United Dioceses of Dublin & Glendalough

14.09.2015

Witness, Worship and Welcome – People of Dublin and Glendalough Plan for the Future at Come&C Day

Witness, Worship and Welcome will become the focus for Dublin and Glendalough over the coming year. The three Ws are to form the lens through which the dioceses and parishes look at what they do and identify new paths and projects to explore during the year of Come&C which will take place during 2016.

Witness, Worship and Welcome were arrived at during an energetic and enthusiastic gathering of over 200 people from all over Dublin and Glendalough which took place in the High School in Rathgar on Saturday (September 12). The Come & C Day was organised by Archbishop Michael Jackson, with a small team of people, and facilitated by Dr David Tuohy SJ.

Introducing the day, Archbishop Jackson said it provided an opportunity to explore the Come&C report in a deeper way. The Come&C report is the result of a survey completed by parishes last year which highlighted the positive aspects and challenges of parish life. [It can be downloaded from the Diocesan website at: http://dublin.anglican.org/dioceses/index.php].

Once the Come&C report had been published, the question of what to do next arose. Dr Tuohy explained: “What we wanted to do was to look at the Come&C report and ask questions about what it says about the dioceses – its strengths and weaknesses and how we can build on this. The report was an opportunity for individuals, parishes and the dioceses to look at different aspects of its life but where should we go from here?”

MARKS OF MISSION IN DUBLIN AND GLENDALOUGH

He suggested that during the day people could look at the results of the report through a different lens, rather than from the perspectives of their own parishes. He added that examining it through the lens of the Five Marks of Mission of the Anglican Communion would help pick out our own identity and help us to see those marks of mission in Dublin and Glendalough.

The Year of Come&C will allow an opportunity for individuals, parishes and the dioceses to look at our identity. There are many different aspects of life in Dublin and Glendalough but Dr Tuohy pointed out that they are all part of the United Dioceses. He said that there may be those who wish to be left alone but suggested that it was a question of finding different ways to do things to enable us to move forward.

The first two sessions of the day looked at what happens in parishes against the backdrop of the Five Marks of Mission: how do we witness (tell the good news), teach (baptise and nurture new believers), tend (respond to human need), transform (challenge unjust structures and violence and pursue peace and reconciliation) and treasure (safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain life on earth). Collages of responses of the positive aspects and challenges facing parishes were put on the walls. The responses showed the huge diversity that exists within the dioceses but they also showed that there are many similarities between parishes.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

When looking to the future, Dr Tuohy suggested there were three groups of people to focus on: 1. The people who have not heard of Jesus or those who have but do not know him. 2. Those who are curious and asking questions for whom we need to provide answers and an invitation to Come&C. 3. Those on the path to discipleship who need to be sustained and nurtured.

He proposed three areas to think of: 1. Celebrating something that is already happening in parishes or the dioceses. 2. Encouraging, enhancing and deepening awareness of the Five Marks of Mission in the activities already happening in the dioceses. 3. Developing new initiatives that will widen and deepen the marks of mission.

All of these could be looked at through the lens of Witness, Welcome and Worship. “How can we develop our sense of witness? We witness to people who don’t know about Jesus and make them curious. How can we develop a greater sense of welcome? Part of the experience people have of being invited into a deeper relationship should be that they are made to feel welcome. How can we make our worship more meaningful?” Dr Tuohy asked. Brainstorming produced a wide list of suggested projects (see table).

During the coming weeks there will be further Come&C meetings in every rural deanery in Dublin and Glendalough. There, people who attended the Come&C Day will be able to bring what they heard to a wider audience of parishioners at a more local level. They can also start to put flesh on some of the suggested projects and activities and focus on the practicalities of developing Witness, Worship and Welcome.

“At the deanery meeting you will be going in with a sense of what others in the dioceses are thinking about. You’re going with a different perspective – not just the perspective of your own parish but in a way in which you are part of the bigger community. This is not a command performance. You don’t have to do any of it. ‘Come and See’ was an invitation and when the disciples saw what was there they saw the energy and liked it,” Dr Tuohy explained.

The rural deanery meetings will take place before Diocesan Synods on October 13 when progress will be reviewed before a proposal for the year of Come&C is made. This will build on the experiences of the Holy Spirit at work in parishes and in the dioceses and look at how to build on it.

Drawing the day to a close, Archbishop Jackson thanked all who helped with the planning of the day, those who had come out in such large numbers to support the day with enthusiasm and the High School for providing the venue. He pledged his commitment to continue the project but said he would need people to go out and encourage others to Come&C. He also urged people to support the programmes that take place next year. He thanked Dr Tuohy for his dedication to the project.

 

SUGGESTED PROJECTS TO DEVELOP WELCOME, WITNESS AND WORSHIP
WELCOME	WITNESS	WORSHIP
Bell Ringing	Being Able to Use Social Media	Songs of Praise
Annual Diocesan Forum	Stress Workshop	Sensitive Worship for New Members
Welcome Programme for new Parishioners	Outreach Project	Healing Prayer Groups
Get to Know You Events	IT Awareness	Messy Church
Combined Services With Neighbouring Parishes	Training People to Talk About Faith	Families Participating in Church
Personal Invitations	Community Involvement	Normalising Scripture
Ambassadors Project	Mission Statements at Parish, Diocesan and All Ireland Levels	Youth Festival
Welcome Team at Church	Local Celebrations	Picnic and Music Worship
Flower Show	Prisioner Support	Churches Offer Variety in Worship
Food, Fellowship and Sports Church	Post Confirmation Education and Cross Diocesan Engagement	Contemplation and Quiet Service
Welcome Pack	Ecumenical Public Prayer Stations	Prayer for the Week
Welcome Subcommittees on Vestries	Alpha in the Pub	Midweek Youth Activities
Response to Refugees	Reconciliation and Healing	Parish Twinning – Urban to Rural
Friending	Mission Links eg the Gaza Project	Youth Event/Summer Madness
Irish Homelessness	Faith in Schools	Youth Service
	Knock on Doors	Movie Church
	Sideline Pastors	Youth Café Culture
	Revision of Parish Websites	Pulpit Swap
	Talent Sharing	Worship and Environment
	Street Reach	Garden Church
	Good Coffee	Parish as a Teacher
	Diocesan Choir
	Focus on Young Families
	Church Review Magazine as Website
	Billboard Advertising
	Open Church