“Much has been written about the pervasive changes relative to the missional task of churches in recent decades. The dissolution of Christendom has been acknowledged, sometimes with angst, other times with elation. Some bemoan loss of the former bias that the church once enjoyed; others acknowledge the incapacity of faith to transform, unless it is validated as authentic when proven in the fabric of pluralism. Authentic faith rises to the surface in the face of conflict and challenge. No longer assumed to be the faith of choice, Christianity must again prove its worth in answering the deepest questions of the human heart with clarity and purpose.” (excerpt from Shaped by God’s Heart: The Passion and Practices of Missional Churches, by Milfred Minatrea)
St. Stephen’s is embarking on significant change. The structures that served God’s work in the world so effectively in the past (at least as we remember it) no longer meet the needs of the changing world in which we live. At the start of 2017, we began an effort to articulate our purpose in Ridgefield and the broader community. One outcome of the year was a new Vision statement and Mission statement.
Our Vision- A world made whole by God’s transforming love in action.
Our Mission- Embracing and living God’s commandment to love our neighbor- through worship, stewardship, and service to others.
Our work on restructuring personnel and property allocations came from our need to reorient ourselves to our mission. As Minatrea writes above, the church (St. Stephen’s) has to “again prove its worth in answering the deepest questions of the human heart with clarity and purpose.”
God’s mission is sustainable because people find the time and money to dedicate toward responding to the needs of a hurting world. By prioritizing our collective efforts which feed the hungry, house the homeless, visit those who are sick or in prison; and which draw us into prayer and study of scripture, so that we might encounter the living and loving God in the immediacy of our daily lives, we discover that God has provided us with more than enough to do God’s work in the world. We are transformed from a community focused on our own scarcity and inadequacy, to a focus on the abundant provision of our generous God.
People wonder if God really can address the places where we feel most vulnerable. By becoming a missional church, we can show them that- YES! – God really can.
by Rev. Whitney Altopp
*Belonging with Purpose is a weekly news update of how our purpose is being reflected through the collective and individual lives of St. Stephen’s. If you have a story or experience that you believe illustrates our Vision and Mission, please send it to Ginny Fitzpatrick, gfitzpatrick@ststephens-ridgefield.org The staff works together to create a schedule for highlighting our ministry as St. Stephen’s Church.
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