Over the past 18 months, we have been working with iSingPOP on a partnership project to enable parishes to access their training and resources. Following a review of the project and its impact, the decision has been made to bring the project to a close at the end of July.
Although there have been some successes as part of the project, with schools hosting an iSingPOP Main Event Concert and churches establishing new worshipping communities using the iSingPOP songs, we feel that it is important for parishes to be able to choose the best approach for their context. It will still be possible for churches to access the iSingPOP resources, but these will now sit within a wider suite of mission and discipleship resources, rather than being a standalone, dedicated diocesan project.Our diocese will also be working with iSingPop on their Pop Up Church programme which is running in association with the national church.
Diocesan Children and Families’ Lead, Sian Morgan, said:
“The iSingPOP and Pop Up Church resources are fantastic, and we remain committed to supporting churches who want to make use of them. However, we know they’re not right for all churches and with the national project starting, this felt like the right time to bring our diocesan project to a close. We are grateful for all the support that Kirsty Pierson has given parishes in the time she’s been seconded to the Diocese from iSingPOP and wish her well as she transitions to a new role in the organisation.”
For parishes that currently have iSingPOP bookings or plans in place, these dates will be honoured, and Sian will be contacting those churches individually to discuss the arrangements and next steps. For those churches already running Pop Up Church, Sian be in touch to continue to support and encourage this and understand how we can build on what has already been established and enable other churches to benefit from the experience and learning.
Sian continued:
“Our commitment to supporting churches in developing ministry with children, young people and families remains unchanged. We will continue to invest in sustainable approaches that equip churches and enable them to build sustainable, discipleship-focused ministry with these groups in their local context. I'll be sharing more about these opportunities over the coming months.”
