Hello!

I (James Badger – PCC Chair) gave this notice after Church on Sunday 26th November. It would be great to hear from you if you have any questions, thoughts, or comments! My email is at the foot of the notice.

This is an information notice, and a request for interest in getting involved in guiding All Saints through a period of transition. More details on how to get involved are at the end of my notice.

As some of you will be aware already, the diocese is currently going through a period of change called ‘Shaped by God together.’ This is a 20ish year old process of working out where/how God is moving in the world to make sure that our structures, governance, and resourcing frameworks match up to the society we are trying to serve and do mission with.

Just before the pandemic, the diocese realised it was in financial difficulties, adding a kick to draw the current phase of Shaped by God Together to a conclusion.

That conclusion was a new clergy funding framework, which after 2 years of discussion, was agreed by Diocesan Synod in November 2021 as the ‘Minster Community framework.’

Since then, areas within the diocese have been going through a localised process to find out what it looks like to move into and live within a minster community.

Since October, we, alongside churches within the North West area of the diocese, have been journeying through the process.

But what is a Minster Community?

A Minster Community means a community of parishes who work together in mission and work closely with their church schools, fresh expressions of church, and chaplaincies.

The intention is to strengthen local churches so they an better serve their own communities, the aim is to lift some of the administrative burden and to fully integrate the work of churches, schools, and households in growing faith.

What that actually looks like for us is as yet unknown –I’m viewing this as exciting rather than daunting because it means we will create the minster community, we will actively participate in and help draw up our future rather than it being mandated to us.

The PCC will be the main decision-making body for the Minster Community process, and we’ve already spent some time talking it all through. However, we are keen to engage and involve the congregation wherever possible.

To help with this, I’m pulling together a steering group of PCC and non-PCC members to discuss and help move the process along within All Saints – if you’d like to be involved in this or have any questions, please do grab me after church or email me at [email protected]

Thank you.