Our Mission and Core Values

 

"The Deaconess Community ELCA has been formed in order that skilled and committed women serving in community may complement the ministry of Word and Sacrament as well as the ministry of the whole people of God. This ministry is exercised within the context of the church's mission to proclaim the Gospel, to relate the Gospel to human need in every situation, and to extend the ministry of the Gospel to all the world." (Bylaws of the Deaconess Community of the ELCA, 3.1)

Members of the Deaconess Community serve people through calls from congregations, institutions, and agencies related to the ELCA or the Evangelical Lutheran Church In Canada (via a mutual agreement between the two churches which began before either were officially organized.) Their ministries include Christian education, youth and family ministry, director of music, parish administrator, parish worker, director or teacher of nursery or parochial school, chaplains, social workers, health care, special education, communications, and a variety of other specialized ministries.

Members of the Deaconess Community and its predecessor bodies have always encouraged and enabled men and women to become professional leaders in the church. They have had a pivotal role in initiating standards, providing professional training, seeking recognition through rostering, and advocating for compensation, pension and health benefits.

Our Mission

Compelled by the love of Christ and sustained by community, we devote our lives to proclaiming the Gospel through ministries of mercy and servant leadership.

Our Core Values

  • A gospel centered purpose that proclaims and furthers the reign of God among us
  • A prophetic diakonia that commits itself to risk taking and innovative service on the frontiers of the church’s outreach
  • Cooperative partnerships that invite participation, bridge divisions, and accompany others in mission
  • Inclusivity in mission that affirms the individual gifts of all people
  • Stewardship that respects God’s gifts of time, talents, and resources