Milton Ernest, All Saints version: 1

Things seen about our local community

• Milton Ernest has grown in size in recent years and the village primary school is thriving.
• The village has a good community spirit, supporting activities such as WI, Gardening Club and an Annual Fete.
• Villagers are committed to the church, though that does not necessarily translate into church attendance.

Three things we have seen about our church

• For the size of our village, we are in a relatively strong position in terms of numbers attending services and our finances.
• Numbers regularly attending services are pretty stable, festival & special services well attended. Overall numbers have fallen.
• We have not been able to keep our regular children's sessions (Adventurers and Explorers) going.

Vision (for five years' time)

Able to meet the needs of children and young people better, with strong range of activities for this age group. Strong links across the generations, learning from and accepting each other. A focal point for community life and a key part of the fabric of the village. A prayerful community, bonded in love and fellowship. A more diverse offering in worship and a clear Gospel message.

Priorities (for the next five years)

• Making our church more welcoming and our worship more accessible.
• Deepening our fellowship through prayer and getting more engagement in activities outside services like the house groups.
• Strengthening our work with children and young people.

Goals (for the next year)

• Involve children and young people more in church life (eg. young musicians at services, Communion books)
• Offer some different services (eg. Morning Worship with more modern hymns)
• New ways of spreading the message in our village (eg. Beer and Banter evening)
• Reinforce the role of the church in village life (eg. school governors, members of Parish Council, activities like the fete).
• More opportunities for fellowship outside formal worship (prayer meetings, Bible study, shared meals).