Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

Welcome to a baptism! Usually, a baptism involves a human baby. This occasion is different because it involves a digital baby! The baby’s name is Baptismal Mission Forum, and its parents’ name is Episcopalians on Baptismal Mission. Godparents for the baby are selfselecting. If you’re interested, you can be a godparent. But if you choose to do so, you must commit yourself—as all good godparents should—to taking an interest in the child and in the child’s parents and to contributing to its welfare by showing your interest. Why has God brought this child into the world? The best way to answer that question is to take a look at the child’s family name and its own name. First the family name: Episcopalians—Since the organization behind this publication is deeply committed to outreach, we are also committed to outreach and inclusion. We welcome anyone who shares our enthusiasm for our mission. As we do so, we also acknowledge that the “base camp” supporting our mission is the Episcopal Church. On—The word used in this context suggests movement with a purpose, as in the phrase, “on safari”. In our case, we aren’t on a journey to shoot wild animals. Our journey involves promoting sharing in Christ’s mission in daily life for all baptized people. Baptismal—We use “baptismal” in our name to point to what we believe is the most important meaning of the word, baptism. We recognize that baptism means inclusion into the Body of Christ and sharing in Christ’s death and resurrection through dying to a self-centered existence and rising to a new life of God-centered living. But we believe that the rite also has a third meaning. This meaning is Christ’s commissioning through baptism of people to share with him in his mission of transforming the world. Mission—What is the mission that God calls us to through baptism? To explore the answer to that question as fully as possible is why this publication exists. A short answer is, to share with God in his mission of bringing God’s love and justice into every corner of the world in which we live. Forum—The presence of the word in this publication’s name means that we won’t indulge in one-way communication from us to you. According to the dictionary, a forum is a place for public discourse. We want this publication to be a space for twoway, public discussion of the worldtransforming issues and processes associated with the word, “mission”. What the future will bring to this newly baptized infant remains up to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The present plan is that it will be an online publication produced four times a year.

Files