In Gathering at God’s Table, Katharine Jefferts Schori’s goal is to explore the once and future mission of the Jesus people. For her, mission has been defined too narrowly as a way of proselytizing or converting non-Christians. Rather, she argues, the meaning of mission is far broader, far more gracious, compassionate and challenging, as typified by the Anglican ‘five marks of mission’:

- to proclaim the good news of the kingdom
- to teach, baptize and nurture new believers
- to respond to human need with loving service
- to seek to transform unjust structures of society
- to strive to safeguard the integrity of creation, and sustain and renew the life of the earth.