SHALOM AND WELCOME
We are Kehillat Mayim Chaim, which in English means Living Water Congregation.
Living water is a phrase found throughout the Scriptures and the most famous occurrence is spoken by Yeshua during the festival of Sukkot (Tabernacles) in the Gospel of John: Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ (Jn 7:38).
​
We are a Messianic community located in Toronto that welcomes jews and non-jews as one in Yeshua, the promised Messiah of Israel.
OUR VISION
To be known as a Messianic community, welcoming of jews and non-jews, where Yeshua is exalted, holiness is essential, and fellowship is embraced.
OUR COMMUNITY
We are a community committed to the teachings of the Torah, Nevi’im (prophets), Ketuvim (writings) and the Apostolic Writings, holding Yeshua (Jesus) as the supreme example to emulate, while continually instructing the next generation in order to sustain the community for the future.
We are called by many names - a synagogue, a shul, a community, a church, a mishpocha (a family).
​
Check out our services & ministry section, as well as our beliefs and halachah below, for more information.
​
We also encourage all visitors, and even those experienced in the messianic / Torah movement, to understand more about the diversity and definitions of the movement. Here is a paper by one of our own, Ben Frostad, which is an excellent resource to explore this.
​
​
WHAT WE DO
We hold weekly Shabbat services, in-person and online. We also celebrate the annual feasts according to the majority Jewish calendar. We serve our communities. We individually bear the name of the king during the week.
​
LEADERSHIP TEAM
Mario Guerrero
Elder
Mario and his wife Evelyn live in Toronto and are passionate about serving God and His kingdom. Evelyn homeschools their three children and Mario works as a business analyst in the government. They love the Scriptures, Israel and share the good news of the Kingdom to all nations. They have been believers for over 10 years and involved in the messianic movement for 6 years. Mario has taken courses in apologetics, theology, and evangelism at different religious institutions and has led Bible studies and held various congregational leadership roles.
Glenn Minnis
Elder
Glenn and his wife Alexis live in Burlington Ontario and are devoted parents and community members. Alexis homeschools their six children and Glenn works full-time in the insurance industry. They have been involved in the messianic movement for 20 years during which Glenn has taken courses at Torah Resource Institute and has held various congregational leadership roles.
Rudy Cowie
Elder
Rudy and Ann have ministered in the Gospel of Yeshua together for many years since completing study courses on the Bible, preaching and teaching, pastoral care and assisting with weddings, baptisms and funerals. Rudy was ordained into the ministry with the AME church in Canada.
My desire and passion is to fulfill the calling that I believe God has given me which is to:
"Study to show myself approved unto God as a workman that needs not to be ashamed because he deals straight forwardly with the Word of Truth"
2 Timothy 2:15
We believe that Yeshua is the head of the community, and that the best communal leadership derives from a plurality of leaders.
HISTORY
Kehillat Mayim Chaim (KMC) was born out of a vision and a need to provide a family-friendly Torah-centered messianic community that is unwavering in its mission to exalt and build Yeshua's kingdom. L'dor v'dor (from generation to generation) is a foundational concept at KMC aimed at ensuring the community is dedicated to building the next generation of faithful servants.
​
We are guided by the words of the Shema - that there is no other God. And we are also guided by the words of the V'ahavta - that we are to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, and strength. And we are guided by words of the Torah as interpreted and lived out by Yeshua - to love our neighbour as ourselves.
​
OUR BELIEFS
-
We believe the Bible (Tanak and Apostolic Scriptures, also known as the Old and New Testaments) to be inspired by the Holy Spirit and is the only authoritative Word of God in its verbal plenary inspiration in the original manuscripts.
-
We believe that there is one God, infinite and perfect, who has revealed Himself as—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, each possessing the nature and perfections of deity, as well as the characteristics of personality, and that He is the creator of all living things.
-
We believe that the first man, Adam, was created in the image of God, and that from his sin all are now born guilty before God, with a sin nature in rebellion against Him.
-
We believe that God made an everlasting and irrevocable covenant with Abraham. It includes the unconditional election of Israel as God’s chosen people, the promise of the Messiah through whom all the world would be blessed, and the gift of the land of Israel to the Jewish people.
-
We believe that God the Son, the eternal Word, took human nature to Himself and was known as Yeshua, or Jesus, the Messiah. We believe in His full deity, His virgin conception by the Holy Spirit, His full humanity, and His sinless life. He is the only effective sacrifice for the sins of humankind, and He ascended into heaven after His death and resurrection. He will return physically and visibly to reign on earth.
-
We believe in the full deity and personality of the Holy Spirit and that He bears witness to Messiah Yeshua through the Word of God. He convicts people of sin, regenerates individuals, baptizing them into the Body of Messiah. He indwells, seals, fills, helps, and produces in believers the fruit of the Holy Spirit. We believe that the Holy Spirit sovereignly gives gifts to believers.
-
We believe in justification by grace through faith. Faith in Messiah Yeshua is the only way of salvation for both Jew and non-Jew. Messiah Yeshua preserves those who trust in Him eternally.
-
We believe that Jewish and non-Jewish believers unite together to form the Body of Messiah and are fellow heirs of the promises of God. They are to establish local assemblies of believers where both communities are encouraged to live and fellowship together in unity while expressing their respective cultural distinctives.
HALACHAH
We believe that the Torah is a revelation of the righteousness of God and a description (upon which the rest of Scripture builds) of the lifestyle of the redeemed community. As a result, we believe that the Torah is applicable to both Jew and Non-Jew. (Matthew 5:17-19; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Acts 15; Rom 2:13)
​
-
As a community that respects and appreciates the One who gave us His Torah and His mitzvot, our community halachah incorporates an active and practical obedience, equally for both Jew and Non-Jew, to the mitzvot found in the Torah. (Mat 5:17ff, Rom 2:13; 7:12,16, 22, 25)
-
Our community halachah brings us together as a local assembly to celebrate the Feast days outlined in the Torah and dated according to the majority Jewish Calendar. (Lev 23; 1 Cor 11:20ff)
-
Our community halachah only necessitates kashrut according to the requirements described in the Scriptures. (Lev 11; 17:10-13)