I have learned both in my personal life and in my professional life that Mission and Vision are imperative to accomplishing goals. For many years St. Michaels Mission was "To glorify God through worship, discipleship, fellowship, ministry and evangelism." Over the last 6 months the vestry has been working hard to lay the ground work for effective and productive strategic planning. One of the first things we did was evaluate our mission and vision statements. We determined our mission statement needed more of an outward focus which incorporated the core Christian idea: "the church exists to reconcile the world to God". If that is true, then our mission statement needed to incorporate that spirit. After much prayer, discussion and word smithing the following mission statement was developed "The Mission of St. Michaels Church is to glorify God by making Christ know to the world through worship, discipleship, fellowship and service" In essence, all we do here in this church should and will glorify God by reach out beyond our walls. We desire to be a powerful instrument in the hands of God to reconcile the world to him.

 

The second part of our work was to revisit our vision statement. The reality is we have two vision statements; "Opening the doors to faith" and "Glorify God, build up his Church and usher in his kingdom". We realized these vision statements have  become part of the very fabric of our common life together. And we are not proposing we jettison these formative statements, but rather expand upon them. By being a community committed to "opening the door to faith" and "glorifying God, building up his Church and ushering in his Kingdom", we have become "A Community of Grace". You can't come on a Sunday morning and not see Grace, feel Grace or receive Grace. Grace is acceptance no matter who you are or where you have been or what you have done. Grace is God's unmerited and unearned acceptance. St. Michaels' in so many ways embodies such Grace. Are we perfect? No! Are there more opportunities and circumstances in which we could exercise greater Grace with each other? Absolutely! But look around St. Michaels' and see the faces and the people, we come from all walks of life. We span the socio-economic, educational and political spectrum. We may not agree on politics. We may not agree on social policies. But we all agree each Sunday that we are sinners in need of a savior. Each Sunday when we bend our knees with hands outstretched like beggars seeking God's Grace, forgiveness, strength and comfort through the Holy Sacrament, we are reminded that we are all the same, equal. And it is there on our knees in humbled submission that we embody being "a community of Grace".  Our challenge is to live Grace-fully within our church, our families our community and the world. So others may join us and taste the Grace, peace and serenity of knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

 

So our Mission is apparent "Glorify God by making Christ known throughout the world through worship, discipleship, fellowship and service". Our vision is clear. We are to be a "Community of Grace". Now our call is to live it.