“The mission of the Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”1 Our mission includes both personal holiness and social holiness; evangelical concern and social responsibility are both at work in the mission statement of the Church. In fulfilling the mission of the church, we proclaim the good news of salvation as we seek the fullness of God’s kingdom to be realized in the world.2 The mission statement of the Church draws heavily on Jesus’ command from Matthew 28:19-20 where we are given the instruction to make disciples. The Church also adds in “for the transformation of the world” to help signal to its members and constituents that they have a responsibility to the world in addition to the church, and therefore must take seriously the command of Jesus from Matthew 22:37-39 to love God and their neighbors. The Church is a powerful tool for God’s use in the world to save, heal and transform.

 

This year, we will be working toward creating and adopting a new mission statement for our own use and to be a guiding purpose in our communal life together.  In developing the statement, we will want it to be broadly applicable, so that it can be used across our church, for example, in children’s ministry and in finance. My hope is that our mission statement will identify us specifically as Hollywood UMC, and will also be something we can take out into the world with us. In beginning to think about how we will form this statement, I hope you will reflect on the following question and let me know your answer: What would be missed if Hollywood UMC was not present? Your answers will help us in identifying who we are and what is unique and special about this worshipping community!

 

In Christ,

Rev. Katie Paul

1 The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church, 2016 Edition, Paragraph 120.

2 The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church, 2016 Edition, Paragraph 121.