1	Stockton – A Healthy Deanery for 2020 All Saints, Preston-on-Tees 1^st March 2008
2	Outline of the day Session 1 – The World in 2020 Short break Session 2 – The Church in 2020 Working lunch Session 3 – Stockton Deanery in 2020 A break for quiet reflection Session 4 – Where do we go from here?
3	Preliminary remarks
4	It is hard looking a long way ahead
5	A choice must be made Manage decline or go for growth God doesn’t do decline Nor do our bishops! Does this deanery?
6	What do we need most of all? A positive attitude to change Change as growth Change as opportunity Change as exciting Change as desirable Not… Change as threat Change as challenge Change as terrifying Change to be avoided at all costs
7	What do we need most of all? An honest appraisal of the past Name all the good things that have happened Give God the glory Recognise the state of play Celebrate the good things that are happening Be honest about the problems – and our part in them Be hopeful about the future See the possibilities Be mature enough to face the cost
8	What do we need most of all? A clear sense of God’s calling For us as individual Christians For us as churches For us as a deanery We are on a journey What does it say on the front of the bus Does our vision of the destination make us want to get on
9	What do we need least of all? A head in the sand approach An ‘I’m all right, Jack’ attitude A whole load of good ideas that aren’t God ideas We need to remember that his ways are not our ways We need to keep his promise to build his Church in view We need to hold on to the fact that God has a much better track record than the church We need to learn to listen carefully, and constantly
10	Session 1 – The World in 2020
11	What kind of world? Most of the clergy currently in our deanery will be retired, or just a few years off it Many of our present congregations will be beyond ‘active service’ as they know it today Our 2008 sixth-form school leavers will be 30 The children we’re baptising now will be teenagers The couples we’re marrying now will be middle-aged
12	What kind of world? We’re trying to imagine the world we are bequeathing to the next generations our children our grandchildren our great-grandchildren What will their world be like? And what will we ourselves have had to come to terms with?
13	A world of contradictions Dependence on IT will be massive But we could be living in a world of scheduled power cuts We will be living longer, and with better health But our pensions will be lower, and we may not be able to afford to enjoy it
14	So what kind of world will it be?
15	The ‘Dream Ticket’ game Some visions are more realistic than others Stockton Renaissance: Vision 2020 “Billingham’s newest restaurant has been awarded two Michelin stars. It is the second eaterie in Billingham to appear in the famous eating guide.” What excites us about the possibilities for Stockton in 2020? This game was developed by Derek Rosamond for the Deanery Planning Process All the scenarios are from real documents!
16	The ‘Dream Ticket’ game rules Each of you has a dream ticket You can mingle as much as you like Find out what the other seven dream tickets are Discuss the others with the people who have them Negotiate to get the one you think is the most desirable of all the possibilities (you might fail!) Be prepared to justify your choice to the rest of us You have twenty minutes…
17	Eight Realistic ‘Dream Tickets’ A new Ian Ramsey School; sharing facilities on the Grangefield campus with the Sixth Form College, Grangefield School, and St Bede RC school To be able to travel on a new Metro system around the wider Tees valley, with tram connections into Stockton centre, and subsidised bus links to the villages and housing estates
18	Eight Realistic ‘Dream Tickets’ To be able to travel from Stockton/Eaglescliffe railway station to London in 90 minutes, and Paris in three hours A new general hospital on the Wynyard site, serving Tees Valley and Hartlepool
19	Eight Realistic ‘Dream Tickets’ Valuing an increasingly aging population through inclusion, real choice and provision for health and social care Creating sustainable communities in Stockton with an emphasis on zero emission housing, and provision for vulnerable adults, young people and children
20	Eight Realistic ‘Dream Tickets’ Development of the River Tees as both an Employment and Leisure resource, e.g. Vision 2020 foresees: A concentration of leading high-tech companies The sports clubs producing Olympic team members Ensuring that the towns of Billingham, Thornaby and Yarm are developed alongside initiatives within Stockton, and that provision of rural services is emphasised (Tees Valley is 47% rural)
21	‘Dream Ticket’ game feedback Which do you think is the most desirable? Why? Which ones do we think are inevitable anyway? Which ones do we think are realistic? Which ones are pie in the sky when you die? Is that just our limited imagination???
22	Hopes and Fears All sorts of things seem to be get better every year Life-threatening diseases that can be treated Computers and communications technology The ability to travel freely Other things just seem to get worse International relations Global warming Tension between the world’s religions The pensions crisis The bad things are linked to the good things Every good and bad thing seems to have a flipside
23	Hopes and Fears What is your greatest hope about the world the next generation will live in? What is the ‘downside’ of that hope, if any? What is your greatest fear about the world the next generation will live in? Is there any positive side to that fear? Again, you have twenty minutes…
24	Coffee Break – no more than 20 mins
25	Session 2 – The Church in 2020
26	What kind of church? The BCP will be coming up to its 350^th anniversary It will be 40 years since the ASB appeared Common Worship will have been in use for 20 years The 25^th anniversary of the ordination of women will have been passed Alpha will have been on the go for nearly 40 years 15 years will have passed since the publication of the Mission-Shaped Church report
27	What kind of church? What will have happened to the different denominations we know today? “The Church of England moves slowly” – will it have begun to move faster? If so, which way?? What will the relationship be to the state? Will we still be an established church? Will state interference in church affairs have gone too far? What will relationships with other faiths be like? Will the world be a more secular place – or not?
28	The Church of England’s track record Failing to grasp nettles Shying away from big decisions or delaying them indefinitely Fudging issues Being obsessed with internal matters when there are desperate and urgent mission needs Allowing self-interest to get in the way Jumping on the wrong bandwagons Tinkering instead of being radical
29	Can this leopard change its spots? Why not? Innovation and responding to God’s missionary initiative generally starts at the parish level Dioceses are being increasingly creative too In Durham, the deaneries are being asked to play a leading role
30	2020 Newslink Snippets Are they credible? Are they surprisingly radical? Are they surprisingly tame? Would it inspire your own witness and service if the church was more like this?
31	2020 Newslink Snippets They are all possible None of them could happen without radical change But some of them are on the way to happening What would stop them happening? What would God have to say to that??
32	Three things to think about Permissions (and prohibitions) What we can and can’t do We may have more freedom than we think (or can cope with) Sustainability and health What do we mean by sustainability? What does it look like – for a parish, and for a deanery? Making hard choices If we try to keep up ‘business as usual’, what happens when we reach the end of the road?
33	Permissions – Rod It is OK to ask questions and explore possibilities. It is OK to explore redefining deanery and parish boundaries It is OK to consider re-ordering church buildings to allow them to be used for meetings, clubs, etc. as well as for services, and closing the church hall, or vice versa. Or even to consider closing the church building and finding an alternative, more appropriate venue for church services and activities.
34	Permissions – Rod It is OK to collaborate with other parishes and denominations, even to the extent of combining with them. It is OK to find fresh patterns of worship, times and styles which suit congregations and those not currently in church, and still remain Anglican. In team ministries it is OK to designate specific churches for specific purposes – e.g. one church for mid-week services, mother and toddler, etc; another for pastoral offices/special occasions.
35	Permissions – Rod It is OK to choose priorities and decide the things you are going to do and the things you can no longer do, and to stop doing some things. It is OK to leave behind unhelpful baggage to free up time and energy for more meaningful activities. It is OK for laity to undertake leadership roles. It is not necessary for stipendiary clergy to lead everything. It is OK to think in terms of ‘our church’ but not in terms of ‘our club’.
36	Prohibitions – Rod It is not OK to give up on the essentials of being Christian (like the richer helping the poorer), nor the essential elements of being Anglican (like working under the Bishop’s authority). We do not want to become focused solely on the congregation’s wishes. It is not OK to pull up the drawbridge and try to go it alone. It is not OK to break the law, but is OK to ask how we might achieve something.
37	Sustainability – David
38	Hard Choices – Meg
39	Some things to discuss over lunch Who are we (and will we be) serving? If the answer is ‘ourselves’ do we deserve to survive? Where is our faith? If we’re still fearful or pessimistic, why is that? Which of the 2020 Newslink Snippets excites you? They aren’t bandwagons for jumping on, but they are intended to stimulate vision. Write on the ‘table cloths’ We’ll take feedback after lunch
40	Lunch – 40 minutes
41	Session 3 – Stockton Deanery in 2020
42	Feedback from lunchtime discussions Who are we (and will we be) serving? If the answer is ‘ourselves’ do we deserve to survive? Where is our faith? If we’re still fearful or pessimistic, why is that? Which of the 2020 Newslink Snippets excites you? They aren’t bandwagons for jumping on, but they are intended to stimulate vision.
43	We can’t avoid Growing the Kingdom That statement has several meanings! If we try to avoid it, then we aren’t being the Church If think it isn’t going to happen, it is – it is God’s work The Growing the Kingdom principles are starting to influence diocesan life a lot, and they really, really work We need to take them seriously as a deanery When the planning group did its work in January, it all fitted into the Growing the Kingdom framework It is entirely compatible with Holy, Learning, Witnessing, so it isn’t a new gimmick, but it goes much deeper
44	First things first We tried to function on Growing the Kingdom lines Focusing on mission We worked 100% on the basis of planning for growth Management of decline was never considered Acting collaboratively The group was very well balanced, i.e. challengingly diverse No one person’s thinking has dominated – there was complete and sometimes surprising agreement
45	First things first Learning discipleship We have been personally challenged about our own lives and ministries through the process Developing leadership The result is something we believe to be prophetic Restoring the sacred centre All the thinking and discussions were completely rooted in prayer and worship We tried to be equally open to insights from scripture, reason, tradition and experience, and they have all pointed in the same direction
46	First things first We began by recalling all the good aspects of the recent history of the church in Stockton, and recognising the flaws in that history We came back to this frequently to remind ourselves that we stand on the shoulders of others We’ve tried to think ‘out of the box’, but: We were not interested in finding bandwagons to jump on We were dead set against change for change’s sake
47	Can you visualise a deanery where… There is a wonderful diversity of worship styles, and people are learning both to love and share in the richness of each other’s cherished traditions, and to see the weaknesses and blindspots of their own? There is daily worship, and passionate prayer once again in many places, involving both lay and clergy? Where every Christian has the loving support of a small group (remember some of our congregations already are small groups) The whole deanery worships together regularly
48	Can you visualise a deanery where… The burden of meetings and administration is cut to an absolute minimum, and shared as far as possible Christians are freed up to be involved in mission rather than keeping the show on the road or organising endless fund-raising events Finances are so healthy that we can run a local ‘mission fund’ and still give away 10% to mission agencies and other causes Buildings and heritage issues are looked after by a manager employed by the deanery
49	Can you visualise a deanery where… Everyone – lay or clergy – is working in accordance with the gifts God has given them There is a culture of high accountability/low control Everyone is able to speak naturally and clearly about their faith and how it has transformed their life All ‘jobs’ are taken on for a limited time, not for ever and a day, and proper support is given The number of active mission projects is increasing all the time No congregations would ever say “we couldn’t work with them” about another
50	Can you visualise a deanery where… We work in full partnership with our Christian neighbours of every denomination We don’t allow ‘regulations’ to get in the way of the rule of love People are coming to faith, taking their baptism seriously, and growing into mature disciples We take every opportunity to apply good ideas wherever we can We re-invent the wheel as rarely as we can Lay ministries are valued at least as highly as clerical
51	Can you visualise a deanery where… Weddings are booming, and the couples are getting involved in high-quality marriage preparation and then connected with parenting courses, toddler groups, men’s groups, etc. There is high-quality work going on in every school, not just CofE schools, all connected in with local congregations Christians have a respected voice in public life Every Christian is ‘self-feeding’ and the organisation is always learning from experience (inc. mistakes)
52	Can you visualise a deanery where… We would rather take risks for the sake of the gospel than play safe or put obstacles in the way Every (remaining) church building is ‘fit-for-purpose’ The wider communities are actively involved in caring for the buildings if it is a heritage building that they particularly value, but… The church is blessing communities by providing a top-quality facility Most of the churches are open and active every day There is sacred space in every community, even if it isn’t a church as such
53	Can you visualise a deanery where… Everyone sees themselves as a missionary Pastoral care for the whole community is much more effective and much more widely shared than today Congregations routinely help each other out, practically and financially There is a vibrant student ministry We’re willing to let go of past glories for the sake of the gospel in the present There are new ‘congregations’ in new communities The average age of congregations is falling
54	Can you visualise a deanery where… The elderly and housebound exercise a ministry of prayer, intercession and mentoring for young people There is a small resident community of retired priests acting as a prayer community All paid workers (non clergy) are on a single payroll We live by radical kingdom values as Christians and as churches – we are an equal opportunities, fair-trade, carbon-neutral deanery! And we are not proud or pleased with ourselves, but always restless to see more of the kingdom
55	Could it happen? If we… Focus on mission Act collaboratively Learn as disciples Develop leadership And above all… Restore the sacred centre?
56	What would it take? A radical willingness to be vulnerable and throw in our lot together – in every aspect of church life Simplify structures, management, finances and administration Get rid of any meaningless boundaries Work completely as a team
57	What would it take? A great deal of faith and willingness to take risks and occasionally fail The courage and maturity to walk away from some of our buildings that are the wrong ones in the wrong places in order to fund the right buildings in the right places (pruning for growth) Commitment to growing as disciples, and calling out new leaders (ordained, licensed or lay)
58	What would it take? Freeing some clergy and some laity from tasks they aren’t suited for, so that they can give us all the full benefit of the things they excel at Identifying a few churches which could be developed to act as resource hubs for the others Starting new church communities (small-medium) in a lot of new contexts (schools, care homes, etc.) A deanery wide stewardship campaign more serious and challenging than anything before
59	What would it take? Much closer working and planning with ecumenical partner churches A fairly radical change of working style and priorities for the current stipendiary clergy, and clear policy for the kind of people we recruit for the future Willingness sometimes to let go of ways we have “always done things” so that the new can emerge A ‘sold-out’ commitment to real, committed and costly mission A root and branch renewal of the church!
60	What would Newslink be saying? Remember the not-so-obviously-realistic dream: “Billingham’s newest restaurant has been awarded two Michelin stars. It is the second eaterie in Billingham to appear in the famous eating guide.” Along those lines, what story might Newslink be reporting about this kind of Stockton deanery super-parish in 2020? It might be to do with: Work with children and young people A significant event or an anniversary of an event A newly launched mission initiative/partnership Etc.
61	2020 Newslink Snippets As with the other 2020 Newslink snippets, maybe these are all possible too Probably many of them couldn’t happen without radical change Probably some of them are already on the way to happening Once more, what would stop them happening? What would God have to say to that??
62	Break for quiet reflection
63	Session 4 – Where do we go from here?
64	How do we feel
65	This couldn’t happen overnight It couldn’t, and it shouldn’t. It is a vision for 2020. There are things that we can do now to help. There are things we could do now that would hinder. Even if we agree it, the approach will be phased. We don’t intend to try to create a precise blueprint – that would be laughable and unhelpful. The stages by which we proceed (if we proceed) will unfold as circumstances unfold – and not necessarily in the order we would choose! Before we get close, the destination will have changed.
66	Not in my lifetime The temptation is to continue with business as usual. 2020 seems too far away to worry about. In fact it is closer than we think. The reaction may well be “Over my dead body” Loosely translated that means “Not in my lifetime”, or, “Do what you like when I’m dead, but not before”. That really isn’t an option. The question is whether this is the right future for the church in Stockton deanery. If it is, then it is our generation’s responsibility to move in that direction, for the sake of the kingdom.
67	How do we feel
68	Helps and hindrances - brainstorm
69	How do we feel
70	A motion for Deanery Synod on 31/3/08 That synod asks the working group (the pastoral/standing committee) as its top priority in the new triennium to explore fully with diocesan officers and partner churches and organisations how, practically, Stockton deanery could develop into an integrated parish/mission unit, and to propose ways in which this would at least maintain and preferably enhance local pastoral ministry as well as facilitating imaginative mission. Synod furthermore asks deanery clergy and other officers to make every effort to support the working group due to the workload of the further exploratory work)
71	A motion for Deanery Synod on 31/3/08 That synod asks the pastoral committee, officers and diocese to take account of this preferred direction as they deal with current areas of change (St Mary Magdalene, Billingham; St Mark’s Fairfield and Elton). This should include decisions made in the areas of: Effective interim oversight How any new appointments are designed, and how the recruitment process is conducted Changes to parish boundaries or groupings The future of unsuitable or redundant buildings Use of funds released through sale of buildings and land.
72	A motion for Deanery Synod on 31/3/08 That, regardless of the final plan, synod supports a deanery-wide effort in terms of: A vigorous stewardship program and audit of finances Various means to enable deeper nurture of mature faith Better sharing of successful mission ideas Encouraging vocations
73	Stockton – A Healthy Deanery for 2020 All Saints, Preston-on-Tees 1^st March 2008
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