The mission statement of Christ Church Anglican is based not on the popular phrase "what would Jesus do", but rather it is based on what did Jesus do. By studying the gospels and mirroring Jesus' ministry we can be the light that we are called to be.
On numerous occasions in the gospels we hear that Jesus went "to a quiet place to pray." Spending time to renew and be with God the Father was important to Jesus. While His ministry was demanding he never lost sight of the fact that it was God who sent Him. Knowing this He would return and draw strength on a regular basis. Following His example Christ Church Anglican should be a place where we can worship. By drawing closer to God we, like Jesus, can "do the work He has given us to do" in His name.
The mission of Christ Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ, by emphasizing the Bible, prayer, and mission, while focusing on spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Let's unpack that a bit, since it contains a lot of church-y words that most people don't regularly use.
Disciples - our primary aim at Christ Church is to make disciples of Jesus. What is a disciple? A disciple is like a committed student under a teacher. The student wants to think like, speak like, and act like the teacher. A disciple can be thought of as an apprentice, of a sort. So, when we say we want to make disciples of Jesus, our aim is to understand how Jesus thought, spoke, and lived. From there we seek to shape our thoughts, words, and actions to be more like His.
How do we make disciples? Well, we do this by reading, hearing, learning, and applying the Bible to our lives, worshiping God, and reaching out to our communities, and by doing all these things with one another. This is how Jesus’ earliest followers responded to His call to follow Him, and it is just as relevant today (see Acts 2).
Bible– This is the book which tells the story of God’s dealings with His creation (this world, and everything and everyone in it), specifically showing His plan to save His creation through Jesus. It is in the Bible that we learn who God is – how He acts, what He desires of us, and where He is leading us. The reading and teaching of the Bible is central to most of our gatherings.
Worship– At Christ Church, we worship God together because of who He is and what He does for us. We pray together for the world, the church across the world, our communities and leaders, and for one another. We use the common prayer services that are a part of our rich legacy as Anglicans (for those who are curious, you can join us at 10 AM on any).
Outreach– Church is not about us. Jesus made this clear by how He lived – He was all about serving others. Part of our discipleship to Jesus, then, is in serving others, especially those who are marginalized by society.
The final part of Christ Church’s mission to unpack is our commitment to spread the Gospel. What is the Gospel? Put simply, “Gospel” means “good news.” These days, Christians are less and less associated with “good news.” Yet bringing Good News is central to being a disciple of Jesus (see the first thing Jesus is recorded as saying by Mark). As news, the Gospel is content, not some ethereal idea, but actual events grounded in history. Paul, one of Jesus’ earliest followers, put the good news this way:
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. (1 Corinthians 15:3-8, emphasis added)
For followers of Jesus, the Good News is that Jesus died in our place and was resurrected. All of this happened as the Scriptures (here referring to the Jewish Scriptures, or what we know as the Old Testament) prophesied that it would. Jesus died and rose again, so that we would not have to experience eternal judgment, but rather experience eternal life with God in a New Creation to come. This is truly Good News!
Christ Church Anglican is a member of the Anglican Diocese of the Living Word and through our diocese, we are also part of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). Our bishop is Julian Dobbs.