The following Mission Strategy was adopted by the congregation in January, 2016. This document reveals our dreams, guiding principles, and goals for living out our mission statement, which is:
To love others as our way of life as God so loved the world!
To love others as our way of life as God so loved the world!
First English Lutheran Church, Billings, MT
Outreach and Mission Statement
Adopted January 24, 2016
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is a gift from God—not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life. —Ephesians 2:8-10
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. —John 3:16
Our Mission Statement:
To love others as our way of life as God so loved the world.
The Purpose of this Strategy:
To outline a ministry plan and vision that will result in the strengthening of relationships within and outside our community—relationships upheld by God’s Gospel of love and forgiveness in Christ. This strategy is grounded in the results of the survey given to the congregation and conducted by the Transition Team in 2014. Over the past year Pr. Stacey has also been listening attentively to all of you, the congregation members and families of First English Lutheran Church. This strategy reflects your hopes and dreams for the future.
Who We Say We Are:
We are a friendly, genuine community of people that make up a welcoming congregation. Our way of life encompasses meeting, worshiping, and communing regularly so to uphold each other in love and support. We value the notion of breaking down barriers based on differences so to build up our community health and vitality within our local neighborhood and beyond. We are God’s people and we welcome all, no matter one’s race, gender, language, ancestry, sexual orientation, or social position.
Our Mission Objective:
To seek out, create, and nurture loving relationships that--as desired by God and exemplified through the life and teachings of Jesus Christ--impact and change our world for the good of all.
Our Vision and Goals:
We desire to continue in our efforts:
Guiding Principles for Our Work:
We Will Strive to Be…
1.) Public in our Preaching and Ministry (Kerygma: to proclaim, Luke 4:18-19, Romans 10:14, Matt. 3:1-3)
Jesus taught and preached in public, along lake shores, from hilltops, and while traveling from one place to another. He taught in synagogues as well, yet the walls of a building or a temple did not restrict listeners from hearing and experiencing the new of God’s reign come near. Though we gather on Sundays to hear God’s Word and act out the liturgical and ritual drama of a communal meal, we also realize that our true ministry begins once we leave our church building. Church on Sunday mornings is our practice for how we desire to live and act in the world, which involved loving our neighbor and working together (while upholding our differences) to strengthen and rejuvenate our communities and the lives of individuals.
2.) Servants to All (Diakonia: to serve, Matt 25:38-40, Mark 10:45, John 12:26)
Jesus was sent by God to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim the release of captives, recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor (Luke 4:16-21). Jesus, as God incarnate, lived to serve all. As disciples who seek to live as Jesus lived, we are called to be servants as well. We seek to be servants to the poor in spirit, to those held captive by systems of injustice, to those blinded by greed, power, and empty promises, and to those who are hurting and oppressed in our communities.
3.) A Neighborly Community (Koinonia: to commune, Acts 2:42-47)
Acts 2:42-47 reads: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the communion, to the breaking of bread and to prayer…All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need…They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.
All, everything, anyone, together…no matter one’s lifestyle, background, history, or circumstance, all of us matter to God. These words help guide us as we strive to model a space and a community where all are welcome.
Furthermore, sharing all things in common also means that we share in our struggles, hardships, and our humanness too. We are admittedly imperfect beings who strive to spend a little extra time reflecting on our weaknesses and the things that challenge us. We recognize that we are all in need of forgiveness. Through our actions, we give thanks to God for God’s loving grace.
4.) Teachers, Leaders, and Learners (Didache: to teach, Matt. 4:23, Galatians 6:6, Colossians 3:16)
We all have the capacity to teach, lead, and learn. These capacities are not only reserved for clergy. We strive to illuminate our gifts and skills as we live in community with one another.
5.) Thinkers in a New Time and Context (Metamorphousthe: to be transformed, Romans 12:2)
We cherish the stories and teaching of the Hebrew Bible and those found in the New Testament canon. They give us insight into our lives and the hearts and minds of people who loved and worshiped God in a context and culture different from our own. We find truth as we read our ancient texts yet we realize that truth is also relative to our own context when discovered in shared community. Therefore, questions, doubts, and concerns, as well as joys, truths, and hopes conjured up by the reading of our sacred texts are always welcome. We may not always have answers to every question but we believe unanswered questions and opportunities for dwelling in God’s mysteries are essential for living a more wondrous and meaningful life.
As We Go About Our Work
We will try to…
1.) Be sensitive to our differences in communication styles
2.) Examine our own assumptions and perceptions about ourselves, our world, and others
3.) Trust ambiguity or the unknown because we are not here to debate who is right or wrong
4.) Be empathetic listeners, committed to understanding and listening to the whole of a
person
5.) Ponder what we think and feel before we speak
6.) Take responsibility for what we say and feel without blaming others (Use “I” statements)
7.) Keep confidentiality when requested, for the well-being of our community
(Guidelines written by Eric H.F. Law, The Wolf Shall Dwell with the Lamb, 1993).
A Prayer for Our Work Ahead:
Creator and Sustainer God, please be with us as we seek to love others as our way of life and as you so loved the world. Thank you for sending us Jesus as a testament of your love for us. Help us to model our lives and ministry after his. Continue to teach us about humility, patience and hard work. Bring us hope and peace as we work to uphold the ministry of our church. Amen.
Outreach and Mission Statement
Adopted January 24, 2016
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is a gift from God—not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life. —Ephesians 2:8-10
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. —John 3:16
Our Mission Statement:
To love others as our way of life as God so loved the world.
The Purpose of this Strategy:
To outline a ministry plan and vision that will result in the strengthening of relationships within and outside our community—relationships upheld by God’s Gospel of love and forgiveness in Christ. This strategy is grounded in the results of the survey given to the congregation and conducted by the Transition Team in 2014. Over the past year Pr. Stacey has also been listening attentively to all of you, the congregation members and families of First English Lutheran Church. This strategy reflects your hopes and dreams for the future.
Who We Say We Are:
We are a friendly, genuine community of people that make up a welcoming congregation. Our way of life encompasses meeting, worshiping, and communing regularly so to uphold each other in love and support. We value the notion of breaking down barriers based on differences so to build up our community health and vitality within our local neighborhood and beyond. We are God’s people and we welcome all, no matter one’s race, gender, language, ancestry, sexual orientation, or social position.
Our Mission Objective:
To seek out, create, and nurture loving relationships that--as desired by God and exemplified through the life and teachings of Jesus Christ--impact and change our world for the good of all.
Our Vision and Goals:
We desire to continue in our efforts:
- sharpen and refocus our ministry to include greater emphasis on relationship formation, communication, and community commitments, i.e., participation in worship, programs, and our stewardship efforts
- serve as an example of our unity in Christ as our world grows increasingly more divisive
- serve as a powerful example of a community that is all-embracing, multi-generational, multi-ethnic, and diverse in our thinking, living, and loving
- respond in faithful and positive ways to differing cultural, economic, and ecological changes in our church, city, and world
Guiding Principles for Our Work:
We Will Strive to Be…
1.) Public in our Preaching and Ministry (Kerygma: to proclaim, Luke 4:18-19, Romans 10:14, Matt. 3:1-3)
Jesus taught and preached in public, along lake shores, from hilltops, and while traveling from one place to another. He taught in synagogues as well, yet the walls of a building or a temple did not restrict listeners from hearing and experiencing the new of God’s reign come near. Though we gather on Sundays to hear God’s Word and act out the liturgical and ritual drama of a communal meal, we also realize that our true ministry begins once we leave our church building. Church on Sunday mornings is our practice for how we desire to live and act in the world, which involved loving our neighbor and working together (while upholding our differences) to strengthen and rejuvenate our communities and the lives of individuals.
2.) Servants to All (Diakonia: to serve, Matt 25:38-40, Mark 10:45, John 12:26)
Jesus was sent by God to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim the release of captives, recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor (Luke 4:16-21). Jesus, as God incarnate, lived to serve all. As disciples who seek to live as Jesus lived, we are called to be servants as well. We seek to be servants to the poor in spirit, to those held captive by systems of injustice, to those blinded by greed, power, and empty promises, and to those who are hurting and oppressed in our communities.
3.) A Neighborly Community (Koinonia: to commune, Acts 2:42-47)
Acts 2:42-47 reads: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the communion, to the breaking of bread and to prayer…All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need…They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.
All, everything, anyone, together…no matter one’s lifestyle, background, history, or circumstance, all of us matter to God. These words help guide us as we strive to model a space and a community where all are welcome.
Furthermore, sharing all things in common also means that we share in our struggles, hardships, and our humanness too. We are admittedly imperfect beings who strive to spend a little extra time reflecting on our weaknesses and the things that challenge us. We recognize that we are all in need of forgiveness. Through our actions, we give thanks to God for God’s loving grace.
4.) Teachers, Leaders, and Learners (Didache: to teach, Matt. 4:23, Galatians 6:6, Colossians 3:16)
We all have the capacity to teach, lead, and learn. These capacities are not only reserved for clergy. We strive to illuminate our gifts and skills as we live in community with one another.
5.) Thinkers in a New Time and Context (Metamorphousthe: to be transformed, Romans 12:2)
We cherish the stories and teaching of the Hebrew Bible and those found in the New Testament canon. They give us insight into our lives and the hearts and minds of people who loved and worshiped God in a context and culture different from our own. We find truth as we read our ancient texts yet we realize that truth is also relative to our own context when discovered in shared community. Therefore, questions, doubts, and concerns, as well as joys, truths, and hopes conjured up by the reading of our sacred texts are always welcome. We may not always have answers to every question but we believe unanswered questions and opportunities for dwelling in God’s mysteries are essential for living a more wondrous and meaningful life.
As We Go About Our Work
We will try to…
1.) Be sensitive to our differences in communication styles
2.) Examine our own assumptions and perceptions about ourselves, our world, and others
3.) Trust ambiguity or the unknown because we are not here to debate who is right or wrong
4.) Be empathetic listeners, committed to understanding and listening to the whole of a
person
5.) Ponder what we think and feel before we speak
6.) Take responsibility for what we say and feel without blaming others (Use “I” statements)
7.) Keep confidentiality when requested, for the well-being of our community
(Guidelines written by Eric H.F. Law, The Wolf Shall Dwell with the Lamb, 1993).
A Prayer for Our Work Ahead:
Creator and Sustainer God, please be with us as we seek to love others as our way of life and as you so loved the world. Thank you for sending us Jesus as a testament of your love for us. Help us to model our lives and ministry after his. Continue to teach us about humility, patience and hard work. Bring us hope and peace as we work to uphold the ministry of our church. Amen.