There are four ceremonies that are like mile-markers in the life of a Christian.

Two of these ceremonies are called sacraments, which refers to sacred rituals that Christ commanded his followers to do. The other two - marriage and funerals - are not sacraments, but they are important for the life of the church and for individual followers of Jesus.

The two sacraments ordained by Christ are baptism and communion.

What is Baptism?

Baptism is not only a sign of profession, and mark of difference, whereby people become identified as Christians, but it is also a sign of regeneration or new birth. Those that are baptized are grafted into the Church: receiving the promises of forgiveness of sin, being adopted to be the children of God by the Holy Ghost, are visibly signed and sealed; confirmed in faith. This is a joyful event in the life of a believer that marks the beginning of new life in Christ. If you are interested, we would love to get in touch!

26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

- Galatians 3:26-29

The baptism of young children is a Christian sacrament for Christian parents. It is a way to claim God’s blessing on the child. As well, the parents and godparents make very serious promises to raise the child up in a godly manner.

Adult baptism is better described as “believer’s baptism”. It is typically initiated by individuals who have received Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour and have made a decision to be obedient to the command of Christ through this public declaration. In Matthew 16:16, Jesus said: “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”

Services of holy baptism for both children and adults are scheduled regularly throughout the year. If you are interested in having your child baptized, or if you wish to be baptized yourself, please fill out the application below. You will be required to meet with a member of clergy who will go over the baptism application form with you. This meeting will be followed by baptism preparation for both parents and godparents.

 Weddings

The Bible teaches us to hold marriage in very high regard.

First, marriage is God’s good and gracious gift to us. It is not only for the benefit of couples but also for the benefit of the whole community. The goal of marriage is fundamentally the glory and service of God. It is not primarily self-fulfillment, intimacy or the meeting of each other’s needs, as important as those may be. In marriage, God intends that husband and wife together represent him through filling the earth and being stewards of God’s creation. Filling the earth will, in most cases, include the bearing of children and the raising of a family. Being stewards of God’s creation will involve the Christian proclamation of the Gospel, establishing and extending the kingdom of God on earth and the care of God’s creation and work. 

Second, God intends marriage to be a reflection of the magnificent and beautiful union between Christ and his Church. Biblical marriage is a lifelong union between a man and a woman. The love between husband and wife is to be a visual expression of the love between Christ and his Church. The most important and effective thing we can do to support your marriage is to point you to Jesus Christ and His word written in the Bible. Reading Scripture will help you grow in your relationship with Christ and with each other. (Start with Genesis 1:26-31, Genesis 2:18-25, Ephesians 5:21-6:4).

As you begin your new life together, we want to help you build the strongest possible marriage. We believe the life-long journey of marriage will help husband and wife to know Jesus Christ in a deeper way.

We are excited for you to start this beautiful adventure of covenant love together!

Funerals

Christian funerals are occasions of both sadness and joy. While we mourn the loss of a loved one, we can rejoice in the promise of our Lord for new life. Therefore, we attach great importance to conducting funerals at St. John’s. 

Funerals at St. John's include:

• A meeting with the family

• Funeral planning

• Conducting the funeral

• Funeral follow-up to help families and individuals come to terms with their grief and the hope that Christ gives them.

“I am the resurrection and the life”, says the Lord. “He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.”

— 1 John 11:25-26

MORE INFO:

Call us at (604)-558-4400

Or visit the contact page, fill out the "Contact Us" form and select "ceremony inquiry."