At our recent meeting of all the Anglican churches in Sydney and the Illawarra, we agreed on four key priorities for the next five years.
We know for sure that it is God who brings the growth in his church as we share his word with the world, but it’s still valuable to focus on some particular things that are worthy of our attention.
Our first priority is to reach all the lost in our Diocese with the life-giving gospel of Christ. To make this happen we aim to be a) engaging with our local community and creating opportunities for evangelism at the local and diocesan level, b) mobilising more people to share Christ’s love in word and deed, and c) strengthening our invitation, welcoming and integration.
Our second priority is to deepen spiritual maturity among our members. We aim to do this by a) ensuring congregational gatherings are significant places for spiritual growth, b) enriching Christian fellowship through small groups, and c) strengthening personal and family devotions through prayer and Bible reading.
Our third priority is to equip our members to exercise their gifts. To help us focus on this, we will be a) strengthening leadership skills of clergy, especially rectors, b) identifying and unleashing the gifts of church members, and c) encouraging risk-taking and new initiatives in outreach and discipleship.
Our fourth priority is to respond to the changing face of our society. To do this we will try to be a) loving our neighbours in local and cultural communities, b) reaching children and youth, c) connecting with people over 60 years of age, and d) planting new churches in rapid growth areas.
These are our priorities for the next five years. Will you join us in praying specifically for these things?