MARKET SQUARE PRESBYTERIAN CHURC

MARKET SQUARE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Our Mission

Adopted by the Session, January 15, 2008

To proclaim & live the Good News of Jesus Christ by welcoming friend & stranger alike into our diverse & inclusive family of faith regardless of race or class or national origin or sexual orientation or worldly condition of any kind as we celebrate our gifts, work for justice & peace, reach out in mission & witness to God's transforming love.

The God who creates all things "has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." * God is calling us anew to reflect the light of Christ into Market Square and beyond as a beacon of hope for a new century. We commit ourselves to proclaim and live the Good News of Jesus by loving and worshipping God with all our hearts, and with all our souls, and with all our minds, and by loving our neighbors as ourselves. We are called by Jesus Christ to be one as a community of faith. We therefore open our hearts and our arms to everyone regardless of race or class or national origin or sexual orientation or worldly condition of any kind, remembering always that in welcoming friend and stranger alike we are receiving Christ into our midst. As followers of Jesus Christ and as witnesses to the transforming power of the Gospel in every aspect of our lives, we seek to nurture and celebrate our individual gifts, to forgive one another as Christ forgives us, and to work for justice and peace with others in Harrisburg and throughout the world.

* II Corinthians 4:6

Mission Goal—Expand Church Growth

We will actively work to enlarge our church community. We will continue to be the beacon of hope on the square, and will open our arms to visitors, members and friends.

To that end, we will explore strategies to share our enthusiasm for the Gospel through personal witness and relationships and through worship and mission outreach to the Greater Harrisburg community. We will use a variety of means, such as our radio ministry and our church website as ways to celebrate and proclaim the Gospel. We will be intentional in designing programs that increase our church outreach activities, including conducting outreach training. We will be more deliberate in inviting people to take part in the life of the church, through such activities as the church picnic, Bistro, and Pentecost Sunday.

Mission Goal—Enrich our Worship

We will uphold and enrich our tradition of a worship life that reflects the integrity of our biblical and Reformed heritage, striving for excellence in preaching, music and liturgy through the use of traditional, alternative and contemporary idioms.

To that end, we will explore musical and liturgical forms that can enhance our overall worship life. We will continue our commitment to alternative worship services, such as Taizé, and explore other like options.

Mission Goal—Deepen our Spiritual Life

We will be more intentional about the place of Christ in our personal lives and in our ministries as a congregation. We will expand and deepen opportunities for spiritual formation and education for the entire congregation. We will seek to create primary relationship opportunities where participants can find strength for the faith journey.

To that end, we will place strong emphasis on Christian education, striving for quality offerings and effective leadership that will encourage wide and regular attendance at all age levels. We will explore special events as a means to enhance spiritual growth. We will explore offering small Bible study groups both as part of the Christian education program and as special study groups. We will explore offering programs on deepening personal spirituality. We will be sensitive to the need to bring diverse groups in our congregation closer together through all of these approaches. We will look for ways to incorporate spiritual practices as an integral part into all our meetings and gatherings.

Mission Goal—Sustain Ministry with Youth and Young Adults

We will enhance our ministries with youth and young adults by creating new opportunities for worship and fellowship, taking into account the distinctive needs of young people, attempting to “see things through their eyes.”

To that end, we will strive to generate excitement in youth and young adult ministry. Over the past ten years, we have built a thriving educational and social program for youth. We will continue to build on this success. Additionally, we will evaluate youth worship opportunities and devise new worship opportunities as the need is determined. We will endeavor to encourage youth and young adults to progress in their faith journeys. We will continue to pay special attention to the differences -- social, spiritual, and emotions -- between young people still in school or college and young single people and married couples who have embarked on their adult working lives.

Mission Goal—Increase our Stewardship

We will marshal the human and financial resources that are necessary to continue the wide ranging programs to which our congregation is committed.

To that end, we will increase the general knowledge within the congregation about church budget and programs that it funds. We will inform people about the financial state of the church, using various means such as table talks. As part of the annual stewardship program, we will develop and distribute fact sheets—what things cost; what programs are affected by available finances. We will also develop ways to increase member participation in the life of the church, informing people of stewardship of time and talents by publicizing volunteer and service opportunities.

Mission Goal—Maintain our vital supportive Congregation

We will uphold the strong and active program of nurture within our congregation. We will continue to look to the Board of Deacons and the Health Ministry for leadership in this area. We will be attentive to the needs across the spectrum of our wonderfully diverse congregation: young or old; Anglo or Korean; single, partnered or married; healthy or infirm.

To that end, we will explore ways to make the church program activities accessible in a busy world. We will create resources for members to offer or receive assistance during times of need. We will continually seek ways to expand our health ministry. As we use our church facility for a thriving program, we will take care to observe the competing needs of constituencies within the congregation. We will be particularly sensitive to the vulnerabilities of families and the special needs of the very young and the very old within our congregation.

Mission Goal—Strengthen Our Outreach to the Larger World

We will face squarely the needs of the larger world, seeking to reflect the love and justice of Jesus into every sphere of life, giving special attention to marshaling human and financial resources. We will seek to create opportunities for understanding the forces that affect the daily lives of people in the Greater Harrisburg area, and worldwide.

To that end, we will continue our cooperation with other faith communities in and around Harrisburg, including our leadership in Interfaith activities. We will encourage and explore dialogue with other faith communities—particularly Christian, Jewish and Muslim. We will strengthen and expand our existing local mission outreach such as to the homeless, the International Service Center, the Sudanese, and similar groups. We will seek to capitalize on the current giving outreach under our Board of Deacons, and explore using this outreach as a means to encourage volunteerism to accompany financial support. We will look beyond the Harrisburg area and promote our interactions with and support of El Hogar and St. Joseph’s Church in Jifna, Palestine, and other emerging mission connections.

Updated 04/02/08