24.08.2012
Some Places Still Available for Second Diocesan Growth Forum
There are still some places available for the forthcoming Diocesan Growth Forum which takes place on Saturday October 6 in the High School, Rathgar. Up to 300 clergy and laity from across the United Dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough will come together to address the challenges faced by the church. The second Diocesan Growth Forum will continue the process begun at the inaugural event which took place in April examining the opportunities for fresh expressions of church which exist in the diocese.
The first event was an instant sell out with demand outstripping supply. The October forum has moved to a bigger venue. All Dublin and Glendalough clergy have been invited to attend and this time each incumbent in the dioceses has the opportunity to invite four lay people who can help in creatively expanding the Christian witness of their parishes.
The Diocesan Growth Committee is organising the event in response to the enormous social, cultural, economic and political changes which have taken place in the dioceses. These changes have created both challenges and opportunities for the Church of Ireland and, along with a shifting religious landscape, have resulted in a new unchurched generation emerging.
Discussions will aim to address questions on the nature of the church’s mission and on how clergy and laity can effectively engage with members of the community outside the confines of their existing congregations. The forum will also create a space for people to engage with such questions as well as to reflect on how others are tackling the challenges and creating opportunities.
Director of Church Army’s research unit, George Lings, will once again lead the discussion. From within the dioceses, Revd Canon Neil McEndoo and Revd Rob Jones from Rathmines and Revd Roly Heaney, rector of Redcross will highlight their experiences of change within their parishes. Revd Adrian McCartney, director of Boring Wells in Belfast and Revd Jackie Belfield, a Methodist minister from Warrington will also address the forum.
Archbishop Michael Jackson says October’s event is the next step for the dioceses. “The aim of this is to create an event that will facilitate the participation of all clergy and to provide an opportunity for engagement with the issues of a large cross section of the laity and to maintain the momentum that was a widely expressed desire at the April event,” he stated.
The October Diocesan Growth Forum will be held on Saturday October 6 in The High School from 9.30 am to 3.30 pm. The venue will hold 300 people and some 200 spaces have already been booked. Those who have not yet registered and wish to attend should email archdublinoffice@gmail.com. Lay people wishing to attend should approach their rector in the first instance.