Welcome toEssex CRC!
Thank you for visiting!
Allow us to introduce ourselves.
At Essex Christian Reformed Church, we are a friendly and caring group of people with a strong commitment to family and each other. As a church family we come together with a common goal of being “a healthy church at work”, and Christians who are;
“Called by the love of God in Jesus Christ, using the gifts that God provides, we
Reach up in worshipReach in for discipleshipReach out with Christ love”
This is not only our mission statement, it guides us in everything we do, including present decisions and future goals.
Join Us
We would love for you to join us for Sunday worship. There are also some other ways for you to get familiar with us.
If you are looking for information about one of our programs check out our GEMS for girls, Cadets for boys, and our Youth Ministry.
If you have any questions or see anything of interest, we’d love to hear from you.
What We Believe
We call ourselves Christians because we are followers of Jesus Christ. We believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that he is the center of human history.
We believe that the Old and New Testaments are the inspired Word of God, the only infallible rule for faith and life.
We affirm three creeds—the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed—as ecumenical expressions of the Christian faith. We also affirm three confessions—the Belgic Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism, and the Canons of Dort—as historic Reformed expressions of the Christian faith, whose doctrines fully agree with the Word of God.
Along with these historic creeds and confessions, we recognize the following Reformed expressions of the Christian faith, adopted by synod as contemporary testimonies: the call for unity, justice, and reconciliation of the Belhar Confession and the witness of Our World Belongs to God: A Contemporary Testimony.
Scripture
Reformed Christians have a high view of Scripture. We believe that the Bible is the inspired, infallible authoritative Word of God. Inspired – God himself speaking by his Holy Spirit through human authors. Infallible means that the Scriptures are true and absolutely unfailing in matters of faith and practice. The Bible is true and trustworthy in all that it intends to teach. Authoritative refers to the claim of God’s Word upon believers’ lives. Believers are to live ‘under’ and are called to obey, God’s Word. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
Creation – Fall – Redemption
God created the world; the world fell into sin; God has redeemed and is redeeming the world through the work of Christ, a redemption that will one day be complete when God creates a new heaven and earth. (Colossians 1: 15 – 20)
Grace
Grace is the unmerited favour of God toward those who do not deserve it. Grace is the unconditional and freely given love of God to people who can do nothing to earn it but can only accept it as a Gift. Grace is the love of the Father in the parable of the prodigal son that moves him to welcome and accepts the lost son not because the son finally did this or that but simply because the father loved his son unconditionally. Grace is the astounding truth that nothing we do can make God love us more or less. God loves us because He loves us. God loves us because he is rich in love. (Ephesians 2: 8 – 10)
Covenant Christian Reformed Church in North America
The concept of Covenant – God binding himself to his people in promise and commitment – is a rich concept for understanding God’s saving activity today. In worship, God renews his covenant promise to us, and we renew our covenant vows to God. The Lord’s Supper is a sign of Gods’ new covenant. In baptism God promises to be faithful to our children. Fellow members of the church make promises to God and to another. (Jeremiah 31: 31 – 34)
Common Grace
God’s common grace, different from his saving grace, refers to that attitude of divine favour given to all humanity; believers and unbelievers. The teaching of common grace has many implications for how Christians live and serve in the world. God’s common grace is a model of grace that Christians should embody not just within the church and toward believers but in the world and toward all people. Common grace encourages believers to develop positive points of contact with unbelievers as they live in the world together. (Matthew 5: 43 – 48)
To learn more about what it means to be Reformed, visit Christian Reformed Church in North America(CRCNA).
These words are taken from:
What It Means To Be Reformed – An Identity Statement
Who We Are and What We Believe
F.A.Q.
Frequently Asked Questions
When are the service times?
We have one Sunday morning service at 9am. There may be additional services offered on seasonal celebrations, just ask us when you call or click.
What Should I Wear?
There is no dress code here at Essex. Some dress casual while others like to dress semi-formal, it’s your choice.
Is there anything for Children?
We have something for all ages here at Essex CRC. A modern and clean nursery is available for infants and a separate child focused room is available for children up to age 4. If you entered through the rear of the church, you will find the nursery down the stairs and straight ahead. You and your child’s safety are important to us. Both rooms are supervised weekly by caring members of our congregation and all of our policies and procedures are governed by our Safe Church Policy. We are also a peanut aware* facility with special considerations for children with various food and environmental allergies.
Children 5 and up are invited to join their parents for the first part of the service. After enjoying Children’s Moment they leave to participate in Sunday School downstairs, which will last until our service is over.
Worship
Our worship service is all about coming together as a church family to offer prayer, thanksgiving and praise to God. The style of worship is what you could call blended. Some of our services are more traditional with organ led hymn music while others are more modern and led by our very own Praise Team of musicians and singers. During worship, our Pastor will deliver a relevant, Bible-based message that will often challenge the issues we face each day as Christians.
Where is Essex Christian Reformed Church Located?
We are located in the Town of Essex and are a short drive from all points in Windsor/Essex County. Click here for a map and directions.
When you arrive, you will find we have plenty of parking at the rear of the church which is also where our main entrance is located. If you require wheelchair access, our elevator is located at the front entrance of the building. Feel free to use this service for someone in your party prior to parking. You will be greeted by an usher who will be happy to operate the elevator and help you to your seat.
If you entered from the main rear entrance, you will want to proceed up the stairs where you will be welcomed by one of our greeters. Just ask them for guidance regarding, nursery, Sunday School, or any questions you may have. They can also provide you with brochures and information about our ministries. Once you’re ready to enter the sanctuary, an usher will give you a bulletin (which contains the order of service and weekly church news) and help you find a seat. It’s a good idea to be here at least 5 or 10 minutes before we start so you have time to get settled in your seat.
Refreshments and Fellowship
We invite you to join us after the service for coffee, tea, and refreshments downstairs in our fellowship hall. We would love to meet you and introduce you to our amazing church family.
Still have some questions?
Please feel free to call 519.776.5071 or click anytime and one of our friendly church staff would be happy to answer any and all questions you have. Thanks for visiting!
* We are a peanut aware facility. To reduce the risk of exposure to those with an allergy, all peanut and products that may contain peanuts, peanut oils, and/or peanut by-products are strictly discouraged. Because we are a nut aware facility and not nut free zone, we cannot guarantee that peanuts or peanut by-products have not been present in our facilty. Please use caution.
Stay In Touch
Stay in touch with the Essex Christian Reformed Church today by sending us your contact information.