This document outlines a vision for growth at the Parish of Bargoed and Deri with Brithdir in Wales. It summarizes declining attendance trends over recent decades and a desire to reverse this. Plans are described to focus on mission and evangelism through initiatives like CAP, a youth project, publicity, and growing volunteer involvement. The goal is to make opportunities for all in the parish to experience God's love. St Gwladys' Church is prioritized as a mission hub. A 5-year vision is presented of a thriving, growing church community across the parish locations. People are invited to join in working towards this vision.

1. THE VISION FOR GROWTH
PARISH OF BARGOED AND DERI WITH BRITHDIR

2. WHERE WERE WE A YEAR
AGO?

3. General Background of Decline
in the Churches and Chapels
Falling attendances
Ageing congregations
Leads churches to become increasingly inward
facing
Culture changed - church didn’t.
We are not immune from the trends and the
problems that have claimed so many other chapels
around us.

4. OUR ATTENDANCES HAVE
BEEN DECLINING TOO

5. Adult Sunday Attendance
0.0
32.5
65.0
97.5
130.0
1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012
Adults

6. U18 Sunday Attendance
0.0
12.5
25.0
37.5
50.0
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
U18s

7. 2001-2012
A better picture
Decline slowed but not reversed
71
73
75
77
79
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

8. How?
Healing on the streets
Lay workers
Gigabites
Church Hall
Youth work
Lots of hard work &
ministry resources
Weddings/Funerals/
Baptisms
Alpha Courses etc.
Church magazine
Spiritual growth

9. DOES THIS MATTER?

10. Why this matters....
Bargoed one of the least Christian places in the UK
Communities First Area - lots of deprivation
People desperately looking for meaning and hope
in all the wrong places - spiritualism, alcohol, drugs
I love this area and want Gods absolute best for it
I love you and want God's absolute best for you

11. Left unchanged…
If the trends of the last 22 years continue, average
Sunday attendance could be 0 (Zero) in as little as
10 years time.
In practice, the strain of keeping things going with
ageing congregations would probably force us to
close one or more of our churches even sooner.
(i.e. Demography means that unaddressed the
decline will accelerate.)

12. OTHER FACTORS DRIVING
THE NEED FOR CHANGE

13. New challenges
Culture has changed and the church hadn’t kept
up. Collaborative rather than deferential.
Church in Wales Review calls for much more
collaboration and for us to develop lay leadership
and lay ministries in the church as we cope with
the fact that in the future across the diocese there
will be fewer and fewer ordained clergy.

14. Unrealistic Expectations
Less ministry resources.
Just me now compared to seven or so in recent
past.
Keith, Val and John a great help - but only able to
offer limited Sunday services only and occasional
help on Wednesdays.

15. Therefore
There is no silver bullet. If Andy with more ministers, more
experience, and more local knowledge tried all those
things and we still didn’t grow then there are no easy
answers and more fundamental change is necessary.
My role is necessarily different from Andy’s. Not to
mention I have different gifts, experiences and a different
vision for the church and ministry.
Pretending things could have stayed the same is not
being realistic.

16. BIOLOGY TEACHES US THAT
LIVING THINGS GROW!

17. THIS IS JESUS PICTURE OF THE CHURCH...
“I AM THE VINE AND YOU ARE THE BRANCHES. IF YOU ABIDE IN ME, AND I IN YOU, YOU WILL BEAR MUCH FRUIT”

18. The plan for growth
Focus on Mission & Evangelism
Remove barriers to people finding out about Jesus
Great welcomers welcoming people really well
Develop a church culture where we are equipped
and empowered as disciples of Jesus and
released into mission and ministry
Not just numbers!

19. Growth comes from God
Hard work
Prayerful obedience to the Holy Spirit
Strategic planning
Faithful, biblical preaching of the Gospel
Creating healthy environment for growth
Encouraging local lay leadership and ministries
"I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth."
1 Corinthians 3:6
BUT WE NEED TO PLANT AND WATER

20. This is what we're trying to do!
In line with Church in Wales review
and the Archbishop's diocesan strategy
and Jesus' Great Commission!

21. It's early days but it's starting to
bear fruit!
Atmosphere & great feedback particularly over Easter
Sunday School growing
Testimonies & signs of people growing in relationship
with God
Growing fringe of people seeking Jesus
New people regularly turning up
People starting to invite others again
Outreach events well supported (Good Friday &
Bargoed Christmas Fayre)

22. PLANS FOR MISSION

23. Our Aim
SHARING THE GOSPEL SO THAT EVERY PERSON IN OUR
PARISH HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIENCE GOD'S LOVE
AND RESPOND TO JESUS INVITATION TO FOLLOW HIM
Mission to every person who lives or works within
our Parish Boundaries
No matter how young or old, rich or poor

24. Our Focus For Now - St
Gwladys'
Our resources are limited. Can't do everything on our own or
all at once.
St David's & St Peter's don't currently have the resources to
start weekday groups to build up a fringe.
Therefore St Gwladys' is our mission priority. Need a lively,
spirit filled morning service that's accessible to newcomers
but deep enough to feed and form us into missional disciples.
In time the vision is to send mission teams from St G's to help
kickstart outreach in Deri and Brithdir. Need to get our
churches there ready and plan to grow in the meantime.

25. What about St Peter's & St David's?
Are we running them down?
Absolutely not!
Regular services. Gospel preaching. Communion.
Local ministry opportunities - Deri Primary School, Ashville
Nursing Home
CAP
Opportunities to gather as part of bigger parish
Parish wardens to visit to improve communications and sense of
involvement
Need to take whole parish view
Open to mission ideas from anywhere!

26. Our Plans
Church Hall Project
CAP
The River
Project formerly known as Gigabites
Publicity
And much more

27. Growing community of volunteers and users
Bursting at the seams
Revenue for 2014 should be nearly double 2012
Nearly Full time community worker
£250K lottery bid for salaries for a project
manager, volunteer coordinator and administrator
- we find out in May/June

28. Christians Against Poverty
CAP DEBT CENTRE
Launching May 2014
Providing world class debt
counselling for people in
unsustainable debt
CAP MONEY COURSE
Launching May 2014
Providing financial
education to help people
avoid debt in the first place
Come and find out more
at the Launch Event on
Monday 19th May at 7pm
Covering Rhymney Valley by partnering with other churches

29. Afternoon congregation
Informal worship
Training and practicing the
charismatic gifts
Monthly Cafe service
In Church Hall - low barriers
Learning to be church for
people who don't normally
like church.

30. Music and Arts Youth
Project
Formerly known as Gigabites
Now based downstairs in Church Hall
Part time Youth Worker
Encouraging start made
Revive Team from Cardiff to build on links with
more explicitly Christian content

31. Publicity
We have new logos for the three churches
We need new noticeboards in Deri and Bargoed and
a new “shop front for St David’s”
Idea: Large, town-facing Noticeboard for church hall

35. Other plans
Alpha courses
Back to Church Sunday?
Messy Church
Continued outreach and healing on the streets
PCC away day - Audit with PCC of every aspect of church life
to assess contribution to our mission and plan necessary
changes

36. WHERE I'D LIKE US TO BE IN
5 YEARS TIME

37. My 5 year dream...
St Gwladys’ a thriving, lively, growing church made up of all
ages. Full of joy and the power of the Spirit. A really safe,
welcoming and family friendly atmosphere where children
are allowed to be children and each one is accepted and
appreciated for who they are and challenged to grow as
disciples of Jesus. Passionate worship and relevant,
challenging Bible teaching. Recognisably Anglican in feel.
Deep Christian relationships of prayer and accountability
with each other. People living out lives of intentional
mission in Bargoed. New people every week. Lives
changed. Marriages/relationships transformed. Poverty
being overcome. A caring and healing community. Lay gifts
prominently used in every aspect of church life.

38. My 5 year dream cont...
Mission teams from St G’s reinforcing churches in
Deri and Brithdir and equipping/releasing them
into mission.

39. AN INVITATION

40. An invitation...
This is where a growing number of us feel God is
leading us to go & so this is where we're going
We hope you'll feel excited enough to want to join
us on this journey and help us to get there!
This is a big vision. We need everyone's gifts.
Your parish needs you!