Information about our church's mission plans for the next three years
MAP
St Paul's Mission Action Plan
A summary of the MAP passed by St. Paul's PCC.
Following this summary are details of how we got there.
All it remains for us to do is put the plan into action!!
PRIORITY AREA: Community Involvement (one)
Goal Statement: To establish an electronic newsletter for community events and sustain it through close links with the school.
Create a link with Hasland Community School to set up an electronic newsletter.
Make a contact with the school and discuss how the newsletter will be produced.
Set up a regular link to provide community information.
Identify funding needs.
We have made initial contact with the school to secure a meeting in January 2012
Identify the local groups that will be involved.
To achieve our goal and so reach out to the wider community.
PRIORITY AREA: Community Involvement (Two)
Goal Statement: To create a link with all uniform organisations in the community and to enable them to show their expertise through presentations in the church.
Make contact with the various groups.
Establish when and where they meet.
Attend a meeting and find out how they plan their activities.
Through meeting the leaders establish how the group could put on a presentation/service in church.
Use the contacts already within the church.
To maintain regular contact and build up good relationships with the groups involved so that regular events can take place.
May encourage some young people to join our young people’s group in church.
PRIORITY AREA: Community Involvement (three)
Goal Statement: To organise events which encourage more community involvement and foster a better community spirit.
Set up regular activities and build up a body of support within the community.
Hold a ‘ Come and Sing’ event, initially within the church after morning service.
After trials establish an afternoon ‘Come and Sing’ group for the community.( Link with music group)
Establish an event to be held at a regular time each year that will gain most support from the wider community. E.g. Male Voice Choirs.
Set up a luncheon club to be held regularly in church.
It will be a long-term plan.
Identify funding
Raise money for a better kitchen in church for food preparation
A regular feature that has good support from the community.
PRIORITY AREA: MUSIC AND CHOIR
GOAL STATEMENT: To develop the music and choir of St Paul’s church in leading the congregation through the singing of hymns and musical liturgy, giving praise to the Lord through music and song.
To recruit someone to assist with the current organist in providing a musical lead within the church.
Advertise and recruit to post.
Draw up a job specification/working brief for post.
Identify where to recruit from - Church Website; Lichgate News; Forward in Faith; Reflections magazine; Within Church community; Derbyshire Times; Schools and Colleges etc.
Identify advertising costs
Agree wording for recruitment.
Agree recruitment programme/timescale and interviewers.
Increase current membership of the choir.
Approach members of the congregation through:
Personal invitation
Church website
Lichgate News
Develop a budget plan for church music and choir.
Identify income possibilities to offset costs.
Identify costing required for projected yearly expenditure.
Look into and apply for - grants / sponsorships / develop fund raising events.
To identify how the Church can support and develop musical events.
Identify what is currently provided in both communities.
Identify the groups/organisations involved.
Engage and liaise with the groups and promote church involvement.
More involvement in both communities.
PRIORITY AREA: Mission and Worship
Goal Statement: To provide Non -Eucharistic Worship
Father Malcolm and members of the congregation to develop and plan non-Eucharistic worship.
Encourage volunteers to plan and lead by advertising as widely as possible.
Announce at family mass, Lichgate, Pew Sheets.
If unsuccessful, then Father Malcolm to offer personal invitation to individual congregation members.
A service to be planned for Autumn 2012
PRIORITY AREA: Mission and Worship
Goal Statement: To give parents and Godparents a better understanding of Baptism
To support, inform and encourage baptism families.
Developing a group from within the congregation who are willing to support baptism families as and when necessary.
Father Malcolm and members of the church family who have had their children baptised and where the children are now in Sunday School or attend church on a regular basis.
Early 2012.
Congregation members and explanatory leaflets/ booklets for parents & Godparents.
Other books to be considered as gift at Baptism eg: Bible, New Testament, Gospels. Father Malcolm to advise.
A better understanding and appreciation of what baptism means
PRIORITY AREA: Mission and Worship
Goal Statement: Leading people back to the Bible
Bible study as requested by the Survey
Initial meeting at the Rectory.
Advertising in Announcements in Church, Pew Sheet, Lichgate.
Father Malcolm to arrange and plan first meeting.
After Easter 2012, on a monthly basis. Venue and time TBA
People brought back to the Bible teaching.
PRIORITY AREA: Young People
Goal Statement: To increase Sunday School attendance by 50% within next 12 months (baseline 8).
Young People Group: Jane Pemberton, Catherine Uttley, John Queening, Alison Musk and Stephen Wright (facilitator)
Meetings held: 27 November 2011(Sunday school visit), 7 December 2011 and 11 January 2012
To ensure existing attendees remain interested and committed to Sunday School
Promote Sunday School on display boards in church –eg Christmas card
Details of Sunday School to be visible in church eg who to contact for further details
Allow children to inform congregation about what they have been learning at SS
Equip Sunday School with resources ‘fit for purpose’
Use music resources as part of lesson planning eg CD and green hymn supplement from church
Review existing service book in SS and bring more in line with church service
PCC to agree and fund resource request list
Child friendly bible (large print) to remain within Sunday School (consider bibles as SS ‘prizes’)
Stationery consumables eg felt tips, glue, paper, card etc
May need to print more copies of words and music for SS
Review accommodation to meet needs of Sunday School
By approaching school to see if more suitable room(s) are available – ideally with piano
More space for children – with flexibility of musical accompaniment.
Improve lesson planning
Worksheets to be given to SS teachers in more timely manner eg every quarter
Review other teaching material available and change material if necessary
Quarterly meetings for SS teachers and others with a background in working with young people to share ideas for activities etc
Fr Malcolm to work with Sunday School Teachers and ‘invited’ others from congregation (ie don’t make group too large)
Share the ‘load’ more
Involve church family more in SS
Ask SS children to send out personal invites to members of congregation to join in service at SS
Involve musically talented individuals in SS worship
Encourage secondary and tertiary pupils to work alongside younger people to become role models for younger ones
Volunteers needed with musical ability
Volunteers needed from older children
Encourage musical talent
Consider using space at Church for pre-school children
Approach Fr Malcolm regarding using confined floor space in kitchen area (as confined crawling area) and use of choir vestry (from end of Gospel to ‘Peace’) for toddlers
Safety locks on kitchen cupboards
SS teacher in choir vestry for pre-school aged children
Young families accommodated more in church building
PRIORITY AREA: Young People
Goal Statement: To increase the number of young adults (11+ plus) that attend worship at St Paul’s by 50% within 12 months (baseline 7).
To investigate the possibility of employing a youth worker within the parish.
Research to date 11.1.12
Review present youth provision in parishes
Research costs associated.
Make links with existing parishes with youth workers to learn from them.
Increase understanding of what is involved with a youth worker and costs associated. Turn a possibility into a reality and increase youth participation in the life of St Paul’s church.
Youth worker
SW informed group on 11.1.12 that there are two different ways to employ a youth worker – one a church based worker, the other a community worker.
Option one - Working with St John’s College, a youth worker could be employed at a cost of approx £18k over three years.
Option two – Working with the local and parish councils, a youth and community worker could be employed for the Grassmoor / Hasland areas. Costings not known.
Next Step – the YP MAP group suggests that a working group be established to concentrate on finding out more information on youth working and feasibility for St Paul’s and the Grassmoor / Hasland area. Fundamentally, the working group should decide what focus the youth worker should have – ie dedicated church based worker who extends into the wider community or a community worker that the church works alongside with?
PRIORITY AREA: COMMUNICATION Malcolm Ainscough; Muriel Haslam; Janet Harvey; Stephen Wright; Verna Webb.
Goal statement: for everyone who attends St Paul’s, to be able to hear clearly, and fully participate in the services.
1. Updating the current PA and Loop system
· PCC to agree purchase of new system
· Obtain 3 quotes for new system
· PCC to agree contractor and installation cost
· Installation early 2012
· Funding secured Nov. 2011
2. To provide training for:
v the use of the new equipment
v clarity and delivery of public speaking in church
· Identify trainer/facilitator for use of equipment
· Provide a training course for all who speak publicly in church
· PCC to agree resource funding as identified
· Stephen Wright to contact Derby Diocese re trainer /facilitator
· Early 2012
· Speakers able to speak publically in church with confidence, clarity and meaning
· To benefit the congregation in enabling them to hear services clearly and thereby participate fully
PRIORITY AREA: COMMUNICATION Goal statement: St Paul’s church will produce a monthly church magazine, aimed at developing and enhancing communication channels, both within the church family and the wider community.
Keeping members of the congregation and community informed by developing the Lichgate News (LN)
To widen the scope of the magazine whilst maintaining the LN as a church based magazine.
· Review the current LN, in light of the results of the survey held in 2011, with members of the LN Core Group
· To establish an editorial group to oversee:
take account the survey results 2011 and formulate any development plans if applicable
to consider contributions and articles submitted for publication
consider the type, content, and length of articles for inclusion in the magazine
to give advice to contributors
to develop community articles whilst ensuring that the LN remains a church based magazine
to develop termly contributions from young people
Agree deadlines for articles to be submitted
· John Grubb;
Val Crampton; and 2 members of the MAP development group.
· Starting spring 2012 and ongoing
· Resources to be identified by the editorial Group when established
New style LN with a wider appeal to both church and community
PRIORITY AREA: COMMUNICATION
Goal statement: improving communication and understanding in the congregation and beyond
To give more information and feedback on special events held
· To invite participant(s) to give feedback either in writing of an article for the LN or a brief report in church after the servic
· To contact participant(s) prior during and after event for their contribution
· Creating more interest and attendance at special events
To revamp Porch Notice Boards
· Acquire new porch notice boards & recruit someone to maintain them
· Review and agree notices to be displayed Agree information to be provided from PCC meetings to be displayed on notice board
· Ask PCC to agree funding for new notice boards
PRIORITY AREA: COMMUNICATION Goal statement: improving communication and understanding in the congregation and beyond continued
To improve forward planning and clearer understanding in the congregation
Produce a quarterly diary of events
PRIORITY AREA: PASTORAL CARE Chris Edwards; Peter Harrison; Margaret Blurton; George Russell
Encouraging more people to volunteer to help with the pastoral care provided at care homes via communion and fellowship.
Put out a notice of services on pew sheets and Lichgate News.
Explain what goes on and ask for volunteers.
One of the providers of the care currently could perhaps talk in church and draft notices and articles.
After a few weeks ask for any volunteers to do a rota.
Possibility of a drop-in morning once a month for coffee and a chat.
To be voluntary and informal in that it would be on ‘an on and when basis’.
Look at this as providing care in Grassmoor.
Contact the Methodists
– do they run one already and if so can we join in?
– if not could we use their hall and they could join us if they wished.
We thought it better if Fr Malcolm could make contact but CE offered to be present at venue if necessary and possible.
Would like to start not before Spring 2012 but while weather is good.
Put a notice at the prayer station to say we have a pastoral care group and if anyone feels they have a need there are contact details they can use and the care group will arrange to visit/talk.
Notice to be put on the board at prayer station.
Needs to be clear.
Form pastoral care group.
Someone to volunteer from pastoral care group to be contact.
______________________________________________________________________
The process by which we devised the MAP
After canvassing the opinions of people in the congregation and community, the following areas have arisen as ones that we propose for the basis of our MAP:
COMMUNICATION
- Improving communication and understanding in the congregation and beyond
YOUTH WORK
- Ongoing development of the work with young people, underpinned by a new strategy and consideration of the appointment of a children/youth worker
PASTORAL CARE
- Developing, resourcing and implementing an effective pastoral care plan
MISSION AND WORSHIP
- An ongoing review of sacramental and non-sacramental worship.
- Developing bible teaching and bible study
- Preserving and developing those factors that ensure regular worshippers, newcomers and visitors experience a welcoming Christian community
- Building up and maintaining what is regarded as a strong Christian community, capable of confidently and clearly proclaiming the Faith
- Replacing the Stations of the Cross with permanent ones
CHURCH MUSIC AND CHOIR
- Developing the music and choir within the church and community
COMMUNITY INVOLRMENT
- Improving outreach and service by parish focused initiatives, effective engagement and work with other churches, community leaders and organisations to meet the identified needs in the local community
WHAT NEXT?
The PCC has accepted these six areas and agreed to establish six work groups of volunteers to further the work of completing the Mission Action Plan. The next stage will be to put the work group's proposals to the PCC in January 2012 and agree which proposals can realistically be implemented.
Further details of the MAP report will be made available on the church porch notice board in the rack at the back of magazine rack at the back of church and on the church website stpaulshasland.com.
Fr. Malcolm and the PCC wish to thank those who responded to the questionnaire both worshipping members of the congregation and members of the local community.
______________________________________________________________________
ST PAUL'S CHURCH HASLAND, GRASSMOOR, WINSWICK AND CORBRIGGS - MISSION ACTION PLAN - THE FULL REPORT
The development and implementation of the Mission Action Plan (MAP) will be overseen and led by the Rector and the Parochial Church Council (PCC).
The rector has responsibility for leading the church in all spiritual and doctrinal matters in accordance with canon law.
The PCC has particular responsibility for buildings, finance, legal obligations, charitable status, and relationships with other churches, groups and organisations.
The Rector and PCC will oversee the development and implementation of the MAP. They will delegate much of the work to teams and sub-committees but will retain the final say over the work undertaken in the MAP.
CONGREGATION RESPONSE TO MISSION ACTION PLAN QUESTIONNAIRE
The MAP seeks to outline the development of mission and ministry of St Paul's Church over the next three years. It is based on continuing our existing mission and ministry as well as developing key priorities in each area of our church life.
In order to seek the views of the congregation a questionnaire was devised and it was proposed to engage in a listening survey with the local communities within the Parish.
The questionnaire and listening survey asked for people's opinions on various aspects of Church and community life. It is not surprising that in the main, the views expressed were very individual and therefore very varied.
The task was to find out what common threads emerged, identifying the collective views on:
· what we do well
· what we could do better
· identifying the areas of challenge for us as a Church family and as a community
· identifying the main areas to be the focus of work in the Mission Action Plan for the next three years
The congregation's responses have now been collated and the opinions/preferences of the majority determined into specific areas for future work. These areas are now presented for consideration by the PCC and ratification sought to establish further working groups, with each group taking a lead to consider in more detail the outcomes from the questionnaire and to formulate a plan to carry the work forward. It is envisaged that two meetings will be required for this piece of work to be completed and a further meeting to present the findings to the PCC.
CONGREGATION QUESTIONNAIRE RESULTS
A total of 95 questionnaires were distributed to the congregation of St Paul's and 39 responses were returned (41%).
Gender of the responders - of the 39 questionnaires returned:
· 12 males
· 27 females
Employment status - 37 people responded to the question on employment:
· 12 employed
· 2 unemployed
· 23 were retired.
Age range of responders:
· 18 to 30 years 2
· 31 to 45 years 4
· 46 to 65 years 15
· 65+ years 18
Com Community involvement:
Of all people completing the questionnaire only 14 did not have any community involvement. The community activities of the other 25 responders were varied with some involved in more than one area. The involvement being in the following categories:
· Youth services /organisations 10
· Local Government support roles 5
· RNLI 4
· St John's Ambulance 2
· Charity work 2
· Sports 2
· Other 5
The following statements are those which the congregation believed were of importance and they are in majority order.
VISITORS
What we do well:
· We engage well especially with visitors providing a warm and friendly greeting
· Priest aware of visitors and leads them through the service
· Members of the congregation offer help where needed - show parents the vestry and give children books
· Great sense of community
What we could do better:
· Look at how we could be more supportive of visitors
· Need to be more aware of visitors and invite them to sit with us, not necessarily in the North Aisle
· Be less ridged where we sit, leave space in the main body of the church for visitors
· Look at how we can improve the experience of young children and their families in church i.e. in the Crèche facility and the use of the vestry and in Sunday school.
WEDDINGS, BAPTISMS, CONFIRMATION AND FUNERALS
What we do well:
· Services are conducted in the right spirit appropriate for the occasion
· Well prepared and well delivered
· Spiritual experience at all services
· Funeral services are considered to be excellent done with compassion and mourners are well supported
· Appreciation of the flower arrangements
What we could do better:
· Encourage people to return to church after these services
· Consider the position of marriage for those who are precluded in marrying at St Paul's at this time
CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE
What we do well:
· Children are welcomed
· Young people involved in services
· Excellent work done with young people with good preparation for services
· People who work with the children encourage their commitment to be involved
What we could do better:
· Look at how young people could be more involved with music in the church
· Engage with more young people in the community, organise inclusive events, more activities/interest groups,
ELDERLY PEOPLE
What we do well:
· Elderly people are considered, welcomed and well catered for in the church community
· Church is accessible providing wheelchair access, with help available when needed
· Provide a loop system and sound system (usually good)
What we could do better:
· Explore ways of engaging with the elderly more in terms of home visiting, activity groups, luncheon clubs, house meetings, friendship groups, events in care homes
· The loop and sound system is inadequate
· Offering lifts to church
· Communication - what methods we use, how can they be improved, how to keep people informed
PASTORAL CARE
What we do well:
· Pastoral care is considered to be very good (given when needed) in areas of home visiting, house communion
· Priest responsive and approachable
· Individual members show care and concern
What we could do better:
· Lack of continuance in projects started
· Extend pastoral care
· Communication - people are not aware of pastoral care in the church
MISSION
What we do well:
· Fan the Flame, Walsingham and quiet days are considered to be excellent
· All services and church teaching are very good and a special strength
What we could do better:
· Better communication - think ahead and communicate more, more explanation on events held, more emphasis on follow up after events
· Deepen spirituality - bible study groups (home/church)
· Plan more special services/events with congregation involvement
· Music - hymns chosen by the congregation, recruit more musicians, singers, mid week songs of praise
HOW WE ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY
What we do well:
· Communication is very effective - Lichgate news, media news advertising and commenting on events
· Social events which are many and varied
· Services and visits to residential care homes
· Visiting schools
What we could do better:
· Communication (Lichgate news, media) - more community articles, target young people more, seasonal news letter
· More community involvement/representation in - Grassmoor, residential homes
· Involvement and more enthusiasm with school contact and uniformed groups,
BEST THING ABOUT ST PAUL'S
· Church family - fellowship and friendship
· God's presence, spirituality, peace and serenity,
· Traditional worship, forward in faith, ABC parish, maintaining biblical traditions
· A nice building and grounds, good atmosphere and always open
· The Rector and his family, a dedicated spiritual leader
BIGGEST CHALLENGE
· Ordination of women - impact, taking the church forward holding onto traditional values, a divided church over doctrine/beliefs
· Involving young people - playing a more active role, encouraging and keeping younger people involved, reaching more young people,
· An ageing congregation - ageing wardens, servers, choir - recruiting younger people, replacing 'old stalwarts', keeping up with the working middle aged
· Loss of interest in religion - increase in atheism, strengthening Christian vision, meaning and purpose
· Non-acceptance of ordination of women - moving forward with the times, being able to accept change, resolving views, a divided church over doctrine/beliefs
AREAS FOR GROWTH
· Young people - develop work with young people both in church and community, recruit youth leader/worker
· Music/Choir - develop a strategy for increasing and improving church music and expand the choir, recruit a relief organist
· Wider community involvement, more involvement with Grassmoor and the villages in general, other churches, uniformed associations
· Development of ministries - servers, lay readers, encourage other people to become involved in the life of the church
· To be more open minded - is women's ordination such a big issue? Could energy expended be used to do other things?
· Develop Sunday school, welcome Sunday school into the Sunday service
PRIORITY FOR DEVELOPMENT
· Ministry and worship - a strong robust church that proclaims its faith and plans for the future, involve more people in church ministry. build up the congregation, develop prayer and special services, replace Stations of the Cross
· Youth work in church and the community
· Church music and choir
· Communication - forward planning, loop system, Lichgate news,
· Community - more involvement
OTHER COMMENTS
· Communication
· Happy with overall management with church
· Community involvement and development
· Ministry of worship
· The wider church family may not be as worried/against ordination of women, has Forward in Faith run its course?
· Need to consider how we extend the hand of friendship to all
CONCLUSION AND PROPOSAL
Taken as a whole, our recent 'Survey' outcomes combined, point us towards a plan for the future, which we believe represents the views and aspirations of the majority of church members who responded to the questionnaire.
The key areas proposed to the PCC for the intended Mission Action Plan are as follows:-
COMMUNICATION
· Improving communication and understanding in the congregation and beyond
YOUTH WORK
· Ongoing development of the work with young people, underpinned by a new strategy and consideration of the appointment of a children/youth worker
PASTORAL CARE
· Developing, resourcing and implementing an effective pastoral care plan
MISSION AND WORSHIP
In accordance with canon law the parish priest is responsible for the ordering of services. Providing these services are lawful, they are ordered at the parish priest's discretion. Therefore, under the leadership of the parish priest working in consultation with the laity, the proposal is:
· An ongoing review of sacramental and non-sacramental worship
· Developing bible teaching and bible study
· Preserving and developing those factors that ensure regular worshippers, newcomers and visitors experience a welcoming Christian community
· Building up and maintaining what is regarded as a strong Christian community, capable of confidently and clearly proclaiming the Faith
· Replacing the Stations of the Cross with permanent ones
CHURCH MUSIC AND CHOIR
· Developing the music and choir within the church and community
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
· Improving outreach and service by parish focused initiatives, effective engagement and work with other churches, community leaders and organisations to meet the identified needs in the local community
WHAT NEXT?
The PCC to accept the areas proposed and agree to establish the groups as identified, to further the work in completing the mission action plan.