Over the past couple of months a few of us have realised not only that we share the same concerns for our parish, but that we all want to do something about it. We felt that a group of lay members of our parish community could meet to formulate a vision of our future and discuss how to grow and realise the dream.
The idea of a Vision and Growth group was proposed to clergy, who fully support the idea. The following parameters were established:
- Remit
Strategic planning to ensure the survival and growth of our parish through the next 20 years and beyond i.e. 2046+.
- Recruitment
Open and inclusive of current lay parishioners with a forward-thinking mindset who are interested in fulfilling the remit.
- Meetings
To rotate around the homes of those involved, at a frequency of every 2-3 months, in the evening for tightly focused discussions, with a clear agenda each time, and minutes recorded. Attendance either in-person, via Zoom, or a hybrid of both.
‘Vision’ looks to the future. The world and our place in it have changed beyond recognition since the first service at St Margaret’s in 1851. Since then, the parish has worshipped through the Great War, the depression and World War II, the establishment of the Welfare State and decolonisation, joining the EU in 1973 and leaving it in 2016, invention of the internet and social media, and of course the global pandemic and lockdowns of 2020/21. Looking back for a lost ‘golden era’ will do us no good. The world just isn’t the same now as it was then.
‘Growth’ need not just be about the size of our congregations, and we need to beware of using metrics simply because they are easy to measure. Growth could be about deepening personal faith, reaching out to serve our local community, establishing partnerships with other community groups, or an increased diversity of ages, ethnicities and social backgrounds.
Since 1851 this parish has learned to adapt and accommodate significant and fundamental changes, which may well have been resisted at first, such as the installation of electric lighting and gas-fired central heating, microphones for the clergy, and a ‘loop’ system for parishioners with damaged hearing; for a time there would have been blackout screens at the windows and the bell would have been silent; after the fire of 1985 worship was displaced to other buildings, including the church hall across the road. Neither the internet nor social media troubled the parish, until Covid struck and they were relied upon to maintain a community of worship.
Many of these changes were introduced by visionary leaders, and whilst quite possibly uncomfortable at first, the parish grew as a result.
If any aspects of this chime with you, and you have the capacity to commit to the work, please speak with any of us. We would like our first meeting to be during Creationtide, as a practical celebration of the 40th anniversary of our re-dedication.
Carol, Gillian, Tom, Zandra
St Margaret's Church Prestwich 