Mission Action Plan Update

The Diocesan Missional Committee exists to follow through on a Diocesan initiative that invites parishes to consider how to renew their commitment to the Great Commission. The goal is to use interactive workshops to ask congregations to think about how their many programs and services could be more outwardly focused and invitational. The heart behind these workshops is to engage and encourage individuals to rethink what it means for the church to be evangelistic and missional, to remove the discomfort associated with these terms, and to engage in practical means through which a parish and individuals can demonstrate Jesus to the world around them. St. James has decided to participate in this initiative and establish a plan within our parish to focus on mission and evangelism in every area of community life. This means taking a look at the way we operate and finding new ways to adapt a missional attitude in that operation. The diocesan workshops offer tools for us to change our mindset and get creative within our own contexts. This means that we are not given a list of things to do or a one-size-fits all plan, but rather an opportunity to rethink, and freedom to make changes that work best for us as a community. The workshops focus on things like community engagement, communications, small groups, and more. The MAP committee at St. James functions as a facilitation group, creating spaces for parishioners to get creative rather than dictating the change as we see fit. We encourage all parishioners to begin thinking about how their own branch of ministry can operate with an evangelistic mindset as we seek to fulfill the Great Commission. We hope everyone can be part of the collaborative effort to make St. James a place that is warm and welcoming, and effective at sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with the world around us!

We recently had our MAP launch meeting on Zoom and the response has been wonderful! Thank you to all who participated and helped to facilitate our time. If you missed it, but would like more information, you can check out the slides from the workshop below. You can also email or call James Lawton, Rev. Dane, or Jennifer Diakew with any questions or comments. Their contact information is available on the website. 

Stay tuned for information on workshops starting up in September!