TLDR: Support Fr. Roldan, Fr. Pinzon, and our 1:00 p.m. worship service.
The Diocese of Texas is a large Diocese with many ministries, and it can feel hard to keep up with what is happening and what different terms mean. For example, one of the ministries that I did not understand when I was a lay youth director was mission amplification, area missioner, and missional communities. I am going to tackle mission amplification and Area Missioner today in this blog.
Mission amplification is any mission that expands the ministry of the church outside of the current boundaries. For example, Fr. Pinzon and Fr. Roldan have developed a 1:00 pm worship service that serves individuals who were not being reached by our 7:45 am, 9:00 am, or 11:00 am worship services. I am frequently at Diocesan events and the response to our 1:00 pm service, retreat days, food distribution, and other special events has been almost double in half the time to what is seen in other ministry contexts. We are amplifying the ministry of St. Dunstan’s and as such Fr. Roldan and Fr. Pinzon work with a group of people called the mission amplification team.
Now, not all churches are fortunate enough to have a priest with Fr. Roldan’s vision and execution. In fact, some churches are quite small and cannot afford a priest at all or they have a bi-vocational priest. Part of the mission amplification team are a group of people called area missioners. This cohort goes into the community and discerns with lay and clergy leaders what the need of the community is at that time. I spoke with one of these area missioners recently.
Most days Rev. Terry meets with lay leaders in the community to build up programs that reflect the heart of Christ’s mission statement and benefit those in the area where he serves. An example of this is the Rainbow Room in Navasota, TX where county officials are working with children who are put in Child Protective Services and providing necessary resources such as diapers and toiletries.
Not all ministries are outreach oriented, some may have to do with worship or connecting communities in other ways. The idea of amplifying our ministry is to bring people to God in more ways; and in different ways. Amplified ministry is typically lay-led and clergy supported.
Mission amplification changes the way ministry is done to what better fits where a community is growing at a given point in time. Our church is beginning to change in a way that better reflects the community around us. That does not mean we are getting rid of old members or undervaluing them; it means we are making room for the way the Spirit can include more people into our generous community. When this church called Fr. Roman, the laity said that they wanted more bilingual ministries, including a service, to make us more a part of the community surrounding St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church.
So, you might ask how we can support an amplified ministry that takes our ministries outside the traditional boundaries of what we have done in the past. Well, you can begin by supporting our newest amplified ministry project that is led by Fr. Pinzon and Fr. Roldan. You can go to the events, donate, and support with your words the incredible amplification that is happening here in this diocese.
For His Sake,
Mtr. Beth Anne +
