The ministry team here at All Saints has been praying into what comes next for our church and how to best move forward with our congregation, the Lifehouse Project, and outreach through Transforming Mission. We met as a church on Sunday, 19 September to go over this vision and answer questions. If you were not able to attend that meeting, please see the recording and presentation slides below. Feel free to send any Lifehouse related questions to lucas@asht.org.uk and questions about anything else to vicar@asht.org.uk.
ASH Church
2021-2026 Vision and Strategy
The thumbnail images below are copies of the slides shared at our most recent update meeting after worship on the 12th September. To see the full size versions simply click on each image below.
First a note about the diagram used. The circular diagram is an attempt to capture some important truths of our common life in Christ. The whole circle represents the life of the church, its people and activities. At the center of the diagram is Jesus, representing our intention for Jesus to be at the center of all we do as a church. When we say Jesus we also mean the One God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The yellow circle that surrounds Jesus (in the first diagram) represents the heart of our church's life, the people we serve and call brothers and sisters. The outer circle and coloured segments represent the distinct areas of our life. Here is what we mean by the three areas:
First a note about the diagram used. The circular diagram is an attempt to capture some important truths of our common life in Christ. The whole circle represents the life of the church, its people and activities. At the center of the diagram is Jesus, representing our intention for Jesus to be at the center of all we do as a church. When we say Jesus we also mean the One God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The yellow circle that surrounds Jesus (in the first diagram) represents the heart of our church's life, the people we serve and call brothers and sisters. The outer circle and coloured segments represent the distinct areas of our life. Here is what we mean by the three areas:
Community (existing church life: mission, discipleship, community and worship)
This area encompasses the life and ministry of the parish church in its inherited form, deepening our sense of call to serve our parish, and deepening its life of worship and prayer in a recognisable Anglican tradition. Developing our love for word and sacrament and strengthening our links with local schools and the surrounding community.
Lifehouse (the redevelopment of our buildings to help us share the love of God in welcome and hospitality and enhance our ability to reach out).
This area is the completion of the planning and funding of the Lifehouse building, and then phase 2 – the operational concerns of a new building.
Transforming Mission (to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with the missing generations)
This area will help the church establish a new worshipping community to reach the missing generations (18-40s) and support the Bishop’s Mission Order for Truro and the deanery.
This area encompasses the life and ministry of the parish church in its inherited form, deepening our sense of call to serve our parish, and deepening its life of worship and prayer in a recognisable Anglican tradition. Developing our love for word and sacrament and strengthening our links with local schools and the surrounding community.
Lifehouse (the redevelopment of our buildings to help us share the love of God in welcome and hospitality and enhance our ability to reach out).
This area is the completion of the planning and funding of the Lifehouse building, and then phase 2 – the operational concerns of a new building.
Transforming Mission (to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with the missing generations)
This area will help the church establish a new worshipping community to reach the missing generations (18-40s) and support the Bishop’s Mission Order for Truro and the deanery.
In other images below you'll see some of the words that will describe the activities or approach of the three areas. And at the very bottom you will see a close up of the priorities associated with the existing church and its parish life.
We will be holding a follow up meeting on Sunday 19th September at 5pm so that we go in to more detail about the three different areas and what to expect over the next 5 years.
To help us make the most of this time and to pray into this new area of work we'd like to invite you to submit feedback or questions using the form at the bottom. The ministry team will receive the questions and feedback anonymously and will address each one either in person at the meeting on Sunday 19th or via our newsletter the following week. Please pray for this time, and please pray for the vision, the ministry team, and the whole church as we embark on this together. Thank you.
