{"id":197,"date":"2019-10-08T14:46:23","date_gmt":"2019-10-08T18:46:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irect.linux2.stagingreview.com\/?page_id=197"},"modified":"2026-07-09T00:55:22","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T04:55:22","slug":"about-us","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/mississauga.irect.org\/en\/about-us\/","title":{"rendered":"About us"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; admin_label=&#8221;Hero&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.4.3&#8243; background_color=&#8221;#084666&#8243; use_background_color_gradient=&#8221;on&#8221; background_color_gradient_start=&#8221;rgba(28,145,255,0.9)&#8221; background_color_gradient_end=&#8221;rgba(0,55,145,0.4)&#8221; background_color_gradient_direction=&#8221;150deg&#8221; background_color_gradient_start_position=&#8221;15%&#8221; background_color_gradient_overlays_image=&#8221;on&#8221; background_image=&#8221;https:\/\/mississauga.irect.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/IMG_8289-2.jpg&#8221; background_position=&#8221;bottom_center&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; locked=&#8221;off&#8221;][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;3.29.3&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;50px|0px|50px|0px|false|false&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;3.25&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;3.29.3&#8243; text_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;20px&#8221; text_line_height=&#8221;1.5em&#8221; header_font=&#8221;Open Sans|800|||||||&#8221; header_text_align=&#8221;center&#8221; header_font_size=&#8221;42px&#8221; header_line_height=&#8221;1.1em&#8221; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; text_orientation=&#8221;center&#8221; background_layout=&#8221;dark&#8221; max_width=&#8221;600px&#8221; module_alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;|||&#8221; custom_margin_tablet=&#8221;|100px||&#8221; custom_margin_phone=&#8221;|30px||&#8221; custom_margin_last_edited=&#8221;off|desktop&#8221; animation_style=&#8221;fade&#8221; header_font_size_tablet=&#8221;50px&#8221; header_font_size_phone=&#8221;40px&#8221; header_font_size_last_edited=&#8221;on|phone&#8221; header_line_height_tablet=&#8221;&#8221; header_line_height_phone=&#8221;&#8221; header_line_height_last_edited=&#8221;on|desktop&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h1>About IRECT<\/h1>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; admin_label=&#8221;About us&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.22&#8243;][et_pb_row use_custom_gutter=&#8221;on&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.29.3&#8243; max_width=&#8221;800px&#8221; module_alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;0px||||false|false&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;0px||||false|false&#8221; animation_style=&#8221;fade&#8221; use_custom_width=&#8221;on&#8221; custom_width_px=&#8221;1280px&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;3.25&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;3.29.3&#8243; text_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;16px&#8221; text_line_height=&#8221;1.8em&#8221; header_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; header_2_font=&#8221;Montserrat|800|||||||&#8221; header_2_font_size=&#8221;30px&#8221; header_2_line_height=&#8221;1.5em&#8221; header_3_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; header_4_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; max_width_tablet=&#8221;700px&#8221; max_width_phone=&#8221;700px&#8221; max_width_last_edited=&#8221;off|desktop&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;|||&#8221; custom_margin_tablet=&#8221;|0px||&#8221; custom_margin_phone=&#8221;|0px||&#8221; custom_margin_last_edited=&#8221;off|desktop&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;20px|||&#8221; header_2_font_size_tablet=&#8221;30px&#8221; header_2_font_size_phone=&#8221;20px&#8221; header_2_font_size_last_edited=&#8221;on|phone&#8221; border_color_all=&#8221;#12eaa6&#8243; border_color_top=&#8221;rgba(0,0,0,0)&#8221; border_style_top=&#8221;none&#8221; locked=&#8221;off&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">IRECT was founded by a group of Indonesian immigrants in Canada in 2001. From its beginning, IRECT has been a place of worship for both Indonesians and non-Indonesians across the Greater Toronto area. This means that IRECT seeks to be a church that welcomes people from different backgrounds. We gladly welcome and receive anyone of different ethnicities, languages, and cultures as members of our church. For we long to reflect the vision of the Church in Revelation 7:9, where \u201ca great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb,\u201d worshipping Him in unity.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;3.29.3&#8243; text_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;16px&#8221; text_line_height=&#8221;2em&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||0px||false|false&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Reformed<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;3.29.3&#8243; text_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;16px&#8221; text_line_height=&#8221;1.8em&#8221; header_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; header_2_font=&#8221;Montserrat|800|||||||&#8221; header_2_font_size=&#8221;30px&#8221; header_2_line_height=&#8221;1.5em&#8221; header_3_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; header_4_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; max_width_tablet=&#8221;700px&#8221; max_width_phone=&#8221;700px&#8221; max_width_last_edited=&#8221;off|desktop&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;|||&#8221; custom_margin_tablet=&#8221;|0px||&#8221; custom_margin_phone=&#8221;|0px||&#8221; custom_margin_last_edited=&#8221;off|desktop&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;||||false|false&#8221; header_2_font_size_tablet=&#8221;30px&#8221; header_2_font_size_phone=&#8221;20px&#8221; header_2_font_size_last_edited=&#8221;on|phone&#8221; border_color_all=&#8221;#12eaa6&#8243; border_color_top=&#8221;rgba(0,0,0,0)&#8221; border_style_top=&#8221;none&#8221; locked=&#8221;off&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Reformed tradition stands within one of the important branches in the history of the universal Christian Church in general, and the Protestant churches in particular. We follow the teaching of John Calvin, a 16th-century reformer who labored to return Christianity to its biblical roots. IRECT holds to the confessional standards of the Three Forms of Unity, the Westminster Confession of Faith, the Larger Catechism, and the Shorter Catechism.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;3.29.3&#8243; text_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; text_text_color=&#8221;#333333&#8243; text_font_size=&#8221;16px&#8221; text_line_height=&#8221;2em&#8221; header_font=&#8221;|700|||||||&#8221; header_text_color=&#8221;#333333&#8243; header_2_text_color=&#8221;#333333&#8243; background_layout=&#8221;dark&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||0px||false|false&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h2><b>Evangelical<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;3.29.3&#8243; text_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;16px&#8221; text_line_height=&#8221;1.8em&#8221; header_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; header_2_font=&#8221;Montserrat|800|||||||&#8221; header_2_font_size=&#8221;30px&#8221; header_2_line_height=&#8221;1.5em&#8221; header_3_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; header_4_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; max_width_tablet=&#8221;700px&#8221; max_width_phone=&#8221;700px&#8221; max_width_last_edited=&#8221;off|desktop&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;|||&#8221; custom_margin_tablet=&#8221;|0px||&#8221; custom_margin_phone=&#8221;|0px||&#8221; custom_margin_last_edited=&#8221;off|desktop&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;||||false|false&#8221; header_2_font_size_tablet=&#8221;30px&#8221; header_2_font_size_phone=&#8221;20px&#8221; header_2_font_size_last_edited=&#8221;on|phone&#8221; border_color_all=&#8221;#12eaa6&#8243; border_color_top=&#8221;rgba(0,0,0,0)&#8221; border_style_top=&#8221;none&#8221; locked=&#8221;off&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The term <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Evangelical<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> comes from the Greek word <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">euangelion<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, meaning \u201cgospel\u201d or \u201cgood news.\u201d We admire and seek to follow the example of historic evangelical figures such as Jonathan Edwards (1703\u20131758) and George Whitefield (1715\u20131770), who led the Christians of their day to experience a spiritual revival, marked by repentance and holy living. It is this enthusiasm, fervor, and zeal for the Gospel of Jesus Christ that we pray and hope will continually burn in our hearts.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/mississauga.irect.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/IMG_8203-1.jpg&#8221; align_tablet=&#8221;center&#8221; align_phone=&#8221;&#8221; align_last_edited=&#8221;on|desktop&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.4.3&#8243; max_width=&#8221;100%&#8221; max_width_tablet=&#8221;&#8221; max_width_phone=&#8221;&#8221; max_width_last_edited=&#8221;on|tablet&#8221; module_alignment=&#8221;left&#8221; animation_style=&#8221;slide&#8221; animation_direction=&#8221;right&#8221; animation_delay=&#8221;400ms&#8221; animation_intensity_slide=&#8221;10%&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; custom_padding_last_edited=&#8221;off|desktop&#8221; admin_label=&#8221;Statistics&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.22&#8243; background_color=&#8221;#f6f8fa&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;54px|0px|54px|0px|false|false&#8221; custom_padding_phone=&#8221;50px||50px|&#8221;][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;3_5,2_5&#8243; use_custom_gutter=&#8221;on&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.29.3&#8243; max_width=&#8221;800px&#8221; module_alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;0px||||false|false&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;0px||||false|false&#8221; animation_style=&#8221;fade&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;3_5&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;3.25&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;3.29.3&#8243; text_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;16px&#8221; text_line_height=&#8221;1.8em&#8221; header_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; header_2_font=&#8221;Montserrat|800|||||||&#8221; header_2_font_size=&#8221;30px&#8221; header_2_line_height=&#8221;1.5em&#8221; header_3_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; header_4_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; max_width=&#8221;520px&#8221; max_width_tablet=&#8221;700px&#8221; max_width_phone=&#8221;700px&#8221; max_width_last_edited=&#8221;off|desktop&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;|||&#8221; custom_margin_tablet=&#8221;|0px||&#8221; custom_margin_phone=&#8221;|0px||&#8221; custom_margin_last_edited=&#8221;off|desktop&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;20px|||&#8221; header_2_font_size_tablet=&#8221;30px&#8221; header_2_font_size_phone=&#8221;20px&#8221; header_2_font_size_last_edited=&#8221;on|phone&#8221; locked=&#8221;off&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h2>Mission<\/h2>\n<div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As God&#8217;s people, we are a missional church that gathers to worship the Triune God, to hear and study the Word of God, to live out the Word of God in loving fellowship, to bring renewal of vision and life, to proclaim the Word of God faithfully and fully, to develop new communities, and to seek <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">shalom<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in every area of life.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;2_5&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;3.25&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;3.29.3&#8243; text_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;16px&#8221; text_line_height=&#8221;1.8em&#8221; header_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; header_2_font=&#8221;Montserrat|800|||||||&#8221; header_2_font_size=&#8221;30px&#8221; header_2_line_height=&#8221;1.5em&#8221; header_3_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; header_4_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; max_width=&#8221;520px&#8221; max_width_tablet=&#8221;700px&#8221; max_width_phone=&#8221;700px&#8221; max_width_last_edited=&#8221;off|desktop&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;|||&#8221; custom_margin_tablet=&#8221;|0px||&#8221; custom_margin_phone=&#8221;|0px||&#8221; custom_margin_last_edited=&#8221;off|desktop&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;20px|||&#8221; header_2_font_size_tablet=&#8221;30px&#8221; header_2_font_size_phone=&#8221;20px&#8221; header_2_font_size_last_edited=&#8221;on|phone&#8221; locked=&#8221;off&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h2>Vision<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cBehold, I am making all things new\u201d (Revelation 21:5).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We will see the words of Jesus Christ, Lord over all things, fulfilled \u2014 namely, the renewal of every aspect of life: the individual, the family, the Church, society, the city, and the whole of God&#8217;s creation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; admin_label=&#8221;Team&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.22&#8243;][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;3.29.3&#8243;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;3.25&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;3.29.3&#8243; text_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;16px&#8221; text_line_height=&#8221;1.8em&#8221; header_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; header_2_font=&#8221;Montserrat|800|||||||&#8221; header_2_font_size=&#8221;30px&#8221; header_2_line_height=&#8221;1.5em&#8221; header_3_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; header_4_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; max_width=&#8221;800px&#8221; max_width_tablet=&#8221;700px&#8221; max_width_phone=&#8221;700px&#8221; max_width_last_edited=&#8221;off|desktop&#8221; module_alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;|||&#8221; custom_margin_tablet=&#8221;|0px||&#8221; custom_margin_phone=&#8221;|0px||&#8221; custom_margin_last_edited=&#8221;off|desktop&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;20px|||&#8221; header_2_font_size_tablet=&#8221;30px&#8221; header_2_font_size_phone=&#8221;20px&#8221; header_2_font_size_last_edited=&#8221;on|phone&#8221; border_color_all=&#8221;#12eaa6&#8243; border_color_top=&#8221;rgba(0,0,0,0)&#8221; border_style_top=&#8221;none&#8221; border_color_top_tablet=&#8221;&#8221; border_color_top_phone=&#8221;&#8221; border_color_top_last_edited=&#8221;on|desktop&#8221; locked=&#8221;off&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h2>Our Basis<\/h2>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row use_custom_gutter=&#8221;on&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.29.3&#8243; max_width=&#8221;800px&#8221; module_alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;0px||||false|false&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;0px||||false|false&#8221; animation_style=&#8221;fade&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;3.25&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.4.3&#8243; text_font_size=&#8221;16px&#8221; text_line_height=&#8221;1.8em&#8221;]<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><b>The Bible<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The foundation of Indonesian Reformed Evangelical Church in Toronto (IRECT) is the Bible, consisting of the 66 canonical books of the Old and New Testaments, as recognized in the Reformed confessions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Confessional Standards<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">IRECT holds to the following Reformed confessions:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Three Forms of Unity:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Belgic Confession (1561)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Heidelberg Catechism (1563)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Canons of Dort (1619)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Westminster Confession of Faith (1647)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Larger Catechism (1647)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Shorter Catechism (1647)<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Ecumenical Creeds<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">IRECT holds to the following ecumenical creeds:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Apostles\u2019 Creed<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Athanasian Creed<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Nicene Creed<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; admin_label=&#8221;About us&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.3.2&#8243; background_color=&#8221;#f6f8fa&#8221; min_height=&#8221;1634.6px&#8221;][et_pb_row use_custom_gutter=&#8221;on&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.29.3&#8243; max_width=&#8221;800px&#8221; module_alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; animation_style=&#8221;fade&#8221; use_custom_width=&#8221;on&#8221; custom_width_px=&#8221;1280px&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;3.25&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.4.2&#8243; text_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;16px&#8221; text_line_height=&#8221;2em&#8221; header_2_font=&#8221;Montserrat|800|||||||&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;-76px||-19px||false|false&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;38px||0px|||&#8221; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; min_height=&#8221;105px&#8221; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;]<\/p>\n<h2><strong><b>The Characteristics of IRECT<\/b><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;3.29.3&#8243; text_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;16px&#8221; text_line_height=&#8221;1.8em&#8221; header_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; header_2_font=&#8221;Montserrat|800|||||||&#8221; header_2_font_size=&#8221;30px&#8221; header_2_line_height=&#8221;1.5em&#8221; header_3_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; header_4_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; max_width_tablet=&#8221;700px&#8221; max_width_phone=&#8221;700px&#8221; max_width_last_edited=&#8221;off|desktop&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;5px|||||&#8221; custom_margin_tablet=&#8221;|0px||&#8221; custom_margin_phone=&#8221;|0px||&#8221; custom_margin_last_edited=&#8221;off|desktop&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;0px|||||&#8221; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; header_2_font_size_tablet=&#8221;30px&#8221; header_2_font_size_phone=&#8221;20px&#8221; header_2_font_size_last_edited=&#8221;on|phone&#8221; border_color_all=&#8221;#12eaa6&#8243; border_color_top=&#8221;rgba(0,0,0,0)&#8221; border_style_top=&#8221;none&#8221; locked=&#8221;off&#8221; min_height=&#8221;1281px&#8221; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;]<\/p>\n<p><b>The Primacy of the Word of God in Worship<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Word of God is central in IRECT\u2019s worship, both in the preaching and in the sacraments. Living in a society that is increasingly secular, consumeristic, and materialistic, we are called to proclaim and teach the Word of Truth faithfully and fully (2 Tim. 2:15).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Biblically Faithful Songs<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For us, the Word of God is so important that even the verses of the songs and hymns we sing in worship must be in accordance with the Bible.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>System of Church Government: Presbyterian<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In other words, IRECT is shepherded and governed by elders. The primary tasks of elders is to shepherd the congregation (Acts 20:28), lead and govern the congregation (Titus 1:7), and guard the purity of the church\u2019s doctrine (1 Tim. 5:17). According to their duties, there are <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ruling<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> elders and<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> teaching<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> elders. Both ruling elders and teaching elders are ordained and lead the church as the Church Council (Consistory or Session). The teaching elder, or Pastor, is responsible for teaching, worship, and the administration of the sacraments. The ruling elders are responsible for discipline, growth, and the mission of the church. The elders hold council meetings to consider, discuss, and decide the overall direction and ministry of IRECT.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>The Family as an Important Unit<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We worship together as families and believe that the Church is the family of God. We are committed to caring for, nurturing, and strengthening Christian families so that they may grow in the grace of the Lord, bear fruit for Him, and become a blessing in the communities where they live.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Children are also important to us. Therefore, in the sacrament of baptism, we as Christian parents bring our children to the Lord. We believe that our children are an integral part of God\u2019s covenant family. When, in the baptism of our children, we promise to raise them in the faith, we know that we are not alone. Other members of the church also promise before the Lord to help us teach our children in the Christian faith and support their growth as believers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>The Priesthood of All Believers<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All Christians are servants of the Lord wherever the Lord has placed them. Whether we work in schools, factories, fields, or in the church; whether we are at work or at home, we use the gifts for ministry that the Lord has given us for the good of His Kingdom (1 Pet. 2:9).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>A Strong Commitment to Christian Formation<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">IRECT\u2019s programs are designed to help the congregation grow in a whole and mature way. We long for every member of the church to become a Christian who knows what they believe, understands the Bible, and lives according to its teachings.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/mississauga.irect.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/IMG_8001-1.jpg&#8221; align_tablet=&#8221;center&#8221; align_phone=&#8221;&#8221; align_last_edited=&#8221;on|desktop&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.4.3&#8243; max_width=&#8221;100%&#8221; max_width_tablet=&#8221;&#8221; max_width_phone=&#8221;&#8221; max_width_last_edited=&#8221;on|tablet&#8221; module_alignment=&#8221;left&#8221; animation_style=&#8221;slide&#8221; animation_direction=&#8221;right&#8221; animation_delay=&#8221;400ms&#8221; animation_intensity_slide=&#8221;10%&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; admin_label=&#8221;Hero&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.4.3&#8243; background_color=&#8221;#084666&#8243; use_background_color_gradient=&#8221;on&#8221; background_color_gradient_start=&#8221;rgba(28,145,255,0.9)&#8221; background_color_gradient_end=&#8221;rgba(0,55,145,0.4)&#8221; background_color_gradient_direction=&#8221;150deg&#8221; background_color_gradient_start_position=&#8221;15%&#8221; background_color_gradient_overlays_image=&#8221;on&#8221; background_image=&#8221;https:\/\/mississauga.irect.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/IMG_8289-2.jpg&#8221; background_position=&#8221;bottom_center&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; locked=&#8221;off&#8221;][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;3.29.3&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;50px|0px|50px|0px|false|false&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;3.25&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;3.29.3&#8243; text_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;20px&#8221; text_line_height=&#8221;1.5em&#8221; header_font=&#8221;Open Sans|800|||||||&#8221; header_text_align=&#8221;center&#8221; header_font_size=&#8221;42px&#8221; header_line_height=&#8221;1.1em&#8221; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; text_orientation=&#8221;center&#8221; background_layout=&#8221;dark&#8221; max_width=&#8221;600px&#8221; module_alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;|||&#8221; custom_margin_tablet=&#8221;|100px||&#8221; custom_margin_phone=&#8221;|30px||&#8221; custom_margin_last_edited=&#8221;off|desktop&#8221; animation_style=&#8221;fade&#8221; header_font_size_tablet=&#8221;50px&#8221; header_font_size_phone=&#8221;40px&#8221; header_font_size_last_edited=&#8221;on|phone&#8221; header_line_height_tablet=&#8221;&#8221; header_line_height_phone=&#8221;&#8221; header_line_height_last_edited=&#8221;on|desktop&#8221;] About IRECT [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mississauga.irect.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/197"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mississauga.irect.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mississauga.irect.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mississauga.irect.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mississauga.irect.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=197"}],"version-history":[{"count":54,"href":"https:\/\/mississauga.irect.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/197\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1730,"href":"https:\/\/mississauga.irect.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/197\/revisions\/1730"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mississauga.irect.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=197"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}