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May 2024 Pastoral Plan update from Canon Kieron O'Brien

May 15, 2024

Bishop Richard issued a new Pastoral Plan for the Diocese The Word Who is Life: The Call to Mission in January. As part of the Plan, each of our 11 deanery communities is forming a new Moderated Parish 'community of communities'. Canon Kieron O'Brien, the Episcopal Vicar for Pastoral Planning has issued an update on the progress of the Pastoral Plan across our Diocese:

"Welcome to this first update about how the Pastoral Plan for our Diocese is progressing. We are now in May and Deacon Nick St John and I have made very positive visits to the first four deaneries which are launching the process of becoming moderated parishes.
"These are: Cathedral, Guildford, Lewes and Crawley.
"They each have their own unique characteristics in terms of geography, demographics and history, so the way in which the Pastoral Plan will be enacted in each case will be adapted to local needs. However, there are definitely some common threads and it’s great to see that the driving force everywhere is about how we can authentically equip ourselves for mission in the challenges that lie ahead.
"The initial meetings were with the current clergy teams, priests and deacons and an early focus was on the different gifts that the team members can bring to the wider vision. The clergy were invited to share what it is in their ministry which really gives them life and the diversity of answers shows us that we are always stronger as a team as no single person has all the gifts that we need to lead a flourishing parish.
"After that positive start, in each place, we moved on to outline the stages necessary on the journey to becoming a parish which is a community of communities. Together with the moderators, we will be forming a project plan for each parish and identifying the formation needs for both clergy and lay leaders along the way.
"Already the Cathedral and Guildford deaneries have moved on to the next phase, with the organising of meetings for key lay people from each of the constituent communities. These two deaneries have also produced excellent deanery newsletters (Guildford; Cathedral) outlining the process so far and keeping parishioners up to date with progress. I am hopeful that the Lewes and Crawley deaneries will be doing something similar very soon.
"Alongside these practical arrangements, we continue to encourage people to pray for the process, with a focus on Adoration, which is being provided in many parishes. Prayer resources for these times of prayer are being developed and made available from the Formation Team.
"Another development is the ongoing formation for the new moderators and this will include an overnight training event early in September.
"I’m going to leave the last word to Fr Niven from Farnham who wrote this for the Guildford Deanery Newsletter:
"'What motivates me about the life of the new parish is all that is written in The Word Who is Life. The power of the positive and energising words speak of a church effervescent with life. It is full of dynamism and hope. It is this kind of parish that I am looking forward to. The words “open” and “openness” are used in the prayer that we are invited to say as we prepare for the forming of the new parish, drawing on the way that The Word Who is Life speaks of our communities as places where all are welcomed and of lively communities of faith. To be part of this is exciting and I look forward to this journey we will all be travelling on together.'"
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