The boundaries for the 18 mission areas of the Sydney Diocese have been finalised and prospective mission leaders are being contacted with a view to the programme getting underway towards the end of 2010.

Bishop Ivan Lee, who's overseeing the programme with Archbishop Jensen, spent the first part of the year talking to all the parishes and working with the research unit at Anglicare to establish the boundaries.

"There've been a lot of changes but it hasn't been difficult" Bishop Lee says "We want people to be in the areas they want to be in and we also want to help them think strategically where they should be. It's worked out very well."

Archbishop Jensen asked at the 18 mission consultations throughout the diocese for names to be considered as mission leaders, although he stressed he would have to make the final decision.

"I think mid-June will be the time when that complete list will come together and we can announce them and pray for them and support them." Bishop Lee told sydneyanglicans.net. (see video)

He describes the mission areas project as "long term'.

"We want to build the foundations well" he said "But the main purpose of mission areas is to build on Connect09.  We made a great start in the diocese last year. There's been some culture change, some mindset change and parishes and churches are looking at their local community much more than they ever did."

Bishop Lee said the key word was "partnership'.

"Individual churches are working hard but now we're going to start to learn to work together in connecting with the community and bringing the Gospel to them. Mission areas are a framework for that."