Covenant Sunday

This Sunday we will gather for Covenant Sunday, which will mark the beginning of another exciting year of ministry at Holy Innocents' Church. Covenant Sunday is our annual opportunity to renew our covenant commitment to God and each other. As part of both of our morning worship services, we will have a time of corporate prayer for our congregation, during which we will renew the promises of our baptism and rededicate ourselves to the work of mission in this community and throughout the world. After worship, we will gather at the Brandon Sports and Aquatic Center for our annual parish picnic.

`

What is a Missional Church?

This will be the question that we will be exploring this Sunday. For the past decade, church leaders from across denominations have been seeking a vision for the church in the 21st century. These leaders have been examining the challenges that we face as Christians in the midst of a cultural and social landscape that seems to be dominated by globalization and secularization. Part of this discussion has focused on our need to reclaim our identity as "God's sent people." For too long our denominations have expected that people will "come to church," whereas the gospel mandate of Jesus is to "go into all the world."

.

The "missional church" is not a new program. It is not a simply a new movement within the church. It is not trying supplant existing structures within the church. Rather, the "missional church" represents a paradigm shift in the way we think about the nature of the church and the role of its members. This Sunday, we will explore in more detail what it means for Holy Innocents' to engage this "missional" conversation. What does it look like for us to claim our identity as God's sent people? What does it mean that we are invited to be active participants in God's mission in the world? What does it mean for us to be a "missional church?"

.

I hope to see you on Sunday as we begin this exciting journey together!