Most Holy Trinity Oakengates, Holy Trinity Wrockwardine Wood St Peters Priorslee,

Transcription

1 Parish Profile For The Parishes of Most Holy Trinity Oakengates, Holy Trinity Wrockwardine Wood St Peters Priorslee, Telford, Shropshire Wrockwardine Wood Oakengates Oakengates Priorslee Telford, Shropshire Oakengates, Wrockwardine Wood and Priorslee Profile 2017 Page 1

2 FULL TIME LEADERSHIP POST IN A DEVELOPING TEAM OF THREE CHURCHES The Parishes of Most Holy Trinity Oakengates, Holy Trinity Wrockwardine Wood and St Peters Priorslee, Telford, Shropshire An opportunity to work with colleagues, both lay and ordained, to form a new pattern of mission and ministry in the Deanery of Telford, Shropshire. We are praying for a priest who: can nurture fledgling relationships between these three adjacent parishes affirm the present involvement of lay people in ministry and mission and empower others to play their part can build on and develop existing links with our three Primary Schools and with Holy Trinity Academy (a new RC/Anglican Secondary School in Priorslee) is able to communicate pastorally with people at every level of faith, or none has a broad spirituality which celebrates and respects differing liturgical traditions in our churches. We can offer you: the adventure of developing new and creative patterns of ministry and mission in this area supportive PCC's and active retired clergy willing to share responsibility recognition that we need to embrace change and allow the Holy Spirit to surprise us a lively and outward looking Deanery Chapter and Synod a beautiful area of the country with good travel links by road or rail a modern and well-maintained Vicarage To obtain a copy of the Profile and Application form please download the form from and directly to bishop.shrewsbury@lichfield.anglican.org For general enquiries please contact the Bishop of Shrewsbury s office via or telephone on Closing date 12 th February 2017 Familiarisation 28 th February 2017 Interviews 1 st March 2017 Appointment is subject to enhanced DBS disclosure Oakengates, Wrockwardine Wood and Priorslee Profile 2017 Page 2

3 The Parishes of Oakengates, Priorslee and Wrockwardine Wood The areas of Wrockwardine Wood and Oakengates have long been united by their history. Both were mining areas and Wrockwardine Wood boasted a glass factory. Pieces of the glass produced here can be found in the Victoria and Albert Museum. Both churches shared the same Urban Council until all of the councils in the district became Telford and Wrekin Unitary Authority.The churches of Most Holy Trinity Oakengates and Holy Trinity Wrockwardine Wood have been a Benefice for over twelve years under the previous Incumbent. During this time they have been happy to retain their own style of worship and their own independence. Each has their own PCC, Treasurer and now other groups delivering and catering for the local community and its needs. The Parish of Priorslee was originally, a twelfth-century agricultural village and chapelry in Shifnal parish, Priorslee has seen at least two major changes in its long history. First, the arrival of heavy industry in the early-nineteenth century and with it the establishment of independent ecclesiastical parochial authority. Secondly, the development of Telford new town beginning in the second half of the twentieth-century. The chapel was demolished and the present churchbuilding erected in 1836 to meet the needs of a rapidly expanding population, drawn to work in the iron, coal and steel industries. These three adjoining parishes have recently become vacant and we are now looking for a full-time incumbent to serve all three parishes. Oakengates Oakengates is a town in the borough of Telford & Wrekin and the ceremonial county of Shropshire and now forms part of the new town of Telford. The parish's population back in 2011 was recorded at The name, Oakengates, has nothing to do with Oak or Gates but is derived from the Ancient Brythonic name for the valley Oakengates has Telford's main Theatre, "The Place"; within this building are the town council's headquarters. The town has a growing reputation as offering an "all year real ale festival"; Oakengates has 3 pubs in the CAMRA guide (2013) more than many towns very much greater in size. Wrockwardine Wood (pronounced "Rock-war-dine") was originally a detached piece of woodland, then a township, formerly belonging to the manor and parish of Wrockwardine. The industrial revolution meant Wrockwardine Wood was inhabited by coal and iron mine workers and their families. The parish's population back in 2011 was recorded at Wrockwardine Wood Oakengates, Wrockwardine Wood and Priorslee Profile 2017 Page 3

4 Priorslee Originally a twelfth-century agricultural village and chapelry in Shifnal parish, Priorslee has seen at least two major changes in its long history. First, the arrival of heavy industry in the earlynineteenth century and with it the establishment of independent ecclesiastical parochial authority. Secondly, the development of Telford new town beginning in the second half of the twentiethcentury. The chapel was demolished and the present churchbuilding erected in 1836 to meet the needs of a rapidly expanding population, drawn to work in the iron, coal and steel industries. Priorslee s population is in excess of 7,500 and still growing. It is an attractive area of predominantly privately-owned housing with pockets of rented property. Priorslee Ward has the third highest ethnicity rate in the Borough. Levels of deprivation, economic stress, and unemployment are low, as are numbers of young people not in education, employment or training. Lichfield Diocese and Telford Deanery The Diocese of Lichfield serves a population of 2,097 million, the fifth largest population in the country, covering an area of 1,740 square-miles, the ninth largest by size in the country. The Diocese has 265 Benefices, 425 Parishes, 573 Churches and 502 clergy in active ministry 142 women and 360 men. On average each member of the clergy serves 3,660 people. The Deanery of Telford is the largest of 8 deaneries in the Shrewsbury Episcopal Area and Archdeaconry of Salop, formed when Telford New Town was established in Telford deanery serves a population of 101,440, in the fastest growing town in Shropshire. There are currently 16 clergy serving 11 parishes, one of which, A strong ecumenical sense is re-enforced throughout the deanery by the work of Telford Christians Together (TCT) reflecting the increasing diversity of Christian traditions and contemporary expressions now witnessing in the town. Oakengates, Wrockwardine Wood and Priorslee Profile 2017 Page 4

5 During 2014/2015 the church was reordered. A small coffee bar and a toilet for the disabled plus all the floors levelled and carpeted and new chairs purchased to replace the old wooden type. This has all helped with the fund raising events that take place on a regular basis. Although the coffee bar has water connected the hot water boiler is being fitted at this time. This will mean that the church is more attractive to be let out for functions and will become a community asset. A keep fit group uses it at the moment and pays by the hour. Most Holy Trinity, Oakengates The tradition of Holy Trinity is high and two out of four Sunday services are high mass with bells and incense. On the first Sunday of the month there is a Family Service and on the third Sunday All Age Worship with Communion, also a said mass on Wednesday evening. There is an active choir of 8 choristers. Family Worship is led by lay people and a worship group meet every six weeks with the clergy. Other groups include a pastoral support, fund raising, knit and knatter that take place at Stallard Court, a supported accommodation centre. The main festivals that are also celebrated there are normally clergy led. The congregation has grown in the previous year and that is due to the stability of having the same clergy during the Interregnum. The regular congregation is between and any new incumbent will be ably assisted by dedicated lay people and active retired clergy to enlarge this number. Although high church this congregation wholeheartedly supports woman s ministry and the ordination of woman. It is of high importance to them that they are able to hold on to their tradition of bells and smells rather than the gender of the Priest. Oakengates, Wrockwardine Wood and Priorslee Profile 2017 Page 5

6 There are no Church Schools in the parish of Oakengates but there are schools. The church has now been successful in getting into these schools although it has taken lots of energy and patience. It is at one of the schools that we have celebrated Messy Church with 30+ children and parents attending. Both schools will be using Most Holy Trinity to celebrate the major festivals and inviting parents to attend. The local authority Nursery is also involved with the church, Christingle, Children s Carol Service and Harvest. All of this mission work is achieved through the good work of lay people. In January 2016 Holy Trinity started a children s church that meets on the second and the fourth Sunday. Giving time before the final hymn for the young people to share with the congregation what they have been doing helps the congregation and young people gel together. The new Pastoral Visiting Team, which is headed up by a Hospital Chaplain who lives locally and helps out by leading the evening Eucharist on the first Sunday of the month, is the first group that has volunteers from both congregations. They are working to visit the sick, the bereaved and the house bound across the Benefice. We are also linking this to the home communions and communions at residential and supportive care homes. So a joint venture for both churches. Finance is high on the agenda of any church and these two are no different to any others. Oakengates has a strong tradition of fundraising and has been very successful over the years. It is due to the hard work and commitment of the fund raising committee and an increase in the plate giving that all debts have been paid off and the Parish Share paid up to date. Oakengates, Wrockwardine Wood and Priorslee Profile 2017 Page 6

7 Holy Trinity, Wrockwardine Wood The congregation of Holy Trinity, Wrockwardine Wood is made up mostly from people belonging and living in the local community where their links to the church go back generations. Although not being a rich parish the plate giving has increased and with a new estate being built with over two hundred new houses there will be opportunity for the congregation to grow. The Sunday attendance is growing and now stands at plus children. There is a wealth of experience through differing backgrounds and careers in this congregation and whereas in the past they have not felt encouraged to involve themselves in volunteering that has now changed. There are a number of groups and committees that involve lay participation. This includes fund raising, pastoral support, Mothers Union and the worship group which leads the Family Service on the first Sunday of the month. The Second and Fourth Sundays is Holy Communion, these are the Sundays that the children s church meet, and the third Sunday is All Age Worship. An important part of the mission of Holy Trinity is the Wednesday morning tea and toast. Moms and Dads drop in to church after taking their young ones to school. There are plenty of toys to keep those not old enough to attend school while Moms and Dads chat and socialise. Once a month we have Rave in the Nave; lots of children s songs up on the overhead projector, a bible story and prayers. Mums and Dads join in and enjoy it more that the youngsters. For the previous six months Thrive, an advisory service paid for by Telford and Wrekin Council, have used the church, tied in with tea and toast, as a drop in centre. Although it is good for some clergy involvement in this it is not essential. Lay people run the whole morning from 08:30 until 10:00. At 10:30 there is Morning Prayer, lay led, or Holy Communion led by the clergy, although reserve sacrament has been used. The tea and toast helps to get youngsters into children s church and their parents into main church. Much is achieved by relationships and this morning is a great opportunity to make those relationships with people who would not normally come to church. Oakengates, Wrockwardine Wood and Priorslee Profile 2017 Page 7

8 Holy Trinity has been completely re-ordered and has chairs instead of pews. This is important because it enables the church to be flexible about it s seating, especially when the schools have one of their events. It also enables a table top sale to take place once a month, raising money for the church. The main church has under floor heating and a small kitchen. There is a faculty to extend the kitchen and fit in the new electric cooker that has been donated Wrockwardine Wood does now have a fund raising committee which was formed in They have attempted to fund raise in the past but with little success. It s hoped that with fresh enthusiasm and new members that the fund raising group will play a major part in funding this church. There has been an increase in plate giving and this along with a bequeath, left by a parishioner, has meant that debts have been reduced drastically and Parish Share completely paid for in 2015 and up to date for It is anticipated that all debts will be paid off by the end of Holy Trinity Wrockwardine Wood has two schools, one being a church school. In this school a team of lay people take assemblies every week and both schools use the church to celebrate the major festivals, top and tailed by the lay team or clergy if available. Oakengates, Wrockwardine Wood and Priorslee Profile 2017 Page 8

9 St Peter s Priorslee St. Peter s is a warm, close-knit church community, reflecting and maintaining the strong bonds and identity of hard-working people nurtured in the older industrial communities of the area. However, we are very much aware of the changing life-styles of new town Telford, so our current pattern of Sunday services is beginning to demonstrate genuine and imaginative efforts to reach out and connect with younger families establishing their roots in the parish. The re-ordering of the chancel in 2014 to create a comfortable, open, worship space for the young is a welcome expression of this conviction. Our Mission Statement 2013 says that We affirm that the Church s mission, in obedience to Holy Scripture, is to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ in every generation. We acknowledge that this is good news for people regardless of their gender, race or sexual orientation. We believe that in order to strengthen the Gospel s proclamation of renewal and justice to the world, and for the greater glory of God, the Church s own common life must be renewed and justly ordered. Over the next five years we aim to: be a warm, friendly and inclusive Church of individuals, all with a common purpose, open to the Holy Spirit to grow our lives in the service of God s will. be faithful in worship as a Church family and aspire to be more dynamic and outgoing. We aim to move forward through fellowship, training, teaching and the development of pastoral care and personal witness. bring Christ s reconciliation, blessings and life-transforming message to every part of our existing and growing community, by the witness of our daily lives and the warmth of our support for others especially those who are suffering, the lame, the lonely and the lost. Oakengates, Wrockwardine Wood and Priorslee Profile 2017 Page 9

10 St. Peter s Church is convinced that the future of the local church in the Church of England lies less and less upon the dependence-ministry of the clergy, and more and more on the collaborative ministry of local lay people, trained for both overall leadership and particular ministries. In the past 3 years we have undertaken two well-attended and effective selfawareness training days (SORT method), plus a Growth Visit led by the Lichfield Diocesan Director of Mission. During this time 4 members signed up for Bishop s Certificate Course, 2 for the Pathways to Ministry Course, and others followed the Pilgrim Course. Currently we have 2 well-loved and respected Readers who enjoy a full share in the leadership of worship and pastoral care. One member is in training for Reader Ministry (qualifying in September 2017); and one member is going forward for BAP (Bishop s Advisory Panel) in preparation for NSM (non-stipendiary ordained ministry). Three members assist regularly with Open the Book programme in Redhill School. Members are keen to promote an outreach-ministry of justice and care by leading a Lent Lunch programme each year. For the second year running, three members will this summer assist with One Bright Week, an evangelistic outreach initiative to Telford s young people, promoted by Christians Together in Telford. St. Peter s has formed a Ministry Team of 10 members meeting bi-monthly to pray, reflect upon Scripture, plan and arrange Services and Rotas (worship leaders, preachers, Scripture readers, chalice assistants, intercessors, stewards and welcomers, Baptism steward etc..) and to explore further mission and ministry needs at local, national and international level. In his Growth Visit the Diocesan Director of Mission was very encouraging of our life and vitality and gave us much help and guidance in all departments of our future mission and ministry. Usual Sunday Services take place at 8.00am (bi-weekly) 11.00am and 6.00pm and are usually Holy Communion and Evening Worship taken from the Book of Common Prayer or Common Worship and a 10am monthly All Age Service.The main thrust of our youth and children s ministry is through our Infant Baptism policy, the monthly Family Praise Service and the quarterly Messy Church programme. We have an open Baptism policy and an open Communion table policy when children and young people are present at the Holy Communion. Some of the older boys have shared in Priorslee Pioneer Ministries Lively Lads group, and the older girls in the Soul Sisters group. We have a good working relationship with 1st Priorslee & St. Georges Scout Group which met in St. Peter s Church when it was first founded in In November 2014 we led a very successful programme for the two primary schools (120 children) in Church to commemorate the beginning of World War 1. We are looking forward to working with the new Holy Trinity (Secondary) Academy in similar educational programmes. Oakengates, Wrockwardine Wood and Priorslee Profile 2017 Page 10

11 The Tea and Natter and Mothers Union groups use the Meeting Room and Kitchen each month. Coffee/tea and refreshments are served regularly after 10.00am Family Praise, during Messy Church, the annual Lent Lunches, and also after other Services, and particularly the Annual Christmas Carol Concert for the Severn Hospice. Last year we put on a very successful Harvest Lunch in church, and this year we used the new chancel area to serve supper at the Growth Visit of the Diocesan Director of Mission. Harvest Suppers and the annual church BBQ take place in members homes as does the annual Family Praise Breakfast. The past two years we ve enjoyed coach trips to Lichfield and Hereford Cathedrals. The Autumn Fayre (now meeting in the Scout Hall) and Christmas Draw, though essentially fund-raising efforts, have become social highlights in the church s year. The copies of the weekly pew sheet keeps church-goers in touch, and social media (Facebook, Web Page, and ) covers the wider community. The latest Quinquennial Inspection Report (October 2014) highlighted the need for repairs to the tower parapet and priest s vestry. We are in consultation with the Diocesan Church Repairs Officer and a local specialist, both of whom are advising us regarding the various grants available to support the project. Clearly, this is a major task for a small church, but one we feel with God s help we can take on, and which the local community will support. Over the past 10 years, whilst there has been a 10% increase in Weekly Giving there has been a 25% increase in payments but all expenses of ministry have been met. The 2016 parish share has been reduced to a figure the Treasurer believes is within our ability to pay in full and we believe that arrears can be paid-off within 3 to 4 years. The hard work of the Tea and Natter group, the Autumn Fayre, and Christmas Draw raises a very welcome 2,000 each year. Though funds are limited we do keep up our commitments to charities and good causes in the community, nationwide and overseas. Oakengates, Wrockwardine Wood and Priorslee Profile 2017 Page 11

12 Person Specification We are looking forward to appointing a new Incumbent who believes s/he has the vision, skill and energy to lead a new pattern of mission and ministry across the three parishes, working closely with colleagues both lay and ordained. We are looking for a priest who has a heart and understanding for new town ministry and for church growth - in numbers, spirituality and faith. An experienced priest who will enjoy taking prime responsibility for all three parishes, and the challenge of developing new models of ministry. We believe this to be an exciting opportunity to listen and connect with people, to discern and develop their gifts, and to reach out to the community with imaginative and creative strategies of evangelistic outreach. For our part, we are committed to offering dedicated lay officers, a totally supportive lay team, along with active retired clergy in a beautiful part of God s world. Accommodation There is a modern four bedroom house with a study, garage and pleasant garden five minutes walk from Holy Trinity Wrockwardine Wood. Oakengates, Wrockwardine Wood and Priorslee Profile 2017 Page 12