Vision

All Saints’ Madeley; Celebrating and Sharing God's Love

The Bishop of Lichfield has set out his three priorities for the Diocese: Discipleship; Vocation; Evangelism. Our Parish Vision seeks to reflect these priorities.

The Bishop has also endorsed the Community of St Chad and its five Rhythms of Grace. These are:

1. By God’s grace, I will seek to be transformed into the likeness of Christ.

2. By God’s grace, I will be open to the presence, guidance and power of the Holy Spirit.

3. By God’s grace, I will set aside time for prayer, worship and spiritual reading.

4. By God’s grace, I will endeavour to be a gracious presence in the world, serving others and working for justice in human relationships and social structures.

5. By God’s grace, I will sensitively share my faith with others and support God’s mission both locally and globally.

This is the background and basis for our Vision Statement:

Discipleship is following Jesus as his apprentice and is essentially the same for every church member. It is basically a call to each individual to develop a life of prayer, study and service. We should therefore encourage all members of our congregations to:

• Cultivate a daily devotional time that includes prayer and Bible reading. The church should provide teaching and resources to help people to establish this habit.

• Regularly attend church services and other occasions of Christian worship, teaching and fellowship.

• Consider joining a Home Group that studies and discusses the Bible and its relevance for Christians in the world today.

Vocation is for every Christian, but each individual’s vocation will be different. We should encourage every church member to discover and engage in those activities that God is calling them to. Examples are:

• Taking part in organizations that serve the local community.

• Helping with voluntary activities, such as the Food Bank or the Tidy Group.

• Serving on the PCC or other church working-groups.

• Taking part in the church’s activities for children or the elderly.

• Taking part in leading church services and other ministries.

Evangelism (Outreach) is seeking to draw people of all ages in our village to become followers of Christ. We should therefore:

• Engage with village residents e.g. through School services and assemblies, Baptisms, Wedding Preparation, Lea Court and Madeley Manor services, Memorial Services, Praise and Play.

• Equip ourselves to witness sensitively to family, friends and work colleagues.

• Encourage every member to pray for people they regularly encounter in their daily lives.