The Five Marks of Mission

To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom (expressed in some contexts as to tell people about the Way of Jesus)

It is important that we do not see the proclamation of the Gospel as being restricted to the Sunday Sermon. Whilst it is true that 90% of witness, is being witnessed, we do need to give people a voiced understanding of what it is they witness in our action. At the same time, we realize that just talking about Jesus is not enough, and indeed too much talk about Jesus and nothing else can on the one hand be quite off-putting for people, and in reality, means that we are not measuring up to the incarnational truth that we are invested in this world and the next.

To teach, baptise and nurture new believers (expression in some contexts as to teach, incorporate, and nurture people in the Way of Jesus)

Faith is not in opposition to knowledge or science, but rather the extension and fulfilment of them. From the foundations of the Church, we have been writing and teaching and educating, not simply in matters that might be perceived as religious, important though that is, but also in every aspect of science and philosophy. A great deal of the pioneering work in education in the west was done by people of faith, and a lot of this has been taken on by Government. The Church remains committed to education in every respect, including, of course, Christian Education.

To respond to human need by loving service

The care and nurture of the sick and those with various conditions and circumstances in life have been taken seriously in the life of the Church from the beginning. Whilst, like Education, this has become a primary responsibility of the Government, yet not exclusively, and indeed is part of the role of all of us. There are many ways and forms this can take, in the wider context, not just bandages, but all manner of assistance in all manner of areas of life.

To transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind and pursue peace and reconciliation

Social Justice can be misrepresented as simply the province of the left wing of politics, however, historically it is more accurate to see that much of this has been appropriated in the west from the traditions of Christianity. The key principle for us as Anglicans is that we ensure that our faith informs our politics, and not the other was around. None the less we recognise in the message of Jesus that there are some political repercussions to the way of faith.

To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation, and sustain and renew the life of the earth

We are ultimately stewards of creation. The environment entrusted to our care by God, comes with a sense of mutuality, for we nurture and sustain the life of the earth, and in turn, our lives and nurtured and sustained by the natural world. For us, this sense of relationship is described as ecology, not simply the environment, but a reflection of our relationship with God, the giver of all.