On Saturday 20th January, #MoreThanSunday 2024 was launched with an event at St John’s House. As the people of God, we are called to live out our faith through the week, as well as when we gather together to worship on a Sunday. #MoreThanSunday helps churches encourage an active and vibrant faith during the week, seeking to build confidence in showing and sharing our faith with all those we encounter.
Throughout the day everyone discussed what ‘everyday faith’ means in our individual contexts and thought about places and people we encounter during the week. The day also provided an overview of the Seven Shifts, looking at the first Shift, ‘This Time Tomorrow’, in more detail and exploring how it can be used in our churches.
#MoreThanSunday is our response to the national everyday faith movement, and Bishop David Walker, Bishop of Manchester writes, “#MoreThanSunday is the Diocese of Manchester’s approach to inspiring discipleship, the living out of what it means to be baptised and to follow Jesus Christ day by day.”
#MoreThanSunday supports our diocesan mission goals of growing, nurturing and serving by:
- Inspiring church congregations to make stronger connections between what happens at their Sunday/main worship services and how they live out their faith during the week.
- Enhancing and working alongside existing discipleship training programs as part of enabling everyone to deepen their faith together.
- Increasing the confidence of everyone in our churches by encouraging them to talk more openly about their faith with each other.
- Equipping everyone in our churches to share their faith more effectively with others in their everyday places, settings and communities.
In 2020, ten pilot groups took part in the #MoreThanSunday program, which explores Seven Shifts that churches can make to encourage everyday faith and discipleship. Building on positive feedback from the pilot groups, five mission communities participated in #MTS in 2022-2023.
This year's #MoreThanSunday programme runs from January to July. If you are interested in taking part, or would like more information, please contact Kim Morgan-Jones, Head of Lay Development and Discipleship, at: kimmorgan-jones@manchester.anglican.org
Materials for #MoreThanSunday are available here.