During 2020, the Diocesan Council, bishops and senior leadership team spent time considering and answering the following questions:
- What is our vision for the Anglican Church Southern Queensland over the next 5 to 10 years to advance God’s mission?
- What are the values that we want to engender within the Anglican Church Southern Queensland to establish the type of culture that will help achieve that vision?
Diocesan Council adopted a vision statement and identified values and focus areas to help us achieve it.
Our vision statement is:
Flourishing faith communities: proclaiming and serving, worshipping and learning.
As Tricia Bartkowiak explained last Sunday, parish council considered the following list from this vision statement of characteristics of a flourishing faith community;
- Have Jesus and his mission as expressed in the Gospels at the centre.
- Are making new disciples.
- Have porous boundaries welcoming all to come and see and belong.
- Reflect the make-up of their surrounding community (i.e. age, gender, ethnicity, socio-economic).
- Are sustainable in practices, leadership and finances.
- Are energetically engaged with their local communities and the wider world.
- Are intentional learning communities.
- Are always in the process of renewing themselves and their focus on mission.
- Have many effective leaders, both lay and ordained.
- Focus on the whole mission of God.
The question we asked ourselves was, “Which of the characteristics listed above do we recognise in our own faith community?”
We invite our whole community to reflect on this, and also to consider the question, “How might I help my faith community flourish in these ways?”
You might like to consider sharing your thoughts and ideas with Rev’d Sue, or one of our wardens, a committee leader or someone on parish council. While we may never finally arrive, the journey of seeking a passionate faith life and extension of the kingdom of God in this place and time is a joyful one that can only be taken together.
Grace and peace,
Sue+