At Athelstone Uniting, Mission and Ministry are expressed through seven Bees:
Beloved
We are loved…. Beloved people of God.
This undergirds everything that follows. It is the core of who we are as Christians.
We love because God first loved us. (1 John 4:19)
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
We see others as beloved too, and so we share this agape love unconditionally.
Bless
We express this love by blessing others as we too have been blessed. We do this through acts of kindness, generosity, practical care, empathetic listening and working for the common good in our local community and beyond.
Befriend
As God has befriended us in love, through Jesus, we too actively build connections and grow relationships. We share our story and show genuine interest in listening to others’ stories.
We value these relationships for what they are, rather than as ‘means to an end’.
As bees spread pollen from flower to flower, so may our relationship-building be ‘pollinators for the Kingdom of God.’
Belong
We demonstrate welcome and hospitality, making space for newcomers, helping everyone feel a sense of warmth and belonging. We encourage use of our gifts and skills as ways of helping people feel they are both part of our community and part of God’s story.
We baptise infants and adults, welcoming them into the family of God.
Become
We nurture an environment where each person can become the unique special person they are made to be. As followers of Jesus (disciples), we encourage use of our gifts in ministry: including worship, serving, learning, caring for people and our earth, advocating, being generous and creative, and so on.
Believe
We encourage one another on our spiritual journeys as we grow in faith and love of Jesus.
We provide safe spaces and make ourselves available to learn and to ask questions that will help us grow in faith and understanding. We respect that we are all different and delight in learning from one another, even when sometimes it can make us feel uncomfortable!
Be
We encourage each other to spend time being loved and nurtured in the company of God. In silence. In prayer. With music. In nature. By the beach. Appreciating beauty.