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Vision Action Plan

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VISION ACTION PLAN

In February, the Cathedral vestry adopted our new vision action plan unanimously and enthusiastically. Originally, the plan was to be presented to the Cathedral congregation in May, but that presentation was interrupted by COVID-19. Even so, Cathedral councils are already at work integrating “Rooted in Christ; Built on Christ” into their ministry. Dean Thompson presented “Rooted in Christ; Built on Christ” at the Dean’s Hour Matinee on September 20, 2020.

As we move through the next five years, our new vision action plan will inspire us and guide us, as we continue to proclaim God in the midst of the city. The Visioning Task Force plotted “Rooted in Christ; Built on Christ” on a fly wheel, to demonstrate that each component of our vision informs and generates all of the others.


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“Rooted in Christ; Built on Christ” has seven components:

A Culture of Embrace

In Mark’s gospel we are exhorted to “go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” (Mark 16:15) The Cathedral will be an open, loving, and diverse parish that embraces all who wish to know God in this place.

  • We will embrace and seek to understand those whose faith differs from our own.
  • Through education, dialog, and engagement with the community around us, we will actively address the attitudes that divide the human family and seek to thwart God's love, including anti-Semitism, racism, and homophobia.

Communities Within Community

The Cathedral is a large faith community, drawing parishioners from many geographic areas, demographics, affinities, and mile markers on the faith journey.

  • We will provide opportunities for parishioners to gather in intentional small groups to grow in relationship with one another and Christ, toward the goal of every Cathedral parishioner becoming involved in community at Christ Church.
  • Program initiatives may include new activities to meet the needs of underserved groups and to reach out actively to welcome and embrace parishioners in existing groups.

Formation That Transforms

In addition to our vibrant adult education programs that offer many ways for us to engage our intellect, many of us also desire formation that transforms the heart. St. Paul says in Romans, "Be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God." (Romans 12:2) The prophet Ezekiel promises, "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you." (Ezekiel 36:26)

  • We will provide formation that transforms both the mind and the heart, so that God's spirit can work within us and make us disciples.
  • To do this, we will expand our educational programs to include spiritual practices and formation of the whole person. We will promote deep spiritual connection and engagement in existing ministries and small groups.

Sharing the Good News

Our own joyful response to the transforming influence of God in our lives is to share joy with others. We call this Evangelism, and it is a direct outgrowth of community, spiritual discipline, and formation.

  • Building on our culture of welcome, we will empower our community to share the Good News of Jesus in all areas of our lives: our work, our play, and our homes.
  • Evangelism is largely about storytelling: the story of God’s work in the world. We will create spaces in Cathedral programs for all to share their stories, share their joy, and share the story of God’s love.

Generous Living, Generous Giving

We believe a natural outcome of our faithful joy is not only sharing our stories and experiences but also sharing our resources—our time, energy, and money. Just as a sacrament is an outward and visible sign of an inward grace, generosity is an outward and visible sign of our deepening faith. Recognizing that the Cathedral’s mission requires substantial human and financial resources, we will encourage generosity in our parishioners.

  • We will be proactive in addressing changes in Cathedral members’ generational giving patterns, seeking to educate all parishioners to be faithful and joyous givers.
  • We will develop new opportunities and innovative methods for giving, enlarge the Cathedral endowment, and explore other revenue streams to support the Cathedral’s mission.

Serving the World in God's Name

The visioning process revealed a desire to focus both inside and outside the Cathedral, as our deepening faith and generous living impel us to extend God’s grace in the world. With servant hands and hearts of all ages, we will put faith into action, serving the world in God’s name.

  • Within our community, we will address the pastoral needs of Cathedral parishioners, assuring that no one navigates life's journey alone.
  • For many years the Beacon—first building it and then strengthening it financially and programmatically—has been a primary focus of our outreach efforts. In addition to that ongoing good work, we will focus outside our Cathedral campus to partner with other charitable organizations in the city to amplify and enhance our outreach to Houston's immigrant communities, the homeless, and others in need.

Caring for God’s Good Earth

In Form IV of the Prayers of the People, we ask God to “give us all a reverence for the earth as your own creation, that we may use its resources rightly in the service of others and to your honor and glory.” We recognize that stewardship and service must extend to the natural world over which God grants us dominion (Genesis 1:26-31) and which is our most precious and finite resource.

  • As a cathedral church in a sprawling urban landscape of concrete and metal, we will work to green the world around us.
  • We will minimize our carbon footprint, use green spaces as reminders of God's good creation, and educate our congregation on how best to steward the earth.



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The Very Reverend Barkley S. Thompson
Dean
713-590-3305 

    The Very Reverend Barkley S. Thompson

    Dean
    713-590-3305 |

    Since February 2013, Barkley serves as the eighth dean and twentieth rector of historic downtown Christ Church Cathedral, the oldest church in Houston, Texas, and the cathedral church of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas. A vibrant, growing parish of 3,000 members, Christ Church has served for more than 175 years as a testament to the presence of God in the midst of the city.

    Prior to Houston, Barkley served as the rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in downtown Roanoke, Virginia. Barkley began his vocation as rector of the Church of the Holy Apostles in Collierville, Tennessee (a suburb of Memphis). A “re-start” parish that moved from the city to the suburbs, Holy Apostles grew from 40 to over 400 members and constructed the first new Episcopal church in West Tennessee in over a decade.

    Barkley is an avid writer and has published essays in The American Journal of Philosophy & Theology, The Journal of Pastoral Theology, The Anglican Digest, The Living Church, and Ratherview. He is the author of two books, Elements of Grace (2013) and In the Midst of the City: The Gospel and God's Politics (2018). Barkley also preaches and teaches around the country and serves on interfaith panels with leaders from other religious traditions. Barkley chairs the board of The Beacon, Houston’s largest empowerment day center for the homeless. He also serves on the North American Committee for St. George’s College - Jerusalem, the Anglican Center in the Holy Land, and on the board of Episcopal High School in Houston.

    Barkley earned a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy & Religion, magna cum laude, from Hendrix College; a Master of Arts in Religious Studies from The University of Chicago; and a Master of Divinity from The Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, Texas, on whose board of trustees he serves. He is married to Jill, and they have two children.

    Read the Dean's blog for his reflections on Life, Faith, and the Gospel.

    Vision Action Plan Annual Report


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    Welcome to Christ Church Cathedral. We are glad to welcome you to this diverse and vibrant community of faith. Since 1839, we have been a witness to downtown Houston through worship, learning and loving service. We hope that you’ll find inspired preaching, teaching, and worship, and become part of our Cathedral community.

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    Generously responding to God’s gifts is a reflection of spirituality and recognition that we are the stewards of his bounty. It is a way of life — something we do day in and day out.

    There are many ways to make financial gifts to support the ministries, pastoral care, education, vitality, and growth of Christ Church Cathedral. We are grateful to donors who graciously make one-time gifts, annual pledges, ongoing planned giving, and who find other ways to offer their help forwarding the work of our ministries.

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