“Mission, strictly understood, is not something we do, it is instead God’s work. It is traditionally called the misseo dei—referring to God’s redemption of a sinful and broken world through the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus the Christ. Our work, our mission, therefore is to participate in that redeeming work through the power of the Holy Spirit, each of us according to the gifts given to us. The mission of the Church involves every aspect of our life together—prayer, worship, study, evangelism, stewardship, outreach, pastoral care, and so on—and in that sense, I would say that our mission is, in fact, a dynamic process of entering ever more deeply into relationship with Jesus and living ever more fully out of that relationship. That’s the definition. The mission of the Church is ‘a dynamic process of entering ever more deeply into relationship with Jesus and living ever more fully out of that relationship.’ I would say, too, that the mission of the Church is evidenced by three distinct but interdependent activities that describe this process—proclamation, discipleship, and servanthood.
“This is just one model, one way of thinking about our work, our mission, as people of God. It is not a linear model, something that moves lockstep from one stage to the next. Nor to my thinking is it circular, something that loops back around over and over again. Rather, I like to think of these three aspects of our mission as separate threads in an intricate and richly woven fabric—each strand dependent upon the other, each inseparably linked, and when any one thread is itself frayed or missing, then the fabric is weakened and its beauty diminished.
“Proclamation. Discipleship. Servanthood.
“I hope that these three words can be both a challenge and a check-list for us all—a way of giving us the context, the perspective, the inspiration and direction that we need; a way of keeping us focused; a way of pointing to what’s important; a way to remind us of what we may be missing in our work together; and a way of inspiring us collectively to participate ever more deeply in the redemptive work of God in Christ.”
— Bishop Robert O’Neill, Diocesan Convention, 2005
