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STORYTELLING
     &
   MISSION


          Lenten Series #4
   St. Andrew & St. Mark’s Parish
           12 March 2013
My parents… my
first storytellers

Life lessons

    responsi
bility

Accountabil
ity
   Respect
HUH
 ?
Storytelling & mission
Storytelli
      ng…
 It’s all about
Mission
  ?
Storytelling & mission
Storytelling & mission
MISSION
• Bringing God and the Good News to the world




• It is   God’s         mission, not ours!
STORY TELLING & MISSION
•   Jesus’ ministry of story telling
     – 46 parables

•   “Come and see”
     –   Listen to the story
     –   Learn the lesson
     –   Confirm understanding
     –   Make a personal commitment

•   “Go and do” commands
     – Action
     – Mission
STORY TELLING & MISSION
        Story Telling                Mission
1. Come & See           2. Go & Do
• Our preparedness      • Action
   – Introspection         – Outward focus
   – Learning              – Awareness of needs
• Personal conviction   • Personal & collective effort
• Personal commitment      – The Good News
                               • Action
                               • Teaching
STORY TELLING & MISSION
• Themes from Jesus’ parables:
  – Seeking & hearing
  – Transcendent love and forgiveness
  – Spreading the Good News
  – Redemption
  – Gifts and service
BIBLE ‘TRIVIA’
Guess the story –
• Animals and jewels ?


                         Answer: Casting pearls
                         before the pigs
                         Jesus’ sermon on the mount.
                         Matthew 7:6
PEARLS AND PIGS
             Seeking & Hearing

• Follows teaching on being critical and
  judgemental of others to our detriment

• Come and see

  – Seeking and hearing lead to understanding
  – Should not be wasted on criticism and piety

• Go and do… there is a need to be filled
BIBLE ‘TRIVIA’
Did you hear about a snobbish rabbi and a dying
man?


                           Answer: The good
                           Samaritan
                           Luke 10: 25 - 37
THE GOOD SAMARITAN
   Transcendent Love & Forgiveness
• An expert in the Law asks Jesus – “What do I
  need to do to inherit eternal life?”

• Storytelling response
  – This is a ‘Come to Jesus’ moment
  – The lawyer confirms his understanding of
    transcendent love
• “Go and do likewise”
BIBLE ‘TRIVIA’
Did Jesus ever refer to people as dogs?
Hint: Think ‘breadcrumbs’

                           Answer: Jesus healed
                           the Syrophoenician
                           woman’s daughter
                           Mark 7:24-30
THE SYROPHONECIAN WOMAN
      Spreading the Good News
• Jesus’ ‘tongue in cheek’ use of analogy – feeding
  children before feeding dogs

• The message for Jesus’ Jewish disciples
  – Jesus spoke in terms to which they could relate

• The message –
  – It was the Jews’ responsibility to accept Jesus’
    teachings and spread the Good News to other nations
    and races
BIBLE ‘TRIVIA’
Naughty boy, nice dad, not so nice brother

                             Answer:
                             The prodigal son
                             Luke 15: 11- 32
THE PRODIGAL SON
                  Redemption
• Lost and found – a sheep, a coin and a son

• The prodigal son had an ‘aha moment’
   – “I’m living worse than my father’s servants!”

• ‘Aha moments’ – we find God’s truth - ‘Come and see’

   – Personal transformation and action

• Goes to his father in a state of repentance and
  readiness to do what a son should do
BIBLE ‘TRIVIA’
Does God love to multiply your money?

                            Luke 19: 12- 28
THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS
            Gifts & Service

• Lesson in the responsible use of God’s
  blessings and provision
• Money is good!
• Other forms of prosperity
• Creative and contemporary purpose of
  resources
MY STORY
Come and See – our learning for mission     Go and Do – our commitment to mission
• Personal and collective attitudes /       • Personal and collective actions / states
  states of being                             of doing

The Anglican parish of St Andrew and St     We aim to be thoughtful stewards of God’s
Mark, Dorval is a welcoming and inclusive   creation through beautiful worship and the
      community centred in Christ.            sharing of God’s love and compassion in
                                                 our neighbourhood and beyond.

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Storytelling & mission

  • 1. STORYTELLING & MISSION Lenten Series #4 St. Andrew & St. Mark’s Parish 12 March 2013
  • 2. My parents… my first storytellers Life lessons responsi bility Accountabil ity Respect
  • 5. Storytelli ng… It’s all about
  • 9. MISSION • Bringing God and the Good News to the world • It is God’s mission, not ours!
  • 10. STORY TELLING & MISSION • Jesus’ ministry of story telling – 46 parables • “Come and see” – Listen to the story – Learn the lesson – Confirm understanding – Make a personal commitment • “Go and do” commands – Action – Mission
  • 11. STORY TELLING & MISSION Story Telling Mission 1. Come & See 2. Go & Do • Our preparedness • Action – Introspection – Outward focus – Learning – Awareness of needs • Personal conviction • Personal & collective effort • Personal commitment – The Good News • Action • Teaching
  • 12. STORY TELLING & MISSION • Themes from Jesus’ parables: – Seeking & hearing – Transcendent love and forgiveness – Spreading the Good News – Redemption – Gifts and service
  • 13. BIBLE ‘TRIVIA’ Guess the story – • Animals and jewels ? Answer: Casting pearls before the pigs Jesus’ sermon on the mount. Matthew 7:6
  • 14. PEARLS AND PIGS Seeking & Hearing • Follows teaching on being critical and judgemental of others to our detriment • Come and see – Seeking and hearing lead to understanding – Should not be wasted on criticism and piety • Go and do… there is a need to be filled
  • 15. BIBLE ‘TRIVIA’ Did you hear about a snobbish rabbi and a dying man? Answer: The good Samaritan Luke 10: 25 - 37
  • 16. THE GOOD SAMARITAN Transcendent Love & Forgiveness • An expert in the Law asks Jesus – “What do I need to do to inherit eternal life?” • Storytelling response – This is a ‘Come to Jesus’ moment – The lawyer confirms his understanding of transcendent love • “Go and do likewise”
  • 17. BIBLE ‘TRIVIA’ Did Jesus ever refer to people as dogs? Hint: Think ‘breadcrumbs’ Answer: Jesus healed the Syrophoenician woman’s daughter Mark 7:24-30
  • 18. THE SYROPHONECIAN WOMAN Spreading the Good News • Jesus’ ‘tongue in cheek’ use of analogy – feeding children before feeding dogs • The message for Jesus’ Jewish disciples – Jesus spoke in terms to which they could relate • The message – – It was the Jews’ responsibility to accept Jesus’ teachings and spread the Good News to other nations and races
  • 19. BIBLE ‘TRIVIA’ Naughty boy, nice dad, not so nice brother Answer: The prodigal son Luke 15: 11- 32
  • 20. THE PRODIGAL SON Redemption • Lost and found – a sheep, a coin and a son • The prodigal son had an ‘aha moment’ – “I’m living worse than my father’s servants!” • ‘Aha moments’ – we find God’s truth - ‘Come and see’ – Personal transformation and action • Goes to his father in a state of repentance and readiness to do what a son should do
  • 21. BIBLE ‘TRIVIA’ Does God love to multiply your money? Luke 19: 12- 28
  • 22. THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS Gifts & Service • Lesson in the responsible use of God’s blessings and provision • Money is good! • Other forms of prosperity • Creative and contemporary purpose of resources
  • 24. Come and See – our learning for mission Go and Do – our commitment to mission • Personal and collective attitudes / • Personal and collective actions / states states of being of doing The Anglican parish of St Andrew and St We aim to be thoughtful stewards of God’s Mark, Dorval is a welcoming and inclusive creation through beautiful worship and the community centred in Christ. sharing of God’s love and compassion in our neighbourhood and beyond.

Notes de l'éditeur

  1. Storytelling is one of the oldest forms of communication. It is common to all humanity – similar stories are told across cultures (e.g. Æsop’s fables) All cultures have been shaped by storytelling – traditions, myths and legends have been passed on through storiesThe use of symbols, elements, characters, places and experiences makes storytelling easy to understand and memorable.Storytelling is the first and oldest form of entertainment and teachingChildren who can’t yet read, relate well to stories…That’s why our first story tellers are usually our parents, grandparents or other person who influenced the early stages of our lives.
  2. In my case, my parents were my first story tellers. Some of the stories they told me were read from books – Bible stories, nursery stories, fairy tales, Jamaican folk tales … you name it!Almost every story they told me had some life lesson that my sister and I were expected to learn.My Dad enjoyed telling me stories about his childhood – growing up in the country when he had to take the cows out to the pasture to take care of them, count them, milk them and make sure they had enough water. My reaction to my Dad’s stories was…
  3. Because I was growing up in the city, I had no idea whatsoever of what it was like to take cows out to the pasture. It took me several years to understand that my Dad’s cow stories were meant to teach my sister and me about taking responsibility and being accountable.As a child growing up in the city I couldn’t relate to the story and so I missed the point my Dad was trying to make. Thankfully, my Dad led by example and I learned much more about responsibility and accountability by seeing him being a good, responsible father. I learned more from his actions.
  4. That said, my parents did tell some great stories that taught me a lot…My parents made up their own stories that they ad libbed at bedtime. There was the story of Joan, a pretty little girl who of course was a very, very good girl – always doing the right things….So of course, I wanted to be like Joan.I remember one Joan story when she grew into a beautiful princess because she ate all her vegetables… it so happened that the day that I heard about Joan eating her vegetables and growing up to be beautiful, was the very day I didn’t want to eat my vegetables.So I got the point of the story
  5. My point is that for storytelling – to be meaningful – the stories have to be relevant!If there is a moral to the story, the listeners must be able to relate to the people, places, things/objects in the story, as they are just as important as the lesson that’s being taught.
  6. So what does storytelling have to do with Mission?When we think of Mission, several images come to mind. Projects overseas, preaching the Gospel to people in foreign lands and closer to home, building new churches, outreach projects and so on.Some missionaries use storytelling as a way of spreading the Good News to people who are in an oral culture – who are not pre-disposed to read the Bible or any literature for that matter.For those missionaries, stories are told around a camp fire or in a communal setting – much like in Biblical times – using characters, symbols and elements from the local culture.
  7. The Church’s mission is rooted in Jesus’ command that is commonly referred to as the great commission. Jesus commands us to go and make disciples of all nations and teach them to observe all that Jesus commanded.Making disciples implies that the hearers must be so convinced of what they are being taught, that they make a personal commitment to observe and act on Jesus’ teachings. Jesus says that He is with us even until the end of the age. To me, this means that mission is an on-going activity. It never stops.
  8. So a few definitions about mission –As this slide says – mission is not an option, but a command.
  9. Simply put, mission is all about bringing God and the Good News/Gospel to the worldIt’s God’s mission – to be performed according to God’s will and to serve God’s purpose – not ours.
  10. Jesus spread the Good News through storytelling – Jesus told 46 parables and they are recorded throughout the Gospels.I’m going to explore the “Come and see” and “go and do” aspects of Jesus’ teachings, particularly as He wove these commands into the stories He told through parables.
  11. “Come and see” and “Go and do” are two essential elements of mission that are interdependent.“Come and see” – this is the storytelling part. The listening and learning. We come to Jesus and see what He wants us to know, what He wants us to be and what He wants us to do. It’s how we prepare ourselves for mission.Preparedness – this happens here in our church. Sermons on Sundays, Bible studies, hymns, the Gospel and Bible readings, special services, the Lenten meditations, the various resources we have in our fellowship. What we learn must lead to a commitment of the heart, mind and will. Learning requires going beyond given beliefs, that reside for the most part in the intellect. The “come and see” I’m speaking about is true learning and understanding that leads to heartfelt conviction and commitment that leads to action.Think for a moment – do you reflect on the teachings in the sermon, the words of hymns, the Bible readings and teachings? What is your response to what you hear? “Go and do” – this is the mission in action.This involves putting into action, our convictions and commitment that result from our understanding of the stories/ lessons from God’s Word. It’s the outward focus of mission. We have to be aware of the needs in our community and beyond, and decide on the personal and collective effort to help others and spread the Good News.
  12. I’m going to explore some of the themes of Jesus’ parables and how these themes influence the mission of the Church.
  13. Matthew 7:6New International Version (NIV)6 “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
  14. The common interpretation is that one shouldn’t waste time preaching to people who don’t want to hear the Good News. This interpretation assumes that some people are beyond God’s redemption… a very judgemental approach I would say.If we read the preceding verses, we put the pearl and pigs story in proper context. Jesus warned his listeners against judging others, criticising the speck of dust in the eye of the other person while disregarding the plank of wood in one’s own eye. There is the tendency for some people who have come to Jesus and gained an understanding of His teachings, to become self-righteous and judgemental of others. In the parable of the pigs and pearls, Jesus is saying that Biblical truths are precious – like pearls – and should not be wasted. Judging others is wasteful – like throwing pearls to pigs. God’s truth is meant to be put to good use, like sharing the Good News of redemption. That is what mission is all about.
  15. The Parable of the Good Samaritan25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’[a]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b]”28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii[c] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
  16. We who have come to Jesus may know His teachings very well, but fail to go and do what He wants us to do – much like the Levite and the Rabbi. There were tensions, even hatred between Samaritans and Jews. The good Samaritan may have had very good reasons to ignore the injured Jewish man dying on the side of the road. But he chose to act out of love and kindness. Jesus challenged the learned man’s understanding of the story – the Law of love in action. It’s a come to Jesus moment. When the learned man demonstrates that he has a personal conviction of transcendent love, Jesus commands him to go and do likewise. I want to point out that the good Samaritan is the face and hand of God to the dying man. Jesus commands us to be the face and hand of God to others in mission.
  17. Jesus Honors a Syrophoenician Woman’s Faith24 Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre.[a] He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. 25 In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an impure spirit came and fell at his feet. 26 The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.27 “First let the children eat all they want,” he told her, “for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”28 “Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”29 Then he told her, “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.”30 She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.
  18. Jesus’ ministry was marked by His preaching to pious, religious, Jewish people whose status as the chosen people of God, led them to have many prejudiced ideas. Jews regarded Syrophonecians as dogs. So his play on words was targeting the deep-seated prejudiced beliefs of the Jewish disciples who were listening to Jesus’ exchange with the Syrophonecian woman. He spoke in terms to which the Jews could relate. I believe that Jesus was fully aware of the woman’s faith and was prepared to heal her daughter. But Jesus’ message was clear - It was the Jews’ responsibility to accept Jesus’ teachings and spread the Good News to other nations and races.  Faith is the universally acceptable response to the Good News. There’s the tendency to measure success by numbers – e.g. money, people.I believe also that we need to measure the success of mission in terms of the faith and commitment of the people who have become committed disciples. This is in keeping with Jesus’ command in the great commission.
  19. The Parable of the Lost Son11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
  20. The parable of the prodigal son, is a beautiful story of reconciliation and pure, paternal love. We see God in the father of the prodigal son – ready to shower us with love and redeem and give us the very best He has for us.Our ‘Aha moments’ are ‘Come and See’ moments – we awaken to God’s truth, or deepen our understanding of God’s truth. The “Come and See” moment must move from the head and heart to the hands and feet. We must be a living testimony of God’s presence and power, setting an example to others. What’s more important though is that we need to take our true place as God’s own children. We are to live the quality of life that God offers us – a life of faith, trust and dependence on God for His guidance and direction, putting His blessings to good use.Mission also involves bringing God to others in the way we live. Being kind, forgiving, returning good for evil, serving others and being humble.
  21. 12 He said: “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. 13 So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas.[a] ‘Put this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’14 “But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’15 “He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it.16 “The first one came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned ten more.’17 “‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’18 “The second came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned five more.’19 “His master answered, ‘You take charge of five cities.’20 “Then another servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. 21 I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.’22 “His master replied, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Why then didn’t you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?’24 “Then he said to those standing by, ‘Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.’25 “‘Sir,’ they said, ‘he already has ten!’26 “He replied, ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 27 But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me.’”
  22. There is an inexhaustible supply in this world and in the universe. We affirm with St. Paul – “My God shall supply all my needs, according to His riches in Glory.”What Jesus was teaching in this parable is that God’s blessings are to be put to good use – and in ways that are creative – multiplying the initial blessings.Is our mission to raise funds or balance budgets to keep church buildings and programmes going in a “business as usual” way or in ways that are relevant to the contemporary needs of the people to whom we need to reach out to? The “business as usual” approach is much like the person who hoarded the talents.Mission today requires contemporary approaches to communicate with people – particularly young people. Are we hoarding up our resources to maintain the status quo or are we using our resources to find new ways of spreading the Good News? Food for thought….
  23. I’ll end this session with my story as a set up for the work we’ll do in the second session.Some time ago, Karen preached about the parable of the workers in the vineyard. All workers were paid the same wage, regardless of the amount of time they worked. Although this doesn’t seem fair by human standards, Karen pointed out that God’s grace is indiscriminate. The murderer and the law-abiding citizen receive the same measure of grace from God. Although I have always believed that God’s grace is a gift freely given to all people, I found it disconcerting that a murderer, rapist or thief could be given the same blessings from God as a person who strives to be a good Christian. As God would have it, a few weeks later I visited the Cowansville Penitentiary for Bible study. The topic was God’s grace. The inmates shared that although the criminal justice system has condemned them, they have received God’s pardon and mercy.  They spoke of how they receive God’s grace and blessings every day in many ways, even in as dismal a place as a prison.At that point, the sermon on the parable of the workers in the vineyard really hit home – as if a light had been turned on and my understanding of God’s grace was changed forever– from an intellectual, given belief to a heartfelt conviction.  I now understand that God’s ways or principles go way beyond human principles of justice, peace and fairness that are predicated on compromise, compensation and negotiation.  God’s grace is given freely and overrides our own beliefs about what is fair.  Many of us good, Bible-obeying Christians need to accept that and not try to figure it out. I have looked back on past events in my life and realized that God has lavishly bestowed His grace on me.  Although I have not committed a crime punishable by law, I now realize that God sees the inmates in the same way as he sees me, all because of His grace. I really experienced this in a practical way on the night we celebrated the Eucharist – I truly felt like a sister, having a meal with my incarcerated brothers at a common table set by our loving Father God.This personal conviction and revelation of God’s truth through Karen’s sermon of the parable of the workers in the vineyard, the inmates’ testimonies and Holy Communion have shaped my commitment to mission in the following ways: (i) Do not judge people or their life experience – ‘but for the grace of God, there go I’ (ii) Always be humble – people on the receiving end of my mission work can teach me (iii) I am a channel of God’s grace – that’s the message of hope that I must bring to the world. So that’s the ‘Come and see’ learning I received. Now here’s the ‘go and do’ part….A few months ago during a prison visit, one of the inmates expressed his complete frustration of trying to do the right things in prison, but still not being able to secure parole or pardon. For this reason he stated that he could no longer have hope or believe in the teachings of the Bible. After the meeting, I felt led to speak with this inmate. He told me point blank that no one, not even God, could ever care about him because he felt no kindness or love from anyone. I realized that I had to be the voice and hand of God to this man. I said that God’s kindness is being extended to him through the visits of volunteers like myself. I told him that I felt led by God to take 7 hours - including time off work and spend an hour with him and the other inmates to share God’s love and words of hope. I told him I was paying my way. I didn’t have to do this. It is my desire to show and to share God’s unconditional kindness and grace with him. He looked at me in disbelief and accepted my offer to pray with him. In the following months, I have shared Jeremiah 29 v 11 (God has a good plan…). I have worked through this verse with him. He will have a parole hearing in December. He has developed a discharge plan and has identified the resources he will use to help him reintegrate in the society. He had a meeting today to discuss his parole plans and I am hoping that all went well. This is my story – I’m sure that many of you have a story too that will help to shape the ways in which we as a church community can fulfill our mission.
  24. In our second session I would like us to consider a few things:Let’s look at our mission statement. I have separated the two sentences in using the ‘come and see / go and do’ model.I will leave it on the screen so that you can refer to it when considering the questions on the handout - Do you have any comments or reactions to Jesus’ stories in the presentation?Do you have a personal story that influences your commitment to mission?How can your personal story contribute to St. Mark’s story and mission?What story/stories can we share as a community that demonstrate our commitment to mission.