Walking together with Christ - a Chaplaincy Vision Statement

                             << Walking together with Christ: Companions on the Way >>

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Walking       Walking, not sitting, is the expression of the Christian journey. At times it is right and necessary to sit in order to rest, but then we need to continue the journey: those who don't come when Jesus calls find themselves left behind. It is on this journey that Jesus shapes us as disciples, followers: we talk and listen, but we keep moving.

Walking together     We aren't just individuals who happen to be heading in the same direction. We don't choose our company: Jesus invites who He chooses to walk with Him. Together we can support and encourage one another, so that the journey becomes easier and more certain. There is less danger of wandering off and getting lost when we realise that it is important to stay close to the others.

With Christ      Jesus taught His disciples as they walked: as disciples today, Jesus still teaches us as we walk. We can't retreat into a safe place and pull up the drawbridge: our faith, love and understanding all grow as we experience and respond to everyday life living in Christ's Way. Jesus Christ is in charge of this journey – we need to be sure we are with Him, not expect Him to be with us!

Companions         Companions are literally 'people with whom we share bread'. Together we need to share God's gift of bread to sustain us: the bread of Holy Communion, the common bread of eating together, the spiritual bread of care, of shared joy and shared sadness.

On the Way        'The Way' is the oldest name for Christianity in the New Testament, it echoes with the simplicity and energy of the young Church in the book of Acts, and binds us to Christ, who is The Way, The Truth, and The Life. There is no Truth without the Way, and there is no way worth following except the one that leads to Life. Jesus says, 'come, follow me'. He calls us to walk with Him!

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This statement was commended by the Leadership Team, and adopted by the Chaplaincy Council of Christ Church in la Manche for the Chaplaincy on 30th September 2022. The Council hopes this Vision Statement will become a part of us, shape our thinking, and help us in three ways:

i To signal our shared 'direction of travel' - 'the type of Church we hope to become'.

ii To be a benchmark for discussions, plans, decisions - 'does this match up, does this contribute to what we hope to become?'

iii To be an invitation to new members: we hope people will be drawn by this aspiration and want to be part of it.

Reading this Statement last year, one person described it as: 'something that should speak to any warm-hearted Christian'. We hope it speaks to you.