This vision statement builds both on the strengths we identified during the Vision Series, and our areas of weakness, as well as the points that represent the most common desire for change.
How did we get here?
Over 6 weeks in April and May 2022 we met each Sunday as a parish family within our services to listen to each other and to God about where we as a church might be being called.
It was so good to be able to meet together, combining our dreams with worship, and sharing ideas around tables in the hall. We used the Mission Action Plan (MAP) process available within our Diocese, adapted to our context.
The 6 themes we explored were:
Valuing the Past: Imagining the Future — thanksgiving for past highlights, and exploring the broader purpose of why the church exists
Looking at our Community — exploring what Jesus would see and do if he came to Newlands, and seeing whether the make-up of our congregation reflects our local community
God's Resources and Ours — looking at how we are wired with different skills and talents, passions and resources
Growth — reflecting on past patterns of growth and decline and what these might tell us, alongside known symptoms of both declining and healthy churches
God's World — exploring local and global needs and how we might respond
Right Relationships — exploring discipling relationships and feeding back the results of the spiritual health survey we did anonymously in Week 1
Each Sunday included prayer, worship, teaching, discussion, and Eucharist. Each table group was asked to complete one or more posters based on the theme for each Sunday. By doing this journey together, we were able to hear from one another and find common themes, and hopefully through this process hear more clearly what God's priorities for us are.
Our updated vision, values, and strategic roadmap were approved for adoption by Vestry on Tuesday 12 July 2022.
Please continue to pray for boldness for us all to live into the adventure and challenge of being God's people here in this place and time.
Strategic roadmap
The roadmap will be used to guide our decision-making as a parish. It is intended to be responsive to the move of the Spirit and the external circumstances that may affect our community and locality. Our growth is not measured by increase in numbers; rather we aim to slowly deepen our journey as disciples of Jesus and by doing so, growth of those coming to know Jesus and becoming part of our church community will be a natural outcome.