Vision statement

St. Paul's is currently considering how we can best face up to the challenges of the 21st Century and part of this will include renewing our vision.  As part of this, we believe that a healthy church grows towards:

an energising faith

• Christ-centred rather than having another focus
• talking about God rather than just church
• coming as worshippers rather than coming as attenders

an outward looking focus

• a 'whole life focus' rather than a 'church life focus'
• working for personal and social change rather than resisting change
• helping people live the faith more than using people to run the church
• sharing its faith widely rather than being embarrassed to talk about faith

finding out what God wants

• prays about priorities more than fights about them
• discerns what to do more than votes about what to do

facing the cost of growth and change

• addressing the need for change rather than avoiding issues of change
• hoping for future gains rather than fearing loss of the past
• embracing sacrifice rather than staying as we are
• welcoming creative new ventures rather than being fearful of change

practising an enabling style of leadership

• seeing leadership as service rather than seeing it as power and control
• working collaboratively rather than being the boss
• permission-giving rather than permission-witholding

having a participative laity

• leaders welcome everyone's contribution rather than leaders needing to control everything
• involving lots of people rather than being run by a small clique
• church members eager for action rather than being a passive congregation

being a loving community

• operating as a faith community more than a religious organisation
• celebrating diversity rather than concerned for conformity
• values people for who they are above what they do
• has real, sometimes sharp, conversation rather than being bland and nice

seeing faith as a life-long journey

• helping newcomers discover the faith rather than just 'joining the church'
• seeing themselves as disciples on a journey rather than members who have arrived
• helping people to be holy rather than just keeping them happy

practises what it preaches

• seeking to be a sign of the kingdom rather than a reminder of the good old days
• seeking to let the gospel shape the church more than the culture shape the church
• is not afraid to be distinctive rather than conforming to social norms
• fitting (flexible) structures around people rather than squeezing people into structures

doing a few things - well

• has a clear set of priorities rather than tries to do everything
• can cope with not doing everything rather than always needs to be doing things
• is relaxed yet focused rather than frantic and unfocused activity

These characteristics of a healthy church are based on work done by Canon Robert Warren and Dr Janet Hodgson, and published by Springboard - the Archbishops' Initiative for Evangelism.

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