God’s mission for Epiphany is for us to reach out, raise up, and change the world through the light of the living Christ. We do this with God’s vision inspiring us – that all might thrive and serve in the light of God’s grace.
Outreach on behalf of the poor is central to who we are. Epiphany stands with the poor, the powerless, and the disenfranchised with the compassion of Christ that has no limits or boundaries. The outward focus of Epiphany means that a significant part of our resources are deployed on behalf of the poor.
As we go out into the community and the world, we seek partnerships that are missional, relational, and incarnational. Missional, in that our partnership contributes to a mission that reflects an investment in the wellness, dignity, and sustainability of those being served. Relational, in that our partnership enables Epiphany people to stand side-by-side with those served. And incarnational, in that the partnership expands our horizons and we gain a different perspective of the community and world in which we live.
We are guided by the following:
- Our approach is not with the mindset of charity, which is a top-down attitude. Rather we believe in solidarity with the poor and disenfranchised. We have a stake in their future. We stand alongside them.
- We must work for justice with the poor and disenfranchised.
- Relationships with those we serve are as important as deploying fiscal resources for them.
- To be a follower of Jesus means to be on the side of the poor and disenfranchised. The scriptures are clear: while God loves all people, the poor have a preferential place in God’s heart. If we truly love God, then we will love whom God loves – the poor.
- We recognize the reality of reverse mission. This means that we learn from and need the poor much more than they need us.
