A group of churches around the area of Launde Abbey has been invited to pilot the process of becoming a Minster Community as part of the new diocesan framework agreed by Diocesan Synod in October 2021.
This will be the first group to pilot this process of conversations exploring what their Minster Community might look like. The process of forming a Minster Community is anticipated to take between eight and twelve months. Neighbouring parishes have also been informed and have been invited to observe the process.
It is expected that two more groups of churches will begin similar conversations this year, with one likely to commence discussions after Easter and the other in the autumn. The intention is that the whole diocese would be structured around Minster Communities by the end of 2026.
In other Shaped By God Together news, we are very encouraged that the national church have awarded us a grant in support of our work to form Minster Communities. This money will support us, over the next four years, to provide advice and support to Minster Communities as they seek to set up good practice in working together on the administrative and practical aspects of church life, as well as contributing to the training of 400 lay ministers, clergy and other lay leaders, and some additional central capacity, including supporting the Archdeacons with the introduction of new formal governance processes.
All churches have been sent some conversation starters that might help as each begin to think about how their worshipping community can contribute to, and benefit from, a future Minster Community in the coming years.
In the meanwhile, please continue to pray for honest, good and productive conversations between those worshipping communities which are the first to start exploring how their Minster Community might look when it forms sometime in 2023.