VISION AND VALUES

 

ALL SAINTS WHITSTABLE, in the Whitstable Team Ministry (Church of England)

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We are called to be part of an all-embracing and diverse community

         Growing in faith as we each journey into the love of God;

Inspired and empowered by the life and person of Jesus Christ

And through the Holy Spirit

Seeking to serve the people of Whitstable and beyond.

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ALL SAINTS WHITSTABLE:

 

• Has the life, teaching and person of Jesus Christ at its centre.

Jesus reveals God the Father’s love for all people, regardless of whether they respond to his invitation or not.  He is also the agent of all creation. All things in creation exist in and through him. The forgiveness and promise of a new beginning with God that Christ offers is one we offer to each other on a daily basis, and to all we meet. By Christ’s Spirit living within us, we seek to live out our Christian lives in the real world around us, not just on Sundays.

 

• Is open to all regardless of origin, race, colour, gender, religion, sexual orientation or age.

Every single person in the world is called by God into a deeper relationship with him, and we believe this has been made possible through Jesus Christ. At the same time, we do recognise how God is active beyond the church in its visible form. We wait for a time when all of creation will come together into unity in Christ. We have a special calling to include all ages, young and old in our Sunday worship and weekday ministry.

 

• Is supported and enriched by various liturgical expressions and the Sacraments.

The sacraments of baptism, confirmation, marriage and the Eucharist form the cornerstone of our identity, representing as they do God’s commitment to us and his relationship with his creation. We can never initiate or define that relationship, as God’s love is freely given, eternal and unchanging. We can only ever respond to the love that has sought us out and continues to on a daily basis.

 

• Seeks to be involved in and support all members of the community regardless as to where each might be in their personal or spiritual life journey.

There is no competition between us on the journey of faith. We are members of the same body and have a commitment to support each other, in times of faith and in times of doubt, in times of joy and in times of suffering. We welcome people who feel that they have not got all the answers,  for neither have we.

  

WE WELCOME YOU!

The above statement was agreed by Church Council members in January 2013 following a review of the existing mission statement by a sub-group specially called to reassess our vision and values. It is particularly designed for people trying to find out about our church so will feature prominently on our noticeboards and website. Any aspects which you may wish to discuss, please contact the Vicar.