Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" (Mt 6:10). The Church's universal mission is born of faith in Jesus Christ, as is stated in our Trinitarian profession of faith: "I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. One God and one Lord are asserted by way of contrast to the multitude of "gods" and "lords" commonly accepted. , 17-19.55. the holy spirit We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person who convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgement, regenerates the believer into new life in Christ at the moment of salvation, sanctifies the believer in Christ-likeness, and seals the believer unto the day of redemption. Even for the "new evangelization" of Christian countries the theme of the missions can prove very helpful: the witness of missionaries retains its appeal even for the non-practicing and non-believers, and it communicates Christian values. Cf. "13 But it must also be stated, again with the Council, that "in accordance with their dignity as persons, equipped with reason and free will and endowed with personal responsibility, all are impelled by their own nature and are bound by a moral obligation to seek truth, above all religious truth. Address at CELAM Meeting, Port-au-Prince, March 9, 1983: AAS 75 (1983), 771-779; Homily for the Opening of the "Novena of Years" promoted by CELAM, Santo Domingo, October 12, 1984: Insegnamenti VII/2 (1984), 885-897.177. Rather, her mission consists essentially in offering people an opportunity not to "have more" but to "be more." Church of the Brethren leaders respond following reporting of sexual Cf. How will you know if your little community is making progress and bearing fruit? Our goal is that the people of Redemption Church would hold these doctrines in boldness and kindness, strength and humility, truth and love. Mt 28:19-20; 16:18). Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Decree on the Missionary Activity of the Church Ad Gentes, 35; cf. 53. Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium, 13.18. The Church cannot elude Christ's explicit mandate, nor deprive men and women of the "Good News" about their being loved and saved by God. "6 It is only in faith that the Church's mission can be understood and only in faith that it finds its basis. It is manifested in a total commitment to evangelization, a commitment which involves the missionary's whole person and life, and demands a self giving without limits of energy or time. The two proclamations are complementary; each throws light on the other. 175 The Church's missionary spirituality is a journey toward holiness. Among the laity who become evangelizers, catechists have a place of honor. "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35). Homily for the celebration of the Eucharist in Krakow, June 10, 1979: AAS 71 (1979), 873.11. The disciples are to live in unity with one another, remaining in the Father and the Son, so that the world may know and believe (cf. In this way the kingdom of God comes to be fulfilled: the kingdom prepared for in the Old Testament, brought about by Christ and in Christ, and proclaimed to all peoples by the Church, which works and prays for its perfect and definitive realization. Even so, certain points must remain clear. Peoples everywhere, open the doors to Christ! My contact with representatives of the non-Christian spiritual traditions, particularly those of Asia, has confirmed me in the view that the future of mission depends to a great extent on contemplation. 135 All priests must have the mind and the heart of missionaries - open to the needs of the Church and the world, with concern for those farthest away, and especially for the non-Christian groups in their own area. The social and cultural conditions in which they live do not permit this, and frequently they have been brought up in other religious traditions. This is a praiseworthy trend which demonstrates the continuing validity and relevance of the specific missionary vocation of these institutes. We are thankful for Gods priceless spiritual gifts and we want to share them with everyone no matter your situation or past. Once there is faith, healing is an encouragement to go further: it leads to salvation (cf. First and foremost, there is the group of the Twelve which as a single body, led by Peter, proclaims the Good News. We believe that water baptism is an outward expression and celebration of a person's new life in Christ. Man is the principal agent of development, not money or technology. I thank the priests, religious brothers and sisters, and members of the laity for their dedication, and I also encourage the volunteers from non-governmental organizations who in ever increasing numbers are devoting themselves to works of charity and human promotion. As the third millennium of the redemption draws near, God is preparing a great springtime for Christianity, and we can already see its first signs. Rejoice in the Lord always. 36. We Preaching constitutes the Church's first and fundamental way of serving the coming of the kingdom in individuals and in human society. Then there are the special envoys sent out to proclaim the Gospel. It commits us to being molded from within by the Spirit, so that we may become ever more like Christ. He finds answers to problems in the light of God's word and in personal and community prayer. Rom 8:3-13). It is demanded by deep respect for everything that has been brought about in human beings by the Spirit who blows where he wills.103 Through dialogue, the Church seeks to uncover the "seeds of the Word,"104 a "ray of that truth which enlightens all men'';105 these are found in individuals and in the religious traditions of mankind. cit., 855ff; Paul VI, Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi, 70-73: loc. Indeed, after the resurrection, the disciples preach the kingdom by proclaiming Jesus crucified and risen from the dead. As for the different emphases found in each version, Mark presents mission as proclamation or kerygma: "Preach the Gospel" (Mk 16:15). Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Decree on the Missionary Activity of the Church Ad Gentes, 4.44. Your vision statement is where you're going. Evangelize the Lost. 87. We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person who convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgement, regenerates the believer into new life in Christ at the moment of salvation, sanctifies the believer in Christ-likeness, and seals the believer unto the day of redemption. Christian hope sustains us in committing ourselves fully to the new evangelization and to the worldwide mission, and leads us to pray as Jesus taught us: "Thy Kingdom come. The resurrection gives a universal scope to Christ's message, his actions and whole mission. Cf. Paul VI, Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi, 18-20: loc. Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Decree on the Missionary Activity of the Church Ad Gentes, 27. Diocesan Priests for the Universal Mission. There are countries and geographical and cultural areas which lack indigenous Christian communities. 1 Cor 15:24, 28). Families, especially parents, should be conscious that they ought to "offer a special contribution to the missionary cause of the Church by fostering missionary vocations among their sons and daughters."167. To this end, especially in the more delicate areas of inculturation, particular churches of the same region should work in communion with each other90 and with the whole Church, convinced that only through attention both to the universal Church and to the particular churches will they be capable of translating the treasure of faith into a legitimate variety of expressions.91 Groups which have been evangelized will thus provide the elements for a "translation" of the gospel message,92 keeping in mind the positive elements acquired down the centuries from Christianity's contact with different cultures and not forgetting the dangers of alterations which have sometimes occurred.93, 54. It is a "Church for others" just as Christ is the "man for others." The Church serves the kingdom by spreading throughout the world the "gospel values" which are an expression of the kingdom and which help people to accept God's plan. I sense that the moment has come to commit all of the Church's energies to a new evangelization and to the mission ad gentes. Situations are not, however, the same everywhere. "No one comes to the Father, but by me" (Jn 14:6). Indeed, Christ dwells within the Church. Mt 28:19). Certainly, the kingdom demands the promotion of human values, as well as those which can properly be called "evangelical," since they are intimately bound up with the "Good News." As Romans reminds us, How then will they call on him in whom they Decree on the Missionary Activity of the Church Ad Gentes, 17.158. priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may The fruitfulness of missionary activity is to be found in this communion. We would do well to be attentive to these modern areas of activity and to be involved in them. This is not the kingdom of God as we know it from Revelation. It was thanks to Peter that the horizons of the Church's universal mission were expanded, and the way was prepared for the outstanding missionary work of Paul, who by God's will was called and sent forth to the nations (cf. I am humbled, amazed, and thankful that the Lord has allowed me to lead His people in worship of our Lord and Savior. Cf. Whether they pursue a strictly missionary goal or not, such institutes should ask themselves how willing and able they are to broaden their action in order to extend God's kingdom. The rapid and profound transformations which characterize today's world, especially in the southern hemisphere, are having a powerful effect on the overall missionary picture. Our church is a caring, inviting and safe community of believers who want to share the Hope, Love and Joy through a Christ-Centered Faith encounter. Mt 10), teaches them the paths of mission: poverty, meekness, acceptance of suffering and persecution, the desire for justice and peace, charity - in other words, the Beatitudes, lived out in the apostolic life (cf. The Church proposes; she imposes nothing. Paul VI, Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi, 20: loc. Redemption Church | Faith Statement In the Encyclical Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, I stated that "the Church does not have technical solutions to offer for the problem of underdevelopment as such," but "offers her first contribution to the solution of the urgent problem of development when she proclaims the truth about Christ, about herself and about man, applying this truth to a concrete situation. Redemption church is multi-congregational family of churches across Arizona. Pastor James is a founding member and serves as a lay Elder at Redemption Church. On the one hand, we must recognize that "the division among Christians damages the holy work of preaching the Gospel to every creature and is a barrier for many in their approach to the faith. One could be redeemed from difficulty or danger. Every person therefore is invited to "repent" and to "believe" in God's merciful love. What is overlooked is that every person has the right to hear the "Good News" of the God who reveals and gives himself in Christ, so that each one can live out in its fullness his or her proper calling. As our Savior and Lord, we want to honor him with our lives and make much of him in our worship. There must be no abandonment of principles nor false irenicism, but instead a witness given and received for mutual advancement on the road of religious inquiry and experience, and at the same time for the elimination of prejudice, intolerance and misunderstandings. Indeed, all people are searching for it, albeit at times in a confused way, and have a right to know the value of this gift and to approach it freely. As Peter wrote, "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may . work of redemption hes accomplished in choosing to save his church was done A rapidly growing phenomenon in the young churches - one sometimes fostered by the bishops and their Conferences as a pastoral priority - is that of "ecclesial basic communities" (also known by other names) which are proving to be good centers for Christian formation and missionary outreach.
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