Vicar's Letter re Season of Discernment – 8 December 2022
8 December 2022
Re: Season of Discernment
Dear Church Family
Many of you will remember that last September, following the Diocesan Synod which we hosted here at St Christopher’s, we listened to our Bishop’s recorded address to Synod in which he spoke from the Parables of the Soils and the Mustard Seed about how God’s Kingdom comes and grows in the world and in our communities, and what that means for us in terms of the part we play in growing the Kingdom of God. You will remember, too, the emphasis on identifying and mending “the holes in our bucket”.
Following on from that, our Bishop and his team have recently launched the Season of Discernment for the whole Diocese of Nelson. What is the Season of Discernment? It is a season in which we will seek to listen to God and discern His leading for us as a church on three important areas:
Where have we seen the growth or fruit in recent times in mission and ministry?
What are the opportunities for mission and ministry in our area?
What are the barriers that mean we struggle in mission and ministry?
The Season of Discernment started last month and will carry on until September of next year. It is divided into three periods:
Period 1: Nov 2022 – April 2023 Prayer, Scripture, Discussion and Feedback
Period 2: May – July 2023 Sharing and Consolidation
Period 3: Aug – Sept 2023 Commitment to Change
How do we, here at St Christopher’s, go about the Season of Discernment? Vestry will be discussing this at our next meeting on the 15th of this month. We ask you to pray for us. Pray that we will be open, sensitive and submissive to the Lord’s leading. I will be writing to you again to share further updates and plans.
At an individual level we can already begin to observe this Season of Discernment by engaging in personal prayer and reflection on Scripture, allowing God to speak to us from His Word about our church and our ministries. I believe that if we make the most of this season, it will be not just rewarding but also transformative for us as Christians and as a church.
God's richest blessings to you and your loved ones.
