That is why Jesus warns them not to say anything about the vision until salvation has been accomplished. We stand today nearly two thousand years on this side of the salvation Jesus accomplished on Good Friday and Easter. The church is that extended family of disciples who no longer have to keep silent about God's infinite love for the world in Jesus Christ. Our mission is to bear witness to that love and embody it in service to all the people of the world. But the mission is the thing.
Activities are of secondary importance.
All church activities are judged on the sole basis of the church's mission. Three weeks ago we held Part Two of our Annual Congregational Meeting. The hefty books of reports for 1995 contain page after page of detail about what we have been doing and what we plan to do. But most of all, those reports describe the accomplishments of this church over the past year. All of the activities serve the accomplishment of our mission as a church.