Diocesan Growth Strategy: Building a Thriving Church for the Future
The Diocesan Growth Strategy is a ten-year plan designed to reverse long-term decline in church attendance and create vibrant, sustainable communities of faith across Sussex. Rooted in the vision to help people know, love, and follow Jesus, the strategy focuses on growth in both numbers and spiritual depth.
Strategy
Our strategy aims to strengthen parishes through proven approaches such as apostolic partnerships to revitalise churches, investing in children and youth ministry, and supporting and developing excellent leaders. It prioritises areas with high population and deprivation, particularly along the coastal strip and in Crawley, while offering a range of support to every parish that wants to grow.
Aims and Ambitions
Under God’s grace, we pray that we might see 3,000–4,300 more people worshipping regularly by 2034, including up to 1,700 children and young people. Key strands include:
- Revitalising 20 to 25 churches through partnerships and new leadership.
- Expanding ministry with children, youth, and families, increasing the number of paid workers and supporting volunteers with training.
- Introducing focal ministry, calling out local leaders to help our smaller churches thrive.
- Developing excellent leaders through training and mentoring for clergy and lay ministers.
The strategy also expects to make 120 churches financially more sustainable and nurture new vocations, doubling the number entering ordained ministry and significantly increasing lay ministry.This programme will improve the health of the diocese over the longer term, seeking that by 2034 the diocese is growing and financially stable.
Funding
The programme represents a £22.4 million investment over ten years, funded through:
- £12.3 million from the national Diocesan Investment Programme.
- £5.1 million from the Diocesan Board of Finance (DBF). This will not increase Parish Share until 2035.
- £5 million from parishes contributing towards local employed roles, mainly with children and youth.
The Diocesan Growth Strategy, as approved by Diocesan Synod on March 2025 can be read here. [add file – Diocesan Growth]