Last updated 2nd May 2025

Centenary Build Up: Parish Mission Preparations

2026 Diocesan Centenary Parish Mission Weekends

As part of the celebration of our Diocesan Centenary in 2026, Bishop Philip has called for a Diocesan-wide weekend of parish mission and outreach, between 11 and 13 September 2026. The invitation is for every parish across the Diocese to put on a weekend in which simple events are held, to which both Christians and non-Christians can be invited, to enjoy themselves and to engage together - and at which there will be an accessible presentation of what it means to be a follower of Jesus. These Centenary weekends also offer us an opportunity to do something special with Sunday morning services, and to invite along those who perhaps haven't yet experienced the worship of the Church. 

To help prepare and support parishes to make the most of this wonderful opportunity, our Diocesan Renewal Lead, the Rev’d Steve Haskett, along with members of the Parish Mission Team, will be attending a meeting of your Deanery Synod. During that meeting, Steve and his team will share video messages from Bishop Philip and Bishop Joe and will help parishes begin to think how they might engage with this exciting initiative and what kinds of things might be possible in their context.

To help reach as many people as possible, we have arranged with Area Deans for these meetings to be ‘Open Synods’ - so that Churchwardens, Vision Champions, Licensed Lay Ministers, and Authorised Lay Ministers as well as Deanery Representatives are all invited to attend. 

For any further information please contact Rev'd Steve Haskett, (Diocesan Renewal Lead) at steve.haskett@blackburn.anglican.org, Rev'd Sarah O'Donoghue (Diocesan Renewal Officer) at sarah.odonoghue@blackburn.anglican.org or Janet Sanderson (Operations Facilitator to the Diocesan Renewal Programme) at janet.sanderson@blackburn.anglican.org