Vision for the Parish

To adopt the 10 'healthy Church characteristics' from the Growing Healthy Churches leaflet as our aims to aspire to.

  1. Personal Growth.  To affirm and equip Christians in personal spirituality, discipleship and witness for their everyday life.
    1. By providing training, encouragement and opportunities to serve.
    2. By teaching and preaching.
    3. By encouraging people to discover new aspects of the faith.
    4. By providing appropriate groups for fellowship and learning.
    5. By encouraging the use of spiritual gifts.
    6. By identifying and developing people with leadership potential or particular ministries.
  2. Integration.  To be a multi-cultural and multi-racial Church, fully integrating people from all backgrounds. (Using English as the common language.)
    1. By supporting evangelistic and pastoral care amongst ethnic groups and in so doing employing Parish Workers for this ministry and involve the whole Church.
    2. To make the buildings and community life of the Church welcoming and attractive to people from all backgrounds.
    3. To integrate people of all ethnic groups into positions of responsibility and leadership within the Church according to gifting
  3. Nurturing Community.  To continue to develop the concept of being a Christian Community.
    1. To build up the sense of belonging to one another and taking responsibility for each other.
    2. To encourage good and open relationships throughout the whole congregation.
    3. To nurture children and young people as equally important members of the Community and to foster their discipleship, vocation and commitment to the Church.
    4. To be actively caring for each other, especially the vulnerable and disadvantaged amongst us, by listening and responding in practical ways.
    5. To provide appropriate groups for different needs within the Church, each group an integral part of the Church not independent of it, by developing a variety of flexible and linked groups to meet the needs and opportunities of the Church. For example: Home Groups / Cell Groups / Prayer Groups / Discipleship Groups / Alpha Courses / groups for those retired / Youth / etc.
  4. Prayer.  To develop and facilitate the ministries of Prayer and Healing within our Church and as a resource to the wider Church and Community. (Providing times of prayer and an accessible place for prayer.)
  5. Focussed or Targeted Outreach.  To provide resources and outreach through specific ministries related to children, teens and parents, including single parents, and those who care for children.  This provides help for the general public as well as our membership.  It would facilitate 'bridge building' and the relationships within which sharing faith would be possible.  The following are illustrative: Parental support, education, training and facilities.  Parenting classes.  Children's work through such things as After School clubs, schools work, holiday clubs, children/teen groups.  Groups that focus on particular needs: Parent and toddler, Special Needs children/teens, Language or learning needs, Single or teen parents ...
    1. To explore a working partnership with other agencies where appropriate.
    2. To work towards 'employing' a full time worker to facility the above ministry.
  6. Our relationship with Others.
    1. To develop an energetic, distinctive and collaborative role within the Deanery and within any new possible Group Ministry and where possible other Town centre Churches and inter-Church organisations.
    2. To support and make local mission and evangelism initiatives.
    3. To provide support and resources to other Churches by running and hosting activities to assist with training and development etc.
    4. To play a part in standing up / speaking out for Christian values in our locality and in the nation after informing ourselves of the issues.  Probably focussing on specific issues from time to time.
    5. To strengthen overseas mission links (fewer links but stronger) and to recognise that Slough is equally our mission field.
    6. To consider exploring and developing a strong overseas link with one other Church that we can give practical support to.  (Possible aid or exchange visits etc.)
    7. To consider exploring and developing a friendship link with another parish for mutual support and encouragement. (Within reasonable travelling distance.)
    8. To consider, with a view to developing, a local project for the community which the Church community would lead and support. (Possibly linked to developing section 5 above.)

St. Paul's PCC.