A brief summary of our core beliefs ...
We are Christian, first and foremost. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the one God of Heaven and Earth. That in Him dwells the fullness of the Divine. We use the name LORD to capture the fullness.
God is Love - Nothing but what is good can come from the Lord because His very nature is LOVE. He came into the world to show us how we should treat one another and teach us the path of compassion and not judgement.
Old & New Testaments - The bible, or the WORD of the Lord, being given to us by Him, is in its very nature a container of more profound principles that we can only imagine. Some of its deeper nature is revealed in the writing of Emanuel Swedenborg, who wrote extensively about a deeper understanding The Lord gave him. The WORD is our guide to living a spiritually healthier, more peaceful life today than we did yesterday.
Heaven is for everyone - We tend to think of heaven only as a place we go to one day when we die. Heaven is more than a place; it's a state of heart and mind receptive to the Lord's love and compassion. Heaven, therefore, is a choice we make every day in every interaction. Is heaven's love and compassion in my intentions, thoughts and actions?
Marriage can last forever - Because the Lord is Love and heaven is the state of being receptive to love, and because healthy spiritually focused marriages centre on mutual love, a special love that married partners share is their heaven, which they choose now and becomes their shared heaven when they die. Those who commit to their relationship with the Lord and each other can live to eternity, bonded by their love.
The Lord is present with you - The Lord is fully present to all people. His providence governs all things and works with this world's good and bad situations to turn our awareness away from earthly pursuits of honour, reputation and gain, towards an inner understanding of our states. In a better grasp of ourselves we make more loving and wise choices in the moment, allowing the Lord's presence to be felt in us and through us to others.
For more about our beliefs, please visit https://www.newchurch.org
About approaching the Bible
"If you are reading the Bible and it's not transforming your life, you are reading it the wrong way."
This quote captures a key experience of many Christians. There is a battle to see how faith is changing the experience of life, and sometimes feel life is even worse off. The purpose we carry in our minds and hearts when we read the WORD determines what we see in it. If we bring resentment towards our neighbour, we will find ideas supporting our resentment. However, we will see something altogether different when we bring a heart of humility. When reading the WORD with humility we are opening ourselves to see how the ideas apply to our personal inner life. When in humility we will find the Lord of love and compassion.
About our own lives
The Lord teaches us about our own lives through the stories contained in the Bible or His Word. The New Church understands that the stories are not just historical events but contain a depth to be discovered. The inner depths of the Lord's Word teach about spiritual processes and principles for everyone's life. To learn about spiritual ideas and then practice living the Lord's Word is where we find a true understanding. We come to understand, through the experience of it, how the Lord is working to change our life.
Personal spiritual growth is felt through a growing inner trust in the Word. As well as an awakening to self-awareness and a broadening of our perspective toward our neighbour.
About personal responsibility
Central to what the New Church teaches is a personal responsibility for our spiritual journey. We strive to support each person in forming a personal relationship with God. Therefore having a way to get to know Him is key. For this reason, we hold the Bible, or the Word of the Lord, as the source of our learning. The Word is the Lord (John 1). The Word has the power to meet each person where they are in life. However, we don’t believe in any quick fixes, but rather in a life-long process. The journey requires us to return regularly to the Lord Jesus Christ as He shows Himself to us through His Word.
We gain insight into this deeper spiritual process and principles through the writings of Emanuel Swedenborg.
About every moment being New
Wherever you are in life, whatever mistakes you think you have made, you are not alone. The Lord is constantly providing a way for you to move forward. We want to invite you on a journey to connect with a Loving God. And He creates each moment anew so that we might leave our past and move forward.
The Lord reaches out to us in a loving new way regardless of our previous relationship with the church.
What is the church? The Carmel New Church has a beautiful building but the church is not a building. The church is in us, the kingdom of heaven is within. The church is in people who are doing the personal work of looking to love, learning from the Word and practicing a caring life together.
We open our doors to you whether you’re looking for a warm church community or seeking a more meaningful spiritual practice.
Have a question about the New Church faith?
Read for yourself the teachings for a new church
The Path to Baptism and Membership
In the New Church, Baptism and Membership are two sides of a coin. First is Baptism, a commitment between you and the Lord on your Journey, guided by the Teaching of the New Church. We encourage you to get involved in church life and learn more about what we believe and how we approach personal spiritual growth. In time, you will build up a foundation of worship, learning and serving, from which you can decide if the New Church will become your spiritual home.
For more information, download our pamphlet - The Path to Baptism and Membership.
About Our History
Carmel New Church’s history began in 1833. It began as a group of people gathered to discuss the writings of Emanuel Swedenborg and his explanation of the Bible’s internal meaning. This grew into the community is it today where we hold worship services every Sunday, organize events and connect with our neighbours, and help people better understand faith and its role in real life.
Starting points for the journey:
Connecting
Desire to belong, to be a part of something greater than self, wishing well for others.
Learning
Step by step building up life principles to guide our thoughts, our words and deeds.
Serving
Participating in life by giving His love and wisdom to others through kindness of heart and thoughtfulness of mind.