About the Episcopal Diocese of Utah
Mission/Vision Statement
This mission/vision statement was affirmed by the 96th Diocesan Convention, September 2001, in Logan, Utah.
The mission of the Episcopal Diocese of Utah is to offer a faithful and abiding witness to the risen life of Christ, as that is made known to us in scripture, the Anglican tradition, our roots in this 19th missionary diocese, and in our own experience. Being a small church in a large geographic area, we rejoice in our freedom to live boldly into the challenges and opportunities of the gospel.
Convinced that the Church needs the involvement of everyone for us to be truly whole, we seek to encourage all our members, from children and teens to adult seniors, to take their part. Our hope for the next five to ten years is to work together to build, strengthen, and extend our ministries within and beyond our own faith communities, according to the twelve areas of special emphasis named at our Convention 2000:
AREAS OF SPECIAL EMPHASIS
PRAYER and WORSHIP
Prayer and worship are the heart and soul of our life in the Episcopal Church, the most direct way in which we honor the first commandment. The centrality of our common life is the Eucharist. We encourage the development of a strong prayer life and the active participation of all our people in worship - in styles, forms and language that are both traditional and new.
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GOVERNANCE
The governance of our diocese is structured through canonical provisions for lay and clergy participation in all governing bodies, staffs, committees, and ministries. We encourage inclusive, open, and active participation in all our governing bodies and ministry groups.
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COMMUNICATION
Good communication is essential to the vitality of our communion with God and with one another. Striving as individuals, congregations, and other ministry groups to be open, honest, and direct with each other, we encourage new opportunities for gathering, as well as improved avenues of communication, recognizing that this will require greater initiative and responsiveness among all of us.
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PASTORAL CARE
We are committed to providing pastoral guidance and care for all our people. We do this most intentionally and directly through prayer and active care in situations of illness, injury, conflict, addiction, and other needs.
top EDUCATIONAL AND SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT
We seek to offer Diocesan programs for educational and spiritual development for people of all ages, and to support congregations in doing so, that we may all grow "in the knowledge and love of God" (BCP, p. 339).
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STEWARDSHIP
We live in a rich and beautiful environment with an abundance of human and financial resources. We seek to be faithful stewards of the earth, and of these resources, and to share them equitably and generously.
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FACILITIES
The mission and ministry of our diocese happens in many church facilities and other physical structures throughout Utah. Through Project Jubilee and in our own continuing care of these places we continue to work towards providing safe, accessible, attractive, and visible facilities in which to enjoy fellowship and enrich our life together. Here also we welcome newcomers and strangers and work to strengthen our mission to others in our local towns and cities.
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EVANGELISM
As Christians, we are called to proclaim the good news of the Gospel.
Trusting in God's love in Christ for all people, we seek to grow in faith and in numbers by inviting others into our community.
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JUSTICE
Matters of justice are integral to the very fabric of God's
intention in creating the world and all its people. Justice is not an
optional extra in our faith, nor can God's peace exist without it. Our Diocese has a long tradition of prophetic advocacy for justice; that is, of being a voice for the poor, the outcast, the oppressed and for all others who suffer marginalization or exclusion. We commit ourselves to such advocacy in a culture of growing consumerism, inequitable distribution of wealth, abuse of the environment, and consolidation of power.
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HOSPITALITY
The Episcopal Diocese of Utah is an open and inclusive community of faith. In our baptismal covenant we promise to "respect the dignity of all people" (BCP, p. 305). Regardless of race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, disability or cultural background, we seek to welcome everyone and to offer opportunities for leadership in our communities.
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SERVICE
At our baptism, we promise to "serve Christ in all persons" (BCP, p. 305).
As individuals, local churches, and ministry groups, we seek many ways to fulfill this covenant with creativity, perseverance and a spirit of
adventure.
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ECUMENISM
The Anglican tradition has long enabled us to promote ecumenical work among
various Christian faith communities. As we grow in our understanding of
these other traditions, we are also able to embrace the larger work of
interfaith dialogue and sharing. As a diocese we embrace in love the
challenges and the opportunities of ecumenical and interfaith work, trusting
that our own faith will be deepened in the process.
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