Our Mission Action Plan is an expression of how we see our community, where we are headed, and what we are called to do. It guides our actions, our use of resources, and our engagement with others.
Welcome the Lord – worship
Reverence for liturgy and joy in music are central to our worship. The observance of season and feast has continued in unbroken service in this place for 157 years. We seek to be close to God in the celebration of Baptism and in the breaking of the bread, and to draw others into a sense of the sacred. We hold to a middle way, resisting extremes, allowing for difference and listening to new ideas, but always anchored in Bible, prayer book and hymnal, in parish and Diocese, and in the great Anglican tradition. In practising our faith here, we acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which the church is built, and respect their spiritual connection to country.
Welcome the stranger – relationship
The defining spiritual features of our community are love, tolerance, warmth and inclusiveness. We are less concerned about numbers, money, appearances, power or status than about hospitality, participation, and the gifts each person brings, regardless of their age or abilities or sexual orientation or any other personal characteristic. We love children and young people. We treat people compassionately and support agencies of social action. We look for opportunities to support reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians and actively oppose racism, sexism and other forms of discrimination. We support actions to address inequality and processes of exclusion and social injustice.
Welcome the friend – partnership
We are enriched by our connection with St James the Great Thornbury as part of an amalgamated parish, and we respect the different identities of each community. We are active participants in ecumenical exchange and interfaith activity. We value our relationship with St Philip’s Collingwood and St Mark’s Fitzroy. We view our partnership with the Brotherhood of St Laurence as an essential part of our mission. We seek to reduce our environmental footprint through energy conservation and sustainable practices.
You can download our mission action plan below