Fort Massey Vision Statement

At Fort Massey, we live into being a vibrant and evolving community where tradition is honoured, change is embraced, and injustice is challenged, where everyone is welcomed, needed, valued and belongs. Following Jesus’ example of expansive love, we aim to provide a safe, nurturing environment where everyone is free to be themselves. We celebrate and encourage people of every age, health, race, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, family configuration, background, ability, interest, culture, economic circumstance and faith journey into the full participation and leadership of ministries in the life and work of Fort Massey United Church.

Welcome to Fort Massey

We extend a special welcome to those who are single, married, divorced, widowed, straight, gay, confused, well-heeled or down at heel. We especially welcome wailing babies and excited toddlers. We welcome you whether you can sing like Pavarotti or just growl quietly to yourself. You’re welcome here if you’re ‘just browsing’, just woken up or just got out of prison. We don’t care if you’re more Christian than the Moderator of the United Church of Canada or haven’t been to church since Christmas ten years ago. We extend a special welcome to those who are over 60 but not grown up yet, and to teenagers who are growing up too fast. We welcome keep-fit mums, hockey dads, starving artists, tree-huggers, latte-sippers, vegetarians, junk-food eaters. We welcome those who are in recovery or still addicted. We welcome you if you’re having problems, are down in the dumps or don’t like ‘organized religion.’ (We’re not that keen on it either!) We offer a welcome to those who think the earth is flat, work too hard, don’t work, can’t spell, or are here because granny is visiting and wanted to come to the ol’ Kirk. We welcome those who are inked, pierced, both or neither. We offer a special welcome to those who could use a prayer right now, had religion shoved down their throat as kids or got lost on the Armdale roundabout and wound up here by mistake. We welcome pilgrims, tourists, seekers, doubters… and you! (adapted and used with permission, Coventry Cathedral, England)