Aldenham, St John the Baptist version: 2

What progress have you made with the Goals from your previous MAP, and what do you want to celebrate?

• Introduced a pastoral support group
• Bring the church into financial balance
• Improved the building with a new hospitality area and new toilets with disabled access

What Goals did you set where you saw less progress than you would have liked?

• Introduce a new all-age family service. This started well but numbers of children attending has declined owing to irregularity of attendance and other Sunday activities, especially sports taking precedence
• Establish a new Prayer/Bible study group. It worked well for about eighteen months but then one or two people relocated and the group couldn't really continue.

Things seen about our local community

• Diverse nature of religious identity.
• Concentration of Jewish communities and Hari Krishna Temple.
• The inherent spirituality and nominal association with the CofE does not translate easily into committed church membership.

How have you begun to engage with these concerns / needs / issues?

• Very slowly becoming more aware of the changing landscape.
• The opportunities are limited but there has been some good contact with the leaders of these religious communities.
• The main area of success has been through the pastoral offices, especially weddings. We have also developed some good contacts with the local social club.

Vision (for five years' time)

To be a church that continues to point the way to Christ by: Nurturing church members and visitors in worship and prayer, Reaching out into the community, especially through pastoral offices, Welcoming, valuing, caring for and respecting all people.

Current Situation

From our Parish Statistics for Mission, we see that we are / have...

Not attempted any Fresh expressions. Although ER numbers are unchanged there is a slight falling in attendance.

Priorities (for the next five years)

• Deepen and enrich prayer and worshipping life off the church as well as provide pastoral care which is well co-ordinated.
• Provide more opportunities for fellowship and involvement of all members of the church and to make a special effort to welcome newcomers.
• Develop and strengthen lay leadership and ministry, particularly in worship.

Goals (for the next year)

• Increase awareness and co-ordination of the Pastoral care group
• Continue to encourage and help children and young people to grow and be nurtured in the Christian faith. The church building and new children's area being valuable resource for teachers and children.
• Continue to work on projects to maintain and enhance the fabric of the building. To keep the church open and produce an updated colourful 'Guide and welcome pack.'
• To work on a careful 'gap' analysis of the ministries within worship and other vital positions in the life of the church with the intention of being able to fill these ministries and positions
• Re-establish anniversary services, especially for baptisms and Weddings