Autonomy or shared purpose?

Session 1: Telling a different story of autonomy and shared vision.

The Revd Sharon Roberts shares her experience as a headteacher in setting up and leading a multi-academy trust, shares insights from organisational theory and considers how this learning applies to multi-parish ministry and may also help to mitigate some of the challenges of leading across multiple sites and congregations.

Session 2: Listening to the voices in the benefice and what a shared vision might look like.

From research with six different benefices, Sharon shares the learning from her MA research about how we listen well, shape a shared vision and what the key ingredients for a shared vision might be.

Session 3: Shared purpose

The Revd Canon Jo Neary looks at the mixed ecology of multi-parish benefices and reflects on mission as a point of shared purpose. She shares learning on multi-parish mission and church growth.

Session 4: The national picture: Sharing stories and best practice from around the country.

Sharing our own experiences and next steps.
There will be input from tutors, time for discussion and feedback, practical examples and time to share our own experiences and good practice.

About the tutors

Sharon Roberts is currently a curate in a rural multi-church benefice. Prior to this, she was Director of Education in a large multi-academy trust of 30 schools. Sharon recently completed an MA dissertation entitled:  Developing a Shared Ecclesial Identity in Large Rural Benefices: An Investigation.

Jo Neary splits her time between Sarum College as Tutor in Rural Mission and Ministry Team Vicar/Pioneer Priest in the Beaminster team in the Diocese of Salisbury.