Towards a Renewed Vision
A group of around twenty
parishioners met on Saturday 18 August 2012 to begin the process towards a new three
to five year vision for the Parish. We
began by reflecting on the Diocesan Theme, then on the importance of having a
vision and mission, and finally focused in a SWOT analysis on what we would
like to preserve from the past and achieve in the future. This process also
included looking at what we need to stop doing, and things we’d like to avoid
happening. This process is not yet 100% complete as the Youth are doing the
same exercise during their Sunday Teen Church time.
So far we have discovered the
following:
In terms of the Diocesan Vision, “Renewed
and Empowered through Baptism to be “Servants of God and Stewards of the
Mysteries of Christ” (1 Corinthians 4:1) we need to BE disciples of Christ and shift from religion to Faith, which
implies an increase in our commitment, discipline and willingness to follow Christ
in living out and exercising our Faith. We need to be equipped and willing to
equip others as we seek to be qualified Ambassadors for God. We need to GO and live our Faith in our everyday
lives amongst whoever we meet, and our words and actions need to identify us as
disciples and point to Christ. We need to seek spiritual growth so that we can
reach out both into the Parish and into the community, acknowledging that we
are “sent” Sunday by Sunday to wherever there is need and opportunity. What we
are called to DO is make disciples
through being role-models, willing to take risks and to stand up and be
counted. We need to serve and represent Christ by being salt (preserve, clean,
flavour), light (guide, dispel darkness) and yeast (transform, bring to fullness)
as we seek to build dedicated, committed and sustainable discipleship. We need
to be a community of committed, caring disciples who offer ourselves to
participate in growing a community of disciples that is sustaining and sustainable.
In terms of the SWOT analysis we wish to PRESERVE our leadership and management structures, continue
to cherish our diversity, our particular Anglican traditions including the
variety of worship opportunities offered (i.e. the quieter 7am Eucharist, and
the more noisy 9am Eucharist). Also the family ethos of the Parish, our Sunday
School, Teen Church, Confirmation and other programmes. We also wish to
continue caring for our facilities (buildings and garden). We wish to ACHIEVE
a wide participation in a shared vision for the Parish. This includes a renewed
focus on education through workshops and relevant courses (e.g. Lent), the retention of youth (beyond
Confirmation/Matric) by utilising focused Youth programmes (there are a number developed
beyond the Church), a strong sense of community across age-groups and building
relationships through fellowship (encourage wider participation and involvement),
exploiting Social Media as a method of communication and marketing. We also
wish to find better ways to utilise our space, and look to plant a new
congregation to our South-East. There are things we need to ELIMINATE
such as ignorance of our vision and what it is to be Christian and Anglican, a
lack of involvement, complacency and apathy among the members, including the
disrespect and lack of courtesy shown by those who arrive late for services and
functions, also a desire to be comfortable and not take risks. We wish to AVOID
such things as radical change, destructive
confrontation and criticism, exclusivity and intolerance, and procrastination.
We’d like to also avoid increasing the size of our Church building, and we don’t
wish to lose any Church members.
We realise everyone
was not able to be present, but may have things to add that are important to
you about our community. Please feel free to chat with the Clergy, the Wardens
or members of Council. Once we have received input from our young people, the
next step will be to formulate the above into vision, mission and priority statements.
It is our intention to have these finalised in time for our Annual Vestry
meeting in January 2013.
Blessings
Mark
