What is the mission of the Church? What is our mission here at Emmanuel
Leyton? What is your mission in life?
As a pilgrim people here at Emmanuel, our mission is derived from that of
the Church, which is derived from our Lord’s great commission to us
from Scripture.
Our Lord Jesus Christ great commission to us in Mark 16: 15-16 ‘And
He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the
whole creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who
does not believe will be condemned.”
Our Lord’s commission to us in Mark is very revealing and crystal
clear in what is expected of us as Christians and what will be at the end
of the ages.
We have just celebrated 100 years of mission and ministry in our current
location on the 29th April, with the Bishop of Chelmsford. As a parish we
have been ministering to those in our parochial boundary and beyond for
more than a 100 years.
Going through the parish records has been a very exciting and revealing
time for me. Snippets from the archive include the following ‘The
first idea of a Church here originated in 1907, when, at a Vestry Meeting
under the Rev E Davies, the hope was expressed that “a Church would
be established in the near future” and.
“In April, 1933, the Rev. B. C. Garcia arranged for a twenty-four
hour vigil of prayer in the Mission Church, and during that vigil had a
very strong feeling, as of a call 'from God, that the time was now ripe.
He wrote to the Lord Bishop of the Diocese, Dr. Wilson, and the reply received
proved indeed that it had been a call from God to action. “It is very
strange," wrote the Bishop, “that you should write to me in this
strain, for I have been thinking a very great deal about Emmanuel recently.
If," added Dr. Wilson in conclusion, “what I have said encourages
you to go forward, I shall be very pleased. You may be sure that you will
receive all possible encouragement from me."
As we look forward to the next 100 years of mission and ministry, the lessons
we have learnt from our past are numerous, and can be summarized as follows:
That the great Commission of our Lord is still relevant today as it was
over 2000 years ago. ‘Go into the world and preach the gospel to all
creation’ is not an option for any one, who professes to be a Christian,
it is mandatory. Not to do so is to deny the rest of creation the opportunity
to hear the good news and salvation, hence our mission statement John 8:12.
Let us walk the path of love, faith, fidelity and obedience. Let us this
Easter season rejoice for the Saviour of the world is Risen, and 'stop seeking
the living among the dead' Luke 24: 5b. Have a wonderful, glorious and blessed
Easter in the Lord.
From our own Church records and history, we learn that we cannot do anything
except through the grace of God. Faith, Idea, hope, prayer, effort, support,
encouragement, love and a firm grip on reality is the way to begin and continue
our next 100 years of mission and ministry.
Hence on the 15th – 17th May we begin three days of prayer, to thank the
Lord Jesus Christ for our past, present and future, and to ask for the way
forward for the next 100 years. Join us or pray with us for God’s grace
and guidance, as we will be praying for you.
TE DEUM LAUDAMUS
Canon Ade.
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