11 December 2013
Strategic Priorities for The Five Alive Parish for 2013 – 16
As Approved by the PCC
1.
Introduction
1.1 It is emphasised that there is already a huge amount of energy and use of gifts of
individuals in the Parish being employed to keep the parish in operation. Thanks to
all those who give their time to build and sustain the Kingdom in Five Alive. In
response our first aim is to offer spiritual development and refreshment as we start
our Christian year our Advent Course is ‘Expecting Christ ‘: published by York
Courses comprising four sessions led by the Rector.
1.2
2.
We are also deeply conscious that we can only benefit by including all three groups
of churches in the Northern part of the Deanery in our strategy. These groups being
the benefices of Bowland, Flyfords Family and Five Alive. The strategy is also set in
the context of the Diocesan strategy and vision of ‘the Kingdom People’.
Advent – A Time for our spiritual development and refreshment
This is Diocesan priority one: Deeply rooted in prayer and study of the scriptures. This will
be the foundation of all that we do in the context of our strategy.
2.1
The content of the Advent course is summarised as follows : “The writer, Graham
Greene, famously said that there is always one moment in childhood where a door
opens and lets the future in. In this course we look at several moments in our faith
and lives where a door opens and lets Christ in, catching the sense of expectancy
which not only comes at the season of Advent, but throughout the year. In particular,
we will be thinking about how Christ can surprise us and meet us in four distinct
contexts: in family, in ourselves, in prayer and in the end.”
2.2
The course will be run over four sessions and will be held at Holland House during
Advent. Session one, Expecting Christ in family, Session two, Expecting Christ in
me, Session three Expecting Christ in prayer , Session four, Expecting Christ in the
end.
2.3
This is a beginning of our journey to grow together and encourage each other to
meet and share our faith on a regular basis in small groups throughout the year.
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3.
The Parish Strategy
3.1 Our strategy is set out in the context of the Diocesan vision, which all parishes
across the Diocese were involved in planning, moving towards 2020 and it is called
(More details are on the
Diocesan website :
http://www.cofe-worcester.
org/news/news_php?i393)
3.2
The eight priorities for this vision for our Diocese are :
3.2.1 Deeply rooted in prayer and study of the scriptures
3.2.2 Renewed and transformed by regular worship
3.2.3 Equipped to witness to Christ in our everyday life
3.2.4 Dedicated to helping children, young people and young adults to belong and be
nurtured in faith
3.2.5 Devoted to growing deeply as disciples, offering our time, talents and money to God
3.2.6 Resourced and released to minister to others
3.2.7 Ready to engage with and serve our community
3.2.8 Committed to making our buildings fit for purpose as a spiritual and community
resource
3.3
4.
Our strategy is designed to be very focussed and dovetails into the Dioceses’ vision
and resources of building the Kingdom. We will be working collaboratively with the
Northern group of churches in the Deanery over the next three years. Following
Bishop John’s advice (on his opening address http://www.cofe-worcester.
org/news/news_php?i393) we are encouraged to focus on a few key areas and do
them well. To this end, we have identified three priorities enabling the parish
(working with the group of sixteen churches in the Northern part of the Deanery).It is
felt by most that the Parish needs to be clear and understand that the energy levels
of our key members is a resource which needs to be refreshed and nurtured. These
three priorities will enable the Parish to be resourced by recruiting new disciples,
asking all our five villages to support our church buildings and working with the
sixteen churches in our group particularly in priorities one and three.
Priority One (Diocese priority two, four and five) – To be renewed and transformed
by regular worship. To be dedicated to helping children, young people and young
adults to belong and be nurtured in faith. To be devoted to growing deeply as
disciples, offering our time, talents and money to God.
4.1 The Parish needs to continue to enable the journey of young families as it will secure
its future. It will require all teams working together to form a co-ordinated plan to set
a feasible strategy together.
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4.2
5.
A planning day will be in Jan 2014 facilitated by our Diocesan Advisers comprising
the Kingdom People Development Officer, Revd. Christine Worsley, the Department
of Children and Youth & Evangelism group. It will be aimed at helping the Northern
group of churches form a coherent strategy for this priority. We will inviting the
Flyfords Family and the Bowland Benefice to join us.
Priority Two – Enabling our villages to raise the resources to maintain our church
buildings to ensure they are fit for purpose for village use.
This is Diocesan priority Eight - Committed to making our buildings fit for purpose as a
spiritual and community resource.
5.1
There has been considerable work already done on this major project (as published
by the Parish Wardens on page 24/25 of Nov ’13 issue of Five Alive which is
attached as appendix A) in 2013.
5.2
The key element outlined in the paper is :
5.3
“We would like to emphasise that this initiative is a response to the overwhelming
opinions expressed in our market research – that keeping a church building open in
your village is what you want. Without help in the way being proposed, then there is
a real possibility that in 5 years’ time we will face the potential closure of churches.
5.4
At least one person from each village who attended the recent meeting undertook to
discuss these ideas within their village and there will be a further meeting in
November to review progress. There will be another update after that meeting.
5.5
The Parish will continue to facilitate this work towards an informed and committed
relationship with each village concerning the funding of the upkeep of each village
church. The Parish is committed to helping each village to focus on a fundraising
strategy to maintain the church buildings. These small groups will raise and manage
funds for each village church using whatever suits them best which may the
formation of a ‘friends of charity ‘ in each village.
5.6
If any of the villages wish to formalise themselves to give raise and disperse funds
the Parish will support them and form a ‘Friends of’ legal charity structure. This
would result in a constitution comprising trustees (the majority of whom will be those
not connected with the running of the ministry of the parish) in each village who
wanted to be involved. They would responsible for the raising and dispersal of the
funds. It needs to be emphasised that an individual will be able to give to support the
fabric and upkeep of just to their own village church building. Regular meetings are
now taking place with all villages and progress will be reported at each meeting.
5.7
This initiative will be facilitated by an augmented standing committee comprising the
standing committee, a representative from the communications team (who will be
thinking through the communication of the progress to the villages) and a person
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with a legal background to assist with the drafting of constitution. This group will
report direct to the PCC with progress reports. It is hoped that significant progress
will be made by the end of 2014 in the formation of ‘Friends of ‘ groups.
6.
7.
Priority Three – Working closer together with the Northern group of Churches in
the Deanery. (This is Diocesan priority seven) - Ready to engage with and serve our
community.
6.1 The Bowland Benefice is now in an interregnum following the resignation of the
incumbent. The integration of the Northern group will continue to develop following
the formation of a new parish profile to enable the group to advertise and recruit a
new incumbent who will be licenced to serve this group of churches. This will be led
by the Archdeacon and the Rural Dean using the Deanery ‘re-formed’ Pastoral
Committee to manage this process. All benefices will be represented in the formation
of the profile. The composition of the selection panel for the recruitment process of a
new incumbent will be defined and agreed by the Deanery Pastoral Committee.
6.2
It is appreciated that this will involve a further development of the group but a huge
amount of work has already been done and it is not intended to re-invent the wheel.
The basis for development of the group will be the first principle , agreed by all
benefices and proposed by the Bishop two years ago, of working towards forming
two new benefices (from three following the reduction of one stipendiary priest two
years ago under the pastoral re-organisation of the Deanery ).
6.3
How these groups of churches are formed will be discussed at the Deanery Pastoral
Committee. It is envisaged that the Five Alive Parish will not change but will be
joined by a number of other churches to form a new benefice with some additional
churches. It is envisaged that Five Alive will take this re-organisation in its stride for
the benefit of the whole group. It is hoped that significant progress will be made and
a new additional incumbent appointed by the end of 2014 to be licensed across the
group.
Conclusion
7.1 This three year strategy is wedded to the Diocesan strategy of the Kingdom People
and working collaboratively with all sixteen churches across the Northern group of
churches. The three priorities will be enhanced by being deeply rooted in prayer and
study of the scriptures starting in Advent and encouraging us to continue this
throughout the year in small groups.
Rev Clive Fairclough
Chair of the Parochial Church Council of the Five Alive Parish
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