Church of the Cross

Missions TEAM

What is the Missions Team?

The COTC Missions Team aims to mobilize, educate, and equip our parish to be a people of presence, actively involved in missional ways, through the proclamation and demonstration of the gospel in the city of Austin and beyond. The primary way the team does this is through our partners. A portion of the COTC budget is allocated to missions, and the team is responsible for determining new partnerships and distributing this budget among them as one-time gifts, ongoing financial support, learning opportunities, service projects, and other initiatives.

What are the guiding principles of the Missions Team?

The Whole Gospel for the Whole World
We believe in the whole gospel for the whole person and all of creation. The church’s mission is to tell the Story of the life-changing Gospel of Jesus Christ to every person and in relevant ways for every culture, from the local arena to the global arena.

The Local Church
We believe that the local church is God's mission to the world and that we are invited into this mission with God. We desire to equip our congregation to be actively involved in missions in both local and global contexts. 

Mutuality
We are committed to engaging mission with a posture of mutuality, aiming to cultivate relationships that are more than transactional. Guided by the Holy Spirit, we strive to operate from a place of reciprocity and humility– giving and receiving, speaking and listening. 

Where do we sense God’s invitation as a community?

We sense God is inviting us to be present, both in proclamation and demonstration. These areas do not encompass all that we see as essential or central to mission; instead, focusing on them allows us to engage in deeper, more meaningful partnerships. We also desire to leave space for noticing how the Holy Spirit might be inviting us to partner with organizations that fall outside of these key areas, through means such as shorter-term partnerships, connecting them with other potential donors, or prayer. 

Immigrants & Refugees

“The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.” Leviticus 19:34

COTC has long been involved with ministries that work with immigrants and refugees, and we continue to sense God inviting us into this important work.

Vulnerable Families

"This is what the Lord says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of the oppressor the one who has been robbed, and do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow." Jeremiah 22:3

We recognize that we are all a part of God’s family, but due to the brokenness of the world, some families are especially vulnerable. We desire to partner with organizations that are committed to preserving families and protecting children. 

Local

“If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3:17-18

Intentionally being present to the needs in our immediate community allows us to be in a deeper, more meaningful relationship with partners and the image bearers they serve.

Church Planting

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.: Matthew 28:18-20

Church planting is at the heart of God’s redemptive mission and crucial to his purposes. COTC began as a church plant, and we are part of a diocese that began as a church planting movement. We desire to support the work of church plants both locally and globally.

Who do we partner with?

Mission or Ministry Partner
These are organizations that we engage with regularly through prayer, financial support, mutual learning, and churchwide engagement/service projects, at least twice a year.

Missionaries
These are missionaries sent by COTC. They serve locally and globally. This also includes missionaries who are not sent by COTC but are indigenous to the community where they are serving. 

Local Initiatives
These are ministries and organizations local to Austin. Many of them have connections to COTC.

Church Plants
We primarily support Anglican church plants, both locally and globally, or church plants that have an affinity and connection to COTC.