The Church of England has set out ‘The Five Marks of Mission’ as a ‘statement which expresses the Anglican Communion’s common commitment to, and understanding of, God’s holistic/integral mission…based on Jesus’ own summary of his mission (Matthew 4:17, Mark 1:14-15, Luke 4:18, Luke 7:22; cf. John 3:14-17).’ Church of England website
ALMA Sunday St Paul’s Cathedral
Diocesan Companion Links, for example here, the Diocese of London’s Angola,London, Mozambique Association (ALMA), through their sustainable overseas partnerships, aim to implement, embody and express The Five Marks of Mission.
The Five Marks of Mission are:
- To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom
- To teach, baptise and nurture new believers
- To respond to human need by loving service
- To transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind and pursue peace and reconciliation
- To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation, and sustain and renew the life of the earth
(Bonds of Affection-1984 ACC-6 p49, Mission in a Broken World-1990 ACC-8 p101)
Click here to be taken to The Church of England’s website and their page on The Five Marks of Mission and to download bookmarks giving more details of each of the ‘Marks of Mission’. Click here for a bookmark example related to ‘Baptism’.
RE with Soul resources support Primary and Secondary schools in using enquiry-based learning pathways to investigate and experience ways that partnerships formed and sustained through Companion Links, such as ALMA, interpret and fulfil Jesus’s commandment to’Love your neighbour as yourself’ from a global perspective.
RE with Soul, ‘The Five Marks of Mission’ and Understanding Christianity
The Church of England’s The Five Marks of Mission are specifically cited in the suggested learning activities (Resource sheet 3) within the Digging Deeper section in Understanding Christianity of People of God Upper Key Stage Unit 2B.3 ‘How can following God bring freedom and Justice?
RE with Soul’s Primary Unit 1 ‘Love your Neighbour’ offers accessible learning activities, centred around exploring Companion Links for example ALMA (Diocese of London) that complement those suggested in the Understanding Christianity activity. The former offer pupils and teachers a direct insight into how Companion Links offer opportunities for believers ‘to serve and transform society, being salt and light in the world.’ (Understanding Christianity – People of God, Upper KS2/Unit 2B.3)
