An introdution to Vision and Strategy for General Synod members
THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND’S VOCATION is and always has been to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ afresh in each generation to the people of England. The vision and strategy is an invitation to dioceses and parishes to examine and develop existing strategies and processes in the light of these ideas.
Our vision is to be a Church for the whole nation, which is Jesus Christ centred and shaped by the five marks of mission. A Church that is simpler, humbler, bolder.
You can read more about the Vision and Strategy on the Church of England website.
Funding programmes that help churches across the country to thrive is one of the ways in which we are pursuing our Vision and Strategy for the 2020s.
We call this funding Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment (SMMI), and we have committed to distributing it over nine years from 2023 until 2032.
There are three funding streams under SMMI:
- Diocesan Investment Programme – supports dioceses’ strategies for mission and ministry
- Lowest Income Communities Funding – supports ministry and mission in parishes serving low income communities and estates
- Partnerships Funding – supports mission partners to run national programmes
You can read more about where this funding goes in the SMMIB Annual Review for 2025.
We are committed to learning about the impact this funding is having in different contexts:
- Rural – an independent review of mission projects in rural settings
- Low-income areas and estates – a good practice guide for mission and ministry in low-income areas based on a range of project evaluations
- Revitalisations – a selection of resources about parish revitalisations, including a research report, a case study video series and a theological reflection
- Young adults – a selection of resources about young adults’ journeys to faith
- New worshipping communities – a good practice guide for starting something new
We regularly share case studies and reports on the Church Support Hub. You can use the filters to discover content on the topics that interest you most.
