This £4.8m Fund will support limited-scale projects which will innovate in the light of the Church of England Vision and Strategy and generate learning about ‘good growth’, i.e. growth which increases the number of new disciples, strengthens discipleship, grows the impact of the Church’s social engagement work, or increases and diversifies the number of leaders in the church.
Innovation Funding aims to help find creative approaches to challenges facing the Church of England today. The new Vision and Strategy calls us to be a Christ-centred and Jesus-shaped church that is simpler, humbler, and bolder with three strategic priorities; to become younger and more diverse, a church of missionary disciples and a church where mixed ecology is the norm. Therefore, the funding will support innovation which is focused on at least of one of the following underrepresented groups as we aim to be a church which fully represents the communities we serve in age and diversity: younger people and children; lower income communities; UK Minority Ethnic/Global Majority Heritage populations, urban areas.
The Strategic Investment Board hopes that the Innovation Funding will encourage and nurture further innovation that advances mission and supports the Vision and Strategy as new ideas are tested.