In early October, the diocese held a series of Resource Roadshow meetings at which Bishop Trevor outlined the key strategic Mission and Ministry priorities for the diocese from 2016 onwards.
Diocesan Secretary Julian Hills also gave details of the plans which will develop to ensure that the resources are in place to deliver them. Each evening ended with good debate about different elements of the priorities.
On Saturday 14th November, plans will be laid before Diocesan Synod as to how to make the new priorities a reality. Everyone has a valuable part to play in discerning what living out these priorities might look like within our own church communities, and so parishes, clergy and officers are now urged to find out more.
Why do you need the strategic priorities?
The strategic priorities have been developed by Archbishop's Council to support the overriding diocesan objectives of: growing the church numerically and spiritually, re-imagining ministry, and building partnerships that enrich communities. They aim to provide a focus for peoples’ energies, to ensure that efforts are not being made in unnecessary areas, and to give people licence to ‘let go’ of things that are no longer useful.
So what are the new strategic priorities?
The priorities highlight four areas covering the Values we wish to promote, how we want to develop our future Leadership, the ways we want to Work Together, and how we will seek out the Resources we need. To read the priorities in full please visit: www.canterburydiocese.org/priorities2016.
Why does this matter?
Fresh from a visit to the refugee camp in Calais, Bishop Trevor expressed the importance of working with external partners if we are to be an effective voice for the Gospel in our troubled world. He also highlighted the need for our churches to be safe places, as in the past the Church had let its people down badly. Bishop Trevor pinpointed leadership, both lay and ordained, as a key issue to consider as it often constrained the development of the Churches’ ministry in our communities. Holding all these things together would be our ability to get our message across through effective communications.
The challenge
Bishop Trevor hopes that each parish will take on something of these priorities as they look afresh at the challenges to mission that they each face. The Diocesan Synods over the forthcoming triennium will deal with issues that will be open to all as we seek to find new ways of fulfilling the Christian ministry and witness that God has placed upon us.
Why not consider the following questions ahead of your attendance at the November Synod and be part of the conversation on the journey?
- What might sanctuary look like within our congregation: for the refugee, for the marginalised, for the lonely?
- How do we currently recognise peoples’ potential for service to God and others, and what could we do better?
- How do people experience our regular services - do we know what people think?
- How open are we to working with others, and how easy is for people to work with us?
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Diocesan priorities for 2016 – join the conversation on the journey
Nearly 100 people attended this year's series of Resource Roadshow meetings in early October, at which Bishop Trevor outlined the key strategic priorities for the diocese from 2016 onwards. Julian Hills Diocesan Secretary was also on hand to give details of the plans which have been developed to ensure that resources are in place to deliver them.
Developed by Archbishop's Council to support the overriding diocesan objectives of growing the church numerically and spiritually, re-imagining ministry, and building partnerships that enrich communities, the priorities aim to provide a focus for peoples’ energies, and to give people licence to ‘let go’ of things that are no longer useful.
Bishop Trevor expressed the importance of working with external partners if the church is to be an effective voice for the gospel in our troubled world and the need for churches to be safe places, as in the past they had let its people down badly.
Leadership, both lay and ordained, was pin-pointed by the Bishop to be a key issue which constrained the development of ministry in the community, and that holding all these things together would be an ability to get the church’s message across through effective communication. He hoped that each parish would take on something of these priorities as they looked afresh at the challenges to mission that each faced.
To read the priorities in full visit: www.canterburydiocese.org/priorities2016
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Diocesan Mission and Ministry priorities for 2016
A series of Resource Roadshows, hosted by Bishop Trevor, have unveiled the key strategic priorities for the diocese from 2016 onwards. They’ve been developed to support the overriding objectives of the diocese and to help all of us channel our energies where they are most required. We each have a valuable part to play in discerning what living out these priorities might look like within our own community, and so as a parish we are encouraged to read the priorities and find out more. Please [see (named person) for a copy or] visit www.canterburydiocese.org/priorities2016
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