An inspiring vision for local ministry

Our mission communities are enabling us to work together in growing, nurturing and serving our communities across the diocese.

Our inspiring vision for the future of local ministry is outlined in Mission Community Guidance – published in November 2021 – and which includes the agreed mission community boundaries.

Our plans for mission communities were shaped by conversations involving many people across the diocese. A summary of their feedback is published here. 

Mission communities are now working together both in prayer and in action. Mission communities have been working together to:

• Release missional energy, by bringing clergy and laity together in teams to serve their communities.
• Be dynamic, intentional and focused on the goals we have always wanted to achieve - growing our church, helping people grow in their faith and serving our local communities.
• Develop new ways of working, with a focus on developing specific ministries and skills to meet the needs of local people.
• Allow for a variety of expressions of church within a given locality.
• Ensure we have greater diversity in our mission teams which in turn will support innovation across our mission communities.
• Strengthen the support we provide for ordinands and lay ministers.

This resource was developed to guide local conversations about this way of working and what it will look like in practice. A printable version is available here and a short video can be found below: 

An update on mission communities, published in June 2021 is available here. 

Working together as a mission community

Focusing on these three priority areas of growing, nurturing and serving will help our churches and mission communities thrive in changing times. More information about these missional goals is available here.

It is so important that our mission communities are underpinned by a culture of prayer, discernment, theological reflection and expectation. A prayer event is therefore an ideal opportunity to work together as a mission community. This could take the form of:

•  a prayer walk between the churches in your community
•  a prayer event at each of the churches
•  establishing a regular pattern of prayer for the mission community as a whole. Ideally, this event will be organised and promoted by a team from across the parishes in your mission community.

For more resources and guidance for your mission communities, please check out pages 24-26 of the Mission Community Guidance document.

Mission commmunities in action 

Bringing together the skills and talents of ordained and lay leaders in mission communities is key to the success of our transformation programme. These stories from our mission communities share how our parishes are working together to get to know one another and establish supportive ways of working.

Bereavement support in Rochdale mission community

Sacred Space youth consultation in Mission Community Three, Manchester North and East

Shaw, Crompton and Thornham Mission Community work together on a new youth service 

Bolton North East Mission Community gathers for shared vision day

Ramsbottom and Tottington Mission Community walk together 

Bury Mission Community pilgrimage

The Big Feed in Wythenshawe

South Manchester Mission Community Prayer Walk 

Mission community leaders gather at St John's House

Radcliffe and Whitefield Mission Community joins together in prayer

Bolton West Mission Community leads youth residential 

Mission community leaders

Each of our 33 mission communities has a mission community leader who provides leadership and support to the mission community leadership team and the wider mission community.

The role of the mission community leader has been laid out in the Mission Community Guidance document. A map of each mission community and details of the mission community leader can be found below.

Bolton Deanery

Bury and Rossendale Deanery

Manchester North and East Deanery

Manchester South and Stretford Deanery

Oldham and Ashton Deanery

Rochdale Deanery

Salford and Leigh Deanery