Leading Congregations in Mission - Community of Christ

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each out, inviting participation in the work of the church in our communities. Giftedness and developing our gifts have always been principles associated with stewardship. As a young adult, attending this denomination as a nonmember spouse, I was taken aside by a high priest who shared his vision of what I could do and become as part of the community. No one ever had done that to me before. Soon I was active as business manager for a youth camp. That eventually led me to offer myself as a member of the Body of Christ. As a Minister of Vision, look prayerfully at those in your congregation. In the spirit of invitation, seek participation and input. Look for ways to involve everyone in the life of the community. Mentoring young adults as they try to understand where and how their blessings can be used is important. “Sacred community provides nurture and growth opportunities for all people.” Will you be a leader in creating such a culture of collaboration? A culture of courage models the mission and ministry of Jesus Christ, especially as represented in the Mission Initiatives. Ministers of Vision can help remind people of how Christ courageously proclaimed his mission of evangelism, compassion, and justice. We can encourage the development of disciples and strong congregations equipped to embody that mission. It takes courage to help congregations move from what they have always done to evaluate their mission in light of the call to embody Christ’s mission. This courageous evaluation can help move congregations from exclusion to welcoming. We can help congregations see what the church is doing in the world and support that mission through tithes, offerings, and participation. We also can encourage congregations to align with mission by creating budgets that support the Mission Initiatives locally. As congregations courageously step into previously uncharted ministries, high priests can provide expertise, support, and servant leadership. Resources are available through Daily Devotion Available Online! Earlier this year, the Daily Bread launched a free blog at www.CofChristDailyBread.wordpress.com. The mobile-friendly site offers content from the Daily Bread book and the ability to share your comments. Enter the URL above on any smart phone and save it to the home screen for easy viewing each day. We encourage you and your friends to visit the site and subscribe to take advantage of this daily discipline! High Priests Newsletter 6 the Disciple Formation Guide at www.CofChrist.org/dfg. Also, a new Pastors and Leaders Field Guide has been provided through the generosity of a family that committed resources so congregations would have every opportunity to succeed in mission. Visit www.CofChrist.org/leaders. A culture of commitment calls us to give to our true capacity. In Doctrine and Covenants Section 163:9 we read: Faithful disciples respond to an increasing awareness of the abundant generosity of God by sharing according to the desires of their hearts; not by commandment or constraint. Break free of the shackles of conventional culture that mainly promote self-serving interests. Give generously according to your true capacity [emphasis added]. Eternal joy and peace await those who grow in the grace of generosity that flows from compassionate hearts without thought of return. Could it be otherwise in the domain of God, who eternally gives all for the sake of creation? High priests have heard the sacred call to turn one’s life over to the mission of Christ, understanding what that means in our own lives. We then are able to help translate that call for others. As you and your congregation commit to the mission of Christ, formulas are replaced by a focus on what matters most and doing whatever it takes for Christ’s mission to be accomplished, locally and around the world. My Spirit is reaching out to numerous souls even now and there are many who will respond if you, my people, will bear affirmative testimony of my love and my desires for all to come unto me. —Doctrine and Covenants 153:9b As Ministers of Vision, we are called to create cultures of innovation, collaboration, courage, and commitment in our congregations, calling everyone to give to their true capacity so the mission of Christ can become a reality in our communities throughout the world.
High Priests: Called to Be Bridge Builders By Wim van Klinken, Quorum of High Priests secretary Like many of us, I grew up in a society that was far less diverse than today’s. Since, television and the Internet have opened our world beyond association with just those who are of the same socioeconomic status, the same ethnicity, the same belief system. This diversity brings blessings. But for many, it also brings fears of the unknown and angst over the pressure to adapt to unfamiliar and possibly controversial practices. Our church community also has become more diverse in the last several decades. Listen carefully to the many testimonies of those around the world who have been led into the fellowship of the Community of Christ. The richness of cultures, the poetry of language, and the breadth of human experience permit the gospel to be seen with new eyes and grasped with freshness of spirit. That gift has been given to you. Do not fail to understand its power. It is for divine purpose that you have been given the struggles as well as the joys of diversity. So must it always be in the peaceable kingdom. Do not be defined by the things that separate you but by the things that unite you in Jesus Christ. Over and over again you have been counseled to be reconciled, to seek the unity that is imperative to the building of the kingdom. Again the Spirit counsels the church to not allow the forces of division to divert you from your witness. Listen together to one another, without judgment or predisposition. Do not assume that the answers to matters of conflict have yet been perceived. There is much labor to be done. Reason together in love, and the Spirit of truth will prevail. From the earliest days you have been given a sacred principle that declares the inestimable worth of all persons. Do not forget. The One who created all humankind grieves at the shameful divisions within the human family. A prophetic people must work tirelessly to tear down walls of separation and to build bridges of understanding. —Doctrine and Covenants 162:4a—6b Heads Up National Conferences National conferences are structured to allow us to “listen together to one another, without judgment or predisposition.” The council in Doctrine and Covenants 162:4a—6b speaks particularly to high priests who are called to be bridge builders. In the aftermath of national conferences in Australia and Canada and in this time leading to the national conferences in the USA and the British Isles, the ministry of high priests is indispensable. “Reason together in love, and the Spirit of truth will prevail.” Help Prepare for the USA National Conference In preparation for the 2013 USA National Conference, high priests in the USA are asked to be facilitators. Please contact your mission center president and participate in local facilitator training. Your field apostle is interested to know if you are able and willing to travel and provide training somewhere else. The four resources available to high priests to facilitate groups are: 1. The Reflection Questions and Spiritual Practices (www.CofChrist.org/usaconf/reflectivequestions.pdf) 2. Wholeness through Christ—a focus on the relationship principles from Doctrine and Covenants 164 a. The facilitator guide is at www.CofChrist.org/ OnlineResources/reunion/reunion2011/Reunion 11Adults.pdf. b. The reading material is at www.CofChrist.org/ OnlineResources/reunion/reunion2011/Whole nessthroughChrist.pdf. 3. Discovering God’s Will through Scripture (DVD and facilitator and participant guides available through mission centers) 4. Signal Communities…Live Christ’s Peace, available through Herald House In general, national conference preparation material is at www.CofChrist.org/usaconf/reunion.asp. 7 High Priests Newsletter
Page 1 and 2: Leading Congregations in Mission By
Page 3 and 4: You Might Think It’s Strange By J
Page 5: Creating Cultures of Innovation, Co
Page 9 and 10: More Languages for New Priesthood M
Page 11 and 12: Fais de moi Seigneur ton Disciple !
Page 13 and 14: Translation teams are creating new

Leading Congregations in Mission - Community of Christ

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