Mission Policy of the circuit

We understand that we are not engaging in our mission, but rather participating in God’smission to all people, in partnership with others and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

We also understand that mission is all that we are sent to do by Christ. It includes not only evangelism but also service to our communities, pursuit of social justice and concern for the environment. We are to be signs of and sharers in the Kingdom of God and its values.

We understand that we live with the tensions of being both an inherited church and a ‘discipleship movement shaped for mission’ and that we need to work creatively with the opportunities and challenges this brings.

As a Circuit we believe that it is therefore our responsibility:

To manage our resources strategically and prayerfully, to maximise their effectiveness;
To support the churches in fulfilling their own mission strategies and objectives.

To do so we will:

Conduct periodic Circuit Reviews to determine the greatest opportunities for growth and outreach
Maintain appropriate levels of ordained and lay staffing, seeking grant funding as necessary, and deploying them in line with the identified opportunities for growth
Maintain a balanced Circuit Budget
Develop appropriate strategic ecumenical partnerships at Circuit level
Foster Circuit identity and cohesion through Circuit Services and the sharing of information
Work in partnership with neighbouring Circuits to use resources and expertise efficiently and effectively
Encourage and support differing expressions of worship alongside traditional forms
Group churches in ways which encourage the most effective partnerships between them for mission
Encourage churches to work closely with their own ecumenical partners
Provide Circuit opportunities for growth in discipleship and missional understanding
Develop and maintain relationships with other services and organisations serving the wellbeing of our communities