Tuesday

Pastoral Charge Vision

St. Mary’s Pastoral Charge
The United Church of Canada

Our Mission Statement is...
“To Express the Good News of the gospel as a faith community desiring to follow Christ and proclaim Him to the world.”

Our Vision Statement is...
“We will carry out our mission by seeking to be a welcoming community of faith, a place where all people can experience friendship, spiritual growth, fulfillment and faith in Jesus Christ through worship, study, fellowship, service to the community and mission to the world at large.”

Worship: We will ensure that our worship is authentic, centered on and pleasing to God. Our worship will strive to touch hearts, stir longings for a whole, healthy life and help people to discover hope. It will be meaningful, uplifting and relevant to everyday life. It will be simple, stirring and inspirational, with hymns and songs in which all can participate, and prayers, preaching and sacraments that help us discover the love and promise of God, the grace and compassion of Christ and the healing and hope of the Holy Spirit. Worship should be a time for all to encounter and experience God. Our worship space will be inviting, clean and accessible. It will be warm and welcoming. We will be warm and welcoming to one another and to new people, providing a place for growth and development, community and belonging, a place where people can share, be encouraged, have fun and discover a sense of purpose and power in their lives.


Christian Education: We recognize that we are called to continue growing in our knowledge of God and that faith is a life long, learning commitment. This means reading and studying the scriptures, reflecting, praying and meeting together to be challenged and encouraged as we share our spiritual journey. We are committed to developing, offering and participating in an array of Christian education and small group opportunities which will teach the ways of salvation, increase faith and spiritual maturity in the believer, help us to lead lives which are pleasing to God and equip all followers of Christ to do good works.   


Fellowship: The Bible commands and encourages us to seek fellowship with each other so we can grow, develop and mature as believers. Fellowship is first and foremost a relationship, rather than an activity. Interpersonal relationships are desperately needed to keep our faith alive and growing. We will be intentional in providing many opportunities for fellowship and make a conscious effort to get to know one another, foster relationships and establish strong ties.     
                                                                                                       

Mission: As individuals and as a congregation, we are committed to community service, assisting those in need and seeking justice for all of God’s creation. As a congregation we will identify and undertake one needed local mission initiative and do it well. We will continue to generously support world missions through The United Church of Canada’s Mission and Service Fund.


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