Paul Church Hall
Saturday 15th November
The meeting will be from 10.00am – 4.00pm, with refreshments from 9.30am at Paul Church Hall. There will also be refreshments in the morning and afternoon break, as well as lunch. The meeting is for anyone from all Deanery churches who wish to attend.
Why Is It Happening? The meeting is a recognition that: in Penwith the Deanery Plan has faltered; the Deanery is very different now to when the plan was written; there is a need to reset relationships within the Deanery and beyond; there are still many hurts that have persisted since the start of the On The Way process and we collectively need to capture what those are; there is a growing eagerness and willingness to work more closely together, support one another and reset what we can collectively achieve.
The Wider Context: The meeting will: celebrate the successes to date including the recruiting of clergy in Penwith and recognise that our plan going forward is to fill all vacant roles; agree what areas of work can be achieved through coordination and commit to an achievable plan; recognise the current and future financial position, that there is funding, including from external partners, that has been provided to help grow the church in Penwith, and ensure that we have viable plans to spend it for a sustainable future; honestly review the current Deanery Plan – the latest version will be circulated before the meeting; ensure that everything is grounded in the Diocesan priorities.
Agenda: There will be an agenda and papers for the day. They will come out two weeks before the meeting as usual. The day will include small group work, opportunities to individually contribute on paper and digitally, and whole group discussion.
Penwith Deanery Plan Day Agenda
Purpose
To reset relationships, strengthen a collaborative culture, agree three shared priorities, and begin building an action plan that is challenging, achievable, and genuinely owned, with clear success criteria.
10.00Opening and Framing the Day
We will open the session in worship with a welcome and then a clear framing of our purpose. The aims and intended outcomes of the day will be set out, ensuring everyone understands why we are here and what we want to achieve. Together, we will agree some simple ground rules to support openness, respect, and collaboration throughout our conversations.
10.30Resetting Relationships
This session focuses on rebuilding trust and resetting how we work together. Through a guided discussion, we will explore what we need from one another, identify the conditions required for a genuinely collaborative culture, and agree the principles we want to live by as colleagues. This is the foundation for the work that follows.
11.15Break
A short pause to refresh, reflect, and prepare for the next stage of the discussion.
11.30Identifying Shared Priorities
The group will move into dialogue about the challenges and opportunities we face. We will explore themes together and test where there is alignment, aiming to identify the three priorities that we will commit to as a collective. By the close of this session, we will have clarity on the shared agenda that will guide our joint action.
1.00 Lunch
1.45Building the Action Plan
In this session, we will begin the process of turning priorities into action. For each of the three agreed priorities, the group will define what success looks like, identify a small number of practical actions, and allocate ownership and responsibility. This will form the first draft of a shared action plan that is both ambitious and achievable.
2:45 Refreshments
3.00Testing the Action Plan
Here we will review the emerging plan and ensure it is robust. The group will ask: is this both ambitious and realistic? Are the success criteria meaningful and measurable? Does every participant feel genuine ownership of the commitments? The plan will be tested against these questions to strengthen collective confidence.
3:30Next Steps and Commitments
This session will confirm the immediate actions to be taken and the process for reviewing progress. We will agree who is responsible for the first steps, how we will hold each other accountable, and what rhythm of review and communication will help us stay on track.
3:45Closing Reflections
The day will end with a round of short reflections from each participant group. Everyone will have the opportunity to share what they are taking away, what has shifted for them, and what gives them energy for the work ahead. This closing moment will reinforce shared commitment before we formally end the session in prayer.
