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justice
Scripture and the Outline of Faith in our prayer book remind us that God requires us to do justice, and as Christians we call on God’s help to fulfill the vow we make in our Baptismal Covenant to “strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human being.” (BCP p. 305) As we begin to focus our vision in this area, here are just some of the ways Christ Episcopal Church is exploring to honor God through ministries seeking to create a more just community and world ... the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven.
Alternative Holiday Giving Fair - An opportunity for our celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, to be an occasion for making tangible our love of God and others through gifts of compassion and justice. Your gift to family and friends supports charitable organizations, promotes an attitude of giving service instead of material objects and supports fair trade that addresses inequities, available the last weekend in November.
Bread for the World - Bread for the World is a collective Christian voice urging our nation’s decision makers to end hunger at home and abroad. Every year, Christ Episcopal Church will invite you to join churches across the country in taking up a nationwide Offering of Letters to Congress on an issue that is important to hungry people. Year after year, Bread members have won far-reaching changes for hungry and poor people.
Church and ONE- The Campaign to Make Poverty History invites all Episcopalians at the diocesan, parish, and individual level to deepen their involvement in MDG advocacy and the growing movement of more than 2.3 million Americans, seeking to witness and support our commitment to spend 1% percent of our budget each year on MDG-related programs by committing to that goal personally along with the Diocese of Florida.
Companion Diocese Relationship with Church of the Good Shepherd, Gúííra de Macurijes, Matanzas, Cuba - The Diocese of Florida has been partners with the Diocese of Cuba for over 25 years, and Christ Episcopal Church has a companion parish relationship with Church of the Good Shepherd in Gúííra de Macurijes, Matanzas, Cuba. The purpose of this partnership is to strengthen each of our churches in ministry and mission and to increase mutual encouragement and prayer for one another, intensified knowledge of and concern for one another, the exchange of resources, both spiritual and material, and to know from first-hand experience what it means to live inter-dependently. Join us for our annual Lenten pilgrimage to visit our companion church family! Check out the blog.
Creation Keepers - In response to God’s sustaining love for the world, we are dedicated to encouraging good stewardship of God’s creation for the benefit of present and future generations. We host a Christian observance of Earth Day, a plan for a community garden at DayBreak, the GreenFaith Certification Program for Christ Episcopal Church and a Greening of the Faith class.
Financial Peace - “Financial Peace University” is a 13-week video curriculum taught by financial expert Dave Ramsey that incorporates small-group discussions to encourage accountability and discipleship. Financial Peace is highly entertaining for everyone, with a unique combination of humor, informative financial advice, and biblical messages that help you manage God’s money and resources in faithful ways.
ICARE (Interfaith Coalition for Action, Reconciliation and Empowerment) - ICARE is a faithbased community organization that addresses neighborhood and community-wide justice issues in Jacksonville. A network of Christ Episcopal Church members enables us to live into the biblical commandments to engage local officials around community problems that affects each of us either directly or indirectly. Each year Rethinking Justice Workshop, Listening Sessions, Community Problems Assembly, Research Teams, and a Nehemiah Action stand together to directly impact and improve the well-being of our community.
Microfinancing Ministries - Through organizations such as Five Talents International, Microplace, and the Economic Justice Loan Program of the Episcopal Church in the USA gives us opportunities to faithfully and effectively address injustice through the provision of financial services to low-income clients, sustainably delivering those services ensuring that poor and near-poor households have access to the economic structures that help people move out of
poverty.
Millennium Development Goals - The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) endorsed by the Episcopal Church are eight interrelated targets for the eradication of global poverty. More than 180 countries, including the United States, have endorsed the MDGs and promised to direct resources toward their fulfillment. Many CEC ministries work toward those goals.
Pilgrimage of Reverse Mission to Areas of Extreme Poverty - Our pilgrimage of reverse mission enables individuals to give and receive the gift of presence, and to experience direct involvement with people who are materially poor and marginalized in Bolivia, with plans for Haiti in the future. Our pilgrimages are about building relationships and an opportunity for God to speak to our hearts through the people that we meet and to experience the tremendous gift of transformation. We seek to discover what God desires of us as we express our gratitude, acknowledge our responsibility, become agents of systemic change and reconciliation, and are responsive to new forms of discipleship.
Safeguarding God’s Children and People - Christ Church has a strong commitment to
nurturing and protecting children from sexual abuse and adults from exploitation in pastoral relationships
and sexual harassment. We provide education and training for preventing and responding
to child sexual abuse in everyday life and in ministry, for addressing exploitation in pastoral
relationships, and to help our congregation comply with applicable sexual harassment laws and
church policies. |
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