Living Toward a Vision
We, the East Goshen
Mennonite Church, desire to grow as a people of faith, hope and love.
We joyfully pledge our lives and resources to serve the mission Christ
gives us for our church, our community and the world.
As a body, we see...
a church in which we are receiving God's grace through Jesus Christ, and sharing in his work on earth.
Ministry Groups
....We would carry out much of our mission through ministry
groups. God calls us into these groups to build up the life of
the church and its members, and to serve those who are not part
of our church. In some groups, members join in a common mission;
in others members support each other in their particular
ministries. Each group attends both to its special ministry and
to the wellbeing of its members. Simple guidelines give these
groups freedom and direction to minister on our behalf.
Spiritual Growth....We
seek to act on Paul's encouragement to "grow up in all things
into the one who is the head of the church, Christ Jesus." (Eph.
4: I 5). We are growing in our experience of God's presence in
our lives by learning methods to help us pray, meditate and
discern God's call. Many of us have partners to encourage and
guide us in our spiritual growth.
Congregations....God
may enrich our church by forming new congregations among us. We meet as
distinct bodies to worship, learn, and make decisions. We also gather
occasionally as one body for joint worship, to share the Lord's Supper,
to decide common issues, and to encourage each other. We come from
several cultures and economic levels. Our common life in the church
celebrates that God is calling together persons of "every nation,
tribe, people and language." (Rev. 7:9)
We want to walk toward this vision in our decisions and commitments, both as individuals and as a church.
We will follow the Holy Spirit, refining this vision as we hear God's call more clearly, always moving with love, patience and consideration for our fellow disciples. In so doing, by God's grace this vision will become our life.
