Growing Faith is the movement that exists to put children, young people and families instinctively at the heart of all the mission and ministry of the Church by changing the culture of the Church of England.
It comes from the vision set by the House of Bishops and endorsed by General Synod in 2019. It involves churches, schools and households working together to help children, young people and families have life in all its fullness.
The Growing Faith Foundation seeks to benefit children and young people, helping them create the world they want to live in, specifically through the lens of the Christian faith.
Every Diocese has appointed one or more Growing Faith Champions to take forward the Growing Faith mission locally.
The Growing Faith Foundation is developing work in four main areas: Networks, Learning Hubs, Programmes and Research.
Networks
Check out the current networks by clicking on the links below. For more information on any network, please contact the Networks Lead.
- Parachurch organisations - please click here to find out more and join our network for Parachurch Organisations. You can read more about what we have got up to in previous meetings here:
- Listening and responding to children and young people - This network is currently in a time of transition. You can read about what happened in Phase One in the reports below. Phase Two is currently in underway, as we move to a time of listening to CYP on some of the difficult issues which were highlighted in our previous meetings.
Please find below some interactive reports from each meeting for you to explore with colleagues and young people:
- Young adults' Network - Our young adults' network is currently working on a peer support network focused on Growing Faith, a resource for churches on how to welcome and nurture young adults, and a social network for young adults in the Church of England.
- Trauma-Informed Network - A Growing Faith cohort is taking part in the Church of England Education's Trauma-Informed network until Summer '23. In the Autumn we intend to begin facilitating a Peer Support Network focussed on Growing Faith and mental health. For more information please contact [email protected]
- Serving the local school - Please click here to find out more and sign up for this network which will be commencing in March 2023.
- Chaplaincy with children and young people - Please click to fill in this short questionnaire to help us in the formation of a new peer support network for chaplains who are working with children and young people. This network will commence in Spring 2023.
- Ordinands for Growing Faith - If you are an ordinand and would like to explore your ministry through the Growing Faith lens, please contact [email protected] to find out more about this network which will be commencing in Spring 2023.
More information coming soon on the following networks. Please contact [email protected] if you are interested in further information or if you'd like to be involved in the planning stages:
- Toddler group/breakfast club/lunchtime supervisors/FSWs
- Becoming parent-discipling communities -
- Youth and Growing Faith
- Hubs working together
- Developing a Christian Vision for School Together
- Issues-based network
- Parent forum
Learning Hubs
The Growing Faith Foundation is resourcing 12 Learning Hubs across the country to act as strong developmental communities of practice from which other school and church leaders (both regionally and nationally) can learn. The Hubs are in the Dioceses of: Carlisle, Derby, Durham, Ely, Guildford, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Salisbury, Sheffield, Southwell and Notts and a shared Hub across Portsmouth and Winchester. You can read more about our Phase 1 Hubs and for further information please contact the Partnerships Lead.
Programmes
The Growing Faith Strategic Leaders’ Programme will provide a space for a collaborative learning community which models the intersections of Growing Faith; professionally develop leaders and aspiring leaders bringing sustained change in a range of contexts; have a transformative impact on children and young people’s faith formation.
The pilot of the programme launches in January 2023 with further cohorts launching later in the year. Click here for an informative video to find out more. For further information please contact the Programmes Lead.
Click here to see the dates for Cohort 2 launching on 25th April.
Research
13 Growing Faith research projects are underway to further our understanding of growing faith in the intersections between household, schools and churches. For more information please contact the Head of Growing Faith.
- Growing Faith in Minster Communities
- Happiness Clubs with a church/school intergenerational cohort
- Finding and Growing in Faith: The Journeys of LGBT+ Young People
- Children and holiness
- Exploring how to grow intergenerational worship at all-age services at St Mary in Charnwood
- The change agents: listening to children's stories of spiritual leadership in their school
- A shared community: using theological reflection between priests and headteachers to promote mutuality in mission.
- Empowering parents
- Faith and Belonging among Children in Hybrid Intergenerational Church in Haslingfield
- Let us pray...anywhere?
- Are we listening?
- Church/school partnership and the spiritual development of children
- Faith in Transition
Prayer
Join the Growing Faith Prayer Support network by signing up for a short regular email of updates here.
Newsletters
Click here to sign up for the Growing Faith Foundation newsletter.
About us
The work of Growing Faith was developed and expanded between 2019 and 2021. In February 2022, the Growing Faith Foundation was created. It is based in the Education Office so that seamless cooperation and shared vision and resources can be developed.
By September 2022 the Growing Faith team was in place, with the Networks Lead, Partnerships Lead and Programmes Lead joining the Head of the Foundation.
Left to right Hannah Persaud - Networks Lead, Stephen Beamond - Programmes Lead, Cheryl Govier - Partnerships Lead, Lucy Moore - Head of Growing Faith.
