Emerging Best Practice for Growing Faith in Households, Schools & Churches

Growing Faith: Connections

The PRoject

to catalyse a culture change in the approaches taken by the church of england…

…to see a multiplication of confidently expressed growing faith in the households of chilDren, young people and families

The Context: Three Spaces

Four Connections

  • Voices

    Young VOICES at the centre of delivery and decision making rather than children, young people and families as relatively passive recipients of centrally- provided programme

    Photo of letter tiles spelling LISTEN MORE

  • Relationships

    Building RELATIONSHIPS as a priority, including developing the links between homes, churches and schools, rather than working independently in silos

    Photo of multiple hands stacked together suggested teamwork radiating outwards

  • Rhythms

    Investing in RHYTHMS which bring regularity and a deeper participation in the church seasons, as a way of going deeper than one-off events and resources

    Photo of 7 leaves hung on string of varying colours from green through yellow and orange to red

  • Purpose

    A shared PURPOSE which contributes visibly to God’s kingdom so that children and young people can see faith making an impact

    Photo of a young person sorting a box of donations on a table with a teddy bear and a sign saying 'Donation'

Resources

  • Image of the first page of the Growing Faith Summary Report

    Summary Report

    Read a 2-page summary of the Growing Faith: Connections report with recommendations

    Download (9MB)
  • The front page of the full report

    Full Report

    This report is based on a process of research and listening over 14 month & sets out some marks of emerging best practice in the current landscape.

    Download (14MB)
  • Preview of the four connection postcards

    Postcards

    Visual postcards with imaginative questions for to help schools, churches and households develop conversations around the Growing Faith vision

    Download (15MB)

Watch our STORY FILMS Trailer

Story Film 1: Egham

 

Story Film 2: Peterborough

 

Story Film 3: Coventry

 

Webinar

Recorded on 10th MARCH 2023

The Growing Faith: Connections team hosted a webinar in March 2023 to share the learnings from the project.

The webinar was open to practitioners, church leaders, youth, children & family workers, school governors, headteachers, parents, Bishop’s - anyone over 18 who was interested in finding out more. There was a chance to explore some of the research, hear some stories, examine some principles and reflect on individual contexts.

We finished with some Q&A with some of the Growing Faith Foundation team and signposted some about ways to connect with the developing Growing Faith vision in 2023 and beyond.

The Project Team

  • Photo of Emma Parker

    Emma Parker

    Deputy Warden and Lecturer at Cranmer Hall, St John’s College, Durham

  • Photo of Esther Prior

    Esther Prior

    Vicar of St John’s Egham

  • Photo of Gareth Irvine

    Gareth Irvine

    Vicar of St Laurence’s Church, Coventry

  • Photo of Mark Powley

    Mark Powley

    Principal St Hild College

  • Photo of Michelle Dalliston

    Michelle Dalliston

    Vicar of Peterborough

  • Photo of Rowena King

    Rowena King

    Rector of Bourton-on-the-Water with Clapton and the Rissingtons

  • Photo of Lucy Moore

    Lucy Moore

    Project Sponsor & Head of the Growing Faith Foundation

 Further information

  • Growing Faith is the movement that exists to put children, young people and families instinctively at the heart of all the mission and ministry of the Church by changing the culture of the Church of England. You can read more on the Growing Faith Foundation website

  • The team are all ordained clergy who have been taking part in the Church of England Strategic Leadership Programme from 2021-2023. You can read more about the SLDP here.

  • Please contact members of the Growing Faith team using the contact details at the bottom of this page on the Church of England website.

  • As part of our project, we have considered a wide range of books, reports and websites which relate to the wider work of developing faith amongst children and young people across a variety of contexts and traditions. We haven’t been able to review or include all of them, but we offer them to you to explore.

    Resources - Books and Reports

    Resources - Websites & Downloads

  • The images, names, stories and personal information contained within this report and website have either given specific written consent to appear in the films or downloads, or are already in the public domain.

    For the purposes of Data Protection, the Growing Faith: Connections report and related content is an academic research project of St Hild College.

    You can read the St Hild Privacy Policy here.

    You can contact Rachel McLafferty with a subject access data request or removal request here.