17. Mission Statement

By: Joel Chung

What is our mission statement? Why does it mean? Read this post to find out. Please read to the end to see Joel’s reflection.

This is the seventeenth post in the “Stories of Faith” series. Click here to see the others.
Stories of Faith was the theme of our 2019 ESM Summer Retreat.

Stories of Faith

What is the mission statement of St. Timothy, and what is the thinking behind it?

Mission Statement:

Prophetic Community:

To share and live by the truth of the Word of God (have the scripture at the center)

Inclusive Community:

To welcome and embrace all people

Compassionate Community:

To reach out to the weak and vulnerable

Spiritual Community:

To cultivate the deeply rooted spiritually

Introduction

St. Timothy’s mission statement consists of four integral proclamations which aim to shape, reflect and represent the vision and character of our church. Being a prophetic, inclusive, compassionate and a spiritual community are the pillars that make up the identity of St. Timothy’s mission statement. The common needs of all generations and both congregations were taken into account when establishing the aforementioned statements. I sat down with Rev. In-Kee Moksanim and we went into depth about the inception, development and thinking behind our church’s mission statement.

Prophetic Community

The first aspect, being a Prophetic community. The focus for the church was to have the scripture at the center. Present day churches seemed to have strayed away from the original church model during Jesus’ time. The scripture was the document that was closest to Jesus’ time, therefore, the goal was to build up the spirit of Jesus rather than the cultural aspect of the church. In order to understand what Jesus had in mind when he thought of the church, Rev. In-Kee emphasized the value and importance of studying the word of God. That’s why the scripture is at the centre of the church.

Inclusive Community

The inclusive community aspect reflects the desire for the St. Tim’s community to be inclusive, regardless of culture, language, race etc. Whether members were Korean or not, the church had to be a place where everyone could feel special. Everyone was welcomed, loved and included. Members may have different political views, conservative, liberal, progressive or more traditional, it doesn’t matter, everyone is welcomed. This how Jesus treated others in the bible, so St. Timothy does its best to emulate that inclusive mindset.

Compassionate Community

St. Timothy’s current mission to work with those who may experience marginalization or alienation. Jesus, in his ministry never worked with people in the center, i.e., people who had all the power and privilege. He always worked with the poor, sinners, lepers, prostitutes and so on. Jesus spent a lot of time with these individuals, that’s why St. Tims carries out their ministry with the weak and vulnerable.

Spiritual Community

Being a Spiritual community is the fourth and most recent establishment of our mission statement, which was added just two years ago. St. Timothy should be a place where every member of both the KSM and ESM congregation can grow spiritually. The hope is that all congregation members can interact with one another on a deeper and more spiritual level. Going to church with more than just our human attitude but coming with a spiritual attitude is a focal point to cultivate a spiritually rooted community. Together, we are able to learn about God more profoundly.

Conclusion

St. Timothy’s current mission statement is a working definition, there may be new additions to the statement in the future, it’s not perfect. Who knows, the spirit may guide and inspire us. But, for now, the statement has been working well and our members feel they are important statements. The mission statement encourages us to work together and strive to fruitfully develop our beautiful community.

How does this affect my own faith?

After sitting down and discussing St. Timothy’s mission statements with Rev. In-Kee Kim, I earned a greater appreciation for our church and the values that they prioritize. I am beyond proud to be a member of the St. Timothian congregation and am ecstatic that the church has aligned their values in a way to truly reflect the same values that Jesus had back in the day.

– Joel