Lord Jesus,
help us to know you
help us to grow in you
help us to show you.
Amen.
What does the picture mean?
In our picture we hope you can see the idea of a thriving and dynamic community. We want to focus on God, grow in Him and express our life by welcoming, growing, praying, caring and reaching out. At the heart of our vision is the cross where Jesus died for us and the dove of His Spirit whereby he gives us new life. Our life as a church revolves around this centre.
Welcoming:
We believe God wants us to be welcoming to newcomers. That means changing the way we do things to make it easier for people who are not used to church. It means offering genuine friendship and not judging those who are different from us.
Lord Jesus, help us show you.
Growing:
We believe God wants us to grow in faith. We want to know God better and to serve him better. That means providing opportunities to learn at all levels of Christian maturity. It means developing and using the gifts that God has given to every member of our church.
We believe God wants us to grow in numbers. That means an emphasis on welcoming and reaching out to new people. It also means providing a Christian family which makes people want to stay and belong.
Lord Jesus, help us grow in you.
Praying:
We believe God wants everyone in our church to grow closer to Him. That means learning to pray alone; together and for others. It means living our whole lives in a spirit of worship and prayer.
We believe God wants us to celebrate His joy, peace and healing in our worship. Our two church buildings give us a special opportunity to offer a rich variety of traditional and modern worship. We want our worship to be both alive and genuine.
Lord Jesus, help us know you.
Caring:
We believe God wants us to care for one another. That means providing places and groups where people can belong and form good relationships. It means learning to notice and respond to each other’s needs.
We believe God wants us to encourage friendship and fellowship in our church. That means providing a variety of social opportunities. It means having fun and enjoying one another’s company!
Lord Jesus, help us show you.
Reaching out:
We believe God wants us to share the good news about Jesus. That means developing a genuine love for those who do not yet believe. It means equipping and encouraging Christians to share their faith in ways that are most appropriate and effective.
We believe God wants us to serve our local community. That means engaging with local people and issues beyond our church and providing facilities and services which respond to the needs of those in our parish. It means working together with other Christians in outreach and service. It also means looking beyond our parish and responding to the needs of Basildon.
We believe God wants us to be generous in sharing his blessings. That means supporting charities and good causes locally and in the wider world.
Lord Jesus, help us show you.
How did we come up with this?
This is an adapted form of the mission statement first agreed in 2000. Although the values and the mission expressed in the picture have stayed substantially the same we have adjusted the explanatory words to take account of our developing understanding of our calling in 2010.
This document was approved by the Parochial Church Council.