Polycarp and his people had two huge tasks. They were surrounded by alien culture and faith. They had a huge, basic task and opportunity of proclamation. They had come to know the mighty acts of God in Jesus Christ, the God of the universe revealed as a forgiving, redeeming, inviting God, personally knowable. Jesus Christ was new news to most folks, life-changing news, and theirs was the task to proclaim the faith, grow the church, live this faith as Christ’s body in the world.