In preparation for the meetings to help the parish of St. John discern the next part of our ministry and mission, let us reflect on the words of our Bishop, Donald Phillips, taken from the bishop’s address to the 2010 diocesan synod:

The five Marks of Mission are common to the whole Anglican Communion. We’ve re-oriented ourselves to the fact that God is the one who has the mission, and that God has called us together as Church in order to participate in that mission. We are confident that when we are engaged in the Marks of Mission, we are truly engaged in God’s mission.

Here are the five marks:

1. Proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom
2. Teach, baptize and nurture new believers
3. Respond to human need by loving service
4. Seek to transform the unjust structures of society
5. Strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth.

These are the marks that should guide and govern our conversations about vitality and viability. How can we be structured and resourced in a way that enables every Anglican to participate in meaningful and life-giving ways in these five marks?

These are the marks that should guide and govern our Common Ministry and Mission and the structures that support it.