New Around the Mission
Church Explores Missional Calling as New Part of theAM
February 13, 2012
You might call the Rev. Tony Lombardo’s work “church transplanting.” The Iowa native and his wife have spent the past six months helping transition Covenant Family Church, a 40-member non-denominational congregation in Omaha, Nebraska, into theAM.
The “transplant” was a natural one, Tony says, because the building blocks were already in place for a dynamic Anglican parish.
“They had some liturgical elements already present,” he says. “They celebrate the Eucharist every week, and they do readings from the Lectionary. We were fortunate to come into a place that already had those pieces. Now, it’s more about making a few adjustments and slowly moving forward into education and equipping on an Anglican-specific identity.”
Changing circumstances prompted the church to consider aligning with theAM. Covenant’s pastor of 20 years, also a physician with an increasingly busy practice, was unable to give the kind of time he wanted to the church. Faced with decisions about the future and how to move forward, church leaders entered into a discussion with Dr. Bob Grant, Director of Clergy Formation for theAM. Tony connected with Bob during his conversations with Covenant, as Tony was seeking solid pastoral experience after an internship as a worship and youth pastor. In seminary, Tony had attended an Anglican church and fallen in love with theAM’s expression of faith. Covenant showed a desire to move in the same direction, and the two joined together in pursuit of that goal.
Today, freshly settled in his position as fulltime rector, Tony is focused on getting to know the warm and inviting people he’s met at Covenant.
“It’s a tight-knit church that takes very good care of each other,” he says. “I’ve been really struck by the sense of authentic community and caring for each other well — and the closeness of the bonds here.”
Congregants have responded well to a missional book study Tony started to help them wrap their minds and hearts around the idea of being missional.
“We’re wanting to move into being increasingly missional and outreach oriented; we want to exist for the sake of others and draw them into the wonderful authentic community we have,” Tony explains. “We are looking to the Spirit to lead us into creative expressions of how to engage those around us at work, in our neighborhoods, and at the hangouts in our lives with the love of Christ.”
In a predominantly Catholic city with many disillusioned Catholics, Tony sees an outreach opportunity in the familiar liturgical elements of an Anglican worship service. Another opportunity lies in North Omaha, an area in need of social renewal. Tony is currently exploring ways to partner with existing ministries doing social justice work in neighborhoods plagued by poverty and crime. Finally, he’s beginning from the ground up to establish missional community small groups with Bible study and prayer elements that also incorporate outreach, missional and hospitality dimensions. Ultimately, he hopes to establish strong outreach hubs throughout the city of Omaha.
“We want to serve others and invite them into our lives, acting as a gospel discovery zone,” Tony says. “We live in a world that doesn’t have much of a concept of what the Christian life looks like and what it means to follow Jesus. Our church is excited about growing into our Anglican identity and learning to be missional. We’ve really seen God throughout this whole process and His hand at work.”
Learn more at Covenant Family Church.
Posted By: Cynthia P. Brust
Categories: Church Planting
