A Church In Mission For Others
God calls the whole church through the Gospel to be engaged in mission in response to the needs of others, celebrating what God has done and continues to do through us. Relying on the gifts of the Spirit, we will develop ministries that will inspire and equip us to care for others through the mission work of the synod, ministry areas, congregations, synodically recognized ministries and specialized ministries. As members of the Eastern Synod, we will help one another to embrace our vocations as ministers of the Gospel.
We will practice Spirited Discipleship.
We will encourage one another to be joyful in worship, diligent in exploring God’s Word, passionate in bearing witness to our faith, generous in sharing the gifts we have received, and wise in working with all our sisters and brothers in Christ. In our life together, we will be open to the creative and loving ways that God’s Spirit works in and through us as members of the Eastern Synod.
We will pursue Compassionate Justice.
We will be mindful of the biblical principles of justice and compassion, striving to work with and for people who live on the margins of society. We will meet our neighbours, become more familiar with those living in our communities who may vary from us in age, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic class, and religious practices, and foster a climate of invitation for all. We will also seek to take better care of the earth, and play a leading role in preserving all that God has made.
We will strive to be a Healthy Synod.
We will have a clear sense of purpose and a strong sense of identity. We will be faithful stewards of gifts and assets entrusted to us. We will engage, cooperate with and support our national church. We will continue to assess and adjust our structures so that we remain suited to the tasks to which the Gospel calls us. We will be challenged by ongoing evaluation of our various ministries, mindful that God may lead us to end some of them and begin others.
We will build Effective Partnerships.
We will strengthen our existing partnerships and develop new ones. This includes collaboration with congregations, ministry areas, synodically recognized ministries, specialized ministries, other synods, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, as well as ecumenical, multi-faith, and community organizations. We will frequently ask ourselves, “Do we have to do this alone?”