Clarifying Our Passion at St. John's

Clarifying Our Passion

Dear Friends,

As you read the rest of this document, please think about the following sentence:

Our ‘passion’ for spiritual growth strengthens our Christian mission and shapes our parish vision.

In our cottage meetings, open forums, coffee hour conversations, etc., we have discovered that the people of St. John the Evangelist have three clear spiritual passions. In order to explore what this means for our future, we would like to ask you to complete the quick poll below. A more detailed survey will follow in the coming weeks.

Please note: the question below is intentionally difficult. It asks you to make a tough choice among three passions in the context of spiritual growth. Please understand that we designed the question to learn more about this particular aspect of St. John’s.

After you read the three options carefully, pick the one choice that most resonates with you and ignites passion on your spiritual journey. Please understand that, by selecting the one that resonates with you the most, you are not excluding or diminishing the value of the other two passions. You are simply identifying which one provides you with the most passion.

Respectfully,
Long Range Planning Committee

Question Title

* 1. Which one of the following statements most resonates with you and ignites passion on your spiritual journey?

A. St. John’s will be a church that serves Christ and the Church primarily through service outside of our parish, whereby:

·      I believe we understand God and Christ first and foremost through service to those in need, including people we have never met; these connections via service are primary to Christian understanding in general;
·      We strive toward service through partnering with external social service groups, which will frequently occur outside of the doors of our building;
·      Through this journey, I will find passion for my own spiritual growth, and St. John’s will continue to offer opportunities for interpersonal connection within our parish as well as opportunities for private reflection.

B. St. John’s will be a church that serves Christ and the Church primarily through interpersonal connection within our parish, whereby:

· I believe we understand God and Christ first and foremost through deeper friendships with my fellow parishioners as well as people I meet through programs on our premises; these interpersonal connections to each other are primary to Christian understanding in general;
· We strive toward these connections through developing dynamic internal programs hosted on our premises, which will frequently occur inside our building;
Through this journey, I will find passion for my own spiritual growth, and St. John’s will continue to offer opportunities for service outside our parish as well as opportunities for private reflection.

C. St. John’s will be a church that serves Christ and the Church primarily through individual development, whereby:

·      I believe we understand God and Christ first and foremost through the practice of private and personal reflection; this connection to my inner self is primary to Christian understanding in general;
·      We strive toward personal growth through developing ways for each of us to focus on our own individual spirituality frequently apart from others, which will occur in places where I may reflect on my own growth;
·      Through this journey, I will find energy for my own spiritual growth, and St. John’s will continue to offer opportunities for service outside our parish as well as opportunities for interpersonal connection within our parish.