Dorking Deanery - A Vision for the Future

The Dorking Deanery Vision Day, held on 21st November, was the starting point for a new direction for the Deanery. As those who were involved will testify, the day itself was an exceptional time, filled with constructive discussion, thoughtful reflection, prayer - and even the dreaming of dreams! Throughout the day, participants were touched by the warmth of Christian fellowship and shared a real willingness to listen to and trust each other. Simple pleasures, including walking together through beautiful woodland and sharing a meal contributed to the thinking, too. As the day progressed, there was a deepening resolve that we – the Dorking Deanery Synod - simply have to break out from the old long-established patterns and develop new directions, rooted in the confidence that there is a valuable role for the Deanery in serving our parishes.

The members of Deanery Synod who participated on the day brought an abundance of ideas and fresh thinking and, since then, a small group of us (Mary Huggins, Clare Truman, Liz Cave and Paul Bryer) has attempted to distil the vision and develop some proposals for the way forward. What is emerging is a radical new way of viewing the future role of Dorking Deanery as a significant and dynamic component of the life of our churches within the Deanery. We want to share the developments with you and, together, contemplate the positive impact we intend that this will have on our parishes and – most importantly of all - for the individual members of our church communities.



Dorking Deanery Synod – the journey so far

Key points from the Vision Day:

· The current ‘formula’ for Dorking Deanery Synod is no longer effective. At its worst, Deanery Synod feels like a series of wasted evenings, playing a largely redundant part in the C 0f E hierarchy of synodical governance and unconnected with the work of the parishes.

· And yet the continuing daily and weekly expression of faith and commitment of church members in the parishes continues and - as with many organisations that aim to offer complex range of services and facilities to their communities - the need for fresh ideas and occasional support is ever-present.

· There are many opportunities – for example, for growth, outreach, mission and worship - that may just be too big to be taken by our parishes alone, but where collaboration between groups of churches - and potentially across the Deanery – could make the difference.

Detailed notes from the discussions are included here as an Appendix, so that you can see the breadth of the ideas that were shared.

The Vision for Dorking Deanery that was emerging towards the end of the Vision Day in November and is developing now is that the Deanery could adopt a service role, empowering the parishes it serves by providing support, resources, fellowship, collaboration and the potential to develop new opportunities on a bigger-than-parish scale. One of the Mission Statements suggested in the Vision Day is:

Dorking Deanery exists to support, share and serve the churches as they seek to fulfil the mission of Christ.

What do you think?

Have your say!

There will be some time in the Dorking Deanery Synod meeting on 11th February to reflect on these ideas and developments – please speak up and share your views!

The main focus of the meeting will be the challenges and opportunities we face in serving the young people of our parishes. Three people with a wealth of experience in working with young people in the Deanery will be with us for the meeting, and the meeting will be a great opportunity to learn from them and pick up new ideas, to seek support or investigate possibilities and to network with others who may be able to help. To make best use of the meeting, though, you need to come with the agenda for your parish – what do you (and the young people themselves!) want? How do you see the direction of your work with young people? What will help you get there? Can your parish bring fresh ideas – or offers of support to other parishes?

To help you to get the most out of the next Deanery Synod meeting, discuss the direction of your work with young people with others in your church community before you come – if you can. We realise time is tight – the theme of our work with young people will be a continuous one, as it’s so important, so don’t panic!

Notes from Mary Huggins, Clare Truman, Liz Cave and Paul Bryer

APPENDIX

NOTES FROM THE DORKING DEANERY VISION DAY

HELD ON SATURDAY 21ST NOVEMBER 2009

Deanery Synod: Pet Hates (We had to get these off our chests!)

· Apathy

· Seen as odd

· What is the role?

· Lack of time

· Disconnect with parishes

· Seen as irrelevant

· Practical matters, e.g. car parking, difficult to find venues

· Not being honest

· Rivalry and fear

· Defensiveness

· Lack of structure

· Clergy apathy

· Unwelcoming

· Cliques

· Sitting in rows

· Lack of commitment

· Intimidating

· Does not have a voice

· Waste of an evening

· Things never change


Deanery Synod: Future Dreams

· Forum for wider vision

· Topical tips

· Good News

· Encouragement

· Conversation

· Working together

· Helping each other

· Sharing resources

· Belonging

· Feeling at home

· Welcoming

· Supportive

· Nurturing

· Communication

· Appreciating diversity

· Taking enthusiasm back to PCC

· National issues

· Wider Church issues

· Teenagers’ resources

· Churches Together in Dorking resources

· Blog

· Meetings between Synod meetings

· Taking vision to Churches

· All Churches to feel important


What could we do better together?

· Vicar swap

· Keep in regular contact

· Get to know each other better

· Work together better

· Co-operation between churches

· Family resources

· Hold an Annual Deanery Service

· Bible Study in the Deanery

· Feeling safe

· Wanting to belong

· Involving our congregations

· Supporting each other

· Encouraging younger Deanery members

· Sharing together

· Serving together

Angels

From a choice of 34 depictions of angels we chose 5, representing:

Visible; all-embracing; safety; all-embracing love; spirit moving forward; gentleness; limitless; not sentimental; dynamic

Response to the question ‘Identify one thing your church does well’:

St Mary Magdalene, S Holmwood Ability to take the church to the community, e.g. Spirit the musical), Pub carol service, Hallowe’en ‘Surprise Walk, pastoral visits. Bible teaching. Making Church worship really work. Huge diversity of music.

St Paul’s, Dorking Size, diversity and manpower. Division of congregation between two main services. Admin help. Clergy preaching and taking services. Resources for children and teaching groups.

St John the Baptist, Capel ‘Open house’ and teas, lunches. Teas on Sunday afternoons.

St Martin’s, Dorking Ideas/resources for children’s/youth work that can be done with limited numbers, small groups of kids. Music.

St John’s, N Holmwood Variety of styles of worship. Spontaneous, good at reaching out to single families with social problems.

Holy Trinity, Westcott Community commitment.

St Barnabas, Ranmore A beautiful church which people need to visit.

Ockley/Okewood Hill/ Forest Green The Ark.

St John’s, Wootton Wedding Church

St Mary’s, Holmbury St Mary Good male and female attendance at morning prayer. Music (trad. church). Flowers. Admin skills, e.g. finance, faculties.

Christ Church, Coldharbour Friendship, particularly elderly.

Growing Vision

· More Bible study at Deanery level

· Deanery worship

· Increase profile/enthusiasm for the Deanery – full membership – younger

· Link to Churches Together in Dorking (CTD) and Youth Development Worker

· Tangible evidence of working together/sharing resources

· Raise profile within each congregation

· Diocesan events locally

· Introduction package for newcomers –what? when? who?

· Share teaching and preaching resources pulpit and home groups

· Larger-scale outreach to youth, Alpha, etc., etc.

· Top quality speakers

· Discussion of TV, difficult issues of the day, difficult issues for C of E

· Resources on the web – an active blog regularly updated by ‘called’ person

· Plan for shared clergy licensing – OLM/vicar swap

· Focussed programme that takes forward our listening to God’s agenda – structure of meeting to reflect this.

· To keep in contact, share fellowship with others in Deanery like an extended family

· To know each other, to we feel safe, comfortable and new members feel welcome

· Break down the barriers in our own churches

· Sharing resources – Resource Bank

· Annual Deanery Service

· Involve congregation with Deanery

· Report from each Parish – so dialogue is both ways

· Retreats (Walsingham)

· Bible Study Group, i.e. churches to provide for other churches

· 13 parishes – vicar swap to bring a different vision to congregation on a Sunday

· Need to do now – not put on hold

· Aims – by the end of the Church’s year we need to have put in place some if not all of the visions weshare

· Objects – to help Parishes feel part of the Deanery and not feel it is an elitist organisation

· Deanery Service celebrating the gifts of our churches

· Tackling nig subjects with facilitators helping us understand broader issues – widening the narrowness of our thinking

· Blog on finance and how to raise funds

· Resource sharing on blog and taking abilities, e.g. finance, youth to other churches – swapping ideas – could become a database of resources

· Deanery Mission Statement and logo to remind us what our statement is

· Ease the pain of the smaller church



Suggested Mission Statements

‘Working together, supporting each other to sustain healthy churches in the areas of prayer, corporate worship, mission and bible teaching.’

‘Supporting, sharing, serving the churches as they seek to fulfil the mission of Christ.’

‘To share and enable the work of God within our congregations.’



What do you think? Have your say!

There will be some time in the Dorking Deanery Synod meeting on 11th February to reflect on these ideas and developments – please speak up and share your views!