Diocesan Growth Programme
Rooted in prayer, the Diocesan Growth Programme is a ten-year plan (2026 - 2035) aiming to strengthen parishes to help more people of all ages know, love and follow Jesus, resulting in many churches becoming healthier and more sustainable.
Whatever the starting point or context, there is something for every parish who wants to grow.
Aims
With an emphasis on tried and tested approaches to mission and outreach, the Programme prioritizes strategic areas of high population and highest need, while offering a range of support to every parish that wants to grow.
Programme streams include:
- Apostolic Partnerships & Revitalisations: Adopting tried and tested models of church growth to strengthen and breathe new life into a wide spread of parishes.
- Children, Youth and Families workers: New CYF posts and extensions of existing contracts.
- Focal Ministry: Raising up excellent local leaders in multi-church benefices.
- Excellent Leaders: Resourcing and nurturing leaders (authorised, licensed, ordained) to lead mission effectively
- Mission and outreach: Small grants to fuel missional initiatives and Innovation grants to try and test promising ideas for replication.
The Programme expects to help many churches become more healthy and sustainable by 2035, to nurture new vocations and to significantly increase lay ministry. This Programme will improve the health of the diocese over the long term, with the hope that in ten years the diocese is growing and financially stable.
Funding
The Programme represents a £21.1 million investment over ten years, funded as follows:
- £11 million from the national Diocesan Investment Programme (who have indicated willingness to fund c. £11m, and have so far approved plans for £5.3m).
- £5.1 million from the Diocesan Board of Finance (DBF). NB - funding is not through parish share.
- £5 million from parishes contributing towards local employed roles, mainly with children and youth.
The Diocesan Growth Programme, as approved by Diocesan Synod on March 2025 is available here.