Ash Wednesday Service | 2/22 - 12 PM
Our Lenten Journey begins with Ash Wednesday.
We’ll gather for an intimate and stripped-down service of worship at noon on Wednesday February 22nd. Due to a funeral in the sanctuary, we will meet downstairs in the ROCK room which we will transform into a sacred space. You are invited to enter through the side door under the purple awning next to the parking lot when you arrive. Greeters will be stationed at this door to let you in until 12:05 PM. Please arrive by noon to ensure someone is there to let you in!
The service will feature acoustic music without amplification, call and response prayer, a short message from Psalm 51, the Imposition of Ashes, and communion. We will conclude within the hour, but you are welcome to stay and pray in the space for as long as you need.
There will be no childcare offered during Ash Wednesday, but children of all ages are welcome to join us for the service—wiggles, noises, and all!
Our Lenten Sermon Series & Seasonal Liturgy Changes
The Prayers of Jesus Series
During the Season of Lent, we will preach a 6-week sermon series entitled “The Prayers of Jesus.” During these weeks, we will look at texts featuring prayers Jesus prayed as well a things Jesus taught His followers about prayer. Our hope is that as we see Jesus in prayer, our own prayer lives will be deepened and shaped by His, and that we will learn how to pray from Christ.
Seasonal Changes to the Liturgy for Lent
As in Advent, we will be making some seasonal changes to our Sunday service liturgy to highlight spiritual themes and distinctive practices of Lent. Fr. William & Rebekah Burkhardt have prepared a series of videos to prepare you for these changes. Below are explanations of the spiritual WHY behind each WHAT that we’re changing/adding along with videos walking you through how each change will be experienced:
1) Very stripped down acoustic music with only 1-2 musicians moved to the floor to emphasize congregational singing. As Lent is a season of self-examination, repentance, and prayer, we want our worship service to highlight a stripped-down rawness of unflashy desire and genuine need for the Lord. For that reason, our musicians will move the floor and we’ll have fewer of them. The music will be simpler and the congregation will need to sing out as our voices will be the featured instrument. Check out the OVERVIEW VIDEO for Lent HERE—> Lent Liturgical Changes Overview Video
2) The Penitential Order with confession & absolution at the beginning of the service with special processional music and a seasonal Kyrie. As Lent is a season for self-examination, repentance, and prayer, during these weeks, we will move our confession and absolution to the beginning of the service and sing a new processional song (Prayer to Trinity by Trinity Anglican in Atlanta) and a seasonal Kyrie (We Cry Mercy by Greg LaFollette). Check out the PROCESSIONAL & PENITENTIAL ORDER VIDEO HERE—> Lent Opening Liturgy + Kyrie Video
3) The Bible processed into the midst of the congregation for the Gospel reading. During Lent, we will process the Bible into the middle of the congregation where the Gospel text will be read amongst the people. This act helps us remember the incarnation: that Jesus has come among us to bring salvation to us. There will be special music that will be played as the cross and Bible are processed into the congregation and then recessed back to the front after the reading. Check out the GOSPEL PROCESSIONAL VIDEO HERE—> Procession of the Gospel Video
4) The corporate proclamation of our faith using the words of the Nicene Creed after the sermon. One of the traditional acts of Book of Common Prayer worship is the corporate proclamation of the Creed after the sermon. This is an act whereby we as the Church proclaim our shared and historic faith together. We will recite the words of the Nice Creed together each week during Lent.
5) A sung Sanctus prayer during the communion liturgy. As in Advent, and fitting with our emphasis on congregational singing and participation during Lent, the Sanctus prayer during the communion liturgy will be sung. Check out the SANCTUS VIDEO HERE—> Communion & Sung Sanctus Prayer Video
6) The Doxology sung a cappella during the benediction. During Lenten Sundays, fitting with our desire for raw expression of need for Jesus, our benediction music will be an a cappella (i.e. no instruments) singing of the Doxology. This will happen in the place of Pentecost and before the Benediction, so our services will end with our voices raised as one in blessing over one another. View the DOXOLOGY BENEDICTION VIDEO HERE—> Doxology & Benediction Video
To help all these elements work, please plan to arrive early, sit toward the front and center of the sanctuary, and sing loud! We can’t wait to share this Lenten Journey with You!
Introducing Our New Director of Children's & Family Ministry!
This past Sunday, we shared the exciting news that our own Christine Mitchell has joined our ministry team as our new and part-time Director of Children’s & Family Ministry. Over the coming weeks, Christine will transition into taking over coordinating our current Mission Nursery team, as well as beginning to convene volunteers, parents, and all interested members in conversations to design our Next-Step Children’s Ministry offering for children ages 4-7 which we hope to launch this Fall. In her role at the Mission, Christine will also serve as the point of contact for all things Children’s Ministry-related. She will also work with the rest of our staff and volunteer leaders to help us continue to shape and foster a church culture that sees the discipleship of the Next Generation in our midst as a shared priority and calling in which we ALL join together regardless of life-station.
We are so THRILLED at God’s provision for our church in and through Christine and for His work in and through her life. Please welcome Christine into this new role with us!
Just Be With People: An Epiphany Sermon Series on Learning Evangelism from Jesus
What do you think of when you hear the word “evangelism”?
Increasingly, our guess is most people don’t have positive associations with this word. Non-Christians likely think of door-to-door Jehovah’s Witness proselytizers or manipulative TV evangelists. Even within the church, we often tend to think of evangelism as a “got to” of the Christian faith rather than a “get to,” that requires putting yourself in a really uncomfortable situation to bring up Jesus and eternal salvation in conversation with strangers.
How did this word, translated from a Greek word that means “to share Good News” become such bad news to our ears? Can evangelism’s public image could be rehabilitated? Are there ways of doing evangelism that are actually life-giving, healthy, and dignifying for both the person sharing Good News and the person hearing it?
During Sundays in Epiphanytide, we’ll be looking at scenes from the life of Jesus in the Gospel of John where He interacted with people and shared the Good News of the Gospel with them. In these days, we hope to discard all the modern perversions of evangelism that have grown so distasteful, and recover a simple understanding of how to just be with people and share good news with them as modeled to us by Jesus. We hope this series will be refreshing for our faith even as we gain some practical vision for how we can have healthy spiritual conversations with real people we love and want to see come to know Christ in our lives!
Join us Sundays January 15th – February 19th as we relearn evangelism from Jesus Himself in the Gospel of John!
A Devotional Guide For Epiphany
On January 6th, Christians across the world today celebrated Epiphany. Epiphany is the day when Christians throughout history have celebrated the coming of the Magi to worship the Christ child. Epiphany is significant because it was the first time when the Gospel (in the face of Christ) was revealed to Gentiles. In this moment God’s intention in Christ to bring salvation to all peoples of the world is prefigured. The church calendar recognizes Epiphany, not just as one day but as a season of Epiphanytide which lasts from Epiphany on January 6th until the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday.
To help you press into the spiritual significance of this season, Rev. Kristen has created an Epiphany devotional guide you can access and use via the link below!
Building Search Task Force Seeking Volunteers
Dear Mission Cincinnati,
If you've been with us since at least last fall, you know we've begun the process of discerning where Mission Cincinnati should call "home" over the next few years. While meeting at House of Joy has been a tremendous blessing, we've also encountered logistical and missional constraints. After several discussions as a Vestry and a very insightful congregational survey, it seems the next steps should be in the direction of seeking out rental or other space-sharing opportunities.
To that end, we are forming a Task Force that will hold responsibility for a search process. This small group of people will lead the effort to leverage connections, gather viable options, and act as the primary point of contact for ideas from the congregation.
Many details of this group's structure and process flow will be determined at our first meeting together the week of January 30 (actual date TBD), but, roughly, we believe this will be initially a two-to-three month project. We also have very helpful search parameters based on the responses to the congregational survey.
If you are interested in being part of this Task Force, we would love for you to fill out and submit the interest form (link below) by no later than January 20.
Whether you are interested in this particular opportunity or not, we ask that you commit to praying for this group and for our church's next steps in seeking a place to flourish in all the ways God calls us to.
If you have any questions about the Task Force or the building search process in general, please reach out to me (erinduncan1118@gmail.com) or Sarah Love (smzorko@gmail.com). We're excited to talk more about it!
Erin Duncan
Mission Vestry Secretary
Christmas Eve Service Cancelled
Greetings Mission Family,
Unfortunately there is no heat in the building at House of Joy, and given the already extreme temperatures outside, the geographic dispersion of our congregation, and the sub-optimal condition of many of our roads, our staff has made the unfortunate and painful decision to cancel this afternoon’s Christmas Eve service. We are so sorry to do this, but we believe it is the wisest decision we can make at this time.
I will be livestreaming my Christmas Eve homily to our church’s Facebook page today at 2 PM, so you can view then or any time thereafter.
We will also cue up our Lessons & Carols service from 2 years ago and post it on our Facebook page at 5 PM.
While we know these cannot replace being together in person, we do hope that they are blessings you can enjoy at home and with others.
In all of this, we rejoice that the Good News that we celebrate on this day is unchanged regardless of our circumstances: Jesus is born, God has come among us, Emmanuel is HERE!
Merry Christmas Mission Family,
Fr. William
You're Invited to Christmas Eve!
You’re Invited to join us for our annual Christmas Eve Service & Celebration, co-hosted with House of Joy on Saturday, December 24th at 3 PM at 3220 Central Parkway!
We’ll enjoy an evening of festive carols in classical, contemporary, and gospel styles, candle-lighting, communion, and a powerful message from Luke chapter 2.
The service will be followed by a holiday cookie party downstairs in the ROCK room.
The service is fully family-friendly, and while we will not be offering our nursery during the service, children of all ages are welcome to join us in worship! We’ll have interactive kids packs for the littles and the side wings will have extra space for kids to get their wiggles out.
Bring your family and friends and come join us for a beautiful evening as we conclude our Advent Journey and celebrate the coming of Christ among us!
"Oh Come!" A Journey Through Longing & Hope | 12/16, 7-9 PM
You’re invited to join us on Friday, December 16th from 7-9 PM at the Music Resource Center (3032 Woodburn Ave. Cincinnati OH 45206) for an evening journey that will feature seasonal readings and diverse artistic performances—including spoken word, dance, song-writing, and more—which will press into themes of longing, hope, and anticipation that mark this Advent season.
This is a community event featuring artists representing many communities and backgrounds. It will be a family-friendly evening as well. All are welcome and invited to join us for this beautiful night!
You can RSVP for the event using the link below. Also, feel free to use this link to invite others you think would enjoy this!
Questions? Contact Charles Dudley at charles@missioncincinnati.org.
Registration for Epiphany-Term Equip Gatherings Now Open!
Greetings Mission Family,
As you know, we at the Mission Cincinnati, care deeply about equipping our people for the works of ministry, and about fostering deeper community. As such, in the New Year, during Epiphany-term (Jan-Feb) and Spring-term (May), we will host a new kind of ministry offering on Monday nights called Equip Gatherings. For 4 weeks we’ll share a nice dinner together and then separate out to take a variety of classes. Each class will be led by experienced and passionate practitioners, and will offer a blend of spiritual formation as well as practical ministry training to better equip you to live out our shared commitments of Belonging, Growing, Serving, and Going. We’ll also deepen our friendships with each other throughout these seasonal gatherings.
In this first Epiphany-term Equip Gathering, we’ll offer up three classes:
1) Good News: How our Creedal Faith is Good News for the World
2) Reimagining Evangelism Workshop: Tools for Having Healthy Conversations with Real People
3) Emotionally Healthy Spirituality
There will be a $30 registration fee for these gatherings that will cover the costs of nice dinners prepared by our favorite local black-owned-business-running Chef Sonia (of Pentecost party fame!), class materials, and childcare for families with small kids. You can also attend individual classes on a $10/class basis.
You can register for Epiphany Term classes TODAY using the link below.
You can also visit our Classes page (also linked below) to find out more details about all our classes and offerings throughout the year. Got questions?
Have questions? You can reach out to me at kristen@missioncininnati.org.
We are super excited to press into opportunities for discipleship in community together as a church in the New Year!
Rev. Kristen Yates
Associate Pastor for Formational Discipleship
Introducing Advent
The New Year is upon us! Well, New Year according to the Church Calendar that is. Each year, we at the Mission Cincinnati journey with other Christians throughout time and space alongside the Ancient people of Israel as they waited for their Messiah; with Jesus through His life, death, and resurrection, and then with the Church throughout history as every generation has waited for Christ to come back and make all things New. This journey of pressing into the hope of Christ’s coming—both Israel’s waiting for Christ to come the first time, and the church’s waiting for Christ to come again—is a season Christians have come to call Advent. This year, Advent, begins on November 27th and lasts up until December 25th, Christmas Day.
While the culture around us often starts celebrating Christmas shortly after Thanksgiving (or even Halloween!), we in the Church wait. The Season of Advent invites us into this waiting. This is good and purposeful, because before we can properly celebrate the good News of Jesus’ birth, we must take time to walk in the shoes of the ancient Israelites living under oppression and in exile, remembering their longing for a savior.
We also need to get in touch with our own longings for deliverance from the many kinds of current-day oppressions we and our world face. Our world is broken, we are broken, and we cannot deliver ourselves from this brokenness and sin. There is One, however, who can: Jesus. Thus, throughout the season of Advent, we are invited to bring all our laments, our sorrows, our longings, our fears, and even our repentance to the Lord. Purple, the liturgical color of penitence, that will adorn our Communion Table throughout the season, will remind us of all this. So will the placement of The Confession at the beginning of our service, a tradition we practice in both Advent and Lent known as the Penitential Order.
This is not to be a mournful season, however, but one of great hope. As we journey through Advent, the Scriptures appointed for this season will remind us that our Lord is our Emmanuel, our “God with us.” We do not need to carry our burdens alone. We journey with One who is with us, who deeply loves us, and who has shown Himself again and again to be One who delivers His people.
The Advent Scriptures will also remind us that just as Jesus came once, He will come again, and when He does come, He will wipe away all tears, remove all our fears, and invite us into a life of abundance, meaning, freedom, and peace. This is because Advent is not just a time of waiting to celebrate Jesus’ birth; it is also a time of anticipating Jesus’ Second Coming, and the Advent wreath we light each week will be a reminder to us of both realities. The progressive lighting of the candles each week will symbolize how a Great Light has dawned in the land of darkness (Isaiah 9), and how one day, that Light will once and for all disperse all darkness.
Therefore, friends, I invite you to enter deeply into this season of waiting and anticipation this year. Let this season be a time of sorrow and joy, and lament and celebration. Let it be a time of hope, peace, wonder, and growing faith as you wait to celebrate Jesus’ birth and wait for His Second Coming. And put your trust in the One who will one day make all things right.
If you are new to the Season of Advent or just unsure of how to engage this season this year, be sure to check out the Advent guide I have created for you. In it, there are descriptions of many Advent traditions both for the Church and individuals. Plus, there are devotionals and activities for both adults and families.
May you truly have a Blessed Advent.
Rev. Kristen Yates
MOVE-IN READY | A November Stewardship Journey
In Exodus 3, God miraculously appears to Moses and casts an awesome vision for the rest of his life. And in Exodus 4, Moses complains, argues with God, and basically spends a whole chapter of the Bible coming up with reasons why God’s vision won’t work and how God should give this vision to someone else.
I so get that.
In the early days of big dreams there is such great distance between what you believe COULD and SHOULD BE, and what IS right now. Crossing that distance can feel impossible. And in the midst of Moses’s very relatable doubt, he asks God, “what if they don’t believe me or listen to me and say, ‘the Lord did not appear to you’?”
And God responds, “What is that in your hand?”
When Moses is tempted to doubt that he has what it takes to fulfill God’s vision for His life, God invites Moses to consider what has already been placed in his hands, and to imagine how God might work through the things Moses ALREADY HAS to part oceans and change the world.
During the month of November, we will focus on STEWARDSHIP as a church, through a journey we are calling “Move-In Ready”. At The Mission, we define stewardship holistically. It’s not about ONE part of our lives, its about ALL of our lives. We believe it’s an important part of our discipleship to—like Moses—spend intentional time considering what God has ALREADY placed into our hands as a church family—our financial resources, our spiritual gifts, our time, and our passions to reach and heal a hurting world—and then to imagine how we might offer these things back to God, so that He might work in and through them to part oceans and change the world in our lives and in our city today.
We want to be clear that this is NOT a building campaign. While our recent building search survey will greatly inform our Vestry’s continued consideration of when, if, and where a location move will serve our church, our focus in November is this year’s version of our church’s annual rhythm of setting aside intentional time to focus on holistic stewardship including pledgeship, vestry nominations, and more for the year to come.
The phrase, “move-in ready” is a metaphorical picture to guide and focus our journey. If you own a piece of land on which you plan to build your dream house, there’s some work that needs to be done to transform that land into a home that’s ready to live in. This image helps us consider our own hearts before the Lord in this season as a church: what steps might God be inviting each and all of us to take, so that we might grow together to become a community of people who are able to step forward into the vision He has for us as a church?
This will be our focus over the next few weeks, and here’s what you can expect:
Sunday, October 30th - our Vestry Treasurer, Nelson Wesley will give a preview announcement about our upcoming annual Pledgeship Process. If you are a member of The Mission or have gone through at least 1 stage of Mission Pathways, you will also receive a mailed letter from Nelson inviting you to prayerfully prepare for and participate in pledging.
Wednesday, November 2nd - the Mission Minute will include links to a Biblical Theology of Generosity, as well as an explanation of “What is A Vestry?” so that you can prepare both for the pledgeship window as well as our annual Vestry Nomination window.
Sunday, November 6th - Vestry Member Sarah Love will give a preview announcement explaining a bit about the Vestry nomination process, and how you can nominate fellow members to serve in this key leadership role.
Wednesday November 9th - our 2-week Vestry Nomination & Pledgeship Window opens, and you can participate by nominating fellow Mission members to serve on our Vestry, and by submitting a pledge indicating your planned giving in support of God’s Kingdom ministry through The Mission Cincinnati in 2023.
Sunday, November 13th - Fr. William will preach a special message on the vision of our church for the coming season, and how our faith-filled stewardship in all of these areas as well as service and evangelism will be essential to us stepping forward as a church into everything God has called us to.
Sunday, November 20th - we will share our quarterly prayer service where we will pray into all of this and into our next season together.
Wednesday November 23rd - the Vestry Nomination & Pledgeship windows will close. We will share the outcomes of these processes with the congregation in December.
We are so excited to share this journey with you all, and we are expectant for all God will do in each of lives personally as well as in our entire community corporately! Please pray for the Holy Spirit to cover the entirety of this journey with the peace and grace of God. May a posture of Christ-centeredness be evident in all of this. And may the fruit of this journey be provision for our church’s mission, clarity for our collective next steps, and increase joy in the goodness and kindness of our God!
If you have any questions about this process, you’re invited to reach out to Fr. William Eavenson at william@missioncincinnati.org.
Maker Feature Episode 4: Price Hill - Insights from Its Neighbors
Every month during our Soundtrack Series, we’ll share a new video that Charles Dudley and a team from the Mission have put together in which they interview a local “maker,”—artists, business leaders, community workers and more—who share how their faith has fueled their vision for their work to make a transformational difference for the good in their wider communities.
This week we released our latest Maker Feature, Episode 4 entitled “Price Hill: Insights from its Neighbors.” In this episode, Charles Dudley sits down with DJ Trischler, Assistant Professor of Communication Design at DAAP at the University of Cincinnati, and Arturo Minera Director of Teen Impact, a ministry of the City Gospel Mission, to discuss their local work coming alongside their home neighborhood of Price Hill to elevate & connect local voices and enrich community for all!
You can view episode 4 HERE—> Maker Feature Episode 4
Check out our 3 Previous Maker Feature Videos Using the Links Below!
EPISODE 1 featuring Crystal & Taren from Cream & Sugar Coffee House:
MAKER FEATURE EPISODE 1: Cream & Sugar
EPISODE 2 featuring Donny from G(O)OD Co. Apparel
MAKER FEATURE EPISODE 2: G(O)OD Co. Apparel
EPISODE 3 featuring Kyle Cadena from The Music Resource Center
MAKER FEATURE EPISODE 3: Music Resource Center
Enjoy these videos, and better yet, check out the work and patron the shops of these fantastic local makers in our city!
Fill Out Our Building Search Survey!
The Mission Cincinnati is beginning a formal search for a building our congregation can call our own!
As we begin this process, we want to first hear from YOU! Our Vestry has designed a short survey that will allow you to share your thoughts on possible building location, aesthetics, and ways you think we could/should use a new facility. The survey will take you about 5 minutes to complete and you can access it using the button below:
We hope to hear from 100% of our current members and regular attenders! Your prompt participation is so appreciated and needed so our Vestry can incorporate the full diversity of views and perspectives from within our church to craft our search process as we move forward.
If you have any questions for our Vestry, you can reach out to our People’s Warden Sarah Love at smzorko@gmail.com.
New? Join us for a Meet & Greet!
It’s been a joy to welcome so many newcomers to The Mission on Sundays these past few weeks. We want to connect with you, and so we are offering a Newcomer Meet & Greets coming up soon! The meet & greet will be a relaxed evening we’ll host in a local coffee shop where you’ll be able to meet other newcomers along with a couple members of our team, share drinks and desserts, hear a bit of The Mission’s story, and ask any questions you have about the church!
The Meet & Greet will take place on:
Thursday, September 8th | 6:30 - 7:30 PM @ Drip Coffee in Camp Washington
We ask that you please do RSVP if you plan to attend by Tuesday 9/6. You can RSVP by clicking the button below:
Want Prayer Heading Into the Fall?
On Sunday, August 14th, our clergy will offer a special space of prayer after worship at 11 AM in the ROCK room to pray for and bless students (of all stages!), parents, faculty, administrators, and anyone who just wants prayer heading into the fall!
This space is open to all and anyone is welcome to come and receive prayer! You do not have to attend the Mission.
We do ask that you PLEASE RSVP if you plan to attend so that we can know how many folks to prepare for and can communicate any important details with you about location etc.
We look forward to offering this space of prayer to all who desire it!
Questions? Contact william@missioncincinnati.org
WE'RE HIRING! | Mission Kids & Family Ministry Director
Since re-launching weekly services in a new location in Fall 2020, The Mission Cincinnati has seen great growth in the number of young families with children who have been joining the church. Children are the future of the church, and we at the Mission have a great desire to invest in holistic ministry to families and children, to equip parents as disciple-makers in their own families, and to offer resources and ministries that introduce children to the love of Jesus and the Big Story of the Bible in developmentally appropriate ways. For all these reasons, we sense that now is a time when God is calling us to invest in continuing to grow and strengthen our ministry to children and families in the season to come.
We are seeking to hire a passionate leader with a heart to lead, develop and grow holistic ministry to children and families within a local church context to serve as our Director of Mission Kids & Family Ministry. This part-time role will involve continuing to manage and strengthen our existing Mission Nursery & Kids’ ministries while leading us in welcoming new families into our community and building out new spaces for post-nursery age children’s ministry.
You can read the full Job Description and view the Application using the Button Link below!
Do you sense this is describing you? Feel like the Lord may be calling you into a ministry role like this? Know someone who might be a good fit for this role?
We’d LOVE to welcome you to apply for this position or to help us spread the word by sharing this Job Description & Application with your networks.
The application deadline is August 17th and we are hoping to fill the position by September 1st or as soon as we can thereafter.
We’d love your prayers for our community as we seek God’s provision of the perfect candidate to lead our Children & Family ministry forward in the season to come! Questions? Contact william@missioncincinnati.org.
Check Out Our Latest Maker Feature Videos!
Every month during our Soundtrack Series, we’ll share a new video that Charles Dudley and a team from the Mission have put together in which they interview a local “maker,”—artists, business leaders, community workers and more—who share how their faith has fueled their vision for their work to make a transformational difference for the good in their wider communities.
So far, we’ve released TWO Maker Feature Videos:
EPISODE 1 featuring Crystal & Taren from Cream & Sugar Coffee House:
MAKER FEATURE EPISODE 1: Cream & Sugar
EPISODE 2 featuring Donny from G(O)OD Co. Apparel
MAKER FEATURE EPISODE 2: G(O)OD Co. Apparel
Enjoy these videos, and better yet, check out the work and patron the shops of these fantastic local makers in our city!
Fall Kickoff Sunday September 11th | Save the Date!
It’s hard to believe it, but we’re just a few short weeks away from the beginning of our Fall Ministry season! This fall, we have a lot of exciting things in store at The Mission including the launch of new Pathways Cohorts, the start of 4 new Regional Small Groups, the opportunity to join new ministry serving teams and more!
We also know that August and September are months when our church gets a lot of newcomers: folks who have recently moved to Cincinnati looking for a worshiping community, and those who have lived here for a long time who are thinking about trying church for the first time, reconnecting with a congregation after a long time away, or simply looking for a new local church home that better fits where they are in their discipleship journey.
We are setting aside Sunday September 11th to celebrate the start of the Fall Ministry Season. We’ll focus on sharing all the many opportunities for next steps of connection in our midst, and we’ll have a catered party to welcome newcomers with fabulous food and beautiful space to hang out and meet folks in our community.
More details coming soon, but for now, save the date for a special Fall Kickoff Sunday of Worship on Sunday September 11th! Worship Service at 9:30 AM as usual at House of Joy, followed by a special party at the Burnet Woods Bandstand at 11 AM!
All are welcome and the more the merrier, so if you have someone you’ve been wanting to invite to The Mission or you’ve been considering checking out our church, we’d love to invite you to join us!
Questions? Contact william@missioncincinnati.org
A New Job Title for Rev. Kristen
Hey friends,
After conversation this summer between Fr. William & I, we have decided to change my job title at The Mission Cincinnati. I am actually not changing job responsibilities, just my title. I wanted to let you know that this is happening and why. Since I have been here at the Mission, my title has been the Associate Pastor of Spiritual Formation and Congregational Care, and going forward, my title will be the Associate Pastor of Formational Discipleship.
You might ask, why am I making this change if my work is not changing? Well, it is for a few reasons. While I believe that the process of spiritual formation is incredibly important, and is in fact the engine of discipleship – as the Holy Spirit forms us and empowers us to be Jesus’ disciples – unfortunately, the phrase “spiritual formation” often suffers from a number of misunderstandings. For some, the phrase is linked with non-Christian spiritualities. For others, it is associated only with a small subset of people who really like to do contemplative practices together. And still for others, its definition is truncated so that it is only about doing spiritual disciplines; it is a privatized endeavor that has nothing to do with mission, justice, peace-making, reconciliation, creation-care, vocation, and loving service.
And yet, the reality of spiritual formation is much greater. Christian spiritual formation is about the Holy Spirit-empowered process of maturing in Christ - growing in intimacy with the Lord and growing in the Fruit of the Spirit so that we can become more and more like Jesus and become Kingdom people. It is a life-long process for all Christians that sustains and empowers our discipleship journeys as we increasingly follow and obey the Lord, as we learn to love God and neighbor with our whole hearts.
For sure, Christian spiritual formation does include the cultivation of spiritual practices and disciplines, but it also includes all of life, including our relationships, our habits, our work, our rest, and our care for others. All aspects of our life are going to either help form us to be more and more like Jesus or they are going to form us to be less like Him. And thus, we can either learn to be intentional with all of our lives, opening ourselves up to the Holy Spirit and moving forward as disciples of Christ or we can let the myriad aspects of our lives shape us so that we remain as believers in Jesus alone, a state of being that Jesus never intended. For Jesus did not tell the apostles, “Go and make believers.” He said, “Go and make disciples.”
And so, I think it is really important that we see spiritual formation in a more holistic manner, and we see how it is linked to and is in fact inseparable from discipleship. It is also important to see discipleship in a more holistic manner – as something that involves more than just learning about God and serving Him (generally through our strength), but involves a way of life that is empowered by the Holy Spirit who forms us. Thankfully, the phrase “Formational Discipleship”, which was coined by my professor Dr. Dave Currie, helps us to lean into both this linkage and this holistic understanding.
All of this is why we are changing my title at the Mission, because I want to better reflect what my heart has always been for you all, and that is by God’s grace I would help each and every one of you grow more and more into the loving, self-giving, creative, non-anxious disciples of Jesus that God has always intended you to be. This for sure will not be a quick, overnight process, but I am excited to continue to journey with you, encourage you, care for you, and resource you as you seek to follow, obey, and become more like Jesus.
Grace and peace in Christ,
Rev. Kristen