The population of our state is exploding. Faithfulness to our Lord\u2019s Great Commission requires that we need to develop a mission strategy to take advantage of this significant opportunity\u201d\u201da challenge and a blessing dropped in our laps. So my second specific goal is to have in place a plan for planting new missions, and a strategy for assisting congregations already in place. Let me state parenthetically that further enrichment of our ministry with our Spanish-speaking brothers and sisters is an indispensable part of our mission strategy, not just for the future, but for here and now.<\/p>\n
Beloved, we cannot be content with the level of Christian education and formation we received in grammar school. So, third, let\u2019s greet the next bishop with programs\u201d\u201dwherever we have an altar, wherever we have a congregation\u201d\u201dfor growing in our understanding and practice of the Christian faith\u201d\u201da plan for education and formation \u201cfrom the womb to the tomb\u201d\u009d. \u201cTo think with the mind of Christ\u201d\u009d requires knowledge\u201d\u201dconstantly growing knowledge and a comfortable familiarity\u201d\u201dwith Holy Scripture, the Tradition of the Church, and Reason\u201d\u201dall under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.<\/p>\n
Finally, we cannot ignore the great opportunity that we have\u201d\u201dunique to our day and time\u201d\u201dto be doing the work that Christ would have us do\u201d\u201dto be faithful to his self-proclaimed mission to \u201cbring good news to the poor\u201d\u00a6to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, (and to) proclaim the year of the Lord\u2019s favor\u201d\u009d. That blessed opportunity comes to us as the Millennium Development Goals. Episcopalians in USC are off to a great start in numerous, exciting ventures in mission associated with the MDGs. This is not so much a goal in itself as it is a way to measure how effective we have been with the three challenges I have set before you: the Healthy Church Initiative, mission strategy, and Christian formation. Our involvement in reaching the MDG\u2019s is a thermometer for gauging spiritual health and mission accomplishment\u201d\u201dand, along with evangelism, a demonstration of our commitment \u201cto act in the world as the Body of Christ\u201d\u009d.<\/p>\n