EXCITING NEW DIOCESAN INITIATIVE GETS UNDERWAY: DIOCESAN FORUM TO BE HELD IN NOVEMBER

This year's Easter Vestries will feature the first part of an exciting project to identify priority issues which church members feel need to be addressed within the United Dioceses. The project grew out of calls by a number of speakers at Diocesan Synods in 1999 and 2000 for a special event, such as a Diocesan Forum, at which the focus would be entirely on diocesan priority issues. This is now planned for Saturday, 24 November 2001 at the Purcell House Conference Centre, All Hallows College, Drumcondra.

The project has the full support of the Archbishop, Dr Empey, and the Archdeacons, Gordon Linney and Edgar Swann. All three are members of the Planning Group charged with overseeing the project. The other members are Canon Cecil Hyland, Howth, Revd Nigel Dunne, Blessington, Revd Bernie Daly, Church of Ireland Theological College, Mr David Caird, Malahide, Mrs Ruth Heard, Holy Trinity, Killiney, and Dr Valerie Jones, Diocesan Communications Officer. Mr David Meredith acted as facilitator.

To ensure that the views of all church members are considered there will be a wide-ranging consultative process throughout the United Dioceses.

STEP 1 in this process will take place at meetings of EASTER VESTRIES

• Parishes will be asked to identify diocesan issues they feel need to be addressed and to suggest ways in which this could be done.
• 4 people will be elected by each parish or group of parishes to attend a meeting of representatives from parishes in their rural deanery (2 of the 4 should be under 40 and at least 1 should be a member of the Diocesan Synods. Both genders should be included)
• The 4 elected will be asked to consult with church members who do not usually attend the Easter Vestry meeting.

STEP 2 will be RURAL DEANERY MEETINGS

• Before the end of May rural deanery meetings to be attended by the 4 elected representatives of each parish or group of parishes and their clergy will be convened
• These meetings will focus on identifying up to 10 diocesan issues that need to be addressed
• Suggested ways in which this could be done will be discussed

STEP 3 will be the DIOCESAN FORUM

• It will consider the main issues identified in the consultative process
• Identify the most important and suggest practical ways in which they can be addressed
• The 200 attending will include all the clergy and 2 of the 4 elected parochial representatives (one must be under 40 and one must be a member of the Diocesan Synods)

STEP 4 will be TRANSLATING THE FORUM RESULTS INTO ACTION

• Plans will be presented to a special meeting of the Diocesan Councils for implementation
• The 2002 Diocesan Synods will be asked to endorse these plans