Cascade

"If we can do something that enhances the wellbeing of frontline church and school leaders, who give so much of themselves to others, that will automatically cascade out into the communities that they are trying to serve.”

Bishop Adrian Newman, Chair of the St Benedict's Centre

Cascade is a new partnership between the St Benedict’s Centre based at Malling Abbey and the Diocese of Rochester, designed to help the flourishing and wellbeing of leaders in churches (lay and ordained) and schools across the area of the diocese.

Through a programme of initiatives and interventions, Cascade will support those on the front line of leadership with their physical, relational, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing.
 

The purpose of the programme

Cascade is a key piece of work with the diocese's Called Together vision, as we seek to grow missional leaders, missional churches and missional disciples.

No one can pour from an empty vessel. Supporting people to attend to their own wellbeing first will mean they will be more able to flourish in their work and ministry with others.
 

"There is a point in John's gospel where Jesus says that he has come to ‘bring life in all its fullness’, and yet we know that for many church leaders and for the leaders in our schools, it can feel like life is being lived in half its fullness right now.

“We envisage that the impact of this project will be like a dimmer light gradually coming on in peoples’ lives, so that as we start to address some of the issues that are most important to them, we'll find that it will have a real knock-on effect in their households, in their relationships within their churches, and in their communities.

Bishop Simon Burton-Jones, Bishop of Tonbridge and Chair of the Cascade Steering Group

The range of roles that will be able to access the scheme include:

• Clergy (stipendiary, self-supporting, and PTO)
• Clergy spouses
• Lay leaders (all authorised or licensed lay ministers)
• Children, Youth and family workers
• Churchwardens
• School Headteachers
• Chaplains
• Diocesan and cathedral lay staff. 

Watch this short film that explains more about Cascade.

Developing the programme

Funding from the Dorothy Kerin Trust (Burrswood Health and Wellbeing in the Community) has enabled an initial one-year development and research phase.

This was to ensure that the voice of those who the project is designed to serve was heard and their support needs fully understood. This included:

• A questionnaire sent to clergy, clergy spouses, licensed lay ministers, youth workers, headteachers of church schools, chaplains, churchwardens, and diocesan and cathedral staff
• A set of ‘listening groups’ were also carried out by a wellbeing consultant.

The consultations revealed that the biggest factors affecting wellbeing centred around work, including ‘not having enough time’, and ‘being over busy’.  

Other notable pressures included family concerns such as caring responsibilities, health concerns and financial worries. The wider institutional challenges facing the Church of England were also mentioned as causing stress.

From this research seven initial pilot workshops have been developed. Read more.

Once these have been completed and assessed, a full programme of support will be rolled out, funded as part of the nearly £11million awarded by the National Church to the Diocese of Rochester in support of the Called Together vision. 

Key Contacts