OUR MISSION ( taken from Dioscean Mission Plan for illustrative purposes.)
“That every human community in Devon has a praying, worshipping and witnessing Christian presence, working to make disciples of Jesus Christ and to bring that community’s life into the kingdom of God; and that everyone has the opportunity to engage with the fullness of the Church’s life locally” (Moving on in Mission and Ministry).
These words continue to guide us as we look to the future, seeking to shape our priorities in the light of our God-given work and the hard reality of our available resources. Nine years ago we took the bold step of deciding to form ourselves into Mission Communities and we remain committed to that. Now we must grow their effectiveness. We must also look radically at the role and ministry of our three bishops in the Diocese and find ways of setting them free to fulfil their role as leaders in mission and teaching.
BIBLICAL AND THEOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS.
The values which underpin our mission and purpose arise directly from our Lord’s commands to ‘preach the Kingdom and heal the sick” (Luke 9.2), to “do this is remembrance of me” (Luke 22.19), “to love one another as I have loved you” (John 13.34) and to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age." (Matthew 28.19-20): These underline three apostolic tasks and therefore three essential values in the service of them:
• to exercise pastoral care in such a way as to speak unequivocally of the essential dignity of every individual;
• to organise our life in such a way that all our members are able to speak the Word of truth in love. This to be understood as not only proclamation of the Gospel to individuals but also to society as a whole and all cultures within it; and
• to plan our common life so that all who respond can be fully drawn into the life of the Church and into full discipleship, participating in the sacraments - baptism and the Eucharist – being transformed by their grace and thus become living witnesses to God’s loving power day by day. It is essential that every disciple, new and old, re-occupy the place that is theirs, given by God who calls them to live the life of the baptised and to give themselves to others in the service of the Gospel.
“That every human community in Devon has a praying, worshipping and witnessing Christian presence, working to make disciples of Jesus Christ and to bring that community’s life into the kingdom of God; and that everyone has the opportunity to engage with the fullness of the Church’s life locally” (Moving on in Mission and Ministry).
These words continue to guide us as we look to the future, seeking to shape our priorities in the light of our God-given work and the hard reality of our available resources. Nine years ago we took the bold step of deciding to form ourselves into Mission Communities and we remain committed to that. Now we must grow their effectiveness. We must also look radically at the role and ministry of our three bishops in the Diocese and find ways of setting them free to fulfil their role as leaders in mission and teaching.
BIBLICAL AND THEOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS.
The values which underpin our mission and purpose arise directly from our Lord’s commands to ‘preach the Kingdom and heal the sick” (Luke 9.2), to “do this is remembrance of me” (Luke 22.19), “to love one another as I have loved you” (John 13.34) and to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age." (Matthew 28.19-20): These underline three apostolic tasks and therefore three essential values in the service of them:
• to exercise pastoral care in such a way as to speak unequivocally of the essential dignity of every individual;
• to organise our life in such a way that all our members are able to speak the Word of truth in love. This to be understood as not only proclamation of the Gospel to individuals but also to society as a whole and all cultures within it; and
• to plan our common life so that all who respond can be fully drawn into the life of the Church and into full discipleship, participating in the sacraments - baptism and the Eucharist – being transformed by their grace and thus become living witnesses to God’s loving power day by day. It is essential that every disciple, new and old, re-occupy the place that is theirs, given by God who calls them to live the life of the baptised and to give themselves to others in the service of the Gospel.