Andrew Gifford
11 September 2023
The Parish of Bacchus Marsh, Balliang and Myrniong recently held an event to put our Vision and Mission into practice in a simple way.
It was a “Delightful Devonshire Tea” which raised money for a local tragedy, and gave people the opportunity to engage with God and suffering
The tea ticked several boxes for our Vision and Mission statements. Our Vision statement is about being a strong Christian family who share God’s love with one another and the local community. How wonderful to experience the church family working together with kindness and joy! Raising $2581 to support Exford Primary School after the recent school bus crash was a sign of our love for the local community.
Read more: If God is a loving God, why does he not heal distressing physical ailments?
Our Mission statement is about bringing glory to God by making, growing and supporting disciples of Jesus. As people prayed and invited friends, we matured as disciples. A display gave people an opportunity to engage with the issue: “Where is God in suffering?” There were resources available to further explore this question.
For a church community which averages 30 people on a Sunday, it was wonderful to see more than 110 people join us during the afternoon. I am encouraged to be part of a community which wants to be shaped by our Vision and Mission – our first attempt since I was commissioned as vicar at the beginning of this year, and a first since COVID-19.
We’re now planning more ways to put our Vision and Mission into practice!
The Reverend Andrew Gifford is vicar of the Parish of Bacchus Marsh, Balliang and Myrniong.
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