We want to see five of them in regular use by a congregation after three years of implementation. They are based on use of our basic resources. Underlying these specific actions is the conviction that the primary agents of God’s reign, God’s mission, are the members in their daily living from Monday to Saturday.
1. Sermons and teaching proclaim God’s mission to overcome evil, sin, and death with love and justice and Jesus as its visible center
2. Teaching that, in baptism, we have joined Jesus’ mission to make the world more loving and more just
3. Preaching and teaching keep working at:
– challenging coming to church “for solace . . . and pardon only” / only to be forgiven and loved; and, then,
– calling all to go into the world to make it more loving, forgiving, and just;
– and seeking to include at least one down to earth story of someone on mission in daily life in each sermon
4. Groups using the 8 questions from each worksheet to discern their missions in each daily mission field
5. Teaching that the commitments of baptism and confirmation / adult profession of faith are commitments to Jesus’ mission to make the world more loving and more just
6. Discerning each of our daily missions as part of preparation for baptism and confirmation / adult profession of faith
8. Use of our resources to develop a mission statement that
– reflects the theological principles cited on p. 17 of the Guide for Church Leaders;
– reflects the daily mission fields of each member; and
– states clearly that supporting the daily missions of the members is the primary purpose of the congregation or one of its primary purposes
9. Use of our resources to orient leaders to support and to be part of implementing the member mission process
9. Prayers for our daily missions are part of Sunday worship
10. Wording of handouts, publications, signs, and public notices that imply being part of this church means to be an agent of Jesus’ mission
11. An ongoing way for members to share the stories of their missions
12. Work with each church group or activity to enhance its purpose to include supporting its members in their daily living as agents of God’s mission in Jesus Christ
