Committed to Growth Mission Strategy 2021 listen celebrate imagine empower...more than we can imagine Committed to Growth www.dioceseofnorwich.org
To God who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever. Amen Ephesians 3.20,21 2
Contents Introduction 4 Building on Committed to Growth 7 A renewed mission strategy 11 Starting with prayer 14 Understanding our context and observed patterns of growth 17 Diocesan consultation 20 Mission and finance 26 What will we do? 29 Listen 30 Celebrate 34 Imagine 36 Empower 40 Appendix 44 3
Committed to Growth Mission Strategy 2021 more than we can imagine To God who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever. Amen Ephesians 3.20,21 As our Diocesan Mission Strategy 2021 is introduced, these verses from St. Paul s letter to the Ephesians make a fitting prayer, as together we seek God s renewal and inspiration for this moment and our part in the life of God s church. Christians have always and rightly placed huge significance on learning from and honouring the past. We have much to give thanks for in this diocese in our rich Christian heritage, and in the devotion and commitment to God of so many of our clergy and lay people in this and previous generations. The Scriptures remind us continually of the importance of remembering, particularly in times of hardship and challenge. Classically, the prophets urged the people to remember God s mercy and faithfulness in leading the early Hebrews from slavery in Egypt to freedom in the promised land (Jeremiah 16.14-15). The same call to remember God s past deliverance of the people is also reflected in the Psalms (Psalms 66, 77, 78). The importance of remembering God s mercy and faithfulness to his people down through the generations is pressed home again and again throughout the Old Testament. When Jesus took and shared the bread and wine at the Last Supper, he commanded his followers to do this in remembrance of me (Luke 22.19). However, the central act of Christian worship, the Eucharist or Holy Communion, is a sacrament whereby Jesus death and resurrection are not merely remembered. Christ himself is made present to us as we receive the bread and wine. We share in this sacrament not simply as a memorial, but because we believe that God is active today in the transformation of our lives. This conviction is expressed in the prayer we often say after communion that ends: Send us out in the power of the Spirit to live and work to your praise and glory. So as well as remembering, God wants to equip us for the present and point us to the future. Throughout his ministry, and indeed at the Last Supper, Jesus spoke about the Kingdom of God as yet to be fulfilled. We 4
are urged to pray each day your kingdom come (Matthew 6.10). Under God we are always looking forward to a future of promise as yet undiscovered. While we give thanks for what we have received from God, St. Paul s prayer encourages us to ask him to expand our imaginations about what God may accomplish among us. We need this because living as a Christian and ministering in God s church is demanding. It is easy for our expectations to be diminished by the daily challenges we face. This is no new experience for God s people. Psalm 137, written in the exile, reflects something of the pain that many feel today with its plaintive question: how can we sing the Lord s song in a strange land? Many will know one form of the Scriptures reply to the Psalmist s lament from the opening words of Handel s Messiah, Comfort, comfort ye my people. Drawing heavily on the words of Second Isaiah (chapters 40ff) we hear in that inspiring choral piece and read in those chapters of the new and unforeseen hope that God brings to his people to renew and restore them in faith and trust. And, of course, that same feeling of pain and loss of vision is present in the hearts of the disciples after they have witnessed the death of Jesus on the cross. It is difficult for us to imagine the despair and darkness that overcame them we seek to enter into something of that on Holy Saturday - but the first followers of Jesus were to have their imaginations stretched beyond anything they could have expected. In the resurrection of Jesus, God brought new life and unexpected hope to the disciples, so that their fear and disbelief were transformed and they became the agents through whom God began to build his church. We serve a God for whom there are always new possibilities, with whom there is always the prospect of new life and hope. And so our prayer is that God will help us in our generation to accomplish more than we can ask or imagine, as we say together your kingdom come. 5
The toddler and parent group is absolutely fantastic! Absolutely fantastic! The volunteers are so welcoming it s been brilliant. It s such a happy atmosphere that my eldest daughter has lost her shyness and gained her confidence. She runs up the steps ahead of me because she is so happy to be here! 6
Building on Committed to Growth We continue, as a diocese, to be Committed to Growth, in Discipleship, Service and Numbers. We continue to encourage benefices to produce and review a Growth Plan to help shape and focus mission in the communities they serve. Many have found this a helpful tool to aid their mission priorities. This mission strategy is not meant to replace the value of such local mission planning, but to aid and build upon it. Committed to Growth is based on the threefold vision of encouraging spiritual and numerical growth, as well as growth in our ability to serve our communities. This is a vision that God has given the Church of England in the last decade. It was proposed by Archbishop Rowan and endorsed and affirmed by Archbishop Justin. In our own communities, many people and benefices have worked creatively to advance this vision. We applaud all that has been achieved through hard work and sacrificial giving. It seems right, therefore, that we now take stock, and celebrate what has been achieved, then identify the continuing challenges we face, before we attempt to identify how, as a diocese, we can aid further growth and see that vision come to fruition. We continue to be Committed to Growth in Discipleship We recognise the importance of our desire to go on learning and growing as followers of Christ, in the words of St. Paul: until all of us come to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ Ephesians 4.13 Central to this must be a deepening experience of prayer, both individually and corporately. For some this will involve a growing appreciation of the riches of liturgy, whilst for others more extempore and informal forms of prayer will best express and nourish their faith. Prayer will take many forms from the prayer of stillness and silent contemplation to joyful Spirit-filled exuberance. It should always involve an attentive listening to God as well as an honest bringing of our needs, desires and intercessions to him. To grow, as disciples, involves developing an openness to God s call upon our lives, particularly through our study of the Scriptures. We are privileged to share in God s mission in the world. The lives and tasks to which God calls us will be many and 7
varied, but all who follow Christ will find a renewed sense of purpose and direction. Encountering Jesus Christ is the beginning of a lifelong journey which will demand much from us. Jesus call to take up our cross to follow him implies a cost to faith. Discipleship requires of us a willingness to commit our lives to God through repentance and in loving obedience. We continue to be Committed to Growth in Service It is never enough to speak about God s love if we fail to act upon the challenge to reveal that love in the way we care for the vulnerable and those in need (cf. James 2.14-17). We are called to respond to the challenges of Jesus in the Gospels and the way in which he introduced his ministry as a fulfilment of Isaiah s prophecy (ch 61): The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord s favour. Luke 4.18 We are encouraged to see Christ in those we serve, and are warned about the consequences of failing to recognise him in the weak and vulnerable. The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats in Matthew 25 verses 31-46 is an eloquent and demanding statement of the duty to seek out and serve those in need. We are living at a time of significant austerity, when the gap between the wealthiest and the poorest in our nation is becoming ever greater. Many are being thrown back on to charities to provide the sort of support that was once provided by the state. This is a time both of great need and great opportunity for the church to grow in service. There is an international dimension too in the work of Christians for justice, peace and development. In recent years, this has come close to home in the need to give sanctuary and support to the many asylum seekers and refugees fleeing places of conflict and warfare. At a time when many traditional sources of authority are questioned, and claims to speak the truth are treated with deep suspicion, it is crucial that what we say is backed up by what we do. The integrity of our life and of our message is of supreme importance. We continue to be Committed to Growth in Numbers We are moved to act by Jesus conviction that the harvest is plentiful but the labourers are few (Luke 10.2). We care deeply about those who have not encountered the lifegiving presence of Christ in their lives. We are passionate about wanting to share with others the treasure we have found in him. However, we can easily become frustrated with the church as an institution, and find ourselves drawn into the contemporary suspicion and scepticism about all institutions. But we need to remind ourselves that the church is not simply a human 8
institution. It is the people of God and the body of Christ. Perhaps, therefore, we need to renew our understanding of why church is so important. One of the primary functions of the church is the offering of worship to God. When we gather to honour and praise God there is scope for the mutual support that we all need. The Christian life is demanding and there are times when we struggle with difficulties and doubts. That s when we need the prayers and encouragement and support of fellow Christians. Signs of God s kingdom breaking out among us often start with one or two people, but we also know that we achieve more together than we can on our own. The collective witness of a gathering of Christians in a local community can be transformational to that locality. The church is the place where faith in Christ is discovered, nurtured and expressed. In short, we need a bigger church to make a bigger difference. 9
I started helping about four years ago and it changed my outlook on life. It changed the way I felt about people with learning difficulties. Just the satisfaction of seeing the joy on their faces, and I m sure they can feel the love that the Lord has for them and it just envelops the place and they just respond, joyfully, it s lovely. 10
A renewed mission strategy In September 2015, Bishop Graham wrote to all licensed clergy, licensed lay workers, Readers, deanery officers, and churchwardens asking three key questions: what are some of the good things that are happening in your parish in relation to mission and outreach? what are the biggest challenges or obstacles to mission and outreach in your parish? what areas of resources or support do you feel you need from the centre? These questions recognise that we are not starting from scratch. We begin by acknowledging and celebrating the progress already made in renewing our part in God s mission. Many have worked hard to encourage a growing church. We received over 200 responses (many of them collective responses from benefices). We have identified common themes, not only in what is already happening, but also in the challenges we face and the support that might be needed to address them. As we plan a strategy for the next five years, we need to be clear about our terminology. It has been said that: A strategy can be defined as an intentional set of interlocking changes, actions and policies to achieve the strategic objective or vision. Our vision or strategic objective continues to be a diocese Committed to Growth at every level in terms of Discipleship, Service and Numbers. The key questions, therefore, to be asked and faced at every level are these: Do our wider diocesan policies truly serve our goal of growth? What actions can we take together to help promote growth? How do we need to change in order to grow? We must put the development of a mission strategy in proper perspective. St. Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 3.5-9, that good strategy can only ever be part of the answer to the challenges we face, for it is God who gives the growth. 11
Neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth (1 Corinthians 3.7) This does not remove us from responsibility, but it instils in us an appropriate humility. God shares his work, his mission with us. He seems to delight in partnership with us. In that passage from Corinthians, Paul and Apollos both had crucial roles, but we need to remember that our efforts, good strategy or even the best evidence-based research, will not bring about the renewal of God s church on their own. Writing in the late fourth and early fifth century, Augustine of Hippo also reminded the church that: We do not come to God by navigation but by love. A strategy is important, but God s church is nothing if it exists without love. The ministry to which the people of God are called must be an expression of God s love. Love the people to whom God has sent you is the deepest expression of the priestly task. In formulating a strategy, we need to remember that mission is ultimately the work of God. We serve a God of surprises for whom there are always new and unexpected possibilities, and with whom there is always the prospect of new life and hope. 12
People come here because it s fun they re not told to come they come because they want to. And it s very cheap. I only charge them 25p. It was 25p when they came 20 years ago and it s still 25p! And with that money we can buy the refreshments. 13
Starting with prayer For God s people, strategy, and indeed all our life and work together, must begin and end with prayer. All of us need to engage in listening prayer, waiting quietly upon God, spending time consciously and deliberately in God s presence, recognising that our lives need to be rooted in God s love if we are to seek and find his kingdom. Psalm 62 vv.1, 2: On God alone my soul in stillness waits, from him comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold, so that I shall never be shaken. Out of such faithful, patient prayer, we build our capacity and resilience for the task ahead. We discern how we are to play our part in God s mission, and how we need to change for God to bring growth. We need also to ask for God s guidance and inspiration, for that stretching of imagination of which St. Paul speaks, and asking God to grow the church. There are certain things we can do in order to create the fertile ground in which the Spirit can bring our faith to life, enabling us to live out our faith and give a reason for the hope that is in us. First among these is prayer. More than anything else we need to place a new priority on becoming a people of prayer, whose daily lives are formed and punctuated by our relationship with God in Jesus Christ. (Bob Jackson, p.23 What makes for a good diocesan mission strategy? ) The Bishops will, therefore, lead a series of Deanery Prayer Pilgrimages, with teaching based on the Lord s Prayer. We will produce prayer resources for parishes and individuals. A suitable Mission Strategy 2021 Prayer could be based on words of Sir Francis Drake expressing our theme of seeking fresh imagination from God for the task and opportunities before us: 14
Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves; When our dreams have come true because we dreamed too little; When we arrive safely because we sailed too close to the shore. Disturb us, Lord, when with the abundance of things we possess We have lost our thirst for the waters of life; Having fallen in love with life, we have ceased to dream of eternity; And in our efforts to build a new earth, We have allowed our vision of the new heaven to dim. Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly To venture on wider seas where storms will show your mastery; Where losing sight of land, we shall find the stars. We ask you push back the horizons of our hopes, And push us in the future with strength, courage, hope and love. Amen. Other ideas to be considered and developed include a Prayer App as a resource for church members, including the Diocesan Prayer Diary. Plans are also in place to ensure that a stronger rhythm of prayer is restored at Diocesan House for those who play such a vital part in our life and work together there. As churches, communities and individuals we are encouraged to explore a fresh commitment to prayer. 15
We shouldn t expect people to adapt to what we re offering. We want to be a welcoming church and offer something that s suitable. Money can facilitate a lot of things but I think most importantly we want church members to feel confident and released into using their gifts. 16
Understanding our context and observed patterns of growth a. The Diocese The population of the diocese is c.883,000 with just over a third (36%) of people living in rural areas (defined as a settlement with a population of less than 10,000). Whilst that may seem a surprising definition of a rural area, it does encourage us to reflect on the nature of the diocese, and whether we understand ourselves as a rural or urban diocese. Given the long history of the parochial system in this country, it is not surprising that the diocese s current reality reflects a rich agricultural past with 639 church buildings, the 2nd highest diocesan total in England, of which 89% are listed, and mostly medieval. 91% (c.581) of churches in the diocese are in rural areas, where only 36% of the population lives. They are served by 65% (98) of the stipendiary clergy. This means that some 9% (58) of churches are in urban areas, where 64% of the population lives, served by 35% (54) of the stipendiary clergy. However, it is certainly the case that ecumenical partners are present and active in urban areas to a higher degree than in rural areas. The corollary is that ecumenical partners have mostly withdrawn from rural areas. We need to recognise that part of our distinctive Anglican vocation may be to ensure a Christian presence in less populated rural areas. As part of the Renewal and Reform Programme, representatives of the National Church Institutions shared with the Bishop s Staff an Analysis of Resource Allocation. This seemed to imply that we should re-allocate resources from areas of low population density to those of higher population density. However, the way in which ministry is now funded with such a heavy reliance on Parish Share, moving towards a situation where parishes pay the costs of the ministry they receive, suggests that current resources are not easily re-deployable. It is also the case that the funding we receive from the Commissioners (currently 1.5m per annum) is already targeted largely towards supporting the church in urban centres of high population density and deprivation. Thankfully, the response to the recent Parish Share Review, TRiO, demonstrates that current patterns of ministry are largely sustainable, given the generosity of God s people in this diocese. 17
Nonetheless, in focusing new resources, we do need to pay careful attention to the urban-rural dynamic of the diocese. b. Statistics for Mission (2009-2014) www.churchofengland.org/media/ 2432327/2014statisticsformission.pdf We are fortunate in having access to a much wider range of data than hitherto. Even though the use of figures and measures of success may seem countercultural to us (and even to parts of the Scriptures, cf. Judges ch.7), nevertheless it is helpful to take account of the analysis which others have done on our behalf. Adult Attendance Statistics seem to demonstrate changing patterns of attendance and, nationally, reductions in Sunday attendance of 13% over 10 years. This does not include midweek, Saturday or school services. The picture is more varied locally and we have seen a mixed pattern, such that between 2009 and 2014 (the last year for which statistics are available) adult Sunday attendance in the diocese fell by 8.3% yet overall adult weekly attendance over the same period rose by 1.9%. This indicates a shift away from Sunday, to weekdays, especially among younger adults. In just one year (2013 to 2014) the number of adults at school services in the diocese increased by 20%. Our overall diocesan worshipping community has increased from 17,900 in 2012 to 20,400 in 2014. What these statistics do seem to reveal is that a larger number of people are worshipping less regularly than in the past. It is noteworthy that 42% of our worshipping community is over the age of 70. That brings with it the twin challenges of ministering appropriately to that age group whilst also recognizing the need to reach younger generations. Child Attendance When it comes to child attendance, the picture is different again. Between 2009 and 2014, average child weekly attendance fell by 24%, average child Sunday attendance fell by 15%. However, figures for average child weekly school service attendance, only available for 2013 and 2014, show an increase of 17%. This seems to suggest a move away from Sunday as the focus for our work with children and some success in reaching children (and their parents) through school and midweek services. Baptisms, weddings, funerals Figures are produced annually and can illustrate long-term changes. An example is the number of occasional offices. Nationally between 2009 and 2014, infant and child baptisms reduced by 9%, weddings by 11% and funerals (churches and crematoria) by 16%. However, our own diocesan figures are very different. Baptisms saw a reduction of just 2.5%, weddings 1.7% and funerals 3.7%). Norwich is a diocese where the connections made with the general 18
population through the occasional offices remains a big mission opportunity. Thus, in 2014, of all births in the diocese, 14% led to a baptism or thanksgiving service; of all deaths in the diocese, 47% involved a funeral in churches, crematoria or cemeteries. Occasional offices (baptisms, weddings and funerals) remain a key element of our contact with and support to the wider community. While too much can be made of statistics, they provide one factor that can help to shape out thinking so that we optimise the use of resources as we seek to see God s Church grow. c. From Anecdote to Evidence: Findings from the Church Growth Research Programme 2011-2013 This report www.churchgrowthresearch.org. uk/report states that, nationally, between 2000 and 2010, 18% of churches grew, 55% remained stable and 27% declined numerically. The report also speaks of Fresh Expressions of Church and notes that for every person sent to begin a Fresh Expression, on average another 2.6 people join, and that over 80% of Fresh Expressions of Church are either child or All Age focused. The report goes on to highlight common ingredients that are strongly associated with growth. These include: The importance of good leaders who: have an ability to engage with outsiders and newcomers are clear about worship style and tradition have a vision for growth and doing new things to make it happen prioritize growth are good at developing vision and goals have the ability to train people for ministry and mission. Churches having a clear sense of mission and purpose Churches with a willingness to reflect and learn continuously Congregations prepared to change and adapt according to context Assigning roles to lay people as well as clergy Churches that offer programmes for children and teenagers Looking outward and actively engaging those outside the existing community Offering a good welcome and follow up for visitors Being actively committed to nurturing new and existing Christians Whilst some have expressed reservations about the research methodology behind this report, nonetheless, the findings seem to many robust indicators of factors which aid growth. 19
Diocesan consultation In analysing the many replies to Bishop Graham s consultation letter, we attempted to create categories into which similar replies could be gathered. The figure on the right indicates the number of responses grouped under each heading, with the strongest responses listed first. It is instructive to observe the relatively high number of responses to the questions about what we are doing well, and what challenges we face, as opposed to the relatively low number of responses able to articulate what support is needed to address these challenges. In the Appendix we give some examples of the responses which lie behind these figures, and some further examples of what we are doing well. What are we doing well? 1. Schools work and young people 153 (school assemblies; links with, and work in, schools; work with children; Open the Book) It is heartening that our work with children and young people, particularly through our schools, is recognized and celebrated above all else. As well as the voluntary work undertaken by benefices and deaneries in this area, there is also a huge amount to celebrate through the work of the Diocesan Board of Education (DBE) and the Diocese of Norwich Education and Academies Trust (DNEAT). There are currently 112 church schools, and all but two are primary. Collectively they serve 16,000 children and are supported by almost 400 Foundation Governors, and 106 Trust-appointed Governors for the Academies. 25% of children of primary school age across Norfolk and Waveney are in church schools. (See further in the Appendix). 2. Reaching out and involving the local community 116 (Christmas, Easter, Harvest festivals and weekly events) There remain large congregations in the majority of our churches at festival times. In order to strengthen our resources for worship we have extended lay ministry further through the Authorised Worship Assistants (AWAs) Initiative. Launched in 2013, there are now over 160 AWAs in benefices around the diocese. The aim is to draw on the experience of lay Christians in our congregations to play a fuller part in leading worship, and also to encourage some people to take a first step in ministry which may be part of discerning a call to a wider ministry, either lay or ordained. (See further in the Appendix) 20
I think the impact we have on the children isn t just on standards. The skills and values that we instil in our children are very much rooted in Christian principles and that runs throughout our curriculum, throughout our school, throughout our day to day working. 21
3. Fresh Expressions (worship) 113 (Messy Church, Café Church, alternative services) Fresh Expressions are not just about worship, but also about growing churches: a fresh expression is a form of church for our changing culture, established primarily for the benefit of people who are not yet members of any church. It will come into being through principles of listening, service, contextual mission and making disciples. (See further in the Appendix) 4. Good feeling of community at church; quality of worship; welcome 75 The quality of worship is enhanced in many places by the contributions of dedicated musicians and choirs, as well as those who prepare the church for worship and play a part in the service, reading, leading intercessions, assisting with communion. The warmth and openness of welcome offered is identified as a key factor in growth. Many of our buildings have been improved to offer a better welcome through new kitchen areas, toilets and improved heating. 5. Work with and help for the vulnerable 43 There are many enterprising local initiatives in service of the community. Perhaps the largest number of people and churches are involved in collecting for and staffing Foodbanks with volunteers, as well as some churches which house Foodbanks on their premises. Alongside this is work being done in some churches to develop Credit Unions and pursue the agenda of Christians Against Poverty, as the current austerity drive, low wages and benefit cuts, opens a space for considerable Growth in Service. 6. Open church 40 Many churches have made significant steps forward in ensuring their building is open for visitors who come to explore and pray, and for tourists with an interest in historic buildings. An open church is a good witness and testimony to our vocation to be a church for the whole community. 7. Communication: magazine, website, social media, welcome packs 34 As well as the tremendous work being undertaken at local level, we have strengthened our Diocesan Communications Department which now produces high quality material through a number of different media. The website has continued to develop adding several useful tools, such as Bright Map, whilst The Magazine has been redesigned and re-launched in a format that has won widespread praise. Relations with local media remain strong and a crucial means of extending our reach across the diocese. (For further thoughts on what we are doing well, see the Appendix) 22
What are the challenges? 1. Age profile of congregations 123 (dwindling congregations; difficulty of attracting new members) 20-40 year olds: a significant amount of research has identified the need to reach the 20-40 year old demographic, who are not generally present in our congregations and are often described as the missing generation. (See further in the Appendix) 2. Relationship with community 105 (apathy of local community; secularism; Sunday shopping; sport; the world ) Many have written and commented on the enormous pace of social change in recent years and the effects on congregations of the changes in Sunday trading laws. Alongside this there has been high-profile criticism of the church, increased anxiety about religion, and significant media attention to promoters of secular humanism and atheism. 3. General Finance and Fundraising 90 As pointed out earlier, we have the second highest number of church buildings of any English Diocese, and the highest percentage of those are listed (89%). Whilst significant assistance is received from grant-making bodies and through some government schemes, the challenge of maintaining our buildings to modern standards, especially in small rural communities, is acute. 4. Volunteers 84 (overburdening of existing volunteers; succession planning; lack of commitment) All voluntary organisations have suffered in recent years as membership has declined and the pool of volunteers being sought by churches and charitable organisations has reduced. Those in work seem to have less time available to volunteer and take on responsibility. Attention has also been drawn to the so-called missing men, with 1.8 million fewer men than women in Britain saying that they are practicing Christians. (See further in the Appendix) 5. Attracting children and young people/developing links with schools 44 Whilst this comes out as the highest response in the category of things to celebrate, it is also clear that in some parishes and benefices, establishing effective work with children, young people and schools remains a significant challenge. 6. Parish Share 41 The significant increase in the proportion of diocesan income that needs to come from Parish Share in the last few decades has placed a considerable burden on many parishes. This is, in part, due to the need to establish and fund a clergy pension scheme. (For further thoughts on the challenges we are facing see the Appendix) 23
What do we need? 1. Schools and Young People 47 (funding for Children s/families Workers; assistance with schools/children s work; support for Open the Book) Schools and young people score highly in every category, but there is a clear need for support for specialist workers, and also for training to build the confidence of people to undertake what they recognise is important and worthwhile work. 2. More engagement and better understanding by the Diocese 43 As a widely dispersed organization, we cannot escape the challenge of how best to keep in touch, to deepen our fellowship and build a sense of our unity and common purpose in the work of God. 3. Training and Enabling of Laity 39 The need for ministry to be a collaboration between clergy and laity is widely recognized, for ministry belongs to all God s people. We need to continue to explore and find effective ways of encouraging, training and supporting lay people for their part in the mission and ministry of God s church. 4. Finance 36 (a revised Parish Share system; the Diocese understanding financial pressures; reduction in Parish Share; help with financial matters) Whilst the new TRiO system of Parish Share has yielded much fruit in its first two years of operation, there are those who remain to be convinced or who feel themselves greatly burdened by the new arrangements. We need to continue to look for ways of listening to the difficulties faced and offering appropriate support. 5. Sharing of best practice 27 There is a commendable reticence within the life of the church about trumpeting our good fortune and successes. However, we do need to become better able to speak of what God is doing among us, to encourage and support one another. Such a process requires also the honesty to share the challenges and disappointments we experience along the way, since these can help those who seek to learn new ways to serve God effectively. 6. Greater visibility of senior staff; leadership by Bishops 24 Although there is appreciation of the system of benefice visitations which ensures every two years there is a visit from a Bishop or Archdeacon, we need to work harder at ensuring that no benefice feels neglected. 7. Less bureaucracy and paperwork to complete from the Diocese 21 The call for simplification that has recently been heard at national level is also necessary within our own diocesan life. There is a need to look at what requirements can be lessened, and where support can be offered in easing the burden of what cannot be avoided. 24
Having a kitchen area and disabled toilet will be so practical for our Sunday services, but also enable the church building to be a used as a community facility. Our church is open and we hope this will encourage more people from within our community to make use of it. 25
Mission and finance It is sometimes remarked that there is a great deal more in the Bible about money than many other subjects, not least in the teaching of Jesus himself, eg the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25. 14-30; Luke 19. 11-27) or the story of the Widow s Mite (Mark 12. 41-44). It is not simply generosity which is commended by Jesus but sacrificial giving on the part of the poor widow. In the Parable of the Talents the money handed out is to be put to good use and not simply hidden away. There is a huge amount of generous, even sacrificial, giving to mission and ministry in this diocese. Almost 7m each year is given in Parish Share. In the wider community that sort of sum merits a big and well-organised appeal. Yet the churches of this diocese do it year after year as well as meeting all the other expenses and paying for the maintenance of their buildings too. What is even more important to celebrate is the astonishing response to TRiO (The Responsibility is Ours), the scheme for Parish Share launched at the Central Visitations in 2013 and implemented at the beginning of 2014. We have seen the increase in Parish Share contributions rise by almost three quarters of a million pounds in two years alone. That has transformed our finances. We are now able to meet the cost of mission and ministry without looking to cut the overall numbers of clergy in the diocese, even if there still needs to be some re-organisation to make sure clergy are deployed where the needs are greatest. We are developing other funding schemes through our companies (WiSpire and Spire Services) and good asset management so that the overall proportion of the cost of diocesan mission and ministry met by Parish Share gradually reduces. That is a long term strategy but an important one. What the people of God in this diocese have shown, however, is that they cherish their clergy and all forms of ministry, ordained and lay, and value their work and the mission of the parishes so much that they will give to support it. This has been noticed in the wider Church of England. It is not an accident that our healthier finances have accompanied some encouraging mission statistics in recent years. The Renewal and Reform Programme sponsored by the Archbishops Council will divide central financial support into two categories from next year. Half will go to support ministry in the poorest areas of the country. The other half will be placed in a strategic development fund for which dioceses will bid with well worked out mission initiatives. At present we receive about 1.6m per annum 26
from the Archbishops Council to support the ministry in our parishes. It is that sum of money which is distributed as a result of the benefice support meetings to those places which cannot meet the full costs of ministry. We did think this funding would diminish significantly. This will not be so. We have now learned that while it may drop gradually to around 1.3m over the next decade there will be no major reduction. Why? It is because these monies are being allocated to dioceses depending on average household income. On that basis this diocese is one of the poorer in the country with an average household income of around 15,500 per annum. We do have significant urban deprivation here but there is also significant rural poverty too, often hidden, but revealed in these statistics. This makes the performance of our parishes in relation to Parish Share an even more remarkable achievement a sign of that sacrificial generosity Jesus commended. What the Renewal and Reform Programme also recognises is that even where a diocese like ours is doing all it can to cover the costs of its mission and ministry, and doing so successfully, past patterns of church life will not always serve the proclamation of the gospel well in the future. How will we minister in our new housing developments? How will we strengthen the new congregations raised up through Fresh Expressions? How can we sustain and develop all that we cherish in our churches while taking risks for the future? The Archbishops Council has earmarked an additional one off grant of 700,000 next year to assist us in our new mission initiatives. There is match funding from trust funds which we can add to that sum, making a new mission pot of 1.5m overall. This is money available to us in order to extend the good news of God s kingdom in this place, and to build on what we have done. It only exists because we have demonstrated that we are giving generously to meet the costs of our current mission and ministry. Through all that has happened in our diocese in recent years we have shown that we will be adventurous in mission. So the sums which are attached to the work streams in our mission strategy are not coming from our present diocesan budget. They provide seed funding for further growth from the Archbishops Council and from trusts and other sources which have pledged to assist us over the next five years. Although 1.5m over five years sounds a great deal of money when compared with our own personal income or even the income of the average parish church, spread over a diocese of this size it isn t a fortune. It is roughly what sustaining six stipendiary clergy in ministry for five years costs overall. But it represents the five pounds in Luke s version of the Parable of the Talents. It is money to be invested in mission for future growth. This figure of 1.5m doesn t include our diocesan bid for Strategic Development Funding from the Archbishops Council which, if successful, could amount to a further 1.5m over five years. When all of this is added up, you will see that this mission strategy is an ambitious attempt under God to direct new resources to support Growth in our parishes and communities. And now we go on to describe what we have in mind. 27
Our youth group on a Friday night provides an active, creative and fun environment for young people whether they are new to faith or experienced in faith. It s a huge privilege to be part of that; to invest some quality time in young people at a time when they are starting to find themselves, find their identity. 28
What will we do? As a Diocese, we will develop four key streams of work under the headings: listen celebrate imagine empower Each stream will have a lead person who is a member of Bishop s Staff, assisted by designated officers. Each stream will also have an agreed budget over five years, mostly drawn from the new mission funding. Of this, we have already allocated 1.25m over five years, and we have retained a fund of 250k to support our bid for national funding. If successful, this bid would add a further 1.5m to the total funds over five years. and designated officers. It will be essential to ensure that all departments of diocesan life are working towards the goals of Committed to Growth and supporting the four key streams of the Mission Strategy. There will be an annual report on progress to the Bishop s Council and Diocesan Synod, and the Mission Strategy will be reviewed in 2018. All this is to be undergirded with a renewed commitment to prayer, as set out earlier in the document. As our Leader in Mission, the Bishop of Norwich will be responsible for driving forward the Mission Strategy and in order to do this, will meet regularly with the four leads 29
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As a Diocese we will: Listen Give ear to my words, O Lord, give heed to my sighing. Psalm 5.2 The aim of this stream of work is to ensure that we take seriously the responses to the consultation. We will do this by attempting to address the feeling reported from some churches of sinking under the burden of buildings, finance and bureaucracy. Lead: The Diocesan Secretary, assisted by the Archdeacon of Norfolk, with designated officers. The budget for this stream, drawn from the new mission fund, will be 35k pa ( 175k over five years), with some additional funding also coming from other sources. a. Buildings we will acknowledge and address the burden of our buildings in the following ways by: working with expert bodies to offer training to parish fabric officers, deanery by deanery, with the aim of helping them ensure their building is adequately maintained and equipped for mission. We will set aside 15k pa ( 75k over five years) for this work using Bishop of Norwich s Fabric Fund to offer parishes two or three days of an approved architect s time to look specifically at building needs in relation to mission, to be tied into support offered by the Parish Funding Support Officers. There will be 15k pa ( 75k over five years) allocated to this work identifying lay people with expertise in caring for buildings and finding the funding for work to be undertaken, who could act as consultants to other parishes developing the role of the Church Ambassadors continuing to develop and strengthen the work of the Diocesan Churches Trust. 5k pa ( 25k over five years) monitoring and contributing to the national debate begun in the Report of the Church Buildings Review Group, chaired by the Bishop of Worcester (2015) www.churchofengland.org/ media/2383717/church_buildings_ review_report_2015.pdf b. Simplification we will create a simplification group to address the frustration caused by timeconsuming bureaucratic processes and administration. The group will seek to: 31
continue to improve the consistency of and speed up DAC procedures address and seek to simplify or reduce the amount of information gathering eg. Statistics for Mission d. Research - Continue to look at research into patterns of church attendance and involvement in the diocese, and key factors in encouraging growth offer further training and support with administration, finance, governance consider whether the diocese (or deanery) can act as the body seeking funding on behalf of a group of parishes to simplify the application, bring in economies of scale, and develop expertise (Collective Grant Applications). c. Finance we will address the need for further support in strengthening parish finances and review the workings of the parish share scheme: increase the capacity of the Parish Funding Support Officers. We will allocate a further 15k pa ( 75k over five years), but this will not come from the new mission funding consider and implement any refinements necessary after the first two years of operation of TRiO 32
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As a Diocese we will: Celebrate Jesus said: Go and tell what you hear about me. Matthew 11.4 The aim of this stream is to develop more effective ways of sharing what God is doing among us, and make more widely known the growing body of good practice and the key resources that can support growth. We will consider how best to celebrate and learn together, whilst strengthening our sense of common purpose and unity in Christ in a way that builds up and develops further our vision and capacity. Lead: The Dean, assisted by the Archdeacon of Lynn, with designated officers: the Canon for Mission and Pastoral Care and Diocesan Marketing & Communications Manager. The annual budget for this stream will be 15k ( 75k over five years). a. By strengthening the facilitation skills of Rural Deans we aim to ensure that deanery chapters, deanery synods and deanery conferences will be places of encouragement where stories are shared in a way that can support growth. b. By better sharing of good practice: we aim to develop a coordinated and regular means of telling our stories through sharing best practice make known the story of growing churches and individuals. Ensure that the Mission Strategy sets a large part of the agenda for Communications Team, making use of The Magazine; PCC News; the diocesan website; enews; DVD/YouTube regular and well-produced film stories modelling good practice and growth, describing the process and struggle as well as the results. To be a resource to parishes and PCCs, or as a key resource for a team of Mission Enablers supporting parishes. We will allocate 10k pa ( 50k over five years) to this initiative. c. Database - Develop and make easily accessible a database of expertise and experience. This could include: Funding ideas; experience of grant applications; Community Service Projects; Fresh Expressions; administrative guidance and support; treasurers skills. d. Celebration and Learning - Bishop s Mission Days (annually): Cathedral gatherings for prayer and worship, training, encouragement and celebration around the key themes of Committed to Growth and the Mission Strategy. We will allocate 5k pa to this ( 25k over five years). 35
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As a Diocese we will: Imagine For mortals it is impossible, but for God all things are possible. Matthew 19.26 The aim of this key stream is to build on the success of fresh expressions of church, and to develop some new areas of work in response to the changing needs of society. We can no longer simply sit and wait for people to come to us, but must find more ways of taking the initiative ourselves, by building the confidence of clergy and laity alike in faith sharing. This will involve further development of first-stage and second-stage pioneering, helping our churches to engage with new people, not least in new housing developments, and learning how to move from engagement to deeper discipleship. Lead: the Bishop of Lynn, assisted by the Bishop s Officer for Women s Ministry, with designated officers: the Diocesan Fresh Expressions Officer and others. The new annual budget for this stream will be 65k pa ( 325 over five years), with a national funding bid of a further 300k pa ( 1.5million over five years). If the national funding bid is successful, we will add a further 50k pa ( 250k over five years) to this stream. A further 100k pa ( 500k over five years) is already allocated from diocesan sources other than the mission fund, and the Church Army. a. Fresh Expressions of Church Recognising that, in many cases, traditional patterns of church life, however well-led, are not succeeding in attracting younger people and families, we need to build on the success of the Fresh Expressions already piloted around the diocese, be more innovative, and continue to learn from the experience of the wider church. However, one of the key challenges in fresh expressions of Church and in traditional churches is how to help people move from engagement to discipleship. We aim to recruit three new Pioneer Mission Enablers. We are already in consultation with Dave Male (the Archbishops Fresh Expressions Officer) about this in relation to a proposal for developing a Regional Pioneer Centre. In particular, the need for second-stage or move-on pioneers is crucial in building on the success of fresh expressions of church. Those who have been socialised into the Christian community do not necessarily become disciples and part of a more committed form of church congregation (of whatever form). 37
How far can a first stage pioneer be trained to become a second stage pioneer? How do we define the goal of mature discipleship and chart the steps to get there? We recognise that we are proving rather better at first stage pioneering than we are at the second and we have quite a lot of examples here where some development work needs to be done. The budget for this would be 150k pa ( 750k over five years) and would form a key part of our national funding bid. Part of the work of the PMEs would be to identify and research pathways to make the journey from attendance at outreach and worship events to committed discipleship PMEs would also help in deepening a pioneering culture in the diocese, and be central to the possibility of forming a Centre of Rural Pioneering Excellence within a proposed Regional Pioneer Training Network Training to be expanded: Starting a Fresh Expression of Church; Taster Days; Introductions to Messy Church, Café Church, and Cell Church (Lay Development and CMD collaboration) Explore creating a Recognised Lay Pioneer initiative (RLP) along the lines of the AWA initiative Develop a process for offering startup and development funds for fresh expressions of church and outreach projects, with the offer of a small start-up team (mission accompaniers) to help build confidence in local volunteers. Members of the start-up teams/mission accompaniers could be drawn in part from those completing the Mission-Shaped Ministry course as well as those experienced in developing fresh expressions of church, and would work with the support of the Pioneer Mission Enablers. The budget for this will 15k pa ( 75k over five years), to include travel expenses for the start-up teams/mission accompaniers. b. Evangelism There is a need to encourage and build the confidence of clergy and laity alike in faith sharing and making disciples. A key part of this will be the establishment of two Church Army Mission Centres, one to be located in Harleston working from a market town in a more rural deanery, and another in King s Lynn focusing on a more fully urban setting. The budget for these two centres will be in the order of 100k pa ( 500k over five years) and will be drawn from trust funds available to the Bishop other than the new mission funding. The centres will: start new work that will model and lead to training in evangelism and faith sharing explore ways of turning initial contact into committed discipleship through fresh and traditional expressions of church 38
focus on new ways of reaching the 20-40 age group and the men often missing from church congregations Alongside this collaboration, we recognise the need for a Step-Change in relation to mission particularly in our key urban centres. Here we find high population density, low numbers of churchgoers and significant deprivation. In our larger, historic towns, such as King s Lynn, Great Yarmouth, Dereham and Thetford, and some of our key market towns, Aylsham, North Walsham and Harleston, we have attracted good, younger clergy, but they are largely occupied in routine pastoral ministry. Whilst there has been some success in Growth in Service, supported now by our collaboration with the Church Urban Fund as part of the Together Network, we need support in developing mission and evangelism to bring about significant change. We need mission on the ground in these urban centres to build relationships, find new ways of connecting with people, and bring to faith those who have drifted from the church or have never really heard the Gospel. We propose two Step-Change Missioners at a cost of 100pa ( 500k over five years) and this would form part of our national funding bid. they are substantial additions to existing parishes that will dramatically alter the context for mission and ministry. We will create a new task group to explore a range of sustainable models for mission and ministry: working with traditional churches; church plants; church schools; pioneer ministers (stipendiary, NSM or Lay). Particular attention needs to be given to succession planning. The budget for this will be 50k pa ( 250k over five years). We have some experience of building community and a worshipping congregation in the Round House Park estate in SW Norwich, through the work of a pioneer curate. In this, the use of social media was particularly fruitful. We need to build our capacity to support clergy and congregations in developing and exploiting social media for mission. This will be allocated 100k pa ( 500k over five years), half forming part of our national funding bid, and the other half coming from our own mission funding. c. New Housing Development Group Like many areas around the country we face the challenge of responding to some significant new housing developments, with figures in the thousands added to some communities. Most are not large enough to become separate parishes but 39
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