“Vocation is the place where our deep gladness meets the world's deep need.”

- Frederick Buechner

The Process

The Thriving Communities Process is designed to help leaders, congregations, and our diocesan community of communities to move from our current state into a place where we collectively embody the values of Wholehearted Worship, Daring Discipleship, Right Relationship, and Thriving Communities. 

By prayerfully reflecting on our deep gladness and paying attention to the world's deep needs, we seek to join together in pursuit of a shared vision: to co-create a world where all experience and share the transforming power of God’s love.

How Will We Get From Here to There?

First, our diocese is deploying resources to come alongside and support community-based ministries in discerning their gifts and gladness, their current mission and ministry, their challenges and opportunities

Second, in response to the work being done in every congregation, we are going to restructure the work of the Diocese (Bishop, Synod Office Staff, Committees) to focus more clearly, effectively, and efficiently at supporting these local expressions of church as they participate in God’s mission to the world. 

What Are Thriving Communities?
As a diocese, we believe that God shows up where two or three are gathered in Christ's name. This is why the health and vitality of community-based ministries is of the utmost importance.

Community-based ministries (including  camps, congregations, chaplaincies, ecumenical shared ministries, parishes, partnerships, worshiping communities, and new witnessing communities) are primary sites where people are gathered together, transformed by encounter with God and one another, and are sent into the world to embody and bear witness to God’s love through Christ for all of Creation. 

Thriving communities come in all shapes and sizes yet what we see in all of them are: 

  • Attention to people, relationships, and community

  • Commitment to learning from their local context

  • Devotion to life-long learning and spiritual formation

  • Disciples willing to take risks to embody the gospel

  • Embrace, encouragement, and concrete support of those who lead

  • Generosity, humour, and hospitality

  • Nurturing discernment and formation for all the baptized

  • Prioritizing resources to implement their plans 

  • Robust lay leadership supported by clergy

  • Saying "yes!" to the Holy Spirit - open to new ideas and a willingness to stretch in mission

  • Strong sense of identity - of who and whose they are 

  • Wholehearted worship open to and expecting individual and communal transformation

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