The Diocese of York is making three pivotal new appointments to progress its goal of ‘reaching those we currently don’t’.

A new Director of Making and Nurturing Disciples will be a driving force in developing outreach and ministry amongst two categories of people identified during widespread consultations in 2016 as frequently un-reached by churches in the Diocese: people in poverty and people in their 20s to 40s.

The Diocese is also recruiting a Team Leader and Associate Team Leader to develop ministry amongst 20s to 40s.

The focus of their work will be to establish, support and ensure the effective deployment of a new team of full-time and part-time ministers across the Diocese.

Archdeacon Andy Broom leads on the 20s - 40s strand of the project:

“This is it – we heard from the Diocese two years ago that reaching out to people in the 20s to 40s was a key priority right across the board, and now we’re putting in place the first steps towards a network of people to do just that.

We believe that people in that busy stage of life will find meaning in the love and the family of God, and that may or may not be within an existing church.”

Funding for this venture has been sought from the Church Commissioners’ Strategic Development Fund as part of the Church of England’s national Renewal and Reform programme; the Diocese has been encouraged to progress the 20s-40s proposals by moving on to produce a comprehensive plan for the implementation of the ideas that were approved by Diocesan Synod on 17th March 2018.

‘Reaching those we currently don’t’ is one of three goals adopted by the Diocese following widespread consultation with parishes in 2016, alongside ‘moving to growth’ and ‘achieving sustainable finances’.

Work is also under way on proposals to develop local churches’ outreach amongst people living in poverty.