The Parish Growth Framework
Building Block: Resource Churches
Strategic Goal: Establish Resource Churches to effectively support parishes across the Diocese.
Timeline of progress
- The Resource Churches project was approved by the Parishes and Other Mission Agencies Commission, Diocesan Council and Synod in 2019. The project was proposed as a four-year pilot running until the end of 2022.
- Churches were recruited and announced towards the end of 2019, and Resource Church leaders began meeting as part of a learning community. The Resource Church project was largely on hold during 2020 while churches adapted to the COVID-19 environment.
- The first phase of the project is focused on building the capacity of Resource Churches and their leaders.
- Specialists have been appointed as park of the Resource Churches project. These specialists are:
- Bishop Daniel Abot — Ethnic congregations, Parishes and Other Mission Agencies CommissionThe Rev’d Daniel Hobbs — Mission planning and implementation and Lay ministry and leadership development, St John’s Cathedral
- Dale Lennon — Youth and children’s ministry and digital ministry, Robina Anglican Church
- Betrys Lowe — Youth and children’s ministry, St Bart’s Toowoomba
- Bowen Miller — Communications and digital ministry, Robina Anglican Church
- Amy Norman — Faith formation and discipleship, St Bart’s Toowoomba
- Mary-Anne Rulfs — Community engagement (mission and evangelism), Robina Anglican Church
- Following reductions to the PMC budget for 2022, there are now four Resource Churches:
- St John’s Cathedral
- St Bart’s, Toowoomba
- Robina Anglican Church
- St Paul’s, Ipswich.
- These Resource Churches have set targets for the number of churches they are seeking to support and the types of resources they are seeking to share. A model has been developed outlining three levels of parish partnerships and resourcing:
- Formal partnerships that may involve arrangements such as MOUs and significant budget implications.
- Informal partnerships focused on direct and ongoing relationships with activities, such as intense resource sharing and coaching.
- Self-service partnerships where resources are provided on the web and accessed as needed.
- In addition to these levels of assistance churches may seek assistance from a Resource Church at any time.
The Parish Growth Framework
