Portsmouth Diocese Resourcing Growth Diocesan Synod 3 November 2018

What is Resourcing Growth? We are exploring new patterns of ministry in churches across the diocese. This could mean expanding some things that are already working well. It could also mean looking at some areas where, despite the best efforts of clergy and congregations, relatively few people go to church, and asking what we might do differently there. We have the opportunity now to apply for additional funds to support new growth projects.

Portsmouth Harbour plants in St George’s and St Alban’s Combination of curates, operational support and buildings development St Jude’s plant in St Margaret’s Pioneers based at St Luke’s Two pioneers, one focussed on teenagers and young adults and the other focused on developing a co-working space for lone workers and entrepreneurs

Portsmouth We are applying to the Church Commissioners for strategic development funding of around £2million for this part of the project. We should hear before Christmas whether this part of the bid has been successful.

Turnaround Parish Reorganisations Working in areas of significant decline and/or underrepresentation within the community, as per data and suggestions from the SDU of the Church Commissioners. Focussed mainly in urban and suburban areas where there is maximum opportunity for impact, even 0.1% more people in attendance would mean adding 200-300 extra people to a congregation. Designed to free up people, finances, administrational burden and buildings from solely maintaining a declining or static church, in order to be able to support new projects, opportunities and communities.

Turnaround Parish Reorganisations In most cases combining parishes where there is already a blurring of communities and parish boundaries. Based upon existing projects and models elsewhere in the country where significant change had to happen in order for transformation or turnaround ministries to flourish. Transforming Wigan for example.

Havant

Isle of Wight

Gosport Rowner & Bridgemary Elson, Forton, Christ Church & Holy Trinity

Ideas for the future In all of these three areas, we have just begun a process of informal and then formal consultation. This involves 1:1 meetings with individual clergy, public meetings, meeting individual PCCs and working with groups outside of the church. We don’t yet have detailed plans for what future ministry might look like because we are still in the process of consultation. We need to give fuller plans to the Church Commissioners early in 2019, and we will ask them for a further £2m approximately of funding. We will then hear later in the spring of 2019 whether this second part of our bid has been successful.

Ideas for the future We are likely to include some combination of the following across all three areas: A team leader to offer oversight of the whole project and care for existing congregations. A church planter to develop one or more new congregations A curate to support church planting A pioneer or outreach worker focussed on children and young families, with a view to drawing them into a new congregation An operations manager to maximise the use of the buildings for community use and income generation. Also to support the development of the various sites A pioneer focussed on those who require support within parish around debt counselling, financial planning, employment support, food bank. With possible support from Christians Against Poverty

Ideas for the future We might also : Upgrade or redevelop some existing buildings to improve facilities Find ways of generating income from lettings, or via social enterprise Provide further energy and support from a team of interns who are assigned to new church plants as part of a programme of vocational exploration and training.

Parish Reorganisation Key Dates As a basis for some of this work, and in order to take a coordinated approach across a larger area, we will need to do some restructuring of parishes – this is called pastoral reorganization. There is a clear process that we need to go through in order to do this. Governed by the Mission and Pastoral Measure (2011) and the Mission and Pastoral (Amendment) Measure (2018)

Parish Reorganisation Key Dates Informal Consultation wc Monday 15 Oct - Public Consultation Meetings Friday 19 Oct - Letters sent to Legally Interested Parties plus others sent Meetings with PCCs and representatives of the Bishop’s Council Friday 30 November - Closing Date for written responses Wednesday 5 December – Statements of view and draft proposals’ changes presented to Bishop’s Council.

Parish Reorganisation Key Dates Formal Consultation Friday 7th December – Formal consultation letters and Draft Proposals sent to Legally Interested Parties Friday 1 Feb - Closing date for written responses Monday 11 March – Statements of view and draft proposals’ changes presented to Bishop’s Council for approval to submit to Bishop Christopher Friday 15 March – Draft scheme to be submitted to Church Commissioners Pastoral Division

Parish Reorganisation Key Dates Publication of Draft Scheme Mid April – draft scheme published in local papers, served on Legally Interested Parties and notices affixed to church End May – closing date for representations to the Church Commissioners

Parish Reorganisation Key Dates If there are no objections or appeals then we could expect the new schemes to be made by 1 July 2019 and come into effect 1 January 2020 Any appeals would be heard by the Church Commissioners Pastoral Committee in their May/July meeting (dates to be set) If approved we could expect the new schemes to be made by 1 September 2019 and come into effect 1 March 2020

Budget This is the most significant project that we have taken on within the diocese both in term of funding sought from the SDF as well as the reallocation of existing and reserve budgets. Reallocation of Existing Budget costs - £3.75m (mainly stipendiary and housing costs) Spending from Reserves - up to £1m (one off building and project start up costs) Funding from SDF - £4.90m (significant building work, new staff costs) Overall Project Spend over 5 Years - up to £9.65m

Why do we need to do this? Some deaneries have seen 20% decline in Sunday attendance over the last ten years. Parish share giving in this diocese is extremely generous – thank you – but many parishes tell us that they are dipping into reserves to pay each year. With fewer people, the burden is heavier. Some of our projects are working well and we want to do more of what works. We are being encouraged by the Church Commissioners to ask for their funding to make this possible.

Why do we need to do this? We want more people to know the love of God and to follow Jesus as his disciples. Because of our baptism, we are called and sent out to make new disciples. We want younger generations, who are currently under represented in our congregations, to be disciples and to find a place in our churches. We want to grow our churches and grow new congregations.