INTRODUCING OUR VISION CHAMPION ...

   ... Linda Pounder.

Our Vision Champion is Linda Pounder.  Linda is a long-term member of St Stephen's and is committed to doing everything possible to enable and encourage church members to fulfil the objectives of the Blackburn Diocesan Vision  - to embrace God’s call to make disciples, to be witnesses, and to grow leaders, and to inspire children and young people.

VISION 2026 RATIONALE:

The Church of England in Lancashire (Blackburn Diocese)  desires to make the Good News about Jesus Christ more  widely known, because we believe:

→ He is the One who brings 'life in all its fullness'

→ Healthy church communities have a positive and    transformative impact on our society.

We will work together to achieve this by:

MAKING DISCIPLES OF JESUS CHRIST

• Knowing the Scriptures better through reading, teaching, preaching and study
• Praying with greater depth and urgency for the Kingdom of God to come
• Giving generously of our time, talents and money to the cause of Christ.

BEING WITNESSES TO JESUS CHRIST

• Sharing the Gospel of salvation with confidence
• Holding regular enquirers' courses in as many local churches as possible
• Showing God's love in action through projects that meet a local human need
• Offering thorough and accessible Baptism preparation and follow-up
• Planting or renewing 50 new strategic congregations by 2026

GROWING LEADERS FOR JESUS CHRIST

• Supporting and equipping the current leadership for today's contaxt
• Enabling missional leadership in every Christian community
• Liberating lay leadership for greater participation
• Creating the varied patterns of Sunday and weekday worship necessary to welcome all kinds of people, especially the newcomer
• Prioritising work among children, young people and schools to raise up a new generation for Christ

For further information on Vision 2026, visit the Blackburn Diocesan Website:  http://www.blackburn.anglican.org

Prayer for Growth and Renewal

As we approach 2026, we have been asked to pray the following prayer for Growth & Renewal: