We see the ministry of the whole of the Diocese of Norwich, across Norfolk and Waveney, as being about how we live our life together, for the flourishing of every person in every place. Transformed by Christ: prayerful, pastoral and prophetic.
Our Life Together
Jesus said “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10.10). We see this ministry of the whole diocese as being about how we live our life together for the flourishing of every person in every place. Any vision should help the local church to flourish and grow in confidence that we are loved by God.
Jesus also said, “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6.21). The heart of our mission is about being open to, and enabling others to discover, a life transformed by Christ. We join in Christ’s mission, conscious of the five marks of mission of the Anglican Communion, through responding to God and the world
Being open to all of this will enable God in Jesus to accomplish far more than all we can ask or imagine (Ephesians 3.20). If we allow the Holy Spirit to breathe God’s divine life into our human plans, much more will be made of them, for God can bring abundance from scarcity.
We are called to be faithful, as God is always faithful to us. By prayerfully placing the life of the diocese where our sails can best catch the wind of the Holy Spirit, God will take us where God wills.
Prayerful
We will be prayerful in proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom, rooting ourselves in Scripture and the sacraments. We will wait upon God in stillness, contemplation and intercession. Our corporate prayer, an ongoing conversation with God, will embrace traditional, fresh expressions, online and evolving models of being Church.
Pastoral
We will be pastoral in modelling the ministry of the whole people of God after Jesus the good shepherd. We will respond with loving service to the needs of the communities where we live and work, and teach, baptise and nurture new believers.
Prophetic
We will be prophetic in speaking out and acting, with the fire of the Holy Spirit, challenging injustice, confronting violence and working for peace and reconciliation. We will seek to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth.
Diocesan Vision Prayer
Transform us, O Christ,
to be more prayerful
– listening, open and responsive,
yearning for God’s kingdom come
as you taught us;
to be more pastoral
– reaching out to those in need,
shepherds, like you,
of the lost and the lonely;
to be more prophetic
– heeding the signs of the times,
challenging injustice,
mirroring your radical inclusivity.
Amen
