GROWING THE BODY OF CHRIST A Strategy for Growth for the Diocese of Sheffield 2011-2021 THE DIOCESE OF SHEFFIELD The Diocese of Sheffield is called to grow a sustainable network Contents of Christ-like, lively and diverse Christian communities in every Can the Church Grow? place which are effective in making 3 God grows the Church disciples and in seeking to transform 4 our society and God’s world. Growing the Body 6 7 What kind of growth are we looking for? Making Disciples 9 10 Making Disciples - an annual cycle This short booklet sets out our plans for growth in the Planting new Congregations Diocese of Sheffield for the next ten years. By God’s 12 grace we want to see many people become Christians What Next? and we want to see the whole church grow. 14 Help for the Journey Please read it carefully, discuss it with others in your 16 church and take some action together. You can find the full document on the Diocesan website. www.sheffield.anglican.org Bishop Steven Can the Church Grow? Many of us find it difficult to imagine that the Church can grow. For much of the last century the Church of England was in decline. The world was changing rapidly. But it is very important to remember: The Big Picture • Over two thousand years the story of the Christian church has been one of growth • Across the world, the Christian church is growing steadily In England • Decline has slowed down and levelled off over the last 10 years. • Midweek church attendance has grown rapidly • Many new congregations have grown in all kinds of churches • We have learned important lessons about making disciples • There are growing churches of all traditions Over the three years 2008-2010, all age weekly attendance across the Diocese of Sheffield grew by 1.5% By promoting Church Family, welcoming and inspiring children, and being active in partnership with the local schools and community All Saints’ Woodlands has grown from 60 adults to 130 adults and children over 6 years. 3 God grows the Church The Bible talks in many places about God growing the • The Church bears fruit in a great harvest of people Church through the beautiful pictures of farming or who become disciples of Jesus (see the fields white gardening. for harvest in Matthew 9.37 and the miraculous catches of fish in Luke 5 and John 21) There are different kinds One of the biggest mistakes we can make is to talk as though these kinds of fruit were alternatives. We are to of growth seek all three kinds of growth in a Christ-like Church. Many different things grow in the garden or on the farm. In the same way, God grows different kinds of Can you see these different kinds of fruit in the five fruit in the life of the church. marks of mission of the Anglican communion and in the different parts of our own diocesan vision statement? • The Church bears fruit in showing kindness and care for our wider society and in seeking justice. The Five Marks of Mission This is the fruit of social righteousness (see the • To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom parable of the vineyard in Isaiah 5) • To teach, baptise and nurture new believers • The Church bears fruit in the changed lives of its members who become more loving, gentle and • To respond to human need by loving service Christ-like (see the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians • To seek to transform unjust structures of society 5.22) • To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth. Doncaster Minster has grown as they have developed the way they welcome people. Including the small yet important aspects of making the place warmer and serving 4 refreshments after services. During a long interregnum Christ Church Ardsley grew slightly thanks to the hard work of all the fellowship. Since the new appointment this has been built upon with growth from Baptism and Wedding enquiries. This is put down to the warm and heartfelt welcome, the sense of the presence of God in the building and regular prayer and bible study. An Alpha course is planned. Growth is seasonal Growth is different in In John 15, Jesus uses the picture of the vine. The different soil Church bears fruit as we stay rooted in Christ himself Jesus tells a parable about seed growing differently in in prayer and worship. That fruit is likely to be different soil. Across the Diocese of Sheffield there are seasonal, just as in a real garden. many different kinds of soil. We need to find ways of thinking about God growing We should expect different kinds of growth at different the church which are natural and normal, not rates in different places. occasional extras and which fit into the seasons of the year. Why does this happen? Sometimes we can see the reasons. A young, rapidly changing population full I am the true vine and my Father of people making major life decisions may be more is the vinedresser. Every branch fruitful soil than an older, stable population which is which does not bear fruit he takes declining in numbers. Sometimes the factors which away and every branch which affect the soil may be spiritual and not open to ready bear fruit he prunes so that it analysis. bears even more fruit Growth across the Diocese will vary according to the John 15.1 soil and we need each other. Did you know? Across the Diocese over half of the churches have grown in at least one of the last two years. An Emmaus Course and Bishop Steven’s Lent Course at the Cathedral have both helped St. Columba Crosspool to grow. 5 Growing the Body Paul uses the language of growth in connection with a second major image of the life of the church, the picture of the Church as the Body of Christ. When the Body of Christ is properly connected, it will grow organically and naturally • The Body of Christ needs to be connected to the Head (to Christ) through faith. • The Body of Christ needs to be internally connected in fellowship through love • The Body of Christ needs the right perspective on the world and the coming kingdom of God and to live in hope. As we deepen our connection to Christ and one another so the life of Christ will flow through the body and result in growth. The Church, which is the Body of Christ, grows naturally we seek to live more deeply in Christ; live in a better and more connected way with one another and live in the right 6 relationship with the society around us What kind of growth are we looking for? I find it helpful to have in my own mind a picture of But, speaking the truth in love, what healthy, normal growth in the Diocese of Sheffield we must grow up in every might look like over the next decade. way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the We need a picture of what growth might look whole body, joined and knitted like across the Diocese which stirs our faith and imagination and calls out the best in each minister and together by every ligament congregation but which is realistic. with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, I believe we need to commit ourselves under God promotes the body’s growth in to pray and plan and work towards the Diocese of Sheffield growing substantially over the next decade building itself up in love. and laying the foundation for that growth to continue Ephesians 4.14-16 over the following two decades. What would we need to do in order to see God grow the Church of England in the Diocese grow by as much as 20% over the next decade? This figure is not as some kind of “target” for the Diocese – and still less for churches. The figure helps me imagine and see more clearly the kind of growth Do not let anyone disqualify which stretches my faith, which is very substantial and you, insisting on self- yet which would be sustainable over the long term. abasement and worship of It is a big enough figure to signal that we are talking about a step change in our aims and our prayers and angels, dwelling on visions, expectations. It is a reasonable figure for our financial, puffed up without cause by a ministerial and deanery planning and to shape the human way of thinking and question: if God is calling us to grow as a Diocese by not holding fast to the head, this kind of ratio over the next ten years, what do we from whom the whole body, need to do next? nourished and held together by Our key baseline figure in measuring this growth will its ligaments and sinews, grows be All Age Weekly Attendance. We need to include with a growth that is from God. children as well as adults as part of God’s church. We Colossians 2.18-19 need to include those who worship midweek and in a range of different congregations as well as on Sundays. 7 ber Jan cem uary De er Fe b br m CHRISTMAS u ve a o ry N REMEMBRANCE r NURTURE e M b a o r t c c h O ng HarVest / Back to Church r e Sunday SOWI A b p r m i e l t p e S t M s u a g y u A J u y n l e u J 8 Making Disciples If we want the Church to grow we need to give priority to making of disciples through the life of every the local church (children, young people and r J adults).