On Tuesday, 27 August, Alan will be heading to the United Kingdom as part of a study leave opportunity to explore parish revitalisation project led from the Archbishop's Strategic Development Fund, meet with leaders of both rural and urban churches and see how they are developing new structures and ministries to reach a post-Christian community, and to meet with potential candidates for curacy or roles within the Parish or Diocese for 2025 and beyond.
The study leave is supported by both the parish and the Diocese, who are contributing to parts of the cost to get Alan to the U.K and back. The United Kingdom has been chosen for a number of reasons to be the location of this study. The primary reason being the closeness of cultural and ecclesiological practice between our nations, but also the scale of the Church of England, which allows for a great deal more creativity and possibility due to the greater scale of resourcing. Since the installation of Archbishop Justin Welby, there has been a very deliberate engagement with the evangelical dimensions of the church of England, which has resulted in a number of initiatives, parish replants and new leaders brought in to renew the church. Alan's work will be to consider these, reflect with leaders and communities and explore what would be plausible to introduce or to adjust to fit the context of Aotearoa New Zealand.
During his time in the U.K, Alan will be visiting London, Bath, Bristol, York, Edinburgh, Liverpool and a number of smaller villages and cities that reflect the more rural parts of the U.K.
Alan returns to New Zealand on September 18 and will return to leading services on the following Sunday morning. While he is away, services on Sunday morning will be led by Peter Williamson, Alister Hendry and Jan Tarrant. Alan extends his thanks to these clergy that are making the travel possible.
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