Looking forward

Sophie Whitmarsh gives a brief outline of the coming Year of Children, Youth and Families, starting on Advent Sunday, what the Diocese can expect and what will be expected of the Local Ministry Areas as we embark on a year that is of significance for the future of the diocese.

Four conferences ago, it was deemed that work with children, youth and families had to be the number one priority for the diocese, and hence my post was created.

In that time, I have constructed a strategy for Children, Youth and Families work, one that I believe is flexible enough that every Local Ministry Area (LMA) can work with it. During the conference this year, we will take a close look at the strategy, and how we can employ it in our own LMAs. We will look practically at where we are as LMAs, and where we would like to be.

In addition to the strategy, there will be several stands with resources available and guest speakers talking about their resources and what there is available to us to reach out. Bishop Dorrien has also invited some of the Youth Pilgrims to talk about their experiences at this year’s Pilgrimage.

In addition to all of this, I will lay out my plans for the coming year. The year will be largely event-based, with opportunities for everyone to be involved. Come to the conference armed with your diaries and a willingness to be involved with all that we have planned for the coming year, which will be a perfect warm up for us before we head into the following Year of Mission with Bishop Dorrien.

I am looking forward to the conference this year and am excited to see what God will do in and through us as a diocese in the coming year. God is good.