Explaining the Bid - Diocese of Liverpool

Dear friends,

I know that you will have been praying for and wondering about the progress on our investment bid so I write on behalf of all involved in developing our proposals. While we cannot say a great deal, we can confirm that when the Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Board (SMMIB) met late last month they warmly welcomed all the elements of the bid and its ambition. SMMIB committed in principle to substantial funding.

As expected with a bid of this substance and vision that we have provided SMMIB have asked for more work with regard to some of the details. We are confident that we will be able to provide that detail for their meeting in February as it mostly relates to the way we intend to deliver the aspirations of the plan over the first three years.

We are greatly encouraged by progress but we will not be in a position to hold our roadshows that we planned for early in the New Year. We will postpone these and look at when and what events we need to hold to help everyone in our diocese fully understand our final plans and their role in them. We will give you more information when we have it. I’d like to thank you for marking out time for this.

Putting together this work and delivering our objectives takes a great deal of effort and careful conversations all round. The Diocese of Liverpool has always been committed to communicating what we can as soon as we can. We will tell you about progress as and when we can.

Meanwhile I encourage all those on the Fit for Mission journey to remain in those conversations. The larger single parish envisaged in our Fit for Mission plans remain essential for our future and is the cornerstone of our investment bid.

I also want to remind you of the importance of paying your parish share in full. The mission and ministry of our diocese is supported through the threefold partnership of parishes, diocese and national church. Your generous giving is a vital part of that and enables us to make these investments bids.

You can find the details of our bid on this webpage and we thank you for your patience in all these matters.

With thanks and prayers for your ongoing ministry.