St Chad s Church Parish Profile 2018

Transcription

1 The Churches of St Chad and St Alkmund in Shrewsbury St Chad s Church Parish Profile 2018 The Civic Church of Shrewsbury The Military Church of Shropshire A Member of the Greater Churches Network The churches of St Chad's and St Alkmund's seek to be a welcoming, inclusive community of love and service in Shrewsbury, open to God in the adventure of Christian faith. 1

2 THE BENEFICE OF ST CHAD S WITH ST MARY S AND ST ALKMUND S IN THE DIOCESE OF LICHFIELD St Chad s and St Alkmund s are part of the Diocese of Lichfield, whose mission themes are: Discovering the Heart of God Growing Disciples Reaching New Generations Transforming Communities Practising Generosity INTRODUCTION The town of Shrewsbury is encircled by the River Severn, forming an oxbow. Within this loop of the river there are more half-timbered Tudor buildings than in any other town in England, and the western end of the area inside the loop is predominantly Georgian. The town was once a major agricultural and administration centre but now has become an area of limited manufacture and extensive distribution. Tourism is an important part of its economy, with two cinemas, a theatre and increasing numbers of eating places. A significant number of residents commute to the West Midlands. Shropshire has no cathedral city and Shrewsbury is the County Town. The county is divided into two dioceses, to the south is the Diocese of Hereford and the rest of the county is in the Diocese of Lichfield. The Diocese of Hereford begins about 4 miles south and west of Shrewsbury. 2

3 The interior of St Chad s Church The United Benefice, of St Chad s and St Alkmund s which is situated in central Shrewsbury, came into being in 2007 out of the four original Saxon Parishes in the town. St Chad s is the oldest foundation in the town dating from c770, and it has been the focal church in Shrewsbury for centuries. The current building, the third church dedicated to St Chad, stands in a commanding position on a hill above the Quarry, the town s 29 acre park leading down to the River Severn and is an iconic Grade I listed Georgian building with a circular nave. St Chad s has the largest seating capacity (although not the largest footprint) of any building, sacred or secular, in the county of Shropshire and seats around 1200 people. The current church replaced a huge medieval cruciform structure which collapsed in 1788, the remains of which can be seen some 400 yards to the east of the present building. St Aidan s Chapel St Alkmund s Church St Alkmund s is the newest of the three churches, founded in 912. It has a medieval spire, but a Georgian interior. The incumbent is the Vicar of St Chad s, who chairs St Alkmund s PCC. 3

4 St Mary s Church St Mary s, a magnificent medieval church with renowned stained glass, was made redundant in 1987 and is now in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust. However the PCC of St Chad s retains responsibility for the church yard and the incumbent is responsible for carrying out a strict policy on permission to hold services in the building. Traditionally around six services are held in the course of any one year. The Benefice covers the town centre as well as some varied and well-established housing, much of which is located to the west of St Chad s in Shrewsbury s premiere residential area. The parish population is around 3,000, but this is growing as former retail and business premises in the centre of the town are being made into apartments. The Benefice is divided into two parishes: St Chad with St Mary, and St Alkmund, both retaining their own PCCs and particular identities. Statement by the Bishop of Lichfield on the wider church and diocese in relation to the benefice The Diocese of Lichfield understands its direction of travel through the words Come follow Christ in the footsteps of St Chad. Chad, the first Bishop of Lichfield, was a Christian who exemplified humility, holiness and a zeal for mission in his leadership of the churches in this part of England. Following his example, our vision for the diocese is expressed as follows: As we follow Christ in the footsteps of St Chad, we pray that the 2 million people in our diocese may see a church that fully reflects the richness and variety of our all our communities. We pray we will be a church that is clear about what it believes, knows and loves its neighbourhood and expects to find God at work already in the world and in our own lives. We pray for a church that wants to partner with others in seeking the common good and speaking about and practising justice and hope. In order to realise this vision, we have identified three priorities for the diocese as a whole: to develop discipleship, to encourage vocations, and to inspire evangelism. We look to each local church to take these priorities to heart in its own situation, and therefore look to the benefice of St Chad s, St Mary s and St Alkmund s to be: A school of discipleship, where people can benefit from high quality experiences of teaching and learning the Christian faith and applying it to their daily lives. A seedbed of vocations, where many will come to discern and develop callings to ordained and lay ministries, and to the service of God s world. 4

5 A centre for evangelism, presenting to the people of Shrewsbury the story of God s love for us in Jesus in ways that are practical, compelling, and grounded in reality. We believe that the benefice can only address these priorities through building partnerships between St Chad s and St Alkmund s; with Shrewsbury Abbey as its neighbouring town centre parish; with other Church of England churches in Shrewsbury; with Shrewsbury Roman Catholic Cathedral and our other ecumenical partners; and with civic and voluntary groups in the town. We wish to see an incumbent appointed who will be confident, strategic and energetic in encouraging and enabling the people of the benefice to rise to these challenges. +Michael Lichfield ST CHAD S WORSHIP SUNDAY The 8.00am Eucharist, with about 35 communicants is celebrated in the church and uses the traditional language version of Order 1. The 10.00am St Chad s Eucharist, with about 95 communicants, uses the modern language of Order 1 and lay assistance with readings, intercessions and the administration of Holy Communion. Junior Church and Crèche take place in this service from the Gradual Hymn until children return into church to join their parents at the altar rail. On the first Sunday of the month there is a congregational Eucharist which aims to be shorter. Apart from the first Sunday of the month, the remaining Sundays the choir sings a rich diet of choral music, alternating with music of a more congregational nature. In terms of churchmanship St Chad s would describe itself as Liberal Catholic but welcome a wide diversity of views amongst its congregation. It has a reputation for the quality of both its worship and its preaching attracting people from an extensive area beyond the Benefice itself. The average Sunday attendance is around 160 with larger congregations at 5

6 Christmas and Easter; both the children s Crib Service on Christmas Eve and the annual traditional Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols attract in excess of a thousand people. Worship is at the heart of the life of St Chad s and there is a broad range of services in both modern and traditional language from Common Worship and The Book of Common Prayer Choral Evensong is sung at 6.00pm on Sundays with the exception of the first Sunday of the month when a congregational service is held. Choir rehearsal on Easter Sunday A MILITARY CHURCH CIVIC ROLE In 2016 we signed the Armed Forces Covenant. The covenant sets out the relationship between the nation, the government and the armed forces. It recognises that the whole nation has a moral obligation to members of the armed forces and their families, and it establishes how they should expect to be treated. The Archbishops of Canterbury and York signed the covenant on behalf of the Church of England in February 2015 and St Chad s was the first church to follow their lead. St Chad s is Shrewsbury s Civic Church and there is a strong commitment to the life of the town. Our new Vicar will be Chaplain to the Town Council and will be willing to foster civic and official links. St Chad s is used for a number of major Civic and Military events which include the following: Annual Mayor-Making service. Battle of Britain County Remembrance Service usually filling in.excess of our 1200.seats Shropshire Council Civic Service...(quadrennial) 6

7 PASTORAL MATTERS Baptisms are followed up by visits to the newly baptised and cards are sent on the anniversary of baptism. Many of those seeking baptism or marriage live outside the parish boundaries, including members of the Armed Forces, but C of E guidelines are followed closely in relation to all our weddings. St Chad s has, for many years, had a policy of remarrying divorced persons subject to the guidelines of the House of Bishops. At present, approximately a dozen people receive the sacrament at home each month. The Eucharist is also celebrated monthly in local nursing homes and sheltered housing complexes. CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE We have a Junior Church every Sunday morning during the 10 a.m. Eucharist, run by well qualified adult members of the congregation. Currently only a small group of children attend and not necessarily on a regular basis. It will be a priority for the new vicar that he or she helps us reach the next generation with the Gospel. Helping the Verger to ring the bell during the Eucharistic prayer is always popular! are always planned for Junior Church. At Christmas and Easter, many more families attend Church and on these occasions special activities EDUCATION 7

8 Shrewsbury School There are four educational establishments within the Benefice: University Centre Shrewsbury which is a developing outpost of Chester University-holds its annual Graduation Ceremony and Carol Service in the church. Shrewsbury College of Arts & Technology - who also hold their annual Graduation Ceremony in St Chad s Shrewsbury School - an independent boarding school with its own Chaplain and Chapel Shrewsbury High School - a Girls Day School Trust holds almost all its events (concerts, services, Speech Day, etc.) in the church. The incumbent takes occasional assemblies in the school and has traditionally held a Confirmation Group from this school each year. THE BUILDING Major Church Repairs Following the Quinquennial Report in 2008, it was apparent that critical external repair work was required on the 150ft high tower and its dome estimated to cost over 1 million pounds. A development team was formed to oversee fundraising and implementation of this work and to ensure a 3 phase strategy to safeguard the future of our Grade 1 listed building and to make it suitable for our ministry in the 21 st century. A Heritage Lottery Grant of 650,000 was secured for phase 1 in 2010 and over 300,000 was raised by contributions from the congregation. This work was successfully completed in 2012/13, including re-gilding of the 20ft cross surmounting the dome. At the same time the superb Norman and Beard Organ (first installed in 1904) required major refurbishment costing another 300,000. This work was undertaken and completed by late

9 Having completed phase 1, the development team received in 2013 a new quinquennial report, which pointed to major repair work required on the lead flashing, balustrades and stonework surrounding the roof of the nave. Further investigation showed the need for insulation in the roof space above the nave ceiling. A second HLF grant was applied for in 2014 for phase 2 but was not successful, however, after English Heritage placed St. Chad s on the At Risk Register a subsequent application was successful in 2016 and a grant of 207,000 was made assuming that the church could raise a further sum of 60,000 of matched funding from the Friends of St. Chad s, a Private Family Trust and the Listed Places of Work Grant Scheme. The grant included an allowance of 15% towards the development of Education, Community and Tourism projects, including a new sound system. This building work was carried out in 2017 as well as associated projects and completed in March We have a loan from the Diocese which we have been repaying at the rate of 5000 per annum, as a result of which the outstanding balance the outstanding balance has been reduced to a figure of 19,000. A phase 3 development project has been discussed and 2 alternative schemes considered to provide a refectory, new toilet facilities, music practice and meeting rooms. This would further enhance St. Chad s ability to extend its outreach and serve the community of Shrewsbury and beyond. The Development Team meets 6 times per year to plan the strategic development of the church and to work on major projects, some of which relate to the buildings and general fabric. The architect, Tim Ratcliffe, is an ex-officio member of this team. The team also initiates projects and other works of a capital nature. The Christmas Tree Festival, first held in 2012, has now become a regular event, with the number of sponsored trees increasing from 20 to 54. Sponsorship is provided by many local businesses and organisations. Many people who may not come to the church for any other reason attend this festival to admire the display of trees and to attend school concerts and other musical performances that form part of the festival. The Friends of St Chad s Similarly, this group is a separate charity from the PCC. Fabric projects are supported by grants from the Friends of St Chad s, of which the Vicar is a Council member. The Friends work very closely with the Development Team through the latter s responsibility for a number of capital projects, some of which have been completed (organ restoration and church tower repair and refurbishment) and some of which are ongoing and still at the planning stage. 9

10 ECUMENICAL WORK St Chad s is keen to foster Ecumenical links. Our nearest non-anglican church is Shrewsbury Roman Catholic Cathedral, with whom we have strong ties. Most other churches are now out of the town centre, but we still regard our links with them as essential. MUSIC Music plays and important role in the worship of St Chad s and.is the responsibility of the Director of Music in consultation with.the Vicar. This area of St Chad s ministry has seen considerable.growth in the recent years and the choir not only sings a wide.range of choral music within services at St. Chad s but.undertakes visits to Cathedrals to sing on at least an annual.basis, most recently at Hereford Cathedral and Tewkesbury.Abbey. The Choir has some very accomplished singers and.produces music of high quality. St Chad s Choir singing Evensong at Hereford Cathedral St Chad s Musical and Festival Committee (and sub committees) This is a separate charitable organisation working apart from the PCC structure. The Director of Music, in his role as the Festival s Artistic Director, is an ex-officio member of this group. A Churchwarden is one of the Trustees exercising 51% of the voting rights. THE BELLS OF ST CHAD S There is also an excellent ring of 14 bells famed throughout bell- ringing circles. An enthusiastic team of ringers ring for both the Sunday services and practice on Tuesday evenings, and the Incumbent chairs the Bell Ringers Association AGM. Many visiting bands of ringers come to the church to enjoy ringing peals and quarter peals. ORGANISATION AND ADMINISTRATION It is recognised that St Chad s has become a complex organisation. Improving the management functions of the Church has begun and requires further development to bring greater efficiency. At the core of our work is the Ministry Team which is chaired by the incumbent and has, as members, the other clergy and readers, the Director of Music 10

11 and Liturgy, and representatives of the Churchwardens. The Standing Committee meets periodically and the governance of St Chad s is in the care of the PCC which meets 6 times per year, and has 12 members in addition to the clergy and Church Wardens of whom 3 represent St Chad s on the Deanery Synod, and 1 represents Shrewsbury Deanery Synod on the Diocesan Synod. In addition the PCC Standing Committee meets periodically. St Chad s is keen to train and has enjoyed working with a number of ordinands. Two of them ordained in June Administration is carried out from the Church Office (located close to the church) by a part time Parish Administrator answerable to the Vicar and the Churchwardens. St Chad s and St Alkmund s share a Verger (a paid position) and a volunteer part time Verger. There is a car park fronting the church which is supervised by a team of Car Park Attendants. St Chad s employs two part time cleaners for the church and Church Hall. Liaising with staff is an important part of the role of incumbent. The PCC has a number of Working Parties taking specific responsibility for all aspects of our corporate life. Our Churchwardens are supported by an established guild of servers and an impressive array of volunteers who undertake a variety of tasks including the maintaining of the fabric of the Church, and the welcoming of visitors, as well as providing weekly lunches after each Friday concert. St Chad s Christmas Tree Festival 2017 MISSION AND OUTREACH Social justice is a key element of our outreach. This is reflected in St Chad s support for the Ark a drop in centre giving support to the most vulnerable members of our society, the Street Pastors Scheme, hospital and hospice visiting, Amnesty International, Christian Aid and Fairtrade. In addition, our cultural and musical activities provide audiences with opportunities to reflect and engage with the wider dimension that St Chad s seeks to offer its community. 11

12 MINISTRY TO VISITORS Palm Sunday Walk of Witness From April to October each year a team of volunteers welcome visitors to St Chad s, distributing guides available in several languages. This is supplemented by a recently installed plasma screen which has displays of information including the history of the church and details of services, together with other points of interest. St Chad s regards its ministry to visitors as a vital part of its outreach. On Fridays from February to Christmas there is a lunchtime concert usually featuring visiting musicians and sometimes the Director of Music and Assistant Director of Music which attracts a weekly audience of 130 people and often more. This is followed by a light lunch in the church hall. The concert series is arranged by the Assistant Director of Music. Many of the attendees have become regulars and, although only a few of them attend services, this group is seen as a very important part of the wider mission of St Chad s. St Close links are evident between St Chad s and the Shropshire Music Trust who promote many of these concerts. A number of organisations both at home and abroad are supported through St Chad s by way of special collections, such as USPG and the Bishop s Lent Appeal. The church also supports Signal, a local Deaf and Hard of Hearing Charity, and the Young Health Champions. There is much contemporary and innovative thinking among our congregation as to those events, activities and initiatives which could actively be pursued in our quest to ensure that St Chad s increasingly becomes a seven day a week church, reaching out to as broad a spectrum of the community as possible. St Chad s already has a varied array of other activities and groups, including social events, and two house groups which meet weekly. Other groups include the following: The Wednesday Group The Breakfast Group Mothers Union. Flower Arranging Team Bible Study Group 12

13 OUR VISION Open Doors, Open Hearts, Open Minds Looking to the Future with our New Vicar Open Doors, Open Hearts, Open Minds is at the core of what we do at St Chads. Our two key challenges are to deepen the spiritual life of the church community and to reach out and share that spiritual life with others, through the development of worship and pastoral care, social responsibility and the arts. THE NEW INCUMBENT We hope and pray for: A prayerful leader who will love St Chad s and its people, aiding and guiding us in our journey together A skilled leader who will direct our activities in a collegiate way, working as part of a strong, supportive team. A person who will value ordered worship and affirm the musical and liturgical tradition of St Chad s. An able and experienced preacher. Someone who will play a full and active role, both spiritually and physically, in the church s commitment to provide pastoral support. Someone who will focus our energies such that St Chad s, working together with St Alkmund s and other churches, may become a beacon for the town of Shrewsbury and the County of Shropshire. A person who understands the need and has experience of reaching a younger generation with the Gospel. We are also looking for a Vicar who will be willing and able to make a positive and active contribution to establishing and developing a strong working relationship with the Abbey and St Peters Monkmoor so that through mutual encouragement and some shared activities we might together extend Christ s mission to the town of Shrewsbury. 13

14 THE VICARAGE The Vicarage is a purpose built 1960s building adjacent to St Chad s. There are 4 bedrooms, 3 reception rooms, 2 bathrooms, kitchen and dining area and downstairs WC, a garden and ample car parking. The property is superbly situated in a highly desirable and central location of Shrewsbury within walking distance to all of the varied amenities of the town centre and excellent schools, and situated close to the Quarry Park. For more information please contact: St Chad s Church Office 1, St Chad's Terrace Shrewsbury SY1 1JX Tel: info@stchadschurchshrewsbury.com Follow St Chad's on Facebook and Twitter Registered Charity Number Acknowledgements to RJL Smith and Associates, Much Wenlock Shropshire for certain photographs. All photographs require written consent from St Chad s Church to be reproduced. 14