Where we go from here

Recently a group of us visited our link diocese of Växjö in Sweden. It was difficult not to be envious of their resources. Each parish has at least one parish priest, a full-time church musician and a full-time verger, all paid for out of a church membership fee, perhaps as much as 2.4% of a person’s income, collected by the state on behalf of the 85% of the population who sign up for the Church of Sweden.  But they are interested in learning from us – particularly from what they call the voluntary principle – for they can sense which way the wind is blowing, even in Sweden. So, instead of feeling envious, let us, under God, be glad and rejoice in the fact that there is so much ministry in our Church, by lay people and clergy, on a voluntary basis and the Church is financed on the same voluntary principle. Shaping the Future Together, which sets out the five strategic directions for our diocese, builds on the fact that the Church of England is a highly significant voluntary movement responding in creative ways to the challenge of our time.  The document is not a blueprint from on high: rather, we are asking lay people and clergy in each locality, parish, benefice, cluster of parishes and deanery, to think through what it might be possible to do together. For most people in our society today Christianity has become a foreign language and church life strange, if not alien. So we struggle to find the right way to ‘proclaim Christ afresh’ and to create forms of Christian community in which those now outside the Church can find themselves at home and feel themselves to be spiritually nourished. All this requires serious thought, prayer and commitment. In the months and years ahead I hope it will be possible to share some of the fruits of this, thereby giving one another a mutual inspiration and encouragement.

Rt Revd Richard Harries, Bishop of Oxford

THE DOOR asked two area deans for their view on how the strategy was working on the ground:

Revd Chris Bull, Wycombe : The Strategy Document is a real encouragement to parishes and the Deanery to get moving forward in mission - and once moving it becomes possible for us to change direction. The challenges given us in the five Strategic Directions require us to work on some specific proposals and goals against those elements as individual local churches, as groups of churches in the Deanery and in the Deanery as a whole. In a complex and diverse Deanery facing many difficulties there is a lot of enthusiasm as we face up to these challenges together.

Revd Catherine Dyer, Mursley: This is a largely rural deanery. We are all very positive about the changes we are being called on to make. Even issues like cutting back on clergy numbers are being looked at in a positive way as an opportunity for developing lay ministry. There are lots of exciting things going on here - for example, we have a very cutting edge youth worker who works with the unchurched in schools. We are also developing a sense that we are not here just to sing hymns on Sunday, but to have a mission to the local community. Generally, I would say we are in good heart - we are willing to have a go and try new things.