Introduction (by Fr. Steven J. Kelly)

 Friends –

We have been in a virus imposed limbo since March of 2020.  During our shut down, and now our phased re-opening of the Church, priorities have been re-evaluated and it is as if the entire world, including The Church, has hit the RESET button. 

The Vestry over the summer set out to read and discuss a book called Made for Mission: Renewing your parish culture by Tim Glemkowski.   As recommended in this book we recommitted to being a parish that is focused on mission.  What is that mission?  Simply stated, it is To know Christ, and to make Him known.  This has been our published mission statement, and Mr. Glemkowski’s book has started us thinking about how we can become more deeply focused on the primary work of the parish.

The statement above assumes two things: that we know Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, and how he has revealed himself through the historic teaching of the Church, and that we know how to share that Good News. 

We will be spending time in the beginning hyper-focusing on the Knowing Christ portion, as well as what is the Mission of the Church.  This booklet is the first step in that focus.  It was written in 1952 by Bishop Richard Emerich, the former diocesan bishop here in Michigan.  I have broken it down into small portions for you to read and pray about each day.   This is important for us all to start here and we will be discussing this together. 

We have exciting times together as we refocus and renew, and become a church of Mission to live and share the Good News of Jesus Christ!

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