Up to 130 people now take to the hills in and around the Lake District to meet and worship, as part of a network dubbed ‘Mountain Pilgrims’.The initiative was set up by Paul Rose, a “Pioneer Enabler” for the Diocese as a way of engaging people who might not relate to a traditional church setting.Paul explained that the outdoor church services are more like pilgrimages, where every outing is an opportunity for revelation and to “create a space for both conversation and silence without awkwardness.”The idea was first developed in 2015. “We’d found that simply taking church practices and words into the outdoors felt inauthentic to our experiences,” he explained.“So we began the process of exploring how we could understand the experience of being in the mountains through the lens of the Christian story.“We appreciated the space and silence that freed us from the distractions which often limit how we hear God’s voice in our soul.“We journeyed, spoke, prayed and shared, shoulder to shoulder with a community – and then we called ourselves Mountain Pilgrims.”The group has a core of around 90 regulars who attend monthly and around 40 others who join less often. Paul is currently working on expanding Mountain Pilgrims across Cumbria and the North of England, and into Wales and Scotland and is also taking the approach into schools.The Pilgrims have developed a routine of walking the mountains on the Winter and Summer Solstices, using those days as an opportunity to reflect on the place of both light and darkness in the balance of life.Paul recalled: “At a Winter Solstice gathering, a friend was standing as we slowly turned off our torches, leaving us in darkness.“His mother had died earlier that year and he described a feeling of being held in that place of darkness by the rest of the natural world, creating space for him to recognise his grief.“In that place of brokenness, he felt ministered to by creation – he encountered God beginning the healing process.”He said that while for some people Mountain Pilgrims’ approach has become an alternative to an indoor church, others see it as an addition.“Some settings use it as an outreach opportunity and hope to draw people back into the established church setting rather than creating a church out on the hills,” he added.The groups are open to those of all ages and fitness levels, and there is an increasing number of wheelchair and pushchair-accessible routes, enabling those with disabilities and young children to take part.“Participants certainly don’t need to be mountain goats,” he said.
Gracious God, we give thanksfor the life of your servant Queen Elizabeth,for her faith and her dedication to duty.Bless our nation as we mourn her deathand may her example continue to inspire us;through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Vision and StrategyA vision and strategy for the Church of England in the 2020s.About the Vision and StrategyThe Church of England’s vocation is and always has been to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ afresh in each generation to the people of England. The vision and strategy is an invitation to dioceses and parishes to examine and develop existing strategies and processes in the light of these ideas.“The overriding aim for the future is that any worshipping member of the Church of England, when asked by their friend where they could go to explore their faith, would be able to recommend an expression of Church locally that would really suit them.”Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of YorkOne visionA Church for the whole nation which is Jesus Christ centred, and shaped by, the five marks of mission. A church that is simpler,humbler, bolder. Three prioritiesTo become a church of missionary disciples where all God’s people are free to live the Christian life, wherever we spend our time Sunday to Saturday.To be a church where mixed ecology is the norm* – where every person in England has access to an enriching and compelling community of faith by adding new churches and new forms of Church to our parishes, cathedrals, schools and chaplaincies.To be a church that is younger and more diverse. *the mixed ecology describes the flourishing of church and ministry in our parishes, and in other communities of faith through things like church planting, fresh expressions of church, and chaplaincy and online. Six bold outcomesFrom the three strategic priorities we have identified six bold outcomes.A church for everyone through: Doubling the number of children and young active disciples in the Church of England by 2030. A Church of England which fully represents the communities we serve in age and diversity.A pathway for everyone into an accessible and contextual expression of church through:A parish system revitalised for mission so churches can reach and serve everyone in their community.Creating ten thousand new Christian communities across the four areas of home, work/education, social and digital. Empowered by:All Christians in the Church of England envisioned, resourced and released to live as disciples of Jesus Christ in the whole of life, bringing transformation to the church and world.All local churches, supported by their diocese, becoming communities and hubs for initial and ongoing formation.A church that is younger and more diverseIn February 2020, GS2161 was presented to General Synod, outlining the most recent findings on under 16 attendance in the Church of England. Synod requested more insight into the data to understand best practice in a variety of contexts. Research was conducted in early 2022 with over 200 churches who had grown their engagement with young people in a variety of contexts and traditions between 2014 and 2019. The aim was to distinguish factors that had contributed to the growth, offering principles that other churches could reflect on as they sought to engage with young people. The findings were first presented in a workshop at General Synod in July 2022.Youth and Children Growth Research – Synod presentationYouth and Children Growth Research – full research paperThe short film below tells the stories of places that have chosen to prioritise young people, children and families, with case studies from Southampton, Barnet, Eynsham, Blackburn, Fulham, and Loughton.A church of missionary disciplesIn this short film we hear people from different walks of life talk about how they live out their faith throughout the week. Visit the Church of England's Everyday Faith portal for bitesize resources on topics relevant to you that will help you find and follow God in everyday life.
