about the Gloucester Diocese

The Diocese of Gloucester is part of the Church of England and covers most of Gloucestershire, as well as parts of neighbouring counties. It is home to about 600 thousand people. It ranges from small rural communities to the urban centres of Gloucester, Cheltenham and Stroud, and also includes market towns such as Cirencester and Stow-on-the-Wold. The main geographic areas are the Cotswolds running north to south through the diocese, the Forest of Dean in the west and between them the Vale of Severn. Each of these areas has its own distinctive character. In the diocese the communities are served by some 327 parishes, 390 churches and 117 church schools.

The Diocesan Education for Discipleship programme offers resources to groups meeting around the Diocese. It is run by the Local Ministry Office of the Diocese which also supports the Local Ministry Teams of clergy and lay people working together to develop the ministry of their local churches. Helping people learn and grow is seen as an important key to helping church life flourish as they serve their local communities.