Strategic Aim

1
Strategic Aim

• To build local communities of wholeness with
  Christ at the centre

2
Introduction

• Wanting every parish and partnership to have a
  plan for growth which picks up on all four of the
  various components of the plan and aligns with
  the overall strategic aim

3
Four key components

• Growth in Influence
• Growing Together
• Growth in Commitment
• Growth in Numbers
• Then the church throughout Judea. Galilee and
  Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was
  strengthened and encouraged by the Holy Spirit.
  It grew in numbers, living in the fear of the
  Lord. Acts 931

4
Growth in Influence

• Re-discovering the Churchs prophetic ministry.
  Challenging the unjust structures of society
• Being key players in public debate.
  e.g.Education, Environment, Social Justice,
  International aid and development etc
• Developing a coherent strategy for communication
• Taking advantage of new technology
• Optimising our links with key agencies and our
  links with overseas Church

5
Growing Together

• Make every effort to keep the unity of the
  Spirit through the bond of peace. Ephesians 43
• Showing, love of another kind. Pastoring to the
  best of our ability
• Growing in inter-dependence
• Developing our strategic alliances with our
  partners in mission.
• Working for inclusion
• Challenging prejudice

6
Growing in Commitment- loving God and our
neighbours more

• Recalling that it is God who gives the growth, to
  encourage every believer to grow in their
  relationship with Him
• Helping every believer to discover their gifts
• Releasing generosity amongst all Gods people
• Delivering high quality learning to achieve our
  aims
• Encouraging growth as the normal condition for
  every believer

7
Growth in Numbers

• Making sure that every parish/benefice has a plan
  for growth
• Encouraging experiences of belonging
• Best use of process evangelism courses
• Understanding our mutual calling as witnesses
• Thinking about our worship in terms of
  accessibility
• Being sensitive to both context and culture eg
  New Expressions and Church transplants

8
And so to us ...

• Where do we begin in developing a plan for growth
  which addresses all four components of the
  Diocesan Growth Strategy?

9
Assumptions of the parochial inheritance

• Most people in a parish are Christians -
  Christendom
• One priest per parish (2/3 curates) and less
  than 500 parishioners one-to-one relationships
  with clergy
• Mainly a pastoral ministry liturgical
  leading,caring and preventing people ceasing to
  attend (and preventing dissent)
• Parishes were real social entities static
  population, sociologically diverse pauper to
  the squire

10
Parishes Today

• Parish Population Cotham9400, St Paul's2200,
  St Matthews7500. Total19,000
• Over 60 of our congregations live outside the
  parishes
• Our area has a high proportion of young adults
  (20s/30s) with housing which is dominated by
  flats with high occupier turnaround (typically 18
  months-3 years)

11
Population by age in our area
Cotham Cabot Bristol
Eng/Wales Under 20 10.6 8.1
19.1 20.2 16-19 4.1 8.3
5.4 4.9 20-29 42.5 43.9
17.6 12.6 30-59 34.2 30.1
38.9 41.5 60-74 5.2 6.1 11.4 13.3 over
75 3.4 3.4 7.6 7.6 Avg
(32.0) (31.7) (37.2) (38.6)
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Other Significant Statistical Features
Cotham Cabot Bristol EW (percent) Religio
nChr. 49.5 47.4 62.1 71.8 ReligionNone 37.
4 35.4 24.5 14.8 Religion Not
Stated 8.2 10.2 9.3 7.7 Religion (All
others) 4.9 7.0 4.2 5.8 Graduates 52.5 39
.4 24.5 19.8 Owner-Occ 48.3 33.2
63.0 68.9 Priv-Rented 45.6 42.7 16.0 11.9
13
Our parish population summary

• Although our areas are diverse, if there can be a
  'typical' parishioner, they are
• Young adults
• Graduate Professionals or Students
• Non-religious
• New to the area, and likely to move
• (This stereotype is less applicable as one moves
  towards Dove Street and Gloucester Road)

14
What do we learn from our area?

• Our congregations don't reflect the nature of our
  parishes should they do so more? Or doesn't it
  matter?
• We are eclectic, rather than 'parish' churches
  what gives each of our churches their sense of
  identity?
• We serve an area which is more 'post-Christendom'
  than Britain and Bristol generally are we
  operating post-Christendom models of
  church,ministry and mission?
• Young adults predominate in our area. So why
  don't they predominate in our congregations?

15
A question of church identity

• What makes each church 'who we are'?
• History
• Churchmanship and Traditions
• People who belong Laypeople and clergy
• Voices who speak who speak 'for' us
• BUT...
• What about our mission? Does that shape our
  identity?

16
A mission mindset

• We share in Gods mission as the Church
• Congregations meeting in particular buildings at
  particular times are an agency (but there are
  other agencies which may be more relevant today)
• Mission and Ministry are inextricably related
• The Logical Order is Gods Mission, Church,
  Ministry, Agency