Everyone is a leader at some time or another in their life. Sometimes we or others feel confident in our leadership role. Sometimes we don’t have the confidence or the skills we should have. In the secular world, there is almost always an accountability process present for each to live within. In the church, it is the same.  We have great expectations of our leadership. We want them to conduct meetings in a professional manner, lead worship in an appropriate way, be pastoral, forgiving and open to all in whom we have relationships. These are some basic expectations.

However, sometimes we are called to go above and beyond our own skills and abilities and to be challenged to go a second mile. This takes risk and prayer to move us in the direction we do not always want to go. Today I am asking you to take a risk, to be challenged and to lead in a most unusual way in the church.

The synod to which you and your congregation belong is a group of people and congregations who work mutually towards mission goals, in most cases, because individual congregations do not have the resources to fulfill some of the tasks of mission and they have asked the corporate body to do the work on their behalf. That is what is so amazing about this partnership- we share the work of God in the world.

Today I am asking you to support this shared ministry by supporting a financial challenge to all the leadership of MNO Synod Congregations. The MNO Synod 2009 Mission as Hope Appeal looks to raise $55,000 to assist in ongoing initiatives and $120,000 in new and dreamed for initiatives (See the breakdown below).  The MNO Synod Council has discerned the following five missional directions for our ministry together:

1. Renewing and empowering congregations
2. Strengthening lay and rostered leaders
3. Answering the spiritual hunger of our communities
4. Tackling poverty
5. Fostering hope in rural settings

Within these 5 missional directions, two foci have been identified for the Mission as Hope Appeal:
-Leadership Development- Rostered and Lay leadership
-Mission- Canadian and global
In the attached Mission as Hope Information Sheet below, you will see where we plan to direct our resources in the coming year.

Hope is always something that we human beings look for in our world. Our mission to help God love and bless the world is a way to build hope. Join the MNO Synod as we strive to bring hope through our mission initiatives.

Yours in Christ,

 

Bishop Elaine