In the late 1990s Glenunga Uniting Church sought to establish a statement that reflected what it saw as its vision and direction as a church. The statement wanted to pick up elements of faith and mission that were important to the thinking and actions of the congregation, and to be based soundly upon the Biblical stance of the poeple. The following statement emerged and was promulgated for some time:
“We believe in having a living relationship with God through Jesus Christ, as He is revealed in the Scriptures. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, we seek to serve our local community, offering friendship and fellowship to all.”
The statement gained a ready acceptance by people across the church. However, it was a little longer than desirable. It was thus abbreviated to
“Alive in Christ; empowered by the Spirit; serving the community”
Each phrase speaks about a different aspect and action of our life as God’s church here at Glenunga:
Alive in Christ…
speaks of our intention for worship and prayer, to keep our focus on Jesus and to draw upon him for our life.
…empowered by the Spirit…
speaks of the source of our gifts and abilities and our desire to use and apply them in faith. This is a statement about descipleship, spiritual maturity and ministry.
…serving the community…
speaks of our intention for community involvement, relevance and evangelism.
The statement is now in use across the church on newsletters, letters, reports and agendas. It is a constant prompt to us to ask whatever the things we are doing help to fulfil the vision.
Along with this, the motto “Your Wider Family” was adopted. In a community where relationships and connections are less enduring than they have been in the past, we recognise the fundamental need in all of us to define ourselves and operate in relationship with other people. We saw an opportunity to provide this connection for those who do not have ready access to their families for whatever reason. The motto helps us frame our approach to the community – we seek to engage with the love, commitment and depth of relationship of a family.
Where are we heading with all this? See our future directions.
