GAP3 - looking to 2012 with confidence

Growth Action Planning helps put churches in the Diocese on the right road for spiritual and numerical growth. In the first two years churches have used GAP it has proved both immensely popular and very helpful.

GAP3 has now been launched!

It will use the same planning outline already established by GAP1 and 2 but we hope to ask one or two further questions.

1. What things have you stopped doing in the last two years?

GAP is not about doing more, but doing a few things really well. Growth comes not from quantity but quality. Hopefully GAP is helping parishes focus upon the things that really matter; to do this means that some things need to stop.

2. Are your goals / vision reflecting the concept of UP, IN and OUT?

UP is about spirituality; up to God in prayer and worship.
IN is about the church organisation and the fellowship of the people of God.
OUT is about community involvement and the people of God reaching out beyond the church with the love of Christ.

GAP 3 wants to ask parishes if they have a reasonable balance between these three important aspects of the life of the church in their GAP goals over the last year. Some churches are good at one of the three at the expense of the others. To be a healthy, growing church every church needs a balance between UP, IN and OUT.

GAP is helping churches discern, plan and review; and through this process ensure that the quality of its mission and ministry improves year on year. In this way GAP is putting the Diocese on the right road for growth.

Timetable:

GAP 3 will be “launched” at the Archdeacons Visitations in May, 2012 where parishes will be able to get their GAP packs. The table below details when your parish will get its pack.

A/D	Date	Who	Where
Macc	2	Bowdon & Knutsford	St Margaret’s, Dunham Massey
Chester	3	Middlewich and Great Budworth	All Saints, Daresbury
Macc	8	Cheadle & Stockport	St Andrew's, Cheadle Hulme
Chester	9	Birkenhead, Wallasey and Wirral North	St Hildeburgh, Hoylake
Macc	14	Mottram & Chadkirk	Holy Trinity, Stalybridge
Chester	23	Frodsham and Wirral South	St Thomas, Ellesmere Port
Macc	24	Nantwich	St Michael's, Coppenhall
Chester	28	Chester and Malpas	All Saints, Hoole
Macc	30	Congleton & Macclesfield	St James, Gawsworth

Documents:

Parish Pack

GAP summary form

Deadline:

The deadline for returning your form to your Suffragan Bishop is 31 October 2012. If you are unable to return your form by this date then please inform your Suffragan Bishop.