The Living in Love and Faith journey

The overview

The Living in Love and Faith resources are to enable the whole Church to embark on a journey together. The journey has four stages:

Learning together about the subject matter, about each other, about God and about our calling as a Church.

→ 30 April 2022

Listening to what is emerging from our learning together about identity, sexuality, relationships and marriage and about our life together as church communities and as a national Church.

→ September 2022

Discerning what the Holy Spirit is saying to the Church today.

→ December 2022

Deciding how discernment is translated into a way forward for the Church.

→ February 2023

The roadmap

Here is a more detailed road map of the journey, including how members of General Synod will be invited to engage:

Sep 21

College of Bishops
 

Bishops committed themselves to a series of conversations in regional groups, ‘Centred on Christ: Conversations on the Way’, to prepare for discernment and decision-making regarding Vision and Strategy, Organisational Change, and LLF.

Nov 21

General Synod

Provide a guide to LLF for new members; an update; ‘Passing the Baton’ reflections from Synod members of the previous quinquennium; the LLF Road Map.

Dec 21

House of Bishops           

Reflect on the extent of church-wide engagement and consider how to prepare for the discernment process.

Feb 22

General Synod

Reflect on and engage with the Pastoral Principles.

Spring 22

Diocesan Synods

An opportunity to reflect on engagement in dioceses so far and the role of Diocesan Synods in shaping the Church’s discernment process. Resources and a process will be offered.

30 Apr 22

‘Listening to the
Whole Church’

Feedback closed

May 22

House of Bishops

Reflect on Diocesan Synods’ engagement and its implications for the process of discernment.

Jul 22

General Synod

Engage with LLF in small groups with creative and reflective elements.

Sep 22

‘Listening to the
Whole Church’

The findings of ‘Listening to the Whole Church’ and the resource, ‘The Gift of the Church’, are published in a variety of media.

Sep 22

College of Bishops

Begin the discernment process in the light of the LLF Book, the findings of ‘Listening to the Whole Church’ and ‘The Gift of the Church’.

Oct 22

College of Bishops

Work on proposals for a way forward, indicating the implications for formal decision-making.

Dec 22

 

College & House of Bishops

Finalise proposals and reflect on what is needed to support the decision-making processes in General Synod.

Feb 23

General Synod

Consider proposals from the College and House of Bishops and agree a clear direction of travel.

The vision for the LLF process: What is our hope?

Recently, the Next Steps Group considered what it would look like for our deepest hopes for the LLF journey to have been met. They are:

  • Participation

There has been the widest possible participation across the whole Church.  We have engaged in deep learning together about God and about being human.

  • Relationships

We have learned to be kinder, understanding one another’s perspectives better. We have become more at ease with ourselves as a Church.

  • Outcome

Everyone can see that they have been listened to, heard, loved, and taken seriously. The Spirit’s work among us has resulted in a revelation of something new, unexpected.

  • The Future

Our deeper understanding and love will enable us to face new questions in a better way. We are hopeful as we move into the future together in love and faith.