M uch of my time during the past eight years has been spent educating my parish for mission. When I began my work here in 1991, the parish was just trying to survive like many other Episcopal churches. My goal as the new rector was to lead us toward becoming a mission-minded parish, witnessing to our Lord Jesus in our neighborhood, throughout San Diego, among different cultures nearby, and in foreign countries. I found various components helpful in educating my parish for mission, under the guidance and inspiration of the Holy Spirit:

1. Start with a mission-minded priest. Whether we like it or not, the mindset of the rector or vicar is crucial for the congregation's direction. If the clergy person is not mission minded, it will be difficult for the congregation to move in that direction. On the other hand, if the rector or vicar cares about the mission of the church, teaches about it often, and gets involved personally in mission at some level, then the people should eventually follow.

2. Educate the lay leadership about mission. One of the first places education for mission needs to start in a congregation is among the official and unofficial lay leaders. Because vestries control the purse strings, it is important to help the elected leadership look beyond simple maintenance to the larger issue of the church's mission. I have found it helpful to ask my vestry this question: What is the specific mission God is calling this parish to undertake in this time and place? Outside the vestry are other leaders in the parish who also must be educated to think about mission. How we go about this process is key to educating the parish for mission.

When we examine Jesus' ministry in the gospels, we may discover that he used four phases to educate his apostles, his leadership group, for mission. In phase one, his early ministry, he did the work alone. In phase two, he called his apostles to join him in ministry and watch him do it. For phase three, he sent them out to do the ministry, but supervised them. And with the last phase, the apostles carried on the ministry themselves after he had ascended. This is an excellent process for educating the lay leadership in a parish for mission.

3. Preach and pray regularly about mission. Because preaching has a cumulative effect, I believe we should use every opportunity possible to instruct a congregation about the mission of the church. Mission-minded preaching creates a climate in which the Holy Spirit changes individuals, then groups, and finally the whole church. This preaching should not all come from the rector or vicar, but also from other mission-minded people. I have found that lay persons who are involved in various mission work outside the congregation are especially helpful in educating the parish for mission because they open eyes to more possibilities for doing God's work.

We must also pray regularly for and about the mission of the church as part of the education process. In a book I read recently, prayer is defined as "talking to God about what we are doing together" (Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy, HarperSanFrancisco: 1998, page 243). When we pray personally, in groups, and at the Holy Eucharist for missioners and for other groups, God's concern for the whole world becomes our concern too.

4. Look for God-given opportunities for mission. Eucharistic Prayer C of Rite 2 has some words addressed to God that I think are important for mission: "Open our eyes to see your hand at work in the world about us." This is what I pray for in my own leadership: that my parish would see and seize all the opportunities the Lord sends to us. Part of educating the parish for mission is helping people recognize the open doors God gives us for personal witness and parish involvement right around us. Many American cities today are teeming with international students, immigrants, and refugees from other continents. Prisons are overflowing with men and women who need their lives touched by the good news of Jesus Christ. The opportunities abound.

My parish was fortunate to have a missionary family come to live in it back in 1992. While they prepared for a new assignment in Africa, they lived and worked among us, building friendships that now span thousands of miles. Their presence in our midst then, and their furlough home in 1997, did more to educate the parish for mission than I could have done alone.

5. Send out people for mission. In the final analysis, a mission-minded parish is a sending parish. God calls people to mission and the parish confirms that call and offers its support. This process can be jump-started by linking people with short-term opportunities. For example, a youth group spends a week building a church in Mexico, a doctor volunteers his or her services for a month in Africa, a couple teaches in a rural school. Educating a parish for mission means knowing about these opportunities and linking up interested parishioners with them. By doing so we communicate the true meaning of the priesthood of all believers: Mission is not just something for the professional church worker, but for all God's people.

These are five of the components I have found necessary for educating my parish for mission. This education is an ongoing process, not a finished product. Because all parishes suffer from organization entropy, I continue to pray for God's Spirit to empower us to be Christ's witnesses in our Jerusalem and beyond. o

The Rev. David Montzingo the is rector of St. Luke's Church, San Diego, and chairperson of the diocesan World Mission Committee.