Lisburn Cathedral Vision (2007-2015)

INTRODUCTION

Good decision making requires a long term perspective. One of the purposes of this vision statement is to create a very long term view of how the church might develop to ensure that appropriate actions are taken now.

It is essential that everyone involved in the Cathedral shares a vision for the future so that we can work collectively to further God’s kingdom. During 2006, a range of work was done to seek people’s views. This included a questionnaire to groups and organisations.

While this did not produce as many responses as we would have liked, it offered a range of useful views which were considered and discussed in detail by the vestry and staff.

Most of the questionnaires were very positive, though a number set out suggestions for change. As far as was possible, planning work sought to reflect the views expressed.

This document summarises this work and sets out future plans.

THEN AND NOW

The origins of Lisburn Cathedral go back to 1623, the current church dating from 1708.

As well as being a parish church, the Cathedral has a civic and diocesan role. It is geographically at the centre of Lisburn, which has doubled in size in the last 40 years.

Its members come from a wider area than the traditional parish boundary and from differing backgrounds, religious and social. Our Christian heritage presents a range of opportunities and continued growth in Lisburn offers many challenges.

THE FUTURE

Our Value Base – In planning the work of the Cathedral, we have to remember that we cannot business plan in the conventional sense, recognising that we must allow space for prayer, faith and the exercise of Christian virtues.

Therefore, accepting our limitations, we have set out our view of what we think we should do for the future, accepting that God’s way may become clearer over time and may require us to do things differently. In all of this work we apply certain values:

The desire to be founded on and nurtured by Biblical principles and teaching. The desire to be outward looking while not neglecting our spiritual discipline and growth. An acceptance of the need to change when required. The need to give (sacrificially at times) to ensure the Cathedral is fit for purpose.

People – We will seek to be tolerant of failure, allow for human weakness and seek to forgive. We will measure our actions against biblical standards. We welcome diversity. We will seek to assist everyone to identify and undertake the role that God has for them.

Money – We teach tithing, individually and as a church. The Vestry practises good stewardship in use of funds, seeking to ensure that all expenditure is made in the most efficient manner.

The Vestry maintains accurate and timely financial records which are audited on an annual basis and operated in an open and accountable manner.

Premises – Our built heritage was left to us by previous generations and we recognise their history and value to society. We have an obligation to maintain and develop these to meet the needs of future generations as well as our own. We will seek to maximize the utilisation of premises, ensuring that they are flexible to meet a wide range of needs.

Management and Leadership – We believe that leaders should be allowed to lead, but in an open and accessible manner. Vestry is appointed annually to make decisions about financial matters, premises and other issues. It will show leadership: however it recognises the need to ensure congregational understanding of any actions taken.

Other Churches/Denominations – We recognise that other bible based Christian denominations are our Christian brothers and sisters. We will seek to work with them to further God’s kingdom where possible.

Theology and Approach – In all we do, we will seek to work in line with bible teaching. As evangelical Anglicans, we will work within the general guidance and policies of the Church of Ireland.

VISIONS AND AIMS

Our Vision is: to be church as God intended. Our Vision can be achieved through a number of aims:

The Membership – We will seek to be the people that God intended us to be: a welcoming and open Christian family.

Meeting Members’ Needs – We seek to maintain a level of ministry which nurtures the worshipping community that faithfully gathers in the Cathedral and, by means of outreach and witness, to add to the body of believers in our midst and further afield. We seek to meet the spiritual and some social and material needs of members as a caring, accepting and forgiving church.

Meeting the Needs of Others – Have an excellent relationship with the other city churches and be attractive to those who are not Christians.

Growing – Have adequate resources to provide good quality facilities for members and those in need and regularly review and develop plans to meet changing needs.

PRIORITIES FOR THE FUTURE

The Cathedral offers a wide and varied programme to meet many needs but it cannot fill every need. Some needs may have to be met by others, or in conjunction with others.

In planning future provision we will seek to facilitate all age groups, however the needs of the most vulnerable will be prioritised (eg, older people, young people).

We will also prioritise activities which are most likely to further God’s kingdom, by supporting people’s spiritual development, spreading the  gospel, prayer and worship and in activities which cement a sense of community and mutual support for members.

While the Cathedral will seek to appeal to all ages, specific priorities include:

5-11s – We recognise the importance of developing our younger children. Through Sunday School, Youth Club, Godzone, uniformed organisations and other activities we will seek to meet their needs, both spiritual and social.

11-16s – Increase the overtly spiritual content of Fusion activities, with a view to bringing more young people to Christ and supporting their spiritual growth. Support the development of all our young people’s activities.

16-25s – We will seek to consider and develop provision for this group. A start has been made with Fusion and Student Lunches making an impact at the lower end of the age band.

Older People – We will seek to identify more ways to provide practical and social support for those who feel less connected than they have been in their younger years. This may include visiting or assistance with basic repairs, shopping, transport, etc.

Work with Other Churches – We recognise that the resources of Christian churches must be used effectively. We will seek to develop and maintain good relationships with other Christian churches in Lisburn and, where possible, will seek to consider ways in which the most effective use of resources can be made in areas such as provision of activities or services for our congregations and the people of Lisburn, or through jointly utilising and developing premises which complement each other.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES (TO BE ACHIEVED BY 2015)

1. Be, and be seen to be, church as God intended, steady in our Christian growth, but always open to change as we discover God’s will.

2. Have increased our average Sunday attendance by 50%.

Target – Increase in Sunday worship numbers by 10% (by 2008).

3. Offer activities and programmes to meet the priority needs of our congregation and, where appropriate, complement those offered by other city centre churches.

Target – Have identified and prioritised all needs (by end 2007).

Target – Have reviewed programmes and activities and realigned these to needs (by 2008).

4. Have achieved a membership which reflects the catchment population profile.

5. Have fully addressed our responsibilities as custodian of a piece of Lisburn’s history and a significant focus for the Historic Quarter and the city centre.

Target – Be playing an active part in relevant civic and Historic Quarter structures.

Target – Have maximised the visitor opportunities presented by theCathedral building.

6. Have achieved an appropriate balance between meeting the spiritual, social and practical needs of our members and those we seek to serve.

7. Develop all our premises to meet the changing needs of the congregation for future generations.

Target – Have reviewed all premises options and needs and developed a ten year plan to upgrade/ adapt as appropriate (by end 2007).

8. Have adequate recurring finance to sustain activities and sufficient reserves to address urgent capital needs, without redress to borrowing.

Target – Have achieved sufficient income levels to sustain existing costs and be able to maintain buildings in good condition (by end 2007).

Target – Be able to afford the delivery of the ten year building plan (by end 2008).

RESOURCES

Our vision has to be properly resourced.

To be the church for the future, as previous generations we must invest in premises.

Changing needs mean that flexibility is required and premises must be utilised effectively. Over the next few years we are likely to:

Cathedral – Replace wiring, upgrade sound and vision systems, improve safety, update facilities to provide refreshments and allow more weekday use, renovate the organ, repair and redecorate, improve grounds.

Church Halls – Update facilities, including meeting safety requirements, new kitchen, lift to upper rooms, redecorate, external repairs, improve disabled access.

Office – Upgrade wiring, fire alarm and emergency lighting, consider disabled access.

Rectory – Progress plans for development of the site to ensure that the Rector’s accommodation needs are met effectively, while maximizing the utilisation of this important resource.

Hillhall, Sexton’s House and Curatage – ongoing maintenance. To support ongoing costs and to resource these improvements we will continue to be good stewards of existing resources, utilising these to generate funds where appropriate.

We will seek to encourage regular sacrificial giving and fund raising where necessary.

PROGRESS TO DATE

The Cathedral is now ‘a light’ in the middle of the City.

The first phase of renovations (started in late 2005) saw the Cathedral heating, external lighting, Vestry, Choir Vestry and Toilet facilities improved beyond recognition.

The Select Vestry has sought to use the gifts, grants and other funds faithfully, wisely and in accordance with their intended purpose.

The Select Vestry has sought not to ‘cut corners’, rather to ensure the work carried out is of the highest standard, without putting an unmanageable financial burden on the congregation. Select Vestry decisions have been taken prayerfully and thus far with the full agreement of each member.

This work has now been fully paid for through a combination of congregational giving, a legacy, a donation from the Dean and Chapter and income from the Maxol site investments.

THE NEXT STAGES

The twofold purposes of nurturing the faith and mission to the lost can best be taken forward and enhanced in the Cathedral, if we maintain and upgrade our properties and facilities. Some upgrading is necessary simply to keep up with the ever more stringent legislation concerning public spaces and buildings.

The Select Vestry is keen to ensure that our properties comply fully with all relevant legislation, including disability and health and safety requirements.

The Kitchen/Hall Area – Loved by none who work in it or those who must work around it, is long overdue an overhaul to make it fit for purpose today and for many years to come.

This space can and must be better appointed for the safety and convenience of all who currently and will in the future use it.

The restructuring of this space will see a purpose-built kitchen fit for the kind of uses and functions the Cathedral presently hosts and, looking to the future, would like to host. The changes we make will bear in mind the extensive work going on in the Castle Gardens area and seek to more fully integrate the Cathedral into what is now termed the ‘Historic Quarter’.

The Main Hall Complex – Which is extensively used by all, is in need of essential maintenance, simply to bring it to a standard which meets current health and safety standards.

Without carrying out the refurbishment of the Kitchen Area and installing a new fire alarm system we were likely to lose our entertainments licence and would have been forced to stop many of the activities currently run in the hall.

This was clearly unacceptable and accordingly a range of work is ongoing to upgrade systems and access to satisfy modern Legislative requirements.

The Cathedral – Oh yes, it is warmer than before, but if all the lights worked we would see an interior that was in need of some extensive attention.

The kind of transformation given to the Vestry, Choir Vestry and Toilet area needs to be planned and executed for the main sanctuary or, as we are often heard to say, ‘God’s House’.

Visitors, in addition to regular users, recognise the beauty and peaceful ambience of the Cathedral.

To maintain this we need to act. The electrical supply, wiring and fittings are well past their sell by date and need to be replaced. Modern ecofriendly lighting, which can be run cheaply, is long overdue.

The audio visual equipment needs to be updated to meet current and future requirements and to better integrate with the building.

Safety systems such as fire alarms and safety lighting need to be installed.

A ‘hospitality dock’, if not essential, is highly desirable.

A report will be prepared by the organ builders on the organ, which is expected to require some work.

Finally, and probably even more so after the other updates, the building needs to be redecorated.

Staffing – We are able to maintain a wide range of programmes and activities because of our staff capacity and due to extensive volunteer input. At times it proves difficult to obtain sufficient volunteers to sustain activities.

The Year Out Team has brought a very valuable range of skills and extra effort that have enhanced work with young people in particular.

The Vestry would wish to consider how this work could be sustained beyond the current one year period.

This clearly has financial implications, but has brought great blessing to many young people and has helped to grow the number of young Christians in the Cathedral.

NEXT STEPS

The Select Vestry recognises that this is a large working agenda with many essential works that have to be tackled over a realistic time frame (something in the order of two to three years).

Rather than adopt a ‘piecemeal’ approach, the Select Vestry proposes to develop a timetable for the works that will minimise disruption to the life of the congregations and will be realistic in terms of financial considerations.

The Select Vestry and Cathedral Staff want to work closely with the whole congregation at each stage of the works.

Only by doing this together can we hope to have buildings and facilities that are safe, fit for purpose, financially sustainable and ready to serve the Kingdom of God.

 [ Home ] [ What's On ] [ Easter Vestry ] [ 7 Deadly Sins ] [ Study & Reflection ] [ Prayer Diary ] [ How to find us ] [ Monthly Pattern ] [ Activities ] [ Vestry Voice ] [ Vision (2007-2015) ] [ Staff ] [ Financial Policy ] [ Pastoral Notes ] [ Fusion Rota ] [ Archive ] [ Links ]