St. Peter's Mission
Church Mission Statement
The Mission of St. Peter's Church is to bring the love of in Jesus Christ to our community and beyond, both in word and in action. In this spirit, St. Peter's Church, with clergy and laity working closely together, seeks to fulfill its mission by being:
- a center for worship and prayer, oriented to Christ, open to all
- an active Church family, welcoming and caring
- by providing active and imaginative support for parishioners with special needs
- education and guidance for spiritual and intellectual growth
- programs and activities designed to nurture and educate children and youth
- outreach to persons within the community
- participation in the life of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts and the wider church
Saint Peters and the Mission of the Wider Church
In 2008 the Vestry asked me to assume a leadership role in developing the relationship of St. Peter's with the Mission of the Wider Church, to help expand our understanding of how we are a part of the work of Christ beyond our walls, and to explore ways by which we as a parish and its members might become more involved in that work. So far the press of other matters has limited the time available for that project, but among the examples that have occurred are our involvement in the Christmas Stroll Crèche Dedication Ceremony and our hosting of the Good Friday Ecumenical Service, the Adult Forum visit of the Co-Convener of the Cape and Islands Deanery, and our exploration of a possible parish-partnership with a church in Haiti.
With the arrival of Fr. Denzil I became freer to devote more time and energy to this responsibility, and I hope that together we can learn about, consider, and plan for greater participation in the variety of options available to us for an active role in the Mission of the Wider Church, including:
- The Cape and Islands Deanery, the Diocese of Massachusetts, the Province of New England, the Episcopal Church, and the Anglican Communion.
- The Cape Cod Council of Churches and other local and regional Ecumenical Organizations and Programs, esp. those related to affordable housing, hunger, homelessness, prison ministry, adult education, high school and youth ministries, and the environment.
- The Osterville Churches and their Clergy, including involvement in an annual Veterans' Day Service, the Christmas Stroll, and Lenten and Holy Week and other shared events.
- Reaching out to and supporting those serving in the Armed Forces or attending college.
These are only a few of the possibilities that are open to us as a parish for involvement with the Mission of the Wider Church; we are only limited by our vision and our willingness to become a part of that larger whole.
Please be in touch with me regarding your thoughts and suggestions as I work to offer clergy leadership in the development of this important ministry.
Fr. Russ Allen,
Associate Clergy