Time to Talk

If you live or work in the Diocese of Chelmsford (and that is a pretty large area) you need to have a look at this website

Transforming Presence | Strategic Priorities for the Diocese of Chelmsford

And I mean have a serious look at it. This is what Bishop Stephen is all about at the moment, the discernment process has already started for what the Diocese might be doing by 2027.

Bishop Stephen has written this paper to inspire and begin to instruct the people in his diocese about how we begin to grow, rather than "managing our decline as gracefully as possible".

On Saturday, nearly 1000 people got together from across the diocese to answer a few questions about our experiences of church, past, present and future, and how we can change the face of the church.

The logistics of the day were the first impressive thing - what a way to start, I found my table and a seat straight away! Very impressed with the way the day was run, we started and finished on time, a few disappointing things though - there was no wifi to tell the outside world, I didn't have a hot drink as a tea and coffee abstainer and we always could've done with more time. However, I made new friends, I connected people so that they could be helped, and I got to reconnect with some I hadn't seen for a while.

The next step is wondering how this will filter down to church levels. Yes, we have a website, we have a diocese newspaper, we have vicars and youth workers, church wardens and readers, but all of these people and all of the congregation are busy with the things that we already do. What questions will the PCC's and DCC's have to ask to re-imagine church? What does it mean for the churches that didn't have a vicar or a representative at the meeting last weekend? And how do we recognize the works that are already changing the church?

The questions could keep on going - there are hundreds, to do with young people, schools, ecumenical views, at deanery level, and communities. There are definitely more questions than answers at the moment, but I hope you'll pray with me as the Bishop begins to meet with those who are boiling down what was said on Saturday, that the main themes will come through and the plan will come easily to everyone involved.