Our diocesan vision is to grow as Kingdom People, sharing the good news of Jesus’ love in Worcestershire and Dudley through churches that are growing in health and sustainability.
Priorities 2023 – 2030
Over the next few years, we aim to:
- Double the number of children and young people worshipping in our churches.
- Create 100 new worshipping communities offering a range of ways for people to come to faith and worship God. (eg Forest Church / Café Church / Walking Church).
- Invest in the renewal of around a dozen churches to ensure that each major area of population has at least one church with 150 people attending weekly, enabling them to support other local churches.
- Underpin these by investing in our clergy and lay leaders, providing training and development opportunities to enable them to grow and feel supported and equipped for mission.
Download a pdf summary of our priorites along with the different ways your parish can get involved.
Download a pdf of our full diocesan transformation strategy
One size doesn’t fit all - we want to strengthen local churches and encourage and resource them to explore what it might mean to grow in health and sustainability in their context as they worship God, make disciples, share hope, and transform communities.
Praying for Growth
We have launched a dedicated period of prayer for our growth both spiritually and numerically over the coming years. Find out more, including prayers and resources on this page.
Help and support available
As we continue to grow as Kingdom People, there are a number of ways in which your parish can get involved in the journey and access help and support.
Every church is different we want to encourage and resource you in your own context, strengthening local churches as you worship God, make disciples, share hope, and transform communities.
Here are some of the options available to all churches:
Mission Accompaniers
Already 50 churches are working with a mission accompanier, and the feedback is really positive. A Mission Accompanier will walk alongside the incumbent and a small group of people from your parish, helping to establish priorities and develop plans that work where you are. Find out more.
Healthier Churches Fund
There are grants available to help you. Once you’ve drawn up a health and sustainability plan and have an idea of what will help, there is the prospect of a grant. Any parish is able to apply for up to £10,000. Find out more.
Kingdom People Fund
Smaller grants of £1000 can be made available very quickly. Recent applications have asked for improved signage to welcome people into church, to start offering hospitality after-school to parents gathering at the school gate and technical equipment to help with a new toddler music group. Find out more.
New Worshipping Communities
There is training, advice and support available to help you set up and run opportunities for your community to worship God in different ways – and also the opportunity to apply for additional funds to help meet set up costs. Find out more on NWCs.
Ministry with children, young people and families
If you’ve already got a few children / young people, are passionate to see that number grow then why not have a conversation with Simon Hill about how we can support you. Find out more.
Training, Support and Coaching
Equipping all our ministers for mission, whether lay or ordained, is of vital importance for us to grow as a healthy and sustainable church. Coaching is used in a whole variety of fields to enable people to grow and develop. Talk to us about the difference this could make and find other training opportunities.
And depending on your context there are other areas of support available:
- Our Lowest Income Communities have even more funding available to them thanks to grant funding from the national church.
- Our smallest churches are supported by the Dean of Smaller Churches with practical suggestions to make life easier, including the Church Buildings Management Partnership.
- Our Resourcing Churches are steadily building the capacity to resource! If you think they could help you (e.g. with new forms of worship), contact All Saints, Worcester or Top Church, Dudley.
- In rural areas, we’re looking to support churches through establishing mission areas, and by developing a centre of excellence.
How is this support possible?
All of the above support is possible thanks to external funding and income from our investments. It does not impact on Ministry Share which continues to pay for ministry received by your parish. We understand that existing clergy and lay leaders don’t have the capacity to take on additional work, so some new roles will be advertised to support the transformation programme. Well over 90% of these will be parish based, although four new half-time roles will be created to add to the diocesan team (two of which will also be based in parishes).
Read more about the funding for our priorities