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Mission Area News
At the final Dee Valley Deanery Conference on 4th May 2016, the Deanery split into two Mission Areas:
The 8 churches Chirk, Froncysllte, Penycae, Rhos, Johnstown, Rhosymedre, Ruabon, Pen y Lan to be the Offa Mission Area.
The 10 churches Bangor, Marchwiel, Worthenbury, Eyton, Overton, Erbistock, Hanmer, Bettisfield, Bronington, Penley to be the Maelor Mission Area.
Living Church Project
14/05/2018 - Click here for notes from first project meeting
The Bishops Eight Priorities are:
1. Growing our Church and New Initiatives: our first Priority
Our chief priority is to grow the Church spiritually and numerically in a rich tapestry, embracing new and old, contemporary and traditional ways of doings things in our mission areas. We need bold initiatives to support new forms of Anglican communities and fresh engagement, which means that we need to identify sustainable and transformational initiatives. We need to be risk-takers, brave and discerning, calling people to be disciples of Jesus. We recognise as a diocese the differences between urban and rural contexts. We need to pray intentionally for spiritual growth and develop nurture groups in every mission area.
Goal: To grow our regular membership as a diocese by 10% numerically in 2018, and to grow spiritually.
Objectives:
• By the end of 2018, we shall have conducted a research project on our statistics, and the lessons to be learned from them. (The Archdeacons)
• By the end of 2018, we shall be able to identify the factors that demonstrate engagement with issues of spiritual growth. (Spirituality Group)
• By the end of June 2018, we shall have identified five ways of encouraging prayer for spiritual growth across the diocese. (Spirituality Group)
• By the end of February 2018, we shall produce a list of “easy wins”, to be encouraged in each mission area. (John Lomas, Resource Church, LYCIG)
• By the end of 2018, each mission area will be able to evidence regular engagement with those outside the Church, in excess of 100% of their own congregational membership. (Mission Area Conferences)
2. Stipendiary Lay Ministry
Discernment and relevant training of diverse ministries*, will add new dimensions to ministry by orienting the Church to reach those outside its walls with the good news of the Gospel.
Objectives: During 2018, to continue to use the transparent discernment structure for Lay Ministries in the diocese.
From 2018, to train lay ministers, and identify paid posts to which they can be recruited.
Measure: Director of Ministry to provide annual figures in September of how many Lay Ministers
a) Have been discerned
b) Are progressing through training
c) Have been deployed into a paid post
*Pioneer Ministers, Evangelists, Youth & Children’s Ministers, Pastoral Chaplains etc.
3. Schools’ work
The diocese is proud of the work done in our fifty-one Church schools and in all other schools across the diocese. However, there is always potential to:
• grow stronger relationships between Mission Area Churches and schools
• develop opportunities which enable children and their parents to explore and encounter expressions of faith and deepen their own spirituality within our Mission Area schools
Objective: Over the next year we will support Mission Area Conferences [in collaboration with local schools, ecumenical partners and others engaged locally with ministry to schools] to identify and appoint a Mission Area Schools’ Advocate.
During the second year, supported by the Diocesan Schools’ Officer, the M. A. Schools’ Advocate will work with the MAC and other stakeholders [Open The Book, Foundation Governors, Heads etc. etc] to audit
• relationships between Churches and schools within the Mission Area and
• how matters of faith and spirituality are expressed and explored at present
• identify particular Mission Area needs to help grow and develop these relationships and further enrich and deepen spirituality
Measure:
Year 1 – Has a Schools’ Advocate been established in each Mission Area?
Year 2 – Has the Schools’ Advocate [in collaboration with other stakeholders] managed a M.A audit of engagement with schools / opportunities for children and their parents to encounter expressions of faith and deepen spirituality?
Year 2/3 – Have specific areas for further growth and / or development within the M.A. been identified and, in consultation with the diocesan Schools Officer, the necessary resources for growth and development been identified?
4. Work with Young People
The excellent work already being done by our Nurturing Steering Group, Department of Lifelong learning and Board of Statutory Education has been augmented and enhanced by the Mark Yaconelli initiatives. These initiatives, ensuring that young people have a place and contribution to make as disciples of Jesus Christ in the Teulu Asaph and in shaping our common life must receive funding commensurate to the potential. The need is to work with our existing young people as a core through which to reach out to young people in the community. We need to assess who have we got, and how are they the foundation of where next?
Objective: We request that the DBF and diocesan officers explore, over the next 12 months, a way of resourcing 3 archdeaconry workers for the 11-18 age group to develop work with our existing young people as a springboard for communicating lively Christian faith to their age group.
Measure: If we get the workers….
5. Engaging with Communities
The Church means very little to those outside the institution unless they can see that the life of faith makes a real difference to real life issues. As Christians, we are called to join with God in bringing healing and justice to the world. The Engaging Steering Group has identified very real needs within all of our communities. - As Jesus proclaimed release for the captive, and healing for the sick, we need actively to engage with our communities and the wider world as part of our proclamation of new life in Christ.
Objective: Three diverse Mission Areas to be represented on the Engaging Steering Group and to report to Standing Committee their experiences of engaging with communities and their recommendations to the wider diocese.
Measure: Engaging Steering Group to report back to Standing Committee on the work of the three Mission Areas, sharing their findings for others to learn from. This report should be updated every year.
6. Stipendiary Ordained Ministry
Priests have a distinctive role within the life of the diocese which needs to be balanced alongside other emerging forms of ministry. This calls for investment in vocations, formation, continued personal and professional development and leadership.
Objective: In 2018, BSM to review clergy number projections.
Measure: By Autumn 2018, BSM to produce projections of when the ministry budget can be apportioned to both Lay Ministry and Ordained Ministry.
7. Non-stipendiary Licensed, Commissioned and PTO Ministries
To equip the people of God called to share in the leadership of the Church by offering their God given gifts. Appropriate ways of discernment, affirmation, and authorisation have been developed and are being used.
Objective: In collaboration with Mission Area Conference, to identify resource needs, allowing mutual accountability and recognising the value of such ministries.
Measure: By the end of 2018, each Mission Area Conference will have considered the level of need, using tools provided by DSG. Each Mission Area Conference to seek the views of Licensed, Commissioned and PTO Ministers on the use of their ministry in the MA. This work to be undertaken annually.
8. Support and Administration
Responding to the needs of Mission Areas as they embrace 2020 Vision the Diocesan Officers and Administration Team offer specialist, practical, administrative and spiritual support to enable people, churches and mission areas to flourish. This team plays a significant role in equipping the people of God.
Objectives:
• To ensure that people, churches and Mission Areas have knowledge of and access to this support.
• To ensure that the work of the Officers and Administration Team is enabling the growth of mission and ministry in each Mission Area and that this is in line with 2020 Vision.
• This will include excellent communication between Diocesan Office and Mission Areas, through means such as;
1. The Diocesan Website and Social Media, including a Who’s Who Page an FAQ Page and a streamlined Diocesan Toolkit.
2. Diocesan Publications such as the Teulu Asaph, Training Prospectus and StAR.
3. Diocesan Conference and other essential Diocesan meetings, events and training.