August 2002
And his gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for the
building up
of the Body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and
the
knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure
of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
(Ephesians 4:11-13
RSV)
Dear All Saints’ Family,
At a recent meeting we were asked to share a scripture passage that
summarized our understanding of what the church’s ministry is all about.
For me, the clearest description of church is stated in Paul’s letter to
the Ephesians. (See above) Paul writes that the Spirit has given gifts to
various people for a reason, ‘to equip the saints for ministry’ and ‘for
the building up of the body of Christ.’ He goes on to say that the goal of
all this is unity of the faith, knowledge of the Son of God, and maturity.
The ultimate goal is to grow into the fullness of Christ. A new expression
is being used to summarize this call to spiritual growth, and that is
Christian Formation.
Christian formation is a phrase that encompasses all aspects of our
life of growth, education, prayer, worship, and ministry. Our diocese, as
well as the national church has deemed that Christian formation is
essential for the future health of our church, and the Vestry of All
Saints’ has made this a priority for us. Many of our seminaries have added
this vital ministry to their curriculum, training individuals to assist
congregations in their goal of growing into the measure of the stature of
the fullness of Christ. If you have visited our web site, you have noticed
that we are looking for such a person. The challenge is that the demand
for Christian Formation Directors is much greater that the supply. With a
short supply and great demand, finding the right person will take a great
deal of time and prayer.
With this in mind we have decided to forge ahead in our plans to expand
programs, education opportunities for all ages, and ministry training by
asking for those who feel called to work on a committee to oversee
Christian formation at All Saints’. We have many capable people in our
congregation who may not have the time or energy to take on the whole task
of a Christian Formation Director, but I believe that together we have the
resources to fulfill our mission. Please pray about your participation on
the program committee. If you feel called to share your gift in this way
contact me as soon as possible so that we can make plans for the fall.
Peace be with you all, and by all means, enjoy the remainder of the
summer.
Fr. David
top
|
