Mission

Berkey Avenue Mennonite Fellowship: Mission Statement

Revised Winter 2005

God is richly blessing our congregation by calling out a people of diverse backgrounds, perspectives, abilities, and gifts to share our lives together as a congregation which is a member of the Indiana-Michigan Conference of the Mennonite Church USA. We witness that God calls us to be faithful in all things and is teaching us much about the people we are meant to be. In the words of our Vision Statement, we believe God has called us “to live Christ’s loving, healing, caring presence, embracing intimacy and invitation as our primary values.” To be faithful to this call, to this vision, we commit ourselves at this time in our congregational life to the following.

Worship and grow spiritually by:

• planning thoughtful, celebratory worship services led by the Holy Spirit
• singing, praying, and worshiping in a variety of styles
• participating in nurture hour classes that study the Bible, explore faith issues, and allow personal sharing
• promoting discipleship and peace
• encouraging a vital, passionate relationship with God

Nurture healthy Christian community by:

• caring about one another
• valuing informal fellowship
• offering small groups
• supporting and praying for people during crises
• sharing joys and concerns
• interacting during meals, nurture classes, and fellowship times

While striving for unity in Christ, welcome the diversity, sharing, and participation of all God’s people by:

• delighting in the richness of perspectives about God
• encouraging the gifts of all age groups in congregational life
• providing intergenerational activities
• welcoming new people where they are and as they are, no matter what their cultural or ethnic background may be, or what level of disability they may have
• supporting families with adopted members
• supporting youth who attend public schools, private schools or home schools
• using language that people who don’t have a Mennonite background can understand

Equip one another to carry out God’s call for our lives by:

• reaching out to others in mission
• recognizing the importance of each person’s vocational call for mission
• encouraging leadership potential
• offering a place for spiritual retreats, spiritual guidance, and listening to God
• challenging the busyness of our lives in order to provide space for reflection
• giving generously and joyfully of our time, talents, and finances