One Church

What More Can We Do?

CALLED TO BE THE ONE CHURCH

An Invitation to the Churches

to Renew Their Commitment to the Search for Unity

and to Deepen Their Dialogue

CALLED TO BE THE ONE CHURCH

• Primary purpose of WCC:• Visible unity• One Faith• One Eucharistic Fellowship• Common Life in Christ• Witness and service to the

world• that the world may believe

CALLED TO BE THE ONE CHURCH

• One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic• Created by the Word of God• One Faith• differently expressed• Each church is ‘the church’• in mutual accountability

CALLED TO BE THE ONE CHURCH

• Baptism:• The Spirit confers holiness

upon Christ’s members.• One Baptism• Impels the churches

towards• sharing in the one ministry

of Christ.

CALLED TO BE THE ONE CHURCH

• The Church is a mystery, sign, and instrument of what God intends for the salvation of the world.

CALLED TO BE THE ONE CHURCH

• The church receives the gift of unity as it participates in the apostolic mission.

• The church is called to proclaim the gospel

• and to offer the living Christ to the whole creation

The kingdom of God

• can be perceived in a reconciled and reconciling community called to holiness

• a community that strives to overcome sinful social structures

• and working for healing and unity in the human community

Ten QuestionsTen Questions

To what extent can your church To what extent can your church discern the faithful expression of the discern the faithful expression of the apostolic faith in its own life, prayer, apostolic faith in its own life, prayer, and witness and in that of other and witness and in that of other churches? churches?

Question 2Question 2

Where does your church perceive Where does your church perceive fidelity to Christ in the faith and fidelity to Christ in the faith and life of other churches?life of other churches?

Question 3Question 3

Does your church recognize a Does your church recognize a common pattern of Christian common pattern of Christian initiation, grounded in baptism, in initiation, grounded in baptism, in the life of other churches?the life of other churches?

Question 4Question 4

Why does your church believe that Why does your church believe that it is necessary, or permissible, or it is necessary, or permissible, or not possible to share the Lord’s not possible to share the Lord’s Supper with those of other Supper with those of other churches?churches?

Question 5Question 5

In what ways is your church able In what ways is your church able to recognize the ordered ministries to recognize the ordered ministries of other churches?of other churches?

Question 6Question 6

To what extent can your church To what extent can your church share the spirituality of other share the spirituality of other churches?churches?

Question 7Question 7

How will your church stand with How will your church stand with other churches to contend with other churches to contend with problems such as social and problems such as social and political hegemonies, persecution, political hegemonies, persecution, oppression, poverty, and violence?oppression, poverty, and violence?

Question 8Question 8

To what extent does your church To what extent does your church share with other churches in the share with other churches in the apostolic mission?apostolic mission?

Question 9Question 9

To what extent can your church To what extent can your church share with other churches in faith share with other churches in faith formation and theological formation and theological education?education?

Question 10Question 10

How fully can your church share in How fully can your church share in prayer with other churches?prayer with other churches?

CALLED TO BE THE ONE CHURCH

An Invitation to the Churches

to Renew Their Commitment to the Search for Unity

and to Deepen Their Dialogue

5th NATIONAL NCCA FORUM

Australian Churches

COVENANTING

TOGETHER

The Basis of the National Council of Churches in Australia:

The NCCA gathers together in pilgrimage those churches and Christian communities, which confess the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Saviour according to the Scriptures and commit themselves

to deepen their relationship with each other in order to express more visibly the unity willed by Christ for his Church, and

to work together towards the fulfilment of their mission of common witness, proclamation and service, to the glory of the One God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The Commitment of the National Council of Churches in Australia:

to deepen their relationship with each other in order to express more visibly the unity willed by Christ for his Church, and

The Commitment of the National Council of Churches in Australia:

to work together towards the fulfilment of their mission of common witness, proclamation and service, to the glory of the One God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

A COMMITMENT TOA COVENANTING PROCESS

DECLARATION OF INTENT As member churches of the National Council of Churches in Australia

We RE-AFFIRM our commitment to one another as partners on the ecumenical journey

We RECOGNISE ONE ANOTHER as Communities of Faith, Hope and Love, committed to following Christ and pledged to serve God’s kingdom

We BELIEVE that we are being blessed in our generation to witness the action of the Spirit in drawing the Churches in a common search for a fuller expression of unity

We REJOICE in all we have in common and GIVE THANKS for the richness of our diversity, though recognizing that our disunity is a hindrance to the Church’s mission

We therefore MAKE A COMMITMENT TO EACH OTHER to engage in an ongoing process of growing together (covenanting), not knowing what visible form unity, which is God’s will and gift, may take, but believing that, by taking the steps to which we now commit ourselves, we shall be led to grow ever more deeply into that unity.

Dimension One: General

To join in common prayer with one another

To intercede and care for one another

To explore with one another our Christian convictions and their present application

Dimension Two: Shared Use of Physical Resources

To support initiatives for sharing physical resources, such as buildings, and to encourage consultation between the appropriate governing bodies of our churches before new major developments are undertaken

Dimension Three: Common Mission and Ministry

To explore with one another issues and strategies for mission

To seek to develop clear and sensitive guidelines dealing with how our churches together can best meet to needs of people in local (especially rural) situations

Dimension Four: Common Sacraments

To recognize the Sacrament of Baptism administered in each other’s church, and to promote the use of the common Certificate of Baptism

Dimension Four: Common Sacraments

To invite and welcome members of each other’s church to share in the Eucharist according to pastoral need

Dimension Five: Shared Ordained Ministries

To continue to work towards the goal of sharing with each other a mutually recognized ordained ministry

THE FUTURE PLEDGE

To continue to discuss and articulate within our churches the meaning and significance of our involvement in the quest for a more visible expression of unity and the possibilities for further engagement in ecumenical partnership

THE FUTURE PLEDGE

To explore such further steps as will be necessary to make more clearly visible the unity of all Christian people in this country

Table Groups

What Are We Now Doing?

What More Can We Do?

Each Person

Please complete the questionnaire.

Thank You!