Parish Profile. St. George s Church Portsea, Portsmouth

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1 Parish Profile St. George s Church Portsea, Portsmouth We are a welcoming and inclusive Christian community that values everyone and aims to show God s love in Portsea and beyond 1

2 Our Incumbent We are looking for someone who: sees the Vicar's role as primarily being a "community chaplain" for Portsea as a whole, with a highly visible presence in the school, John Pounds Centre, Portsea Action Group, and around the parish generally sees prayer and spirituality as the basis and anchor point for mission and discipleship will be deeply committed to help us carry on grappling with what being a truly inclusive Christian community really means in practice can sign up unreservedly to collaborative ministry ( within both the parish and the cluster), and to seeing the ministry of every single member of the church as of equal value can appreciate the hall development project as a golden opportunity to involve the wider community, and to review what we do/are as "church is emotionally secure/grounded enough, and theologically open enough, to live with and celebrate difference...of churchmanship, theology, questioning, opinion, personality, etc. Our Vision and Priorities We need to keep looking at what our mission is: tuning into the changing nature of the community around us, open to new opportunities, growing in confidence about our corporate and individual roles within this and developing our spiritual base to support us in the process. We see our church as a sign of God s living presence in Portsea, a community lacking skills and confidence. There is a real community feel to the older part of the parish and people expect the church to be part of this, providing support and understanding at critical times in the lives of both individual families and the community as a whole. It tends to be a matriarchal society, which still has some respect for the church, in particular the occasional offices. These are our touching points, where real and sometimes profound conversations take place, resulting in on going relationships with a number of extended families over several generations. 2

3 So our approach to mission begins with being a loving presence in an area with much need and brokeness, building trust and relationships, modelling God s love for people on the edge. Active involvement and visible presence in the community are key to this. Our next mission priority is the school. This plays a central role in the community, providing consistent support for many children (often with severe emotional difficulties) from dysfunctional families. It is a challenging place to work and the team there need constant help and support, both practical and emotional. The school is also a communications hub and our involvement there opens up contacts with a significant proportion of local families. We are aware that we do not have a coherent approach to children and young people, and that this dimension of our life could do with a thorough review. On the plus side is our involvement with the school, nursery and adventure playground; participation in the cluster events for younger teenagers and school days; and a group of about six teenagers from church families who stay in touch with us. On the debit side, provision of teaching within the church is poor for all age groups; we are not utilising the opportunity to grow the teenagers group; whilst in the community there is a need to work particularly with children aged 7-12 as local provision is poor. In our context occasional offices and associated work (eg annual memorial services, follow-up visiting) are a natural mission opportunity. We give a high priority to handling baptisms, weddings and funerals in a personalised way. Underpinning all this is a commitment to working out what being an inclusive Christian community actually means. We find that this is very much a work in progress! Loving and accepting people whether within the church or in the wider community is very challenging, and just when we feel we have managed to grapple with one aspect of it, another emerges. We are discovering how embedded our prejudices and anxieties about the other are, and how hard they are to shift. In the wider context of the recession and tendency to find scapegoats for the ills we suffer, though, we are sure that trying to live out an inclusive way of being Christian is something we need to stick with. We currently make no impact on those people who come into or pass through the parish for daily work or as visitors (other than the very few who happen to drop in on our Wednesday morning open church session). There is vast scope for development within commerce, industry and naval heritage. 3

4 Our Community An inner city parish in the heart of Portsmouth, Portsea St George is geographically self contained, separated from the rest of the city by the railway, the university and Victoria Park. It has a population of around 3,000 (rising to 4,500 if HMS Nelson, a naval shore establishment, is included). Several thousand commute to work each day into the parish (the University, HMS Nelson and the Dockyard), or pass through en route to jobs elsewhere in the city. The parish adjoins the Naval Base whose historic attractions, including HMS Victory, HMS Warrior 1860 and the Mary Rose, attract thousands of visitors. Transport connections are excellent with a bus station, mainline railway station and ferries to Gosport and the Isle of Wight. The community has been changing rapidly over the last fifteen years, with the development of new living accommodation in the Admiralty Quarter and Gunwharf Quays, extensive shopping and leisure facilities on the waterfront, and the expansion of the university. Most residents, though still live in social housing. There is an ethnic mix with a number of people from the Middle East, the Congo and Nigeria. Some have been granted asylum and are permanent residents, others are here temporarily to study at the University. Portsea remains a predominantly working class area. Despite extensive investment by the City Council, many struggle and are marginalised. 4

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6 There is a well established community centre, named after John Pounds who founded the Ragged Schools. The centre contains the local housing office as well as an NHS dentist, youth club, library, gym, nursery and meeting and conference rooms. On the same site there is a doctors surgery and pharmacy. The Portsea Action Group is one of the best supported residents groups in the city, in which the vicar and other members of the church are actively involved. The city s major shopping centre (Commercial Road) is easily accessible. Locally shops include a Co-op, Spar, Tesco Express, hairdressers, fast-food outlets and several pubs. Our School St. George s Beneficial CofE Primary School, the only one in the parish, has very close connections with the Church. There are around 220 children, which will be increasing to 285 with 1.5 form entry. Approximately 45% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is well above the national average. Just over 50% of pupils have special educational needs (SEN), which include moderate learning difficulties and emotional and behavioural problems. 6

7 Because many of the children are here with parents studying at the University, there is increased mobility in the school. There is a wide ethnic mix with 19 different languages spoken. In December 2010 the school was given good in its OfSTED inspection. The school is undergoing a major redevelopment costing 2.1million which includes a new entrance, library, classrooms, central heating and landscaping. This will be completed in The school comes to church every Monday for assembly and members of the ministry team take assemblies several times during the year. Year 3 pupils are given a Bible paid for by the church. One of the Lay Ministers (Reader) is the Chair of Governors and a member of the congregation is on the Governing Body. We see the school as a priority in terms of mission, and the new Vicar is expected to have a major involvement there. Our Congregation Roughly two-thirds of us live in the parish. There are 56 on the Electoral Roll, with a good balance in terms of age and gender. We have six children aged two to 12 and six young people. We are a mixed bag in terms of background, class, education, race, sexual orientation. This is enriching and seems to work surprisingly well! We are a church community which accepts people for who they are in their joys and their brokenness. We try to offer a safe space where people can come without feeling pressurised in any way, and where they can join in as and when they feel able. Many struggle just to keep themselves afloat in today s society. Mental health issues are a concern both in the church and community. Over the last five years or so a number of people from the Congo have joined us and bring a new (and welcome)dimension to our life together. A number of us have commitments elsewhere (family, jobs, involvement in the community etc.) and so do not attend every week. Some of us are not very good at arriving on time. This makes it hard to have any systematic teaching through a sermon series, and indeed sometimes hard to hold a theme in any particular service! We are a hospitable church seizing every opportunity to invite the community in to the church for events( e.g. during the annual abseil down the adjacent tower block, and a Queen s Jubilee Tea Party); and to join in events in the locality (e.g. welcoming the Olympic Torch with St George s banners and T-shirts and giving out sweets to the waiting crowds). 7

8 A Quiz Night is held each year, which is well supported and events are held for special celebrations. We also have occasional shared lunches such as on St. George s Day. Congregational meetings take place around three times a year when the congregation can be brought up-to-date about issues affecting the church. When the congregation was asked recently to describe in one word what they feel about their church, these were some of the words: Welcoming Unique Survivors Inclusive Enthusiastic Generous Loving Happy Caring 8

9 Our Worship The style of worship could be described as informal Catholic. We are an open and inclusive church, signed-up members of the national Inclusive Church network. We try to make our worship as welcoming and accessible as possible for everyone who comes, irrespective of where they are on their faith journey. We see the Eucharist as the central place where Jesus welcomes all without condition and the main service is a sung Eucharist at 10.00am on a Sunday morning. Between 30 and 40 attend, including children. Care is taken with shape, content and process of the liturgy to ensure all feel included: - We practice an Open Table policy where everyone is encouraged to take part, irrespective of age, denomination, faith (or lack thereof), condition - All orders of service for the church s year have been revised over the last five years to make them more accessible in our local context - We have a special ALL-IN liturgy used about once a month - We use the Church Hymnary hymn book Music is led from a grand piano. Our pianist, who also plays the flute, is versatile, co-operative and open to new ideas. Making teaching provision for children within the service is difficult: partly because we never know how many (if any) children will attend on any particular Sunday or what the age range might be, partly because we do not have enough people willing and able to operate a children s group in the hall. We do have an area with activities set aside in the main church, which is much used and enjoyed, but this is far from ideal. 9

10 Morning Prayer is said each weekday morning at 8.15am; rarely attended by anyone other than the ministry team. At present a group of around 10(led by one of the team) are reading the Chronological Bible over a period of a year (started 1 January 2012); meeting after the Sunday Eucharist to discuss the readings from the previous week. We do not currently have any regular home or bible study group for adult members, apart from a group formed ecumenically during Lent. Our Church Building Known as the Shipwrights Church because it was built by 15 shipwrights from the dockyard, St George s has stood on the site since At first it was a proprietary chapel attached to St. Mary s, then given the status of a parish church in November It is a Grade 2* listed building. Both English Heritage and the Georgian Society have an interest in it and need to be consulted on any proposed work, as well as the Diocese. Currently some work is needed to deal with damp in several walls. The major problem though is the lack of heating we freeze in the winter! The church interior is really beautiful. It offers a space that can be used flexibly and creatively for worship, and works well as sacred space. There is a prayer place and a children s place. It is also an ideal space for concerts and recitals, exhibitions, wedding receptions, conferences and training events. We have even hosted a candle-lit Tango ball! 10

11 The major limitation on such use at present (apart from lack of heating) is inadequate toilet and kitchen facilities. Once these are re-provided then there is huge scope for using the church more intensively. The Naval Base for example has already approached us about holding dinners in the church. This would provide much needed income. It is not easy to keep the church open for any length of time during the week, but we have introduced an open church/ Drop In for an hour on a Wednesday morning(except in the winter). Among the more traditional section of Portsea s population, there is considerable affection for St George s as our church (even when they don t attend!), and it is seen as the soul of the community. Our Redevelopment We are excited about our development project. This aims to provide modern support facilities and central heating in the church, so enabling its more extensive use by the community as a whole; whilst at the same time providing income to sustain the church s life into the future. The Victorian hall at the back of the Church is in an appallingly bad state of repair. Plans are well advanced to demolish the hall to provide eight flats, an office, meeting room, kitchen and toilets. The project has the backing of the Parity Trust and a Project Manager has been appointed to oversee the project. An architect is carrying out a feasibility study at present and if permissions from the Diocese and Portsmouth City Council are forthcoming the hall could be demolished in Spring The project is part of the diocesan RPDP (Rapid Parish Development Project) initiative. This provides professional and project management expertise throughout a project, so that parishes are encouraged and supported to embrace change rather than seeing development projects as a burden. So far for us this has proved an energizing and life-giving process. 11

12 Our Vicarage This is in Queen Street, the main road through Portsea, about 800 metres from the Church. It is a four bedroom terraced town house arranged over three floors, offering flexible accommodation: - on the ground floor a good-size study with access to the front door, kitchen (unfurnished - no white goods), dining room, utility room & toilet - on the first floor a large reception room, second toilet - four double bedrooms, with a bathroom on the second floor - gas central heating and double glazing throughout - a small courtyard garden and a single garage to the rear 12

13 Our Staff Team This comprises two Lay Ministers (Readers), a retired Church Army Officer and three honorary curates: Marilyn Voice Andy Bridgen Jane Robinson Paul Norton Michael Voice Max Millett One of the team s strengths is that we come from a variety of backgrounds. within Anglicanism. We are willing to walk theologically and spiritually with people whoever they are and whatever they bring We have approximately 15 funerals, 8 baptisms and 3 weddings a year. Home communions are offered when requested. Within Sunday worship lay members are involved with welcoming, reading, leading intercessions, chalice administration, staffing the children s area, and as crucifer. We do not currently have a substantive caretaker, verger or sacristan. One of our members acts very reliably as verger for funerals, but ideally we need someone who would also cover weddings and other special services. Lay members are willing, when asked, to get involved on an ad hoc basis in specific events or activities (eg helping with confirmation preparation) but we lack the solid core found in many parishes of people able to sign up to lead some of the routine administrative tasks. 13

14 We struggle to find people to serve on the PCC, as churchwarden, treasurer or PCC secretary. This is partly to do with being in an inner city context but also perhaps because we need to grow a bit more to increase the pool of people to draw on. We stress that at St George s every member is a minister, and encourage people to see their gifts and ministry as God given; to be worked out in the whole of their lives. We are reluctant to put pressure on people to give more time and energy to the church if it means they give less where it matters most i.e. in their families, streets, workplaces, community groups, school, prison or wherever. Our Links with other churches We have close working relationships with neighbouring inner-city parishes: All Saints in the city centre, St Mary s Fratton(with its daughter churches St Faith s and St Wilfrid s), St Peter s with St Luke s Somerstown, and the Cathedral. Relationships have been steadily deepening for the past 10 years, formally recognised as an Inner City Cluster within the diocesan structures, and taken a step further last year when the Cluster became a Sub-Deanery (one of three sub-areas in the Portsmouth City-wide deanery): - Lay and ordained ministers meet on a regular basis and help one another with services when the need arises. Likewise churchwardens and treasurers. - A rule has been agreed to and signed by all ministers in the Cluster. This is facilitated by the Sisters of Bethany, an Anglican Order of nuns based in Southsea. The new Vicar of St George s would be expected to be part of this rule. - The cluster organises shared events for younger teenagers e.g. bowling, swimming, football which some of our young people support - Every other year it also organises a Schools Day with a spirituality focus for primary school pupils, in which our school takes part - A cluster spirituality group has been set up and has organised successful events for the churches including one for Lent this year - The Cluster shares an administrator based at All Saints Church. At present we have one day of her time. The Roman Catholic Cathedral of St John is in the parish. A community church (the Solent Community Church) worships in the John Pound s Community Centre. Another community church (The King s Church, based in Southsea) has a well established outreach work with younger children, transporting children in and out of the community to their youth and children s projects and groups. Its minister has good links with Anglican parish clergy. 14

15 We have a food collection basket in church which supports the Food Bank run by the Salvation Army. Our Finances We give ten per cent of our income to local and national charities and support a Honduran girl and her village. RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31/12/11 Receipts Building Fund (Restricted) Donations/appeals General fund (Unrestricted ) Gift Aid - bank Gift Aid envelopes Church box giving Other planned giving Loose plate collections Tax recovered on Gift Aid Other voluntary income Donations One off Gift Aids One off grants Other funds Income from social events Fees for weddings and funerals Ch. Hall lettings by PCC Church hall fund raising Other funds generated Income from investments Bank & Building Soc. Interest Rent from land or buildings Total incoming resources 34, ,

16 Payments General fund (unrestricted) Costs of generating funds Upkeep of car park Grants Giving to missionary and relief socs Home mission Secular charities Church activities/ work Church giving Stipends/Quota 4, , Music /musician 1, , Incumbent working expenses Parsonage house expenses Assistant staff costs Parish training and education Mission and discipleship Childrens work Church maintenance/running costs Hall running costs Parking permits Major building repairs 10, New building hall 2, , , Administration Total resources used 31, , Restricted and designated funds Plan International (Restricted) Piano fund (restricted) 1, , Charity collections (restricted) New Hall Plans (designated) 3, New Hall Plans (restricted) 2, Project for Elderly (restricted) Building Fund (restricted) 2, ,