Mission
What is MAP?
MAP stands for Mission Action Planning. The main purpose of MAP is to listen and discern the will of God for your church and its community. It is about looking at what is happening in your parish and as a church community considering the direction that you think your church should be heading. Once you have established a vision for your church you then set yourselves priorities for you church for each of the following 3 years and then plan the specific steps you need to take to deliver these goals. At the end of each year we will ask you to review your action so that you can adjust your plan accordingly.
Why should churches do MAP?
The MAP process gives every parish an opportunity to take time out to reflect and discern on what God’s mission is for their church and their community. It also gives an opportunity to celebrate what has been achieved and consider what needs to be done in the coming year. It is also an opportunity for you as a community to dream some dreams and consider what God wants you to be both individually and as the family of God.
Is MAP a top down initiative?
MAPs are intended to be done at a local parish level. The reason we want to do this together as a Diocese is so that Bishop Alastair and other senior staff can see what your plans are and be able to pray for you. It also gives us an opportunity to consider what resources we need to provide for you all to deliver your plans. We would prefer to describe that MAPs become part of the life of each churches annual cycle rather than an initiative.
Is MAP a "one size fits all" process?
During the pilot we are looking at how the process works across a wide range of churches both in size and churchmanship. The process has been designed to ensure that you can use it in the most appropriate way for your particular situation.
We are also testing a simpler process for our small rural churches to see if this is more appropriate for them.
What if we already do a form of planning and review: do we have to repeat everything?
The purpose of MAP is that we are all encouraged to plan on an annual basis and it is great that some of you are doing this already
If you already have a system of annual planning and review then all we would ask is that you fill in the MAP summary form so that we know what you are doing. You might want to look at the materials we are using to see if there are any ideas that you can use.
What is the timetable?
MAP launch events are currently being planned for May 2011 and we will be asking that churches have sent in their completed MAP summary forms to Bishop Alastair by Advent Sunday 2011.
Is this just another one-off initiative?
We really want mission action planning to become a way of life for all of us in the Diocese. It should become part of our annual cycle in each parish so that we have an opportunity to review what has gone well and to refine any activities that haven’t been quite so successful.
Our Diocesan Vision is that the Kingdom of God is good news for all, and that fundamentally includes Children, Young People and Families.
A key priority of our Parish Support Team strategy is to support and enable parishes to Grow Active Young Disciples. The Growing Younger team has been put together around this priority and a lot of our work is based around the national Church of England movement that is Growing Faith.
Growing Faith is the movement that exists to change the culture of the Church of England, so that everyone instinctively puts children, young people and families at the heart of all the ministry and mission of the Church.
Growing Faith involves churches, schools and households working together to help children, young people and families have life in all its fullness.
As a diocese we are adopting Growing Faith as the basis for our strategic plans to grow younger.
Big news!!
We are launching our Growing a Younger Church newsletter.
We are so excited to be launching our seasonal newsletter. It will be packed full of creative ideas and resources for you to use in your Parishes; whether you are starting out with a dream to build something new with your children and young people or whether you have an established group and are looking for fresh ideas.. We've got you. We are also going to be sharing stories from accross the Diocese of ways that churches are ministrering to their children and young people so do send in your stories that we can share with others.
We will be sending the mailing out every couple of months.. all you need to do is sign up and you will receive the mailing direct to your In-Box.
Sign up for our mailing by following this link
Book your place at our Growing a Younger Church Conference Day here
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RECOGNISE (7-13 July) is a national week of recognition for everyone involved in ministry with children, young people, and their families (CYPF).
Sunday 13 July is a day for churches nationwide to celebrate and thank those involved in this vital ministry.
The 30k Project want to RECOGNISE all the hard work of those serving in CYPF Ministry. There are so many individuals giving tirelessly to nurture the faith of the emerging generations. Help create a wave of appreciation and echo their heartfelt thanks across the Church.
Click this LINK to find out how to register.
Meet the Growing Younger Team
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Strategic Lead for Youth MinistryRevd Aidan Watson 01332 278144 aidan.watson@derby.anglican.org Aidan Watson (Strategic Youth Lead) oversees our efforts to Grow Younger active disciples and Growing Faith. -
Growing Younger Communications & Resourcing Officer (job-share)Debbie Patrick 01332 388665 debbie.patrick@derby.anglican.org Debbie works on a Monday and Wednesday -
Growing Younger Communications & Resourcing Officer (job-share)Rowan Rankin 01332 401726 rowan.rankin@derby.anglican.org Rowan works on a Monday and Wednesday
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The Church of England’s Ministry Experience Scheme (MES) has been running for ten years, with 700 participants and involving 35 dioceses. It offers a year of experience and training in a range of settings for people aged 18-30 to help them discern a call to ministry.
This has been largely focussed on ordained ministry, however MES has expanded in line with the Church’s Vision and Strategy for the 2020’s, to include a stream focussed specifically on ministry opportunities amongst children, young people and families (CYPF) – the Future Youth Ministry Experience Scheme.
In the Diocese of Derby we have been a part of the first two years of the pilot, and are looking to invest in at least two young adults aged 18-30, to join us as Future Youth MES workers. These 11-month training and experience gaining posts will seek to help participants discern a long-term possible vocation to Christian ministry with Children, Young People and Families.
The successful applicants will gain a diverse experience of mission and ministry with CYPF within one of our specially selected placements as part of a wider process of discerning God’s call on your life. These exciting roles will involve working closely with the ministry team of the church or mission community, to play their part in the Kingdom of God which is good news for all, helping to see transformation in the lives of CYPF, the church grow and communities built.
The FY MES scheme has also partnered with Aurora, and participants will join together with others across the country to complete the nationally run course. We will also work with participants to build in optional further training modules to their year through our Diocesan lay ministry training programme.
Placement contexts
Participants will be placed in one of our carefully selected context parishes/benefices. After successful applications and interviews, the Diocesan team will work with the candidates to work out the placement where they are most likely to flourish. This decision will be based on location, church tradition, ministry interests and where there is most likely to be the best working relationship with placement supervisors. This allocation will be a conversation where successful candidates will have a chance to meet with placement supervisors and agree focuses for the placement.
The range of placements will offer as diverse a range of opportunities as possible, across differing contexts including urban, post-industrial and rural contexts, as well as differing traditions and theological backgrounds.
Whilst accommodation is not provided as part of this role, we will work with successful candidates and the local church to explore affordable lodging options with hosts from the placement churches.
To find out more or to ask any questions please contact Aidan Watson
To apply to be a participant on the scheme please email a cover letter and a C.V. by midnight 13th July 2025 to mandy.francis@derby.anglican.org
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Ellie's FYMES story
After finishing university and moving back home, I wanted to gain experience working with children and young people whilst also accessing some further training, so Future Youth was perfect for me.It also gave me the chance to experience a different type of church and create a new Christian family compared to my normal church that I have grown up in. Although based at the Cathedral, I have been able to explore other youth ministries within the deanery.Read more
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For more information, contact Revd Aidan Watson Aidan.watson@derby.anglican.org | 01332 278144
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All ministry needs to start with prayer. We grow in faith as we connect with God’s heart for people. As we pray for schools and their children, our heart for the children and the staff at the school grows and we see God move.
Matthew 7:7-11
Ask, Seek, Knock
7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
Pray For Schools to see inspiration and resources, and start praying for the schools near you.
24-7 Prayer also have useful guides on praying for schools, staff and students.
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Growing Faith in Churches – Youth Ministry Resources
The wording around the national aim to grow and nurture active young disciples is important. As we strive to develop youth ministry across the diocese, this is about more than numbers in a room, or ticking a box for those who have responded to an altar call, but rather we are about making space for faith to grow and life-long faith journeys to be begun.
As Strategic Lead for Youth Ministry, Rev. Aidan Watson is here to support youth workers, both paid and volunteer, across the diocese. Please get in touch by emailing aidan.watson@derby.anglican.org
Care for the Family's tour of A Mind of Their Own is coming to Derby - June 17th · 7:30pm - 10pm
Building your child’s emotional wellbeing
Young people are facing unprecedented levels of pressure, from school, from their phones and from their peers. All of which are having a detrimental effect on their mental health.
A Mind of Their Own will give parents, carers, and anyone working with young people, practical and preventative tools to understand these pressures and help your children build strong emotional resilience and healthy mental wellbeing.
Click this LINK to book onto the event.
Emotional and mental health resources
For those who have been affected by the recent TV series 'Adolescence', our colleagues at the Diocese of Leeds have collated some useful resources for young people, leaders, and parents to help form positive discussion around mental health and wellbeing.
Find them here.
Below are a series of links for starting, developing and growing youth ministry in your church.
Confirmation Resources
Our colleagues at the Bath and Wells and Bristol Diocese have produced some excellent downloadable confirmation resources. If you have a young person or a group of young people you are preparing for confirmation and would like to use this resource, then click here to have a look and download your own version.
Youthscape Podcast
A fantastic resource for any Christian working with young people, the youthscape podcast has several years-worth of episodes covering a range of areas so there will be plenty for your context to learn. Find on any major podcast platform or here https://www.youthscape.co.uk/podcast
Youthwork Resources
Various fantastic organisations exist to support churches in running activities for young people with varying levels of faith involvement. Some of our recommendations include:-
Youthscape – originally working Luton, YS now has a national focus and is leading the way in research and innovation for Christian youthwork - https://www.youthscape.co.uk/
Scripture Union – in addition to their decades of church based youth and children’s resources, they are focussing most of their work resourcing churches to reach the 95% of children and young people nationally who have no connection with church - https://content.scriptureunion.org.uk/resources-activities
The RSCM – for more traditional contexts church choirs can provide a way of engaging with young people, including developing them as young leaders. https://www.rscm.org.uk/learn-with-us/
Urban Saints Energize - Thousands of engaging and adaptable biblical sessions, training articles and support resources - https://www.urbansaints.org/what-we-do/online-resources
Living Out Love – a youth group resource
Our colleagues in Birmingham diocese have created a series of short films to help young people think through issues of sexuality, gender, relationships, and justice based on the six pastoral principles which are:
- Acknowledging Prejudice
- Speaking into silence
- Addressing ignorance
- Casting out fear
- Admitting hypocrisy
- Paying attention to power
They come in two versions a 30 min and 60 min versions, they can be used all together or as stand-alone sessions. To download your free copy click here.
Bishop’s Youth Council
The Bishop’s Youth Council exists to hear the voices of young people in the decision-making processes of the diocese. It is made up of 16-25 year olds across the diocese and is invited to feed recommendations into Bishop’s council and Diocesan Synod. The council is overseen by Ben Martin (Lay Pioneer and Bishop’s Council Member) and Rev. Aidan Watson (Strategic Youth Lead). As well as having their voices heard, members are invested in as young leaders in the church.
If you or a young person you know are interested in hearing more about youth council then email aidan.watson@derby.anglican.org
Local partners
Valley Cids - an independent Christian charity based in Derbyshire, committed to serving children, young people and families through out-reach work in schools and the wider community. https://www.valleycids.co.uk/
The Peak Centre – A Christian-run activity centre in the Peak district that gives preference to young people - https://www.peakcentre.org.uk/
Training
As a diocese we seek to facilitate training of youth leaders, both paid and volunteer. We are keen to invest in potential youth leaders. For training opportunities and events click here
Alternatively, members of the diocesan staff are ordained/licensed lay readers and can come preach/speak to churches/PCCs about the place of youth ministry in the church. If you would like to do a training day with your volunteer team(s) or to discuss options, then contact aidan.watson@derby.anglican.org
Networking with other churches
Across the diocese we are setting up or supporting regional networks of paid/volunteer youth workers. If this would interest you then email aidan.watson@derby.anglican.org
We also work with Missional Church Youth Network – an organisation seeking to enable local schools, churches and community projects to work together to reimagine church with young people. They facilitate a Learning Community in order that youth leaders and volunteers can come together for training, encouragement, prayer and support as they build for the future. https://www.mycn.org.uk/
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Hosted by Bishop Malcolm Mcnaughton and the Diocese of Derby Growing Younger team, the Growing a Younger Church Conference Day will include content suitable for anyone interested in growing a younger church, including parents, youth and children's ministers, helpers, PCC members, wardens and or clergy.
Join us for a day filled with insightful discussions, practical workshops, and networking opportunities aimed at helping churches connect with and engage a younger audience. Learn from experienced speakers and share ideas with fellow attendees on how to make your church more appealing to younger generations. Don't miss out on this valuable opportunity to grow and revitalise your church community.
Topics include:
· Reaching ‘unchurched’ children and young people
· Mental health support
· Toddler Ministry and beyond
· Parenting for Faith in children
· Raising Teenagers in faith
· Missional Design – developing stepping stones for faith journeys
· Parenting children and young people with additional needs
· Nurturing faith in children and young people with additional needs
· Reading the bible with young people in 2025
With Bishop Malcom McNaughton, Andy Saunders from Lighthouse ministries, Nicola Rayner from The Child Behaviour Network, Naomi Allen from Open Doors Youth and more to be announced!
Come along either on your own or as a group and learn something new, share your experiences and worship together.
Click this link to book your places at the Growing a Younger Church Conference Day!
The National Youth Ministry Weekend (NYMW) is an annual event for all Christians involved in supporting young people and helping with church youth work – whether you are a youth leader, church leader, paid worker or volunteer.
At NYMW you’ll find inspiration, encouragement, practical advice and the latest new resources. You’ll join more than a thousand others in our main sessions hearing from some of the leading youth ministry practitioners from around the world. You’ll be able to attend seminars on almost every aspect of Christian work with young people. Above all you’ll find an amazing mix of fun, encouragement and refreshment. It’s a weekend for everyone who loves young people and wants youth work to thrive in their church.
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Our Diocesan Vision is that the Kingdom of God is good news for all, and that fundamentally includes Children, Young People and Families. A key priority of our Parish Support Team strategy is to support and enable parishes to Grow Active Young Disciples. The Growing Younger team has been put together around this priority and a lot of our work is based around the national Church of England movement that is Growing Faith.
Growing Faith is the movement that exists to change the culture of the Church of England, so that everyone instinctively puts children, young people and families at the heart of all the ministry and mission of the Church.
Growing Faith involves churches, schools and households working together to help children, young people and families have life in all its fullness.
As a diocese we are adopting Growing Faith as the basis for our strategic plans to grow younger.
Why is Growing Faith needed?
Jesus (Matt.19:14) and the early church (1. Tim 4:12) placed immense value on the place and role of children and young people in the kingdom of God.
Children, young people and families are vitally important to the church, not merely for our survival into future generations, but because a church that cares about children and young people is indicative of a healthy church.
In this report from the House of Bishops in 2019, there is recognition that ‘it is not always clear that the church is sufficiently focused on the engagement in ministry with children and young people.’
This is despite it being well acknowledged that the vast majority of Christians today have come to faith before the age of 18.
As a church and as a diocese, we have to confess that historically and at present children and young people have not always been intrinsically part of our ministry and mission.
There needs to be a cultural shift.
Growing Faith envisions children, young people and households coming to faith, growing in discipleship and contributing confidently to the Kingdom of God through the community of faith.
It is about how, as members of the whole people of God, children and young people are encouraged and how the whole Church is equipped to think intergenerationally. (A useful summary can be found here )
The Growing Faith Principles
Growing Faith provides a helpful lens for assessing our current practices and potential opportunities.
As we, as churches and as a diocese, seek to give children, young people and families a chance to explore and deepen their faith, it is helpful to look for the meeting places between churches, schools and households.
Alongside our diocesan vision, "The Kingdom of God – good news for all" we are inviting church communities to ask themselves what it would look like to be good news for young people in churches, schools and households.
Three principles are shaping our approach to Growing Faith:
Connected Communities - looking for the meaningful connected community of faith in the intersection between church, school and households.
Spiritual Encounters - engaging in conversations about and expressing faith as people encounter God as individuals and together.
Imaginative Practices - searching for 'a new way of being church' and creating new thinking and new doing in relation to children, young people and households.
FAQs
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What is the current picture? +
Numbers are not always the best way to measure how fruitful a church/ministry is, but they can be a useful tool.
An estimated 95,800 under 16s attended Sunday church before the pandemic, with 1100 in the Diocese of Derby.
Most recent provisional national statistics for mission imply this has dropped by as much as 40% between 2019 and 2021.
Many of our churches are rebuilding their ministries and there is lots of potential across the diocese, but sadly children’s, youth and families ministries were most impacted by the pandemic.
However, the reality is that there are many opportunities to be good news to children, young people and families, especially since the needs for many have increased.
We are supporting and encouraging innovative children’s and youth ministries across the diocese. -
What about small congregations with fewer children? +
Growing Faith is a vision for all churches, large or small.
Every congregation can pray for their community and school(s).
Children, young people and their families need a friendly welcome and the chance to be involved, even if they are just visiting. -
How should we identify opportunities for Growing Faith? +
A key recommendation from the national growing faith movement, is that churches are encouraged to do ministry with and not just for children, young people, and families.
Listening to the voices of children and young people is key if a church is to serve them, but moreover young people are the church of now and we encourage all churches to experience the rich blessing that comes from involving young people as much as possible in all aspects of church life, including decision making structures. -
What is the Church of England doing nationally to develop Growing Faith? +
Details of the Growing Faith Foundation can be found online.
Lucy Moore (formerly of Messy Church) now heads up the team. The work in progress includes:
• Encouraging networking and shared story-telling across dioceses through growing faith champions.
• Learning hubs – investing in 12 learning hubs across the country to foster growing faith in different contexts. As a diocese, we have successfully applied for one of these learning hubs commencing in May 2023.
• Training programmes – developing the pathways for youth, children’s and family workers so that more can explore it as a vocation and progress in it for longer.
• Research - 13 Growing Faith research projects are underway to further our understanding of growing faith in the intersections between households, schools and churches. -
How will the church(es) I’m linked with be part of Growing Faith? +
It’s likely that there will already be areas of GF that are part of your church life.
Perhaps someone visits and helps in the local school, maybe you are engaging with young people in your community through various ministries, or have ways of involving children and young people in your Sunday worship, or perhaps there is a Toddler group or other activity to support carers and parents.
Growing Faith is about prayerfully seeking ways to further develop ministry in schools, homes and churches, so that as many children, young people and families have the opportunity to explore and grow their faith. -
How can we pray? +
Prayer underpins all our local, diocesan and national efforts to reach the younger generations with the good news of the Kingdom of God.
In line with the national bold outcome to double the number of young disciples in the church by 2030, there is a weekly national prayer meeting on zoom every Tuesday 1-1.20pm.
The aim is for 1000 people to pray weekly.
To get the login information email aidan.watson@derby.anglican.org
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Parenting for Faith
Right from their very earliest days, we can help our children to meet and know God. On Wednesday afternoons in June, we will be running the Bitesize Babies and Toddlers Course, which will equip you with confidence and practical ideas to do this. The course is a mixture of short videos, a chance to reflect on your own and to chat with others.
The call will be open from 1.15pm and the content will be from 1.30 - 2.30pm. Don't worry if you can't make every week or have little people running around or are in the office on your lunchbreak, come just as you are!
When churches or groups sign up, they can invite as many parents/carers of under-fives as they like to join their group. The course is suitable for those new to faith or just exploring, so do invite families you know from baby and toddler groups or other community activities. You can meet in person, online or a hybrid. For the discussion times, you will have your own breakout room. If you have lots of participants we can add extra breakout rooms, free of charge.
If you're not part of a church or group, sign up for an individual/couple ticket. We'll pop you into a group with others in the same boat for the discussion times. This will be the same each week so that you can get to know each other and feel safe to share and support each other.
Click this LINK to find out more and book onto the course.
See below for some more exciting events coming up for your children and young people, and click the images and links to find out more!
The Kitchen Table Project is an initiative from Care for the Family
Just 50% of children growing up in Christian homes keep their faith as adults.
Parents and churches – we can change that! Find out more and see their resources (many of which are free) through this link.
Messy Church
It’s church, but not as you know it.
Messy Church is a way of being church for families and others. It is Christ-centred, for all ages, based on creativity, hospitality and celebration.
Follow this link to find out more and start your own journey to starting a Messy Church in your parish.
Be encouraged by stories from parishes across Derbyshire and see how you can pray for children, young people, families, schools, and church communities across the Diocese of Derby.
If you have a story to share and encourage others, please get in touch at growingYounger@derby.anglican.org
10.04.25 - We spoke to Anne Wilkins, Priest–in–Charge of All Saints and St Mary’s Sawley to learn more about the recent success with their youth group.
Anne wanted to provide young people in her church a place to develop their faith. Having never done youth work before, she found the Urban Saints Energize resources a useful tool, and over time has seen the young people growing in faith - even leading services together and praying for each other!
How long have you been in your role?
I was licensed to Sawley parish in October 2023.
How did it begin/what was your motivation for starting this project?
I came to the parish hoping to start the Growing Faith initiative and build links with children and families and the local schools. While a lot was being done with children’s work in the church and in schools as well as a community youth café, there was nothing for young people in the church to develop their faith.
We started with doing Youth Alpha last year with 10 young people attending (the majority from within the church, one from another parish and one new young person who is now part of church). We met on a Sunday at 5pm, starting with a simple meal and then watching the video. There are breaks in the Alpha videos which enable discussion. After Alpha finished, I asked them if they wanted to continue, and they all said yes. We then did a questionnaire as to what they liked and what they wanted to do next. This helped us plan the next term.
Describe how the group looks today
We have 3 plus myself as a team.
The group is now called Youth Saints (or churchies as they also call themselves).
I had never led Youth work before and was directed to use Urban Saints Energize material. This is accessed by a monthly subscription of £21, which the PCC fully supported. I can highly recommend using this material – it is varied, Biblical, fun, multi- media and they really enjoy it. All members of the team are able to access it too. We still start with a meal which is provided by different members of the team. The group has bonded very well and work well together.
How have you seen your ministry grow?
Yes, I think so. They have become more involved in Sunday worship. They are growing in faith and have become more open with each other about life issues. They are very committed to the group.
Last November 5 of them were confirmed at All Saints.
What is your recent success (with youth or children)?
Last autumn they led the whole morning service which was well received. This Easter Sunday they are doing a dance and a drama in the service.
Do you have plans going forward?
The next challenge is to try to build a bridge between our Youth Café, which is for young people in the community and Youth Saints. I am hoping that they become even more involved in church life and take on roles of responsibility (some of them already are).
Can you describe one highlight?
The youth led service. And seeing them slowly begin to pray for each other.
What have you learnt? Would you do things differently next time?
To be honest I’m not sure I would use Youth Alpha as it didn’t enable them to get to know each other and have fun. They started to gel and open up when we started using the Energize material.
Any advice for other churches?
Start with who you have. Have food. Use Energize. Get them involved in worship. Ask them what they want.
How can we pray for this ministry?
Pray that the group grows and that as the young people get older, we can continue to equip them for adult life, moving away.
Living Lightly is the Diocesan policy. We are encouraging parishes and churches to become Eco Churches and registered as an Eco Diocese in 2018.
How you can act in response.
Our recommendations and links....
