More than 90 people joined a conversation about Making Jesus Known in a meeting in Wimborne Poole and North Bournemouth.
Five people from each parish were asked to come together to discuss the new vision for the Diocese of Salisbury, and what work could be done together to live out the priorities which underline Making Jesus Known.
The evening was led by Canon Lucy Holt, who is assistant archdeacon of Dorset, and Gillian Clarke, chair of the house of laity in the diocese. They explained the priorities, which were discerned from conversations with communities and clergy throughout the last 12 months, led by Bishop Stephen. The evening celebrated what is already being done locally and used questions in small groups to allow people to uncover further opportunities to work together.
Gillian said the number of people who turned out on a wet night was amazing – as was the level of enthusiasm and participation.
“We were delighted at the high turnout especially on such a wet night; an indication I think of how keen people are to engage with the Salisbury Vision, MJK.
“There was a strong focus on our local communities, people and places we know well and exploring how we might play our part in partnership with others.
“People began by looking at the priorities of MJK, sharing information about things already happening in their churches and communities. This was a really positive start as we moved on to more challenging questions such as: What are we not doing? What can we do differently? What can we do better together?
“Now we need to get on with some creative ideas about possible next steps!”
The evening piloted a new resource to enable conversations on the vision in parishes and deaneries. It now available for everyone to use on our website.
Lucy and Gillian would be happy to talk to others planning a similar evening and share resources and ideas. You can also join the conversation on our new Slack channel and by signing up to our webinars.