Listening in Lent

Listening in Lent was a diocesan process of prayerful listening and discernment. It invited people across the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne to reflect on what they were seeing, hearing and hoping for as we seek God’s future together.

Across questionnaire responses, consultations, facilitated conversations and other engagements, almost 3,000 people contributed to the process, generating more than a quarter of a million words of reflection.

The summary report below draws together the main themes we heard. It is offered as a first summary of the Listening in Lent process, and as part of our ongoing shared discernment about the future God is calling us into together.

Download the summary report

What we heard

Listening in Lent revealed a church with a strong longing for faithful renewal.

People spoke with hope, grief, fatigue, courage and trust in God. Across the listening process, there was a consistent desire for a shared sense of direction that helps disciples, leaders, churches and ministries take their next faithful step.

Six major themes emerged:

Across these themes, people also named the need for systems, governance and administration that better serve mission; clearer communication and transparency; stronger relationships between parishes and the diocesan offices; financial transparency and good governance; and practical support for local churches and ministries.

 

What happens next

Listening in Lent is part of a wider season of diocesan discernment as we seek God’s future together.

What we heard has helped shape the shared journey now emerging across the diocese. It has given us a clearer sense of the hopes, concerns and invitations being named by parishes, ministries, schools, agencies and individuals across Melbourne and Geelong.

This will continue to inform how we pray, listen, discern and act together in the months ahead.

 

Thank you

Thank you to everyone who took part in Listening in Lent – those who prayed, reflected, responded, hosted conversations, facilitated groups and helped us listen more carefully.

Your contributions have helped the diocese listen more deeply and discern more clearly.


Request more detail

The summary report draws together the main themes heard across Listening in Lent.

If you would like to know more about a particular part of the report, or explore a specific question in more detail, please contact hello@melbourneanglican.org.au with a short description of what you are looking for.

Where possible, we will provide a more specific summary or response. Please note that we are not able to share raw responses or information that could identify individual contributors. Any further summaries will be provided in a way that protects confidentiality and reflects the data responsibly.

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