The Six

Dear Friends,

Many things are changing at the moment - in The Six, in the church more widely and in society as a whole.

Soon our six churches will become a United Benefice - a new arrangement for us.  Each of our churches will keep a large measure of independence, including their PCCs, within the new benefice structure. We are now waiting for final confirmation from the diocese.

In years to come we will have to find new ways to run our churches with fewer ordained ministers, but with more people in lay leadership positions.
We also need to find new and creative ways to tell people about God, the Bible and the Christian life, and find ways of sharing our faith with those who do not come to church  (who are currently the big majority in our communities.)

In order to be prepared for the future, we need to look at what we are doing now, and what must change in the years to come. In each of our six parishes we will look at what we are doing well, and what we can do better - and then as a group of six we will look at how we support one another as we seek God’s kingdom together.
This is not just a practical task, it will require prayer, reflection, discussion, and creative imagination.

We now want to ask you to share with us in looking ahead, and in the necessary planning. It will be challenging, but I am confident that it will also be exciting and enjoyable.
This is vital work which needs to be done, otherwise we will find ourselves chasing after changes, instead of seeing what God is asking of us at this time of change. Remember the faith of Abraham :  “God will provide” he told Isaac; remember the five loaves and two fishes - what were they among so many! We believe in a generous God who makes provision for his people, provided we are faithful and respond to his calling.

Yours in Christ's service, Alan

An introduction to our Looking Ahead plans. Come & find out why these questions matter and what we hope to achieve by answering them.
In Newington School, Church Lane, Newington
Download notes from the Introductory evening here
Download the written responses to the 5 questions here

Looking Ahead Day 1. A day together where we will talk and pray about what God wants us to be and to do in our churches and in The Six as a whole. The day will be fun, engaging and accessible to all.
In Holywell School, Upchurch
Download the Powerpoint presentation here
Download the 7 Marks of a Healthy Church here
Download the notes from Looking Ahead Day 1 here