Vision and Strategy

In June 2023, Bishop Mark, presented the outcomes from a diocesan-wide 9-month consultation process to discern our collective vision for the diocese. Through this process we discerned seven key things that “we are hearing” as well as the four specific priorities that God is calling us to focus upon.

What are we hearing?

1.      That we believe in the Gospel

2.      That we believe in the local and seek transformation

3.      That we care about the environment locally and globally

4.      That we want to engage young people and the 'disconnected'

5.      That we want to do bigger/better/bolder things together... simply

6.      That the 1.5m people in our diocese matter

7.      That we need to plant new communities of faith

What is God calling us to do?

• Growing, braver, fuller faith

• Blessing 1.5m lives, one life at a time

• Transformative loving service (in practice)

• Engaged locally, working together in loving generosity.

Our overall vision was summarised in the strapline

Together in Christ, Sharing Hope

The primary challenge for any action we undertake was identified as:

How will this bless the 1.5 million people in our diocese who have had no opportunity to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Diocesan Synod unanimously endorsed this vision. These fundamental priorities and the strapline have underpinned the work of the Strategic Programme Team and the four Strategy Working Groups as we have discerned and developed a Strategy to make this a reality. We have concluded, that to reach the vision for the future that everything we do should ultimately be founded upon:

• Growing Disciples

• Growing Leaders

• Growing Communities

• Growing Connections