The convention of the Diocese has come and gone. Resolutions and budgets were passed. This excerpt from the report of St. Columba’s delegation strikes me as being at the heart of our task.
Excerpt from report:
In her formal address the Bishop made the point that in her opinion; the familiar church is passing away. By that she did not mean The Church-the Body of Christ- is dying, but “that our human structure of the earthly church is troubled and that we are being called to discover a re-formed character.” She feels that,” we are living in the throes of a corporate Holy Saturday…when nothing seems to be happening”.
The Bishop went on to point out that the there are 10 characteristics of congregations that are experiencing significant transformations:
• Changed attitudes to own responsibilities. Instead of acting like victims, they re-set their vision.
• They are people of abundance who speak of God’s blessings and experience the joy of giving instead of complaining that they
don’t have enough.
• Place a high priority on Christian formation for all ages. Informed believers make faithful disciples.
• See newcomers not as sources of money, but as people who are seeking a Christ-centered community.
• Create an environment of mutual responsibility.
• Develop achievable goals, and rely upon shared ministry to accomplish them.
• Move from triangulation and gossip to effective ways of communication.
• Give voice to the core of the Christian faith: sacrifice, sin, evil, repentance, forgiveness and love, all redeemed through the
Word made Flesh.
• Use new technologies in the service of evangelism.
• Worship every Sunday.
The Bishop close her address by saying, “ the Christian message is a message of life and eternal hope…we need generous spirits, thankful hearts, and works of mercy, so the Holy Saturday will lead to the Feast of Resurrection”.
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