The Church of England’s calling is and always has been to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ afresh in each generation to the people of England. The work to develop the new Vision and Strategy is underway as the Church of England adapts and puts its trust in God to become:
- A simpler Church, both in governance and structure and in the way we live and share the gospel
- A humbler Church, recognising our failings and working with others to serve the common good
- A bolder Church energised and enthused by the good news of what God has done in Jesus Christ and sharing that with everyone.
. The strategic priorities are:
- To be a church that is younger and more diverse
- To be a church where mixed ecology is the norm – where every person in England has access to an enriching and compelling community of faith by adding new churches and new forms of Church to our parishes, schools and chaplaincies
- To become a church of missionary disciples where all God’s people are released to live the Christian life.
The mixed ecology was included as part of General Synod in November where it looked at flourishing church and ministry in parishes. Bishop Mike features in the supporting video, shown below, along with a showcase of projects from across Suffolk.
"Here the churches are seeking to reach out, connect and serve their local communities and here are some examples of the mixed ecologies happening in this diocese." Bishop Mike added "I would really encourage you to take this forward and consider ways in which, imaginatively and creatively, you can provide ways into the gospels for the large proportion of our population that, as of yet, have not engaged with Christianity."
Video from General Synod - November 2021 - featuring Bishop Mike sharing news about the 'Mixed Ecology' in Suffolk:
The Archbishop of York addressed General Synod on the Vision and Strategy for the Church of England in the 2020s and the full speech is available on the Archbishops' website here. To read more please visit the Church of England website here.