Director Jackie Waters-Dewhurst writes:

The aim of the department is:

To support deaneries, parishes and schools to fulfil their mission to children, young people and families in formal and informal education
by
offering support, training and resources to enable every child to experience the love of God within communities of wholeness with Christ at the centre.

Because we believe that:

• Every child is a child of God, made in God’s image
• The world is God’s creation
• There is always the power and possibility of forgiveness because God’s love is unconditional
• We are all human, and therefore imperfect and in need of God’s grace
• Northing is possible without prayer

Our work plan for academic year 2010/11 flows from the following broad objectives:

Schools

Church schools
1a  Increase church school distinctiveness
1b  Increase the number and skills of foundation governors
1c  Strengthen parish/school partnerships
1d  Place national and local authority agendas within a theological context that strengthens church schools
1e  Engage with succession planning of heads governors and Senior Leadership Team
1f  Support schools in asset management to ensure longevity of provision on site
1g  Engage with diocesan structures

Community schools – in line with DBE Measure:
1h  Engage through training to improve standards of RE, Collective Worship and Community Cohesion for all children in the Bristol Diocese
1i  Through work with SACREs, ensure standards of RE, especially knowledge of Christianity, for all children in the Bristol Diocese

Parishes

2a  Increase opportunities for children and young people in churches and deaneries in the Bristol Diocese
2b  Strengthen parish/schools partnerships
2c  Dissemination of national and diocesan agendas
2d  Equip churches to engage with national and diocesan agendas
2e  Increase confidence, skills and numbers of volunteers working with children and young people
2f  Engage with succession planning
2g  Engage with diocesan structure

FE

3a  To engage with succession planning
3b  To increase skills of chaplains and numbers of volunteers
3c  To engage with, disseminate, and inform Diocesan and national agendas

Resource Centre

4a  Increase customer base to ‘far flung’ schools
4b  Increase parish use
4c  Ensure relevant stock
4d  Utilise www.bristoldiocesecyp.org

We hope that this website will aid both us, in our mission, and you in yours. Our prayers are always with you – please get in touch with myself or any of the team if we can help in any way.
Enjoy keeping up to date with the website

God Bless,

Jackie