St Mary's Church, Dymock

In 2016, the Diocese of Gloucester introduced a 5-year Vision called LIFE - the letters standing for Leadership, Imagination, Faith and Engagement (explained in the five sections below), with each parish asked to structure their worship and life around those titles. There have been many success stories over those five years, with new initiatives being started in many parishes resulting in new worshipping communities and outreach schemes, such as the Sportily initiative - ie: outreach to young people through sports events.

Bishop Rachel launched a new 5 year Vision in 2022 extending the 'LIFE' concept into 'LIFE TOGETHER' with additional commitments, all grounded in the desire for 'God's kingdom to come on earth as in heaven'.

New commitments and focus from 2022 are:

• Being advocates for flourishing through initiatives which combat injustice, environmental destruction, exclusion and isolation.


• Encouraging new and courageous ways of worshipping in different places which connect with more people.


• Nurturing everyday disciples.


• Investing in people and programmes which excite young people to explore and grow in faith.


• Developing diverse lay and ordained leaders.

The Vision is intended to help every church grow the faith, its members and its engagement with the wider world through imaginative programmes, so it has a tag line taken from St John's Gospel, chapter 10 verse 10:

Leadership
Committed to transformation

• Developing diverse and lay leaders from the communities we serve


• Piloting liberating models of leadership and ministry, especially in multi-parish benefices


• Creating learning networks for lay and ordained leaders

Imagination
Opening new paths to faith

• Investing in our engagement with baptism families to spark an amazing adventure with Jesus Christ


• Placing schools at the heart of our mission with creative connections between churches and schools


• Encouraging new and courageous ways of worshipping in different places, which connect with more people


• Approaching the use, upkeep and future of our church buildings in bold and creative ways

Faith
Living as adventurous followers of Christ

• Enabling people to discover new depths to prayer and spiritual growth, individually and together


• Nurturing confident disciples to live out their faith seven days a week


• Sharing our stories in new and differing ways, including through digital media

Engagement
Living out Christ's love and hope

• Being advocates for human flourishing, through initiatives which combat injustice, environmental destruction, exclusion and isolation


• Using sport, music, and art to build and share the Christian faith


• Connecting with new housing developments in innovative ways


• Investing in people and programmes, which excite young people to explore and grow in faith
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