CHURCH LEADERSHIP MINISTRY

As in every age, the Church is called to continually re-examine the “signs of the times” to discern the needs of our people today and how we can best live out the mission that Christ has given to us in light of the concrete, present realities of our place and time. The age we live in today is characterized by secularism, consumerism, indifference to religion and a general distancing of life from faith. At Epiphany, we recognize that we have now entered what is being identified as a “New Missionary Age” where, despite numerous challenges, “the horizons of a humanity more fully prepared for the sowing of the Gospel” are opening before us, as Pope John Paul II stated. Epiphany, we knew that we could no longer simply ‘maintain’ the existing institutional aspects of our faith; we felt called by the Holy Spirit towards a missionary transformation marked with vitality and hope. In addition, we recognized that we could no longer rely on a ‘clerical’ model of church, where all decision-making is entrusted exclusively to ordained clergy. The mission that is given to us by Jesus needs to be shared by every baptized member of our family.

We also recognized that true parish vitality requires intentional prayer, well-prepared pastoral leadership, a commitment to engage and commission parish leaders and parishioners, and most importantly, a strong willingness by all to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in the work of renewing our parish. Moreover, we recognized that sustained renewal requires healthy structures that support a culture of spiritual growth and evangelization. In an exploration of parish vitality throughout the world, we discovered five core elements that seed parish renewal : joyful proclamation of our faith in Jesus the Christ; radical hospitality;, vibrant and transformative liturgies; readiness-based formation; and outward-reaching pastoral care.

To that end, Epiphany began its own transformation from that of a church in ‘maintenance mode’ to that of a church on mission.

Church of the Epiphany has therefore organized itself on the Divine Renovation model as proposed by Fr James Mallon, focusing on five areas of renewal: Discipleship, Evangelization, Worship, Ministry, and Fellowship.

The first steps  of Epiphany’s renewal included creation of an institutional structure including:

The Pastoral Council (PC) whose task is to define and map out a long-term strategy for the Parish, and set priorities within this new model on the major church ‘systems’.

The Senior Leadership Team (SLT) which is responsible for implementing the strategies defined by the PC, and to make the day to day management of the parish really workable.

Every member of the SLT serves as a Facilitator for ministries in one of Epiphany’s 5 Church Systems (Discipleship, Evangelization, Ministry, Worship and Fellowship), providing support, encouragement and direction for ministry coordinators and participants.

The Finance Council who helps guide our finances and align our expenditures towards our vision.

The  Staff Team (including Pastor and Associates, Communication Director, Director of Faith Formation and Mission, and others) which supports our sacramental and growing missionary activities and life in the parish.