There was no coordinated approach to the growth of the church. The people in the church needed to have a focus of who they are as a community and where, how and in what ways they wanted the church to grow and prosper in the community.

Six Groups have formed the building blocks of the Mission statement. All are equally important and together are greater than the sum of their parts. They make up a sound foundation to move St. Faith’s toward the vision of our mission. The more we put into each of these groups the stronger our ability will be to carry out the mission.

• Church Administration (formerly People and Money)

• Education

• Ministry

• Worship

• Outreach (formerly Mission)

• Church and Properties

Over the next few pages I will outline the outcome of each of the groups’ discussions. The format for each Vision group will be:

In a final section I shall then explain how we shall go about:

The parish needs to provide good organisation, clear communication and financial control. This needs to be done through the central Church Office, where the core of this work is done.

In the past year a new computer has been bought for the office and the accounts have been placed on computer, but there is still little storage space for archives. The main area for improvement is the administration and internal communications of the church.

1. Review functionality of Parish Office and its equipment.

2. Provide Management Accounts.

3. The internal communications and administration of the parish need to be improved

• Review the recommendations of the other groups to identify key areas for improvement and development.

4. Create Storage Space and review the suitability of Office location.

5. Make the Parish Handbook a central reference point for all parish activities.

The objective of the education group was to discern the types of Christian education that should be offered by the church to increase faith, understanding and spirituality amongst its members. In addition, it was to look at the various ways in which these groups need to be supported in order to maintain, enhance and/or grow what currently exists.

The church currently offers the following:

• The Sunday Club – children 0 – 12

• Theological Discussion Group

• Seasonal courses – e.g. Lent groups

• Women’s Group – reading and discussing Christian Books

• Confirmation and First Communion Preparation Courses.

1. Baptism Preparation Groups.

2. Support for the Sunday Club

• Split the Sunday Club by age group and develop scope through investigation

• Incorporation of the ‘Godly Play’ initiative.

• Expand the leadership base.

• Refurbishment of the storage room so that the group has proper storage space.

3. House Groups – to encourage people to grow in their faith, knowledge and prayer lives.

4. Marriage Preparation Groups

5. Bishop’s Certificate course

6. Series of sermons on basic doctrine.

To discern how God’s love calls us within the family of St. Faith’s and St. Nicholas’s churches to support and encourage one another in fellowship and spiritual growth. In addition, to support those in the community who come seeking aid in specific areas, especially the occasional offices of baptisms, weddings and funerals.

The church currently supports the church family in many informal ways and has a strong sense of fellowship that needs to be maintained. There is a need for more formal networks of structured support for communication, youth ministry, occasional offices, visiting the sick, bereavement support and social committee.

1. Sick Visiting Support Teams – teams to visit sick people in their homes.

2. Improve and enhance communication channels relating to ministry:

• Use of internal and external notice boards

• Visitor questionnaire to ask newcomers about their reaction to services and support.

• Faith Matters

  • Full review of the raison d'etre of Faith Matters - who is it for, how much should it cost, how sold purpose of advertising?

  • Broaden its appeal by including topical articles on social issues alongside theological, historical and social interest stories.

  • Encourage dialogue amongst the congregation regarding controversial issues.

• Pew Sheets

• Other Communication ideas

3. Housekeeping Committee – for the cleaning and maintenance of St Faith’s church.

4. Social Committee:

• A vital part of the ministry of the church is to encourage fellowship through a variety of social events.

• The Social Committee needs to expand the team.

5. Occasional Offices Support Teams:

• Teams of people to help support new people coming into the church for possibly the first time.

6. Volunteer Training

• Listening Skills Training

• Bereavement Training

• Occasional Offices Training

7. Mother and Toddler Group for Baptised Children

8. Stewardship Committee – annual review of stewardship.

To discern the mission activities that St. Faith’s and St. Nicholas’s Church should perform locally in the community and internationally.

Currently we support financially a large number of charitable and missionary organisations that we have adopted over the years. Most of the time we attempt to relate to friends, neighbours and family in ways that are consistent with Christian values, but little of this is co-ordinated or focussed in a way that can we can all relate too and be enthused by.

1. Youth Work

• There needs to be an increased engagement with the 11+ group in innovative ways that enable their spiritual growth.

• Produce a church guide book for young people.

• Produce a worksheet for the children who visit the church.

• Encourage responsible students to help run the Sunday Club.

• Invite students to become involved as information/media officers for the church.

2. Missionary Groups Support

• Targeted giving should be towards a specific number of organisations to which we have strong links and which can be prayed for and represented in special services.

• Invest time in developing a stronger relationship with the organisations that St. Faiths currently supports.

• Enhance communication regarding the missions St. Faiths supports.

3. Ecumenical Support

• Seek opportunities to work with local Anglicans and Churches Together

• Increase support for the Fairtrade stall.

• Joint worship and outings with other churches.

• Attend Ecumenical services

4. Local Community

• Organise lunch-time events: music concerts, debates etc.

• Inform local ‘partners’ (businesses, traders, government agencies, NGOs etc) of our aims and objectives and be aware of theirs complementarily.

• Bookstall to be manned one day a week on a rota basis.

• Visitors book

To develop the range of worship available and improve the current services that they reflect the twin aims of:

• accessibility for young and old, visitor and long-time member and

• an attempt to draw people into the mystery of God.

In the last two years we have developed our services to reflect the broadening age range of the congregation, introducing new music and styles of worship, while attempting to hold together elements both traditional and contemporary. The style of worship is formal but relaxed, inclusive and open.

1. Improve the use of space in the church in order to:

• invite the congregation more fully into the drama of the liturgy and the worship experience

• improve visibility and flexibility while enhancing the sense of the mystery of God

• provide space for community events

2. Family Services

• continue to develop innovative all-age services prepared by the Stepping Out Committee.

3. Junior Church – develop monthly/quarterly services for older children.

4. Non-Eucharistic Services

• Develop existing non-eucharistic service

• Create new services to broaden the appeal of our worship.

5. Music

• Use combined children’s/adult choir at Festivals

• Set up a music club for young people to learn and participate in music.

6. Language – is it time to switch to using contemporary language for certain services?

To provide a means by which our suite of properties might be used collectively to provide sanctuaries of space, worship centres, comfortable facilities for all our activities, adequate income and housing for church employees, which add to, and encourage, the vision and mission of St. Faith’s and St. Nicholas’s Churches.

A rich part of the resources available to St. Faith’s and St. Nicholas are the extensive suite of properties in our keeping. These properties include: St. Faith’s church, St. Nicholas church, 2 homes at Churchfields, the bungalow in Denvilles, Christ Church Medical Centre, the Church hall, Church House and the Coach House and the North Street properties. These buildings provide sanctuary, income, housing and the space necessary to accommodate our mission.

Over the past few years, extensive work has been done to both churches. The St Faith’s church tower roof was replaced and external stonework restored and the church roof at St. Nicholas was repaired. The North Street properties have been renovated following the expiration of the previous let and Churchfields, especially No.1, have been redeveloped.

We want to boast of a suite of properties that:

• Complement each other in utilisation

• Meet the practical requirements of the Mission Plans from the other groups

• Provide modern facilities for kitchens, toilets and office space

• Are well maintained and in which we can be proud

• Are warm and comfortable to be in

• Complement and enhance the surrounding community, encouraging people to want to be apart of it.

• Have a well-managed inventory of equipment and property.

• Comply with Health and Safety regulations.

• Have Adequate provision for disabled people.

Elements of the Plan:

1. Initial Site/Plot Plan:

• For each of the sites the ownership is to be established so that should a site be sold the distribution of the finance is known.  In addition there should be a surveyed site/plot plan that shows the layout of each site including:

  • boundaries,

  • building dimension access point,

  • location and routing of services such as drainage, electric, water and gas.

• On the basis of these drawings:

  • all proposed work could be developed,

  • boundary ownership confirmed and

  • any legal issues documented in a form for easy reference or action when the need arises.

2. The entire suite of properties will be reviewed

• in order to evaluate the most prudent use of buildings to accommodate the full range of activities and needs of the parish in accordance with:

  • the requirements of the other Vision groups and

  • with reference to suggestions from the local Borough development plan.

It is important that the full range of options for each site is considered in order to ensure

• a functioning, complementary suite of facilities in which to accommodate our mission.

3. Building/Site Assessment:

• For those sites where there is an existing building that is to be used as part of the future plans a building assessment should be carried out which would:

  • assess the condition of the building,

  • check health and safety regulatory compliance and

  • identify specific requirements for the vision proposals to be implemented.

4. Consultation, Funding, Planning and Regulatory Requirements:

• will take place with parishioners, residents, local authorities and other relevant parties.

From the Group Vision I have formulated a phased strategy. The ideas the vision groups have given are prioritised in numerical order. From the six lists I have taken the top priorities and have put them into Phase 1 of the strategy. I have then taken the subsequent priorities and put them into phases 2 and 3 of the strategy. Specific plans will be made and implemented once the strategy for each stage has been approved.

The specific plans and implementation will be made through the relevant committees. I shall invite the following to re-convene their Vision groups to devise their plans, but this time they shall be reporting direct to the P.C.C.:

• Alan Hakim (Church Administration)

• Michael Laird (Education)

• Paul Utting (Ministry)

• Rosemary Thomas (Outreach)

• David Gibbons (Worship)

In order to develop the specific plans for the Church and Properties group I am recommending a change to ways the Building Management and SPAR committees work. In the first place I should like the Buildings Management Committee (BMC), under the chairmanship of Jan Stuart, to own the responsibility for producing and implementing the specific plans.

As this is such a huge task, however, I recommend that the task of formulating those specific plans be deferred to a sub-committee, which shall be called the Strategic Planning (SP) team (or sub-committee). This SP team will then refer the specific plans back to the BMC for implementation (subject of course to P.C.C. approval following full consultation).

Similarly other specialist work will be deferred to another sub-committee, entitled the Faculty Request team. Clearly then these two teams (or sub-committees) replace the existing SPAR committee – redeploying its personnel over these two groups as well as including others into them.

Subject to the P.C.C.’s approval of these proposals I shall write to the Chairmen of the groups with copies of this document and clear terms of reference for the work they need to do to devise their plans. I shall ask them for their first draft of specific plans for Phase 1 by 1st May. I shall also ask that a representative of each group meet regularly (at least once a month) to co-ordinate the development of their plans.

1. Review functionality of Parish Office and its equipment.

2. Produce Management Accounts.

3. The internal communications and administration of the parish need to be improved

• Review the recommendations of the other groups to identify key areas for improvement and development.

1. Baptism Preparation Groups.

2. Support for the Sunday Club

• Split the Sunday Club by age group and develop scope through investigation

• Incorporation of the ‘Godly Play’ initiative.

• Expand the leadership base.

• Refurbishment of the storage room so that the group has proper storage space.

1. Sick Visiting Support Teams – teams to visit sick people in their homes.

2. Improve and enhance communication channels relating to ministry:

• Use of internal and external notice boards

• Visitor questionnaire to ask newcomers about their reaction to services and support.

• Faith Matters

• Full review of the raison d'etre of Faith Matters - who is it for, how much should it cost, how sold, purpose of advertising?

• Broaden its appeal by including topical articles on social issues alongside theological, historical and social interest stories.

• Encourage dialogue amongst the congregation regarding controversial issues.

• Pew Sheets

• Other Communication ideas

1. Youth Work

• There needs to be an increased engagement with the 11+ group in innovative ways that enable their spiritual growth.

• Produce a church guide book for young people.

• Produce a worksheet for the children who visit the church.

• Encourage responsible students to help run the Sunday Club.

• Invite students to become involved as information/media officers for the church.

1. Improve the use of space in the church in order to:

• invite the congregation more fully into the drama of the liturgy and the worship experience

• improve visibility and flexibility while enhancing the sense of the mystery of God

• provide space for community events

2. Family Services

• continue to develop innovative all-age services prepared by the Stepping Out Committee.

1. Initial Site/Plot Plan:

• For each of the sites the ownership is to be established so that should a site be sold the distribution of the finance is known.  In addition there should be a surveyed site/plot plan that shows the layout of each site including:    

  • boundaries,

  • building dimension access point,

  • location and routing of services such as drainage, electric, water and gas.

• On the basis of these drawings:

  • all proposed work could be developed,

  • boundary ownership confirmed and

  • any legal issues documented in a form for easy reference or action when the need arises.

2. The entire suite of properties will be reviewed

• in order to evaluate the most prudent use of buildings to accommodate the full range of activities and needs of the parish in accordance with:

  • the requirements of the other Vision groups and

  • with reference to suggestions from the local Borough development plan.

It is important that the full range of options for each site is considered in order to ensure

• a functioning, complementary suite of facilities in which to accommodate our mission.

4. Create Storage Space and review the suitability of Office location.

5. Make the Parish Handbook a central reference point for all parish activities.

3. House Groups – to encourage people to grow in their faith, knowledge and prayer lives.

4. Marriage Preparation Groups

3. Housekeeping Committee – for the cleaning and maintenance of St Faith’s church.

4. Social Committee:

• A vital part of the ministry of the church is to encourage fellowship through a variety of social events.

• The Social Committee needs to expand the team.

5 Occasional Offices Support Teams:

2. Missionary Groups Support

• Targeted giving should be towards a specific number of organisations to which we have strong links and which can be prayed for and represented in special services.

• Invest time in developing a stronger relationship with the organisations that St. Faiths currently supports.

• Enhance communication regarding the missions St. Faiths supports.

3. Ecumenical Support

• Seek opportunities to work with local Anglicans and Churches Together

• Increase support for the Fairtrade stall.

• Joint worship and outings with other churches.

• Attend Ecumenical services

3. Junior Church – develop monthly/quarterly services for older children.

4. Non-Eucharistic Services

• Develop existing non-eucharistic service

• Create new services to broaden the appeal of our worship.

3. Building/Site Assessment:

• For those sites where there is an existing building that is to be used as part of the future plans a building assessment should be carried out which would:

  • assess the condition of the building,

  • check health and safety regulatory compliance and

  • identify specific requirements for the vision proposals to be implemented.

5. Bishop’s Certificate course

6. Series of sermons on basic doctrine.

6 Volunteer Training

• Listening Skills Training

• Bereavement Training

• Occasional Offices Training

7 Mother and Toddler Group for Baptised Children

8 Stewardship Committee – annual review of stewardship.

From Outreach:

4. Local Community

5. Music

• Use combined children’s/adult choir at Festivals

• Set up a music club for young people to learn and participate in music.

6. Language – is it time to switch to using contemporary language for certain services?

4. Consultation, Funding, Planning and Regulatory Requirements:

• will take place with parishioners, residents, local authorities and other relevant parties.

The six Vision to Mission groups have reported back their progress in Phase I. They have, in some cases, actually completed the function, and in others have set out recommendations for their implementation. (FM = ‘Faith Matters’)