TOWARDS A FLOURISHING & SUSTAINABLE FUTURE D i o c e s e o f C a n t e r b u r y M a r c h 2 0 2 1 Contents Introduction: A word from Bishop Rose.....................................................3 What are the key challenges facing us?...................................................... 5 How was this plan developed?......................................................................5 Our vision............................................................................................................6 Outline strategy.................................................................................................6 Financial strategy............................................................................................ 8 Financial projections for 2022...............................................................12 Blueprint for our strategic themes.............................................................13 24/7 discipleship......................................................................................14 Prioritising children & young people....................................................17 Mutuality & Parish Share........................................................................19 Review central and support services...................................................20 Ministry - lay and ordained....................................................................23 Structures & organisation.......................................................................26 Church revitalising & planting...............................................................27 Church buildings.......................................................................................29 Engaging with disadvantaged communities.......................................31 Social & environmental justice..............................................................33 Deanery plans..................................................................................................35 Introduction...............................................................................................35 Ashford.......................................................................................................36 Canterbury.................................................................................................41 Dover..........................................................................................................50 East Bridge.................................................................................................60 Elham...........................................................................................................66 Maidstone..................................................................................................80 North Downs...........................................................................................103 Ospringe...................................................................................................110 Reculver...................................................................................................120 Romney & Tenterden............................................................................124 Sandwich..................................................................................................139 Sittingbourne..........................................................................................144 Thanet...................................................................................................... 152 Weald....................................................................................................... 159 West Bridge............................................................................................162 What happens next?....................................................................................170 Timeline...........................................................................................................171 Cover image: North Downs, Dimitri B, licensed under Creative Commons (cropped). 2 Introduction: A word from Bishop Rose Changed Lives Changing Lives is what first drew me to Canterbury Diocese. I saw in these words and the strategy underpinning it, not just a tagline, but a commitment and a passion - a passion for allowing ourselves to be transformed by God's loving grace so that we might, in turn, transform our world for his glory. The past 12 months have been challenging, to say the least – for our Church, for our nation and for our world. The Coronavirus pandemic has turned the spotlight on our priorities and insecurities, challenging our desire to find a way back to ‘normal’ to ‘the way things used to be’, to ‘the way we’ve always done it’. But we can’t go backwards – and we mustn’t. Instead, God is calling us to a better way, a better future. In the midst of all the harsh realities of Covid-19, this is a 'Kairos moment', an amazing opportunity for us as God’s Church to listen to God, and to one another, more clearly. This is an opportunity for us to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit into a place of renewal and growth. Already, many of us have gained new skills, discovering the ways in which technology can enable us to engage with many who might otherwise never have entered our buildings. Let us grab this moment, let us commit to continue to grow and learn and be shaped into the diocesan family that God is calling us to be. Let our lives continue to be changed, so that we can bring God’s transformation to the lives of others across our county. And let us be clear that a flourishing and sustainable future for our Church means growth - growth in discipleship, growth in confidence and growth in numbers. Over the coming pages, you will see that this process has not been ‘top down’. We began with an intentional period of listening throughout the autumn of 2020 (you can explore what emerged from that process here). Then, throughout this winter we have worked with our deaneries, parishes and diocesan team to draw up plans for this next stage of our life together. You will be able to read the detail of those plans in this document, and as I have been reflecting on them, I see some exciting themes emerging. I see the passion that our people have for evangelism and discipleship, for breaking down the boundaries between lay and ordained, for equipping all God’s people to step into their vocation. I see the desire for us to engage more openly and intentionally with this amazing generation of children and young people, to find new and better ways to reflect the generosity of God in our own living and serving and giving. I see our longing to change not only lives but our world as we strive for justice and peace and as we seek to care for this amazing world that we have been given. I also see the sacrificial willingness to ask 3 and answer the hard questions that are facing us – and it is perhaps this courage that I am most thankful for. I am so grateful to all those who have worked so hard to grapple with these challenging and difficult issues - especially to our amazing area deans and lay chairs - and to those who have engaged in our discussions so openly at parish and diocesan levels. This document signals a beginning, not a destination. Together we are embarking on a journey to create the kind of culture that will enable us to build a flourishing and sustainable future for our Church. We will be driven by our commitment to seeking God in prayer and scripture. Our journey will be marked by our openness to one another and to the Spirit and by our trust in the God who is bigger than pandemics, who is stronger than financial constraints - and who has plans for us that are greater than we could possibly imagine or hope for. Thank you to each and every one of you - it is a privilege and a joy to be embarking on this adventure in such extraordinary and wonderful company! With blessings, The Rt Revd Rose Hudson-Wilkin Bishop of Dover 4 What are the key challenges facing us? Despite our best efforts, attendance at our churches for worship has continued to steadily decline – down 15% over the past 10 years, with a sharper decline among children and young people. On current trends, our congregations are both getting smaller and growing older. Strongly linked to this decline in attendance is the challenging financial position facing us all as diocese but which is felt most keenly at a local level. We have fewer givers in our churches, with less money to give. Many of our parishes find it difficult to pay the full amount that is being requested from them in Parish Share, alongside seeking to maintain their buildings, meet other financial commitments and engage in local mission. In essence, the plan outlined in this document seeks to address how we can turn this situation around by addressing the challenges that face us, seeking to grow in numbers and in faith, building a flourishing sustainable future for our whole diocesan family. How was this plan developed? In late 2019, we identified the need to further develop our Changed Lives Changing Lives strategy. We began 2020, asking our Archbishop’s Council, area deans, lay chairs and Diocesan Synod to imagine what a thriving church would look like in 5 to 10 years' time. We sent one another 'postcards from a flourishing future' and a number of key themes emerged. Over that summer there were wide-ranging discussions about what the future of our mission, ministry and buildings might look like and throughout autumn 2020 we invited everyone across our diocese to take part