Essential Dimensions of Ministry

1. Comfort: The realm of pastoral care, spiritual direction, counseling, crisis intervention, healing and renewal.
2. The Prophetic: The church exists to critique society; to unmask injustice and exploitation in order to establish honest relations as the foundation for peace and justice
3. Imaginative−Constructive: The Gospel encourages us to see and express ourselves in new ways; and to honor the dignity of all as we create the Beloved Community on earth.

The Context for Ministry in this New Millennium

New Cosmology. Who are we in this magnificent universe of multiple galaxies?
Mysticism. We need to experience our faith.  “You are God’s Beloved” must be real—or the faith won’t matter.
Justice−Shalom. The Bible mandates equitable relations among all people and creatures. “Our choice is no longer between violence and nonviolence but between nonviolence and nonexistence.”
Eco-theology/Interbeing. We must reflect, pray and live within an “Interconnected Wholeness”. We can no longer see ourselves as separate from other living beings. We call this Communion. We inter-are with all life.
Interfaith. God’s universe is a living garden—a unity in diversity. How do we live with many religions and religious experiences while recognizing that there is one origin and one goal for all of us? We need to face this paradox by honoring our distinctions while living into our God-given unity—a difficult and essential challenge.