Mission
Our slogan 'World Mission Matters!' implies the importance of our collective and personal ministries to the world-wide Christian family as the visible Body of Christ at work amongst the most vulnerable and neediest of groups. That ministry demands prayer, which in turn requires information (available BELOW by clicking on the symbols of the various agencies) and leads to individual and collective action as we are able.
With regard to Mission Action Planning consider explicit mention of support for a mission agency or development organisation (preferably both!) because they are attempting to counter on our behalf and in the name of Christ, the greatest needs (see below).
Mission and Development agencies can be readily accessed by clicking on each logo below.
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As parishes develop the second round of Mission Action Plans, Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s remark (from Letters and Papers from Prison) rings true: “Our being Christian today will be limited to two things, prayer and doing justice among men”. That statement is surely as pertinent for us today, with all our uncertainties, as it was in Nazi Germany of 1944. So as we look at our immediate communities and their needs we will be drawn to examine the relationships we and they have with the wider world.
As part of the MAP process some Parishes have looked at the places of work of their population and possible international links which employers have. The countries from which raw materials are imported and perhaps even the manufacturing processes of these businesses might be considered together with their target markets. It may be appropriate to look at their environmental impacts (mindful of climate change and pollution) and also whether there may be effects upon marginalised or deprived communities in less developed societies with which businesses are involved.
In this way prayers for our own people and the communities we care about can be linked to those situations about which we know less and those communities which suffer injustice and poverty beyond our immediate horizon. Our prayers should then be better informed and purposeful as we discover what God is already doing and engage with it so that Christ’s Kingdom of Peace and Justice may be extended.
To do that it is worth remembering the “Five Marks of Mission” which Christians of many countries and cultures have affirmed as a way of finding a common focus as they share in God’s mission in the world are:
- To Proclaim, the good news of the kingdom
- To Teach, baptise and nurture new believers
- To Respond, to human need by loving service
- To Seek, to transform the unjust structures of society
- To Strive, to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth.
or www.uspg.org.uk
or www.christianaid.org.uk
tearfund or www.tearfund.org
or www.leprosymission.org.uk
or www.barnabasfund.org
or www.oikocredit.org
or www.shared-interest.com
Further links:
The Anglican Communion - for which the development agency is the Anglican Alliance: http://www.anglicancommunion.org/mission/anglican-alliance.aspx
The Church of North India - www.northindia-derbyshirechurches-partnership.org.uk
Living Lightly is the Diocesan policy. We are encouraging parishes and churches to become Eco Churches and registered as an Eco Diocese in 2018.
How you can act in response.
Our recommendations and links....
Early this year the Mission and Ministry team organised three training events focusing on the Occassional offices - Christenings, Weddings and Funerals. To download the slides from the events click links below
For more information please contact lee.townend@derby.anglican.org
Young People
What is MAP?
MAP stands for Mission Action Planning. The main purpose of MAP is to listen and discern the will of God for your church and its community. It is about looking at what is happening in your parish and as a church community considering the direction that you think your church should be heading. Once you have established a vision for your church you then set yourselves priorities for your church for each of the following 3 years and then plan the specific steps you need to take to deliver these goals. At the end of each year we will ask you to review your action so that you can adjust your plan accordingly.
Finding the right direction for your Church
Let’s imagine someone has a free day and they want to go on a new walk. They get out their map and need to consider the following:
1. Where will they start from?
2. Where are they going, what is their destination?
3. What’s the best way to get there?
4. What do they need to do now?
Well that’s exactly the process we follow for mission action planning:
As churches begin to consider where God is calling them, what direction they should take and which path they should follow, then these same questions are relevant.
