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Table of Contents
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As members of Westminster
Presbyterian Church, we acknowledge that our efforts to carry out God's purpose
in our congregation, our local community and the world have fallen short of what
God expects of us. At times we have
served others by reaching down instead of out and we have neglected important
relationships. We recognize that members
of Westminster come from different backgrounds and faith traditions.
We also recognize that the neighborhood around the church contains
distinct communities including gay and lesbian people, transients, and alienated
youth. We realize that we need to get to know each other better, reacquaint
ourselves with God's vision for us and to honestly identify our strengths and
weaknesses. We recognize our need to welcome the tension between who we
are and who we seek to be, because opportunities exist in that tension to look
deeply into ourselves and ask what God wants of us. More members of Westminster
will be empowered to welcome the challenge that comes with being a congregation
in the heart of a city in which many of its members do not live.
Part of our spiritual path is to recognize and become more fully involved
with the community around the church, in all its many facets.
We will confront the forces that destroy relationships between people and
prevent the sense of community needed for neighborhoods to flourish. We will confront our own stereotypes and prejudices.
We will make a commitment to identify honestly where and when we are part
of the problem, to deepen our understanding of the circumstances each person
faces so that we may truly live out our Christian faith in community. We are called to renew our
commitment to God. We must open
ourselves to allow the Holy Spirit to move us. We must let go of our fears and
forge ahead with new and creative ways to utilize God's house on State Street in
the city of Albany. We must
re-evaluate some of the "things" we hold dear and let go of the values
that serve ourselves more than they serve God so that we can discern God’s
calling for our ministry. We envision a day when all
who come through the doors of Westminster find our church to be a place to which
they would like to return. A place
where they hear God's good news, feel God's compassionate presence and are
enlivened in ways they previously could not have imagined. We challenge ourselves to continue to develop and deliver alternative forms of worship, to reach out to all ages in ways that match their interest and spark their enthusiasm. Each generation can learn and grow through active involvement with one another. We need to challenge ourselves to stretch our boundaries, open our hearts and make room for God's grace so the unique gifts brought by each person can be respected and nourished to bear fruit. Adopted by
the Session -- June 5, 2001 |