Clusters

Honey nut clusters on skewers dipped in ice cold milk and savoured like strawberries dipped in a chocolate fountain..

or

'A cluster is an informal arrangement between neighbouring parishes to share some of the work, ministry and mission together in order to make best use of resources.'

Explanation:

'Informal' means NOT formal
with no obligations or requirements

'Between... parishes'
PCC co-operation is needed as the parish remains the legal unit of church governance.
If the church council does not want to participate in the life of the cluster it is not required to. There is no such thing as a cluster council, a cluster is not a Group or a Team. Groups of individual parishes have a Group Council with representatives from each church and all the clergy - they have to meet together and work toether. Teams have a team council and district councils, one team clergy may be allocated to each district council, but all are on the Team Council. There are no individual parishes in a Team, though each church may have a treasurer and parish share may be allocated between them by the Team Council.


Purpose:
'to share...work'
church can be hard work and working together can lighten that load as people work together
'to share...ministry'
Ministry is the work of all God's people and so this means to work across the cluster to do God's work... it does not mean 'Sharing a vicar' (apart from in practise) It can mean that neighbouring clergy meet together and are less isolated and share their expertise across the cluster churches eg one might be good at baptisms, another at weddings, a third at funerals.

'to share ...mission'
God wants to bring people to know him and he uses people to draw others into the family of his church. That process is mission. It does not mean having plans schemes and targets (though these are fashionable). It means having relationships, getting to know people and showing them God's love through practical ways and sharing faith when appropriate.

'To make the best use of resources' means allowing God to have a say in how we utilise the gifts that God has given us. It does not mean planning to reduce common fund or parochial share contributions by spreading stipendiary clergy thinner.

Clusters.
Clusters rely on Parochial Church Councils wanting to work together, and on individuals wanting to meet across the churches. Clusters can't be made to work if they are forced on people against their will of if they are regarded as the least bad option.

Honey Nut Clusters are sexier than church clusters.