Survival to Revival

In 2002 Churches in the Diocese were visited by the Bishops, Archdeacons and Dean, and encouraged to do the Healthy Churches exercise.

Out of this, some trends became clear:  Churches across the whole Diocese expressed their inadequacy at listening to God's will, and their desire to do more work with children and young people and families.

Survival to Revival was the response to this: it was simply the idea that Churches think about a goal or aspiration in each of six areas (young people, giving, ministry, mission, discipleship, worship) - and then make a couple of these goals their targets for the year.  Click here to see the leaflets.  This was The Plan.

It has released a lot of energy over the five years it has been running, and has also produced offshoots like Resourcing Revival, which - as requested by the Parishes - focussed our Diocesan resources on the Parishes, and Parochial ministry.

Out of it also came the idea of doing away with the Parish Share system, which was too much like a tax on parishes; instead, we now have the Parish Offer system, in which Parishes make offers of what they will pay to the Diocese: these offers need to be both realistic and generous. Click here for Generosity for Revival

All of this has been about growth - in all its aspects - as the Church, throughout the world and here in Cumbria has always been.

Three focuses on GROWTH

Now, after five years, the Bishop's Council has reviewed its work and priorities and for the years 2009 - 2011 Diocesan efforts are focussing on just three areas:

• Young Diocese
• Rural (and the Rural Manifesto)
• Vocation, Ministry, and Training (and the Strategy for Ministry)

Two postcards have been produced to remind us all of this;  we hope that you will put them in Bibles and Prayer books and around Church, and read them again and again, and use them in your prayers. Click here for the postcards

Downloads for Growth

How to grow - a menu of ideas
File Size: 46kb   File Upload: 1 Oct 2009

Parish Aims

Meanwhile we continue to ask the Parishes to think about their aims; these are reported to the Diocese through the Archdeacon's Articles of Enquiry.  Click here to see the Articles of Enquiry.