Off on Sabbatical

Well I start my sabbatical on Sunday afternoon. I must say that I am very much looking forward to it.

What’s in a name?

In the first part of our Leaders Away Day last Saturday we looked at what different ministries and congregations were. What I have begun to realise is that if we don’t have a clear common understanding of what we expect from a ministry or congregation then it is very easy to be pulling in differing […]

Hope in Southwark – Fresh Expressions Conference

Fresh Expressions in Southwark is coming of age! Yesterday we held the first Fresh Expressions vision day in the diocese of Southwark solidly backed by the diocese.

Fresh Expressions Vision Day

It was exciting last year when the Diocese of Southwark gave overwhelming support for holding a Vision Day for Fresh Expressions. There has been a growing realisation that the church cannot carry on as it always has done.

Overlapping Ministries

I have just started blogging occasional articles for the Church Growth Research and Development website.

My first article on the way that overlapping ministries can help churches to grow has just been published: http://www.churchgrowthrd.org.uk/blog/churchgrowth/overlapping_ministries

The Church Growth R&D is a relatively new initiative to look at how the church of England can foster growth. As they say on their website

The Church Growth Research Programme is an 18 month research project exploring some of the factors that might explain church growth in the Church of England. The site includes examples of growing churches, existing literature on church growth and a discussion forum for users to share their experiences and opinions on church growth.

Well worth a general look at for ideas

Motto card 2013

Each year we have a motto card that shares what we believe that is on God’s heart for us as a church. So we published these in 2011 and 2012. 

So now what should we be….

One of the most exciting development at Springfield is the developing of what we call River Ministries. These are ministries that we start in the community for the community.

Why women should be Bishops….

There has been a great deal of fury over the decision of the General Synod of the Church of England to not ratify legislation to appoint women as bishops.

Great article on women’s bishops

I’m off to hear Rowan Williams at the Fresh Expressions conference. I do hope to write more about the women bishops and the theology of it.

In the meantime Ian Paul has written an excellent article:

What does the decision on women bishops mean

Murder in the Cathedral…. women bishops

It was a bad day yesterday for the Church of England. There hasn’t quite been a Thomas a Beckett style murder in the Cathedral but it has been a disastrous own goal for the Church of England. Indeed it was an unforced error. No-one from outside made the Church do this.