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Introduction
Covering Essex and East London, Chelmsford is one of the largest, most diverse and exciting dioceses in the Church of England. We are home to more than 3 million people representing almost all socio-economic, ethnic and faith groups and a fantastic variety of cultures and traditions.
We have enormous opportunities for mission and service and considerable challenges to face and resolve as we continue to deal with the local, national and global challenges that have a direct impact on our parish churches and the communities we serve.
Within this context and following a period of listening and discernment that started when Bishop Guli became Bishop of Chelmsford in 2021, we have begun to set out our future direction of travel as a Diocese with a focus on Travelling Well Together.
Our approach
Our purpose is to love God and to love our neighbour; to worship faithfully and empowered by the Holy Spirit witness to the love of God revealed in Jesus Christ as we serve the extraordinarily diverse array of local communities in Essex and East London.
Our approach is to enable and empower parishes and worshipping communities to discern how they are to be God’s people in their own very different local contexts and as part of one diocesan family.
Underpinning our approach is an invitation to a way of being articulated by shared diocesan values which might shape how we travel together, support each other and provide mutual accountability.
Shared Diocesan Values
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Awareness of Grace
Awareness of grace. God always provides the resources required for the mission of the church to continue. An awareness of grace engenders a spirit of thankfulness and enables us to notice what we have, rather than grieve for what we lack.
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Valuing the small, the vulnerable and the marginal
Valuing the small, the vulnerable and the marginal. Our calling is not to strain after worldly success, influence and power but to be a faithful and gentle presence and trust that God will use our conversations, encounters and all our efforts in ways we may never fully understand. Where there is growth we will rejoice and offer encouragement, whilst always remembering that God also treasures that which is small and fragile and we are invited to do the same.
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Focusing outward
Focusing outward. We are called always to look to the needs of those beyond the Church. When we fail to do this we risk becoming embroiled in our own internal divisions. Instead we are invited to join in God’s mission, embodied in the person of Jesus Christ, to share the good news, to serve our neighbours, and to work for greater justice, especially for those who are most oppressed and marginalised.
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Sustaining healthy rhythms
Sustaining healthy rhythms. We are invited to live life in all its fulness. This requires us to take personal responsibility, making time for leisure, recreation, prayer and service. It also requires us to support one another, sometimes carrying those who are struggling most.
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Kindness, mutual respect, gentleness and humility
Kindness, mutual respect, gentleness and humility. These are virtues which are often underestimated and undervalued. They flow out of Jesus’ command that we should love one another. To embody them we need to practice them intentionally, treating others as we would want to be treated ourselves and assuming the best of one another. This will enable us to develop greater trust.
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Generously collaborative
Generously collaborative. A willingness to work well with others in a spirit of open honesty and transparency and with appropriate realism and accountability. To form partnerships that welcome challenge and help celebrate our differences, mindful of our need for one another. Together we are greater than the sum of our parts, together our narrow vision is broadened, together we make up the body of Christ.
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Faithful, creative, courageous and open to the unexpected and surprising
Faithful, creative, courageous and open to the unexpected and surprising. There is a paradox in our faith which requires us to hold in tension the calling to be faithful to the traditions we have received, whilst at the same time open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit who continues to lead us into all truth.
5 ways to engage with Travelling Well Together
Resources for individuals and groups
We have created a variety of resources to help you engage with Travelling Well Together. You can explore the resources as an individual or in a group, you might commit to a regular programme of prayer and reflection over a period of time, or spend a short time familiarising yourself with the material. Some ideas are set out below.
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1) Read and reflect on the Travelling Well Together Discussion Document
The Travelling Well Together resource for discussion reflection and prayer, explains the Travelling Well Together approach, sets out 7 shared diocesan values and invites you to reflect on or discuss what the values mean for you in your own context.
This is a one off 30 minute to 1 hour activity for groups or individuals.
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2) Use the Travelling Well Together Lent Course materials (at any time of the year)
Written by the then Dean of Chelmsford, the Very Rev Nicholas Henshall, the 2023 Travelling Well Together Lent course has been re-released for 2024, but can be used by individuals or groups at any time of year.
A daily 15 minute activity for groups or individuals.
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3) Watch the Travelling Well Together Video Reflections
Recorded for Lent 2023, these video reflections about the key themes of Travelling Well Together have been written and recorded by clergy across Chelmsford Diocese. Each video provides a question for you to reflect on as an individual or in a group. They can be used during Lent or at any time of year.
5 x 15 minute activities for groups or individuals.
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4) Reflect on a Diocesan Shared Value at the start of meetings
PCCs, home groups or other small gatherings could spend 10 minutes each meeting sharing individual reflections on one of the shared values. For example you might discuss how the value ‘Awareness of Grace’ speaks to each participant’s own discipleship or the life of your church. The Bishop’s Leadership Team have made use of this exercise at their monthly meetings.
This can be used as a short 10 minute exercise during regular meetings.
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5) Use the Travelling Well Together Intercessions
The Travelling Well Together Intercessions have been written by the Bishop of Chelmsford to support prayer in parishes and worshipping communities.
Promoting engagement with Travelling Well Together
This downloadable poster and leaflet have been produced to help you encourage engagement with Travelling Well Together in your church community.
Share your story
We'd love to hear how you are engaging with Travelling Well Together in your parish or worshipping community. Please use the form below to share your story or ideas.
Moving forward
The approach and values in Travelling Well Together, will underpin how we take decisions more widely for the diocese including complex and difficult decisions. Our hope is that the values will also help decision making in more local contexts, providing a framework for conversations.
Parish Support Conversation
The approach articulated in Travelling Well Together requires a change in how parishes are supported by the diocesan office and area teams and other networks. In keeping with the diocesan values, we began a conversation during 2023 to understand from parishes and worshipping communities how we can develop our approach to providing support and resources. Find out more here. The first of the conversations is about how we ensure those who care for our church buildings are given the support they need to maintain, manage and improve them. You can find out more about the Church Buildings Support Conversation here.
