What is mission? The dictionary says it is a function or a task. It can be undertaken by a person or a group. When an person has a mission it is clear to them what they want to do. When a group gets together, it can become more complicated as they try to agree to get the task done. That is why it is helpful before starting the task to define it and get everyone going in the same direction.

To help us all go in the same direction, our church has a mission statement:

"The Mont Vernon church is gathered in response to the call of God through Jesus Christ. We humbly open ourselves to the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we seek to be faithful to the biblical teachings of Jesus Christ."

Let's go through it by sections.

"The Mont Vernon church is gathered in response to the call of God through Jesus Christ"

This defines who is on this particular mission. We are an organized group that comes together in this building. "Gathered" means to "bring or come together". We all came here as part of our individual faith journey, and now this church and our collective actions have become part of our growth in faith. To me "gathered" brings up the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd described in the 23rd psalm. If you believe Jesus has a plan for your life, you believe he brought you to this church. You could have been at any church, or no church, but God wants you to be here.

"Open" has many meanings: having no cover, exposed, unobstructed, vulnerable, available, candid, receptive, to reveal the secrets of, to begin, initiate, commence". When we become open, we can receive the guidance of the Holy Spirit. And when we come to church and participate in worship and the life and work of the church we can be counseled and taught by the Holy Spirit.

What were the biblical teachings of Jesus Christ? There were so many messages and teaching parables from Jesus. Love each other, help the poor, feed the hungry, teach them about Jesus, pray for others. The Great Commission from Mathew 28:19 is "go 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".

Many of these teachings were about doing something, and that is what having a mission is about. Doing something. You can act as an individual or as part of a group. The groups in our church come together as committees to focus and act on their mission. They are motivated to accomplish their goals. What do they need beyond motivation? They need a place to meet and they need the resources of the church. Sometimes it costs money and sometimes they need the time and abilities of people outside their group. That is where they need the support of the rest of the church, our help as stewards of the church's finances and pledges of our talent.