The Diocese of Winchester is delighted to announce that it has been awarded £7 million from the national church to support churches to grow, flourish and serve their local communities, with the opportunity to apply for further funding in the coming years.
The money will have a lasting impact on churches, schools and chaplaincies across the diocese which serves a population of 1.25 million people across Hampshire and East Dorset.
It is the first stage of a ten-year diocesan wide vision entitled ‘Walking the Wessex Way’ which hopes to welcome new people to church, particularly young people, grow and train new leaders and launch new worshipping communities across the diocese as well as continuing to support our rural parishes.
The grant has been awarded by the Church of England’s Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Board. It is the result of several years of hard work and planning by the diocesan team in consultation with clergy and key stakeholders.
The investment has been awarded to fund three specific projects across the diocese to support our urban churches and our rural communities:
Believing in Bournemouth and Believing in Southampton
These two areas are home to around a third of the diocesan population and include some of our most diverse, fastest growing and deprived communities. We want to support churches across both areas to grow, encourage new churches to develop, train future leaders and provide more outreach to young people.
Towns and Surrounds
We are seeking to strengthen churches across our towns and surrounding areas with training, mentoring, and resources especially in deprived and vulnerable areas, helping those ready to grow to thrive and play
an even greater role in their communities.
Growing Rural Parishes
Growing on our successful programme, we will be able to support 12 additional rural benefices with investment in administration, communications, children’s and youth workers to grow congregations, leaders and community engagement.
The funding also covers the cost of the team delivering this work meaning not only that we can resource this mission well but that it doesn’t come from the Common Mission Fund, which is used for the costs of ministry.
The investment is designed to establish sustainable growth that will continue to bear fruit well beyond the lifetime of the funding.
The Bishop of Winchester, the Rt Revd Philip Mounstephen, said, “This is good news for the whole of the Diocese of Winchester. Our vision is to enable every person living here to have access to a flourishing, joyful and sustainable Christian community. The work will build on our vision of ‘Walking the Wessex Way’ which is to learn from Jesus, love like Jesus, serve for Jesus and grow disciples in the name of Jesus. My prayer is that our plans might lead many people to know the love of Christ and grow in their faith and service of him. This funding gives us a real opportunity to engage with our communities, to grow together and bring the hope and love of Jesus across our diocese.”
The Bishop of Southampton, the Rt Revd Rhiannon King added, “I am thrilled that this funding is coming our way and believe it will be a catalyst for an exciting new season of mission, discipleship and church growth across the diocese. Huge thanks to all those who have contributed to discussions to get us this far… Now the real work begins! Please pray.”
Previous investment in the diocese has led to significant growth including the creation of new worshipping communities in several of our towns and cities, revitalisation of churches and more people engaging in church life in our rural parishes for the first time.
The diocese now plans to host events allowing people to hear more about the funding, ask questions and prayerfully consider how to work together to achieve our vision and help our churches and communities flourish for generations to come.
