiritual Disciplines
Discipleship involves, for each member, the development of Biblical disciplines that will strengthen personal and corporate faith.
Study
The Gathering House promotes individual and corporate learning; there is so much to learn about the Kingdom of God. Our learning is focused on application and seeks to enable us to grow in our faith.
Prayer, Meditation, and Fasting
God invites us to a deep and profound spiritual life that includes continuous communication with Him. We appreciate this invitation and understand the power of investing in this spiritual life.
Worship
Our God is worthy of praise. We understand that we can glorify God in a wide variety of ways, so we promote the exploration and integration of worship into all that we do.
Service
Christ is the Servant King, and as His disciples we accept our calling to serve others with the same attitude that Christ had in serving us.
Social Responsibility
Christ encouraged the church to play a leading role in caring for the less fortunate in our world. We seek to be a church that extends its concern for the poor and oppressed beyond the boundaries of the spiritual into the temporal.
Stewardship
God has richly blessed the Gathering House and its members materially. We see these resources as a trust to be wisely managed for the purposes of expanding and strengthening His Kingdom.
Our Staff
The staff at The Gathering House aim to provide excellent service to our Church and our community, striving to share God's Love to all.
Feel free to call our office or email us individually, or drop by when you're in the area.
Click on a staff-member for their bio and contact form.
Our Elders
James Garlough, Peter Leyenaar, Paul K Kozmin & Eric VanDenBroek
Our Deacons
George Buist, Uwe Loos, Sandra Morse, Bonnie Omond & Reuben VanDenBroek