Strategic Visioning Update: Feb. 10

We all know the power of words -- they can make us laugh or cry; they can lift us up or cut us to the core; words can define who we are and how we live our lives.

Members of the strategic visioning committee met for the second time on Saturday, Feb. 6 to consider the importance of words in defining the future of our diocese. The group is continuing their work to create a new mission statement that not only describes the reason we exist as a faith community, but also guides decisions about priorities, actions, and responsibilities.

Our current mission statement was crafted in 1994:

The Mission of the Diocese of Missouri is the mission of all baptized Christians: to reach and to spread the Gospel and its knowledge of salvation to all people; and to make the love of Christ known in the world through our own actions as individuals, as congregations, and as the Diocese, by feeding the hungry, welcoming the stranger, clothing the naked, housing the homeless, caring for the sick, visiting the prisoner, and comforting those in times of trouble.

Janet Thompson is a member of Calvary Episcopal Church in Columbia and is serving on the Strategic Visioning committee. She says words like diversity and inclusion are important now. “It’s important to rework the statement because we must be attuned to the reality of our world — otherwise our words are out of sync, or maybe we are.”

The strategic visioning committee is tasked with helping our diocese move forward in new and innovative ways. Updating our mission statement is one of the steps that will help us define our strategies and goals for the future.

"God is infinite and boundless but we are finite and grounded to ministry in our own particular context, said the Rev. Sally Weaver, committee member and Assistant Interim Priest at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Webster Groves. "Over time as we meet the moment God calls us to adjust our priorities. Those adjustments need to be reflected in our mission and vision statements. We need to hear anew what God is calling us to do and be."

The Strategic Visioning committee members are calling members throughout the diocese to find out what additional words and ideas are important. If you receive a call, please take a moment to respond and help us define our mission. If you don't receive a call, please know there will be additional opportunities to participate in this process in the near future.