More people will be trained to run Bubble Church, a successful children’s outreach. (Photo: Church of England)
Almost half of all Church of England parishes are set to gain from a new £11 million wave of investment aimed at strengthening mission, outreach and discipleship, according to the latest figures.
The money, distributed through the Church’s Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Board (SMMIB), will be channelled into partnerships with a wide range of Christian organisations.
The allocation, built around the theme of ‘People and Partnerships’, is designed to expand innovative ministries, build new worshipping communities, and equip churches to reach more people with the Christian message.
The investment will be channelled into five key priorities, including training to help churches reach and connect with children, young people and their households.
It will support the planting and long-term sustainability of new worshipping communities, and support churches in improving the reach and efficiency of digital evangelism and discipleship.
In addition, the funding will help churches respond to urgent missional challenges, and promote greater collaboration between parishes and networks, enabling them to distribute knowledge, resources and experience with one another.
By backing fresh ideas and building on proven models, church leaders believe thousands more people will encounter the gospel across the country.
In total, the programme is expected to enhance mission in about 5,500 parishes—roughly 45% of the Church of England.
Several well-known initiatives are receiving further support.
Youthscape, already a recipient of earlier funding from 2023, will receive an extra £1.9m to augment its youth engagement work nationwide after seeing participating churches increase 11 to 17-year-old attendance by up to 30%.
Leading your Church into Growth (LyCiG), which trains clergy and lay leaders to grow local congregations, secured £750,000 to support 1,000 parishes over three years.
Bishop Richard Jackson of Hereford welcomed the programme, noting its strength in bringing clergy and laity together to pray, plan and act with unity.
“What has impressed my colleagues most is the programme’s intentional focus on teams of clergy and laity learning, praying, and discerning together,” he stated.
“This shared approach not only strengthens relationships within parishes but also helps to create a clear, united vision for mission and growth that can be taken back and lived out in the local context.”
Messy Church, a favourite among families for its creative approach to worship, will acquire just above £500,000, while Bubble Church – a puppet and song-based service pioneered in south London – has been awarded £1m to train 250 more churches after rapid growth from four to 75 locations.
The Society of St Wilfrid and St Hilda has been granted £500,000 to broaden its Anglo-Catholic mission network, which supports both clergy and lay leaders.
Initiatives such as “Columba’s Kitchen” in Liverpool, Anfield’s St Columba Church’s foodbank that has led people into faith, highlight the network’s community impact.
Additional partnerships include the Missional Youth Church Network (Church Army), the Kindling Network’s revitalisation projects for struggling churches and BRF Ministries’ Parenting for Faith resources.
Nearly £1m will also go towards “The Way,” a digital-first evangelism project producing Christian content across YouTube, TikTok, podcasts and Instagram.
Currently reaching 5% of 13 to 17-year-olds in England, the aim is to double that figure while encouraging young followers to join local worshipping communities.
Alison Coulter, Vice Chair of the House of Laity for General Synod and SMMIB appointed board member, said the projects are central to the Church’s vision of doubling the number of young disciples by 2030.
She commented: “We are delighted to see the impact that partnership projects are already having, and are grateful to be working with these brilliant partner organisations.
“We look forward to seeing how God continues to use these programmes and projects to bring the Good News of Jesus to many more young people.”
£11m investment to boost mission across Church of England parishes
