One month into the Rural Mission Lead role, and I’ve had numerous meetings with priests in rural settings, and with those in the Diocese whose job is to strategically guide mission and growth in churches in Durham. One of my short term goals is to draw together a task group to support this role. There have been a few names suggested, and I’m grateful for this because I know only a few people in this Diocese – I’m hoping to have a first Rural Mission Task Group meeting in April.
I have also been back and reviewed the only guiding document I have, and I have noticed that it contains some strategic decisions (such as create the role of Rural Mission Lead and Task Group), but the driving vision or purpose behind this strategy could be sharpened. Currently the first line reads:
The Rural Mission Lead will work with others to develop principles, practices and resources for effective mission in rural parishes, and share this with the other rural parishes of the diocese.
However, it begs the question, “why”? Why will the Rural Mission Lead do this? Some may argue, “because it’s your job”, which is a fair point. However, I need more purpose than mere presenteeism. Reflecting on the “why”, and discussing it with others, I’m currently using this as my vision statement:
“Within three years, to have gathered and shared experiences of evenglistic mission in rural contexts across the Diocese of Durham, in order that churches are equipped to grow in faith and number, flourishing through the current change in patterns of ministry.”
Can you see my corporate training behind this objective? SMART – despite dodging a commitment to numbers. Anyway, working with this as a purpose sharpens my focus. I didn’t just dream this up. It grew from earlier conversations with Archdeacon Rick Simpson. Rick felt that there were two things I could do in this rural role;
- I could get some easy wins by promoting some of the good practice found in books such as “How Village Churches Thrive”, and through the Arthur Rank Centre.
- Rick felt that although mission activities can be a powerful force for social good, the church’s mission is to share the gospel in addition to these good works. Rick felt that rural mission could do with help in this area.
In drafting this working statement for vision, I have intentionally given my role the purpose of sharing evangelistic mission. Why? So that our rural churches are equipped to grow in faith and number, flourishing despite meta-narrative trends across the whole of the Church of England. Cool.
As I wrote before, strategy is the bridge between vision and action – so the next ting to get on with is action: growing a Rural Mission Task Group and planning how to deliver on this vision.