About Garden Church
We are a community committed to following Jesus together for the flourishing of the city.
Our Vision
Following Jesus together for the flourishing of the city.
“Following Jesus…
We’re convinced Jesus is the main character of scripture, and that his life, death and resurrection is the defining point of human history. Jesus offers a unique invitation to become his disciple, his apprentice, by reorienting our whole lives around him and his teaching. We’re convinced God wants us and our world to flourish, and that we discover that by becoming his disciples and learning to walk with him faithfully.
…together…
Becoming an apprentice of Jesus isn’t a solo endeavour but one we do in community. To follow Jesus is to belong to a family we now call the church. Simply put, we need one another. For connection, for encouragement, for challenge, and for spurring one another on to become more like Jesus. Community is not an optional add-on to a flourishing life but a necessary component to it, and one we hope to cultivate at Garden Church.
…for the flourishing of the city.”
The end result of becoming more like Jesus is a flourishing life aimed in the direction of others. Following Jesus calls us into a story much greater than our own personal fulfillment or wellness journey. It’s a gift to be shared—with our friends, our neighbours, our coworkers, and our city. It’s a story that began in a garden and ends with the renewal of all things. And it’s a story we’re invited into—to center our lives around Jesus in the direction of others flourishing, to let our personal life with God spill over into our everyday interactions and relationships.
Our Values
These are the four values that shape what we prioritize and how we function.
Encounter
Meeting Jesus individually and corporately, on Sundays and midweek. We pursue God’s presence in worship and in word, believing God has made himself available to us.
Formation
Integrating the rhythms of Jesus into our everyday lives. We live with intention and aim our lives in the direction of Jesus, taking seriously the kind of people we’re becoming through the stories we tell, the habits we form, and the community we live in.
Community
Sharing our lives and our faith together. We live as an intergenerational family, prioritizing relationships and offering peace and hospitality in an anxious and divided culture.
Mission
Joining Jesus in his mission of bringing flourishing to the world. We look outward, finding creative ways to serve and share our faith with others in the city to see it flourish.
Our Beliefs
Word of God (Bible)
We believe that the Bible is the Word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit and the supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
Triune God
There is one God, the creator, who exists eternally in unity as three equal persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The triune God is loving, holy, infinite, just, and worthy of all worship.
God the Father
We believe in God, the Father, creator and ruler of the universe. We believe he eternally exists in three Persons - God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit; they execute distinct yet harmonious offices in the work of Creation, Providence and Redemption.
Jesus Christ
We believe in Jesus Christ, the son of God, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born by the virgin Mary. We believe that Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all by dying on a cross. We believe he rose from the grave defeating sin and death. He ascended to heaven and will return again to establish his Kingdom.
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is equal with the Father and Son. He is present in the world, drawing people to belief in Christ to experience transformation. We believe the Holy Spirit lives in every believer in Christ, to empower and equip us for mission and regeneration.
Humanity
Humanity is made in the image of God; created male and female to bear his image and reflect his character. Designed to have relationship with Him, however through disobedience, humanity fell into sin and became alienated from God, completely dependent on mercy for salvation.
Salvation
Salvation is available to all people by the loving, redemptive act of the triune God. Christ, who had no sin, became sin for us offering himself and shedding his blood on the cross so that in him we might become right with God. The life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ provide the way of salvation for those who, by God’s grace, repent from their sin and confess faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.
Church
We believe in the universal church, a living spiritual body in which Christ is the head. The local church is the visible expression of the universal church, consisting of believers in Jesus Christ, who joined together to worship, work and fellowship.
Our Affiliation
Garden Church is part of a wider family of churches known as the
Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada (PAOC) made up of over 1,000
congregations across the country.
We share common theological convictions and are grateful for the accountability, wisdom, and spiritual heritage that come from being connected to this broader community of faith. You can read more about the PAOC’s beliefs and doctrine below.
We are grateful for the support of both Evangel Church in Kelowna, and Emmanuel Church in West Kelowna, who have come alongside and partnered with us in establishing Garden Church.
