New Worshipping Communities to Launch in Secondary Schools in the Diocese

The Church of England has launched the FLOURISH network, creating 40 worshipping communities in schools and colleges to foster a younger, more diverse church. This two-year pilot partners local churches with primary and secondary schools, as well as Further Education colleges, across 12 dioceses including Southwell & Nottingham.

Inspired by the Church of England’s Growing Faith Foundation, FLOURISH aims to engage children, young people, and their families, exploring faith across church, home and school. The pilot will train 200 adult leaders and 800 young leaders, led by the Church of England’s Education team and Ministry Development colleagues, emphasising youth-centred leadership, strategic partnerships, intergenerational faith development, and integrating worship into school routines.

The initiative includes both Church of England and non-CofE schools, many serving disadvantaged and diverse communities. Insights from the pilot will be shared locally and nationally to evaluate its potential for wider adoption.

The FLOURISH network was launched on Tuesday, 2nd July with a training event led by The Rt Revd Dr. Jonathan Frost, Bishop of Portsmouth and the Growing Faith team. The pilot will begin in Autumn 2024 with worshipping communities developing in the subsequent months.

Ruth Lee, Diocesan Lead for Growing Younger and part of the Flourish steering group, said, “It was a joy to gather with colleagues from other dioceses’ to continue the exciting development of the Flourish Pilot. The national team heading up Flourish gave us lots to think about but have left us so eager to see all that God has in store for our churches and schools. Here in Southwell & Nottingham the pilot will focus on specific churches and schools in the Mansfield, Newark and Southwell areas of the Diocese.”

Join us in praying for the success of this initiative and the communities it will serve.