St John the Baptist Crowthorne

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St John the BaptistCrowthorne

• VISION
• Presentation for the APCM 26th April 2009

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Our starting pointGrowing Healthy Churches
Church life auditPCC away day June 2007

• Mark 3 Seeks to find out what God wants
• VISION Your church has a clear and focused
  sense of its vision and direction.

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Our journey so far

• Presentation of the purpose and process of the
  parish vision at the ACPM 2008
• The PCC acts as the Vision Group and the Standing
  Committee as the Steering Group for the initial
  process.
• Locate in CONTEXT Diocesan, Local, Churches
  Together in Crowthorne
• Inclusion in intercessions
• Sermon input
• Updates in St Johns news

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• Consider our VALUES as a church
• Invite a mystery worshipper to offer feedback
• Prayer study groups on the book of Nehemiah
• Encourage everyone to experience worship at
  another church one Sunday in the summer and
  complete an evaluation form for sharing ideas
• Canvas the opinions of the congregation including
  Sunday School and Pathfinders
• Members of the PCC to meet with groups of the
  congregation to discuss views
• Day of prayer and fasting on Saturday 20th
  September

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• Analysis of the information gathered
• PCC away day with PDA acting as external
  facilitator Jan 09
• Preparation of draft vision statements by
  Steering Group nominated on PCC away day
• Final vision statement ratified by the PCC
• Steering Group work on strategy and action
  planning
• Commission visual image for the vision
• Launch at APCM 2009
• Celebrate the vision!
• Keep communicating the vision via different media
• Implement.

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Distinction between a mission statement and a
vision statement. Mission statement short
and enduring A given (Why do we exist?) Love
God, love our neighbour make disciples
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Mission statement The transformation of all
human life under God in Christ. (Oxford
Diocese - adapted)
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• Vision determines how to carry out Gods
  mission in our own particular context.
• A vision statement is long and changing.
• Our time scale 5-10 years

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Vision Statement for St JohnsWe are grounded
in the faith and traditions of the past but also
open to Gods glorious future
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• Centred on Christ worship of God as Father, Son
  and Holy Spirit, energises and sustains all that
  we are and do.
• As the Church, the body of Christ we aim to be a
  community caring for all, bearing one anothers
  burdens in love, building fellowship through
  friendliness and fun. We encourage and nurture
  Christian discipleship and maturity. All are
  called to share the work of Gods mission and
  ministry and collaborate together to foster
  growth.

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• At the heart of our local Community offering the
  warmth and hospitality of God. We seek to be
  accessible and inclusive, sharing the Christian
  hope and being generous with our resources. We
  partner with other organisations in order to meet
  the needs of our community through loving
  service.
• Concerned for the whole of Creation passionate
  about global justice, peace and the
  sustainability of our planet.

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Accompanying note for Vision Statement design

• The tree is drawn to remind us that all we plan
  and do should be rooted and grounded in Christ.
• The form of the tree echoes a servant figure.
• The leaves are of three colours
• fresh green to represent the young
• darker green to represent those in midlife
• bronze to represent those who are mature
• all parts of church, community and creation
• The tree bears fruit as we pray.
• It may be the result spiritually, of our inward
  worship and fellowship and outreach.

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Vision statement strategy and action plans

• Strategic Planning
• Targets
• What we are going to do

• Action planning
• Tasks
• How we are going to do it

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Centred on Christ

• Consolidate and refine the recently established
  pattern.
• Involve more people in the planning and delivery
  of worship, especially All-Age and Alternative
  Worship.
• Review the pattern of worship during school
  holidays to enable parents and children to
  worship together.
• Explore new ways of presenting Gods message.

• Offer a wide range of relevant worship

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Centred on Christ

• Annual parish quiet day.
• Work towards a parish retreat
• Run a course on different types of prayer.
• Follow up monthly contemplative prayer group (or
  link with CTC Julian group?)
• Form a group to pray regularly for our parish.
• Produce an aid to prayer sheet to be left in
  church for visitors.
• Produce a churchyard prayer walk sheet.
• To make available suitably trained people to pray
  with those who so desire it after the main
  service in the Lady Chapel.

• Immerse the life of the church in prayer

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Centred on Christ

• Encourage and support the development of music
  and singing as a means of glorifying God

• Recruitment of new members for the choir.
• Choir director to work with Sunday School on a
  regular basis.
• A singing lesson for the whole congregation.
• Develop the youth band to feature on a more
  regular basis.
• Investigate the future of musical accompaniment
  in the church.

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Centred on Christ

• Maximise the use of our sacred space as a means
  of engaging with God

• Respect and maintain our church building
• Ensure a comfortable physical environment for all
  who come to worship.
• Creative use of the church space (eg. the prayer
  stations for 2008 quiet day, flower festival).

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As the Church, the body of Christ

• A friendly welcome and clear guidance for all who
  enter the church.
• New church members to receive a welcome visit
  from the pastoral visiting group.
• Continue to develop the work of the pastoral
  visiting group and recruit suitable members.
• The church community to provide practical care to
  those in need.
• Existing interest groups in the church to take
  greater responsibility for members.
• Continue to enjoy regular fellowship together.

• Foster a loving and caring church community

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As the Church, the body of Christ

• Offer opportunities for teaching and nurture in
  the Christian faith for different stages of
  discipleship

• Annual? course for enquirers
• Annual Christian basics/ Confirmation course
• Ongoing (lay led) study groups
• Continue teaching sound bites through Vicars
  column in SJN
• Monthly book review in SJN
• Participate in The Big Church Read invitation
  from St Andrews bookshop.
• Implement church library.
• Special talks/ lectures/ workshops.
• Encourage attendance at diocesan/ deanery courses
  events.

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As the Church, the body of Christ

• Encourage responsible stewardship to resource the
  vision and strategy

• Teaching through sermons and SJN articles.
• Stewardship committee to regroup when the need
  arises and discuss appropriate action.
• Re-do Time and Talents list.
• Regular review of external giving.

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As the Church, the body of Christ

• Develop existing and grow new church leaders

• Identify needs and aspirations for training and
  development.
• Leadership team to attend ARROW Growing Leaders
  day.
• Preaching awareness raising about vocations.
• Discern vocations within the congregation.

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As the Church, the body of Christ

• Expand and maintain work with children and young
  people

• Identify overall leader for the Sunday School.
• Build bridges with youth organisations eg. Scout
  movement. (Parade services, May Fair)
• Explore the appointment of a youth worker.

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At the heart of our local Community

• Re-establish school based prayer groups

• Identify key parent connected to each school to
  facilitate.

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At the heart of our local Community

• Develop the church hall to offer a warm,
  hospitable environment for church and community
  groups

• Establish viability and commitment of parish for
  option 2 building project.
• Refine strategy for developing the church hall.
• Fundraising group investigate funding avenues.
• Encourage greater use of church hall facilities
  by the wider community.

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At the heart of our local Community

• Support the detached youth work taking place
  under the umbrella of JAC, through prayer,
  financial help (if and when required) and further
  volunteers to join the team.
• Cooperate with the Baptists and Methodists in
  their project to find and resource a suitable
  venue for youth work.
• Discern other needs as and when.

• Work in partnership with Churches Together in
  Crowthorne to identify and serve the needs of our
  community

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At the heart of our local Community

• Provide a positive experience for weddings and
  follow up the couple afterwards if local.
• Joyful and accessible baptism services with a
  warm reception from the whole church family.
  Clear teaching beforehand and develop links
  afterwards.
• Good pastoral care for the bereaved surrounding
  funerals. Further follow up visits from the
  pastoral visiting team if appropriate.

• Maximize opportunities afforded by church contact
  through occasional offices

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At the heart of our local Community

• Recruit more members for the outreach committee
  and generate ideas.
• Engage with the diocesan Living Faith Evangelism
  initiative Training resources. Identify a link
  champion.
• Make the most of existing opportunities of our
  presence in the village eg. May Fair.
• Sustain special outreach services and utilize
  personal contacts. Work on good publicity.

• Find appropriate ways to share the love of God
  and good news of the gospel with those on the
  fringe or outside of the church

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Concerned for the whole of Creation

• Promote an eco-friendly Church

• Work towards a self sustaining, low carbon
  footprint, eco-environmentally friendly building.
• Appoint someone to investigate and liaise with
  outside agencies and other churches.
• Encourage individual responsibility to reduce
  carbon emissions.

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Concerned for the whole of Creation

• Be globally aware, taking an interest in the news
  and other sources.
• Identify suitable partners and support them in
  addressing issues of global justice.
• Participate in national campaigns for just
  causes.
• Continue links with missions, welcoming guest
  preachers to inform us.
• Regular updates in SJN by mission reps.
• Reflect issues of global justice in worship.
• Foster Church unity.

• Raise awareness about issues of global peace and
  justice and take appropriate action

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Implementation. Most major works of God come
close to the buffers. Why? Because God wants to
see if we are just in it until it gets tough or
hard. Mike Hill
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Your church needs YOU!.... Everyone should be
able to articulate the vision What is it? What
is my role within it? How am I going to do it?
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• Evaluation
• When do we know we are there?
• Review means the Vision is always changing and
  developing.

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