PARISH OF PENARTH AND LLANDOUGH PARISH PROFILE

Transcription

1 PARISH OF PENARTH AND LLANDOUGH PARISH PROFILE St Augustine s St Dochdwy s Holy Nativity WELCOME Welcome to our Parish Profile. Our aim is to give you an understanding of the parish, an idea of what it might be like to be a part of our community, and what vision we have for the future of the parish. We hope it will enable you prayerfully to consider our vacancy for a new incumbent and we look forward to meeting you should you decide to apply. Church Wardens and PCC

2 CONTENTS Page Page SUMMARY 2 PARISH HALL & OTHER BUILDINGS 7 PERSON SPECIFICATION 2 ADMINISTRATION 7 ABOUT PENARTH & LLANDOUGH 3 FINANCE 7 OUR PARISH PATTERN OF SERVICES 8 Now and in the future 4 ATTENDANCE FIGURES 8 Our churches 4 CONTACT DETAILS 8 Spiritual tradition 5 TERMS AND CONDITIONS 9 Music 5 PROFILE OF ALL SAINTS, PENARTH 10 Children s activities 5 Lay Ministry 5 Groups 6 Friends of St Augustine s 6 Community Involvement 6 SUMMARY The Parish is located in the seaside town of Penarth and adjoining areas, five miles south-west of Cardiff. There are three well-maintained churches. The style of worship is varied but traditional, with a strong music base particularly at St Augustine s. Main needs include developing the lay ministry and re-introducing the children s ministry, whilst maintaining support for the faithful but largely older congregation. Links with the community and other churches also need to be strengthened. The Parish is likely to join with the adjacent parish of All Saints in the future to form a Ministry Area. PERSON SPECIFICATION We are looking for someone who has: The pastoral gifts and leadership to minister to the current needs of the Parish and who will listen to God s direction through prayer Vision for the future of the Parish and willingness to work collaboratively towards the formation of a Ministry Area The ability to motivate a dedicated core of people and encourage others to have greater involvement Preaching & teaching skills to build up the spiritual life of the Parish and attract families back to the services The facility to be comfortable with and supportive of our diversity of churchmanship, theology and styles of worship 2

3 ABOUT PENARTH AND LLANDOUGH The Parish of Penarth and Llandough is located approximately five miles to the south west of Cardiff, in the north and eastern part of the beautiful seaside town of Penarth, together with the adjoining community of Cogan and the village of Llandough. The adjacent parish of All Saints covers the remaining part of Penarth. The housing is a mixture of property types, with a new housing development nearing completion in the north of the town and a smaller development in Llandough, bringing new families to live in the Parish. There are a number of retirement homes, residential and nursing homes within the Parish and a limited amount of social housing. The population of the area as a whole is about 27,000. Penarth has a vibrant main shopping area with a good mixture of independent shops, national chains, cafés, charity shops and restaurants. The town has a thriving library, art gallery and many well -kept parks. It is a seaside town with a seafront and an award winning pier that attracts many visitors. There are six primary schools (including a Welsh-medium one) and two secondary schools in Penarth. Children can also travel further afield to secondary schools such as The Bishop of Llandaff School or Bro Morgannwg. The town also has a number of good nurseries and a privately run school educating children up to 18yrs. Penarth has a railway line with frequent trains into Cardiff, plus there are regular buses to Cardiff, Barry and Llandough. A station at Cogan also links to Barry and Cardiff. Llandough is a thriving village three miles from Penarth, on the hill overlooking the Marina and Cardiff Bay. It has no shops, but has a primary school, a village hall and a British Legion club which hosts a weekly youth club. Llandough Hospital is part of the University Hospital Wales and has undergone rapid expansion in the last five years. The Parish also encompasses Cogan and Penarth Marina. Cogan has its own primary school and is the location of the leisure centre and swimming pool. Penarth Marina contains a modern housing development with waterfront homes and draws many visitors to the Cardiff Bay Barrage. The Parish is a 15 minute drive away from Cardiff city centre which has excellent shops, and it is only 10 minutes to Cardiff Bay, home of the Welsh Assembly, the Millennium Centre, Sports Village and many waterside restaurants. There are very good road links to the M4 for Swansea, Bridgend, Newport and Bristol. 3

4 OUR PARISH Now and In The Future The Parish of Penarth and Llandough was formed in 2004 when the Parish of Llandough with Leckwith was merged with the Parish of Penarth with Lavernock. The Rector has recently retired after six years in post and the Parish is currently without any full time clergy. We have one active retired priest who regularly takes services in the Parish. There are also a number of other retired clergy nearby who occasionally take services. Although there is no curate at present, the Parish has an excellent record as a training place for curates, and it is hoped that this will happen again in the future. The Parish is in the early stages of discussions with the adjoining Parish of All Saints to form a new Ministry Area. The PCC will be looking for the new incumbent to lead us towards the creation of this exciting development for the Church in Wales in Penarth and Llandough. To this end, we are also including some information about All Saints Parish. Our Churches The Parish covers three churches plus two further graveyards of deconsecrated churches (Lavernock and Leckwith). The three Churches in the Parish are St Augustine s, Holy Nativity and St Dochdwy s. St. Augustine s is the only Grade 1 listed building in Penarth and is situated at the highest point of the area. It was completed in 1866 having been designed by the famous Victorian architect, William Butterfield. It has a bell tower with 6 bells that are rung regularly. The churchyard is now closed for burials. Holy Nativity greets you as you drive into Penarth from Cogan. It originated in the 1880s, meeting in a stable block in Cogan, before the present church was built in It suffered bomb damage during World War II and was reconsecrated in St. Dochdwy s is centrally located in the village of Llandough on the site where Christian worship dates back to the origins of the early Celtic Church. The graveyard contains the Irbic Cross which dates from the 11 th /12 th Century. The present church was opened in 1866 and is a widely recognised landmark with its distinctive saddle back tower visible from miles around. Its churchyard is also now closed for burials. Both St Augustine s and St Dochdwy s will celebrate their 150 th anniversaries in the forthcoming year. All three churches are in a good state of repair with no major projects to be undertaken in the foreseeable future. The graveyard at St Augustine s needs attention which the PCC will be looking at in conjunction with The Friends of St Augustine s. 4

5 Spiritual Tradition The spiritual culture of the Parish is varied but is generally traditional. The style of worship at Holy Nativity may be described as Anglo Catholic; St Augustine s is more moderately Catholic whilst St Dochdwy s is more central within the Anglican tradition. All Saints Parish has a wide spectrum of services including traditional and modern Eucharists, all-age services and messy church. The style of worship is usually less formal and they have a strong children s ministry. Music Music is very important in the churches and the choirs make a vital contribution to worship at our services. Robert Court, the organist and Director of music at St. Augustine s, is a professional musician and associate lecturer in music at Cardiff University. He received the Archbishop of Wales Award for Services to Church Music in Robert and the assistant organist, Chris Berry, direct a keen, committed and gifted choir which can occasionally be boosted by singers from the School of Music at Cardiff University. The choir usually sing an anthem at the Sunday service. The hymn book in use is Complete Anglican Hymns Old and New. The William Hill organ at St Augustine s is one of the best examples of its kind in the country. It is in fine condition and we have welcomed many internationally acclaimed soloists to give recitals on it. St Augustine s possesses a wonderful acoustic and is frequently used for concerts (recently Treorchy Male Choir) and occasionally for commercial recordings, providing a small but welcome addition to church funds. Holy Nativity has a small choir that leads the congregational singing. St Dochdwy s has no choir but has a fine Henry Willis organ. Children s Activities The PCC recognise the importance of providing facilities and activities for children in and out of regular worship. A weekly mother and toddler group is run by lay people at the Parish hall and at Llandough. Unfortunately the Sunday school at St Augustine s was closed a few years ago, however, the PCC are very keen to see it restart to offer younger members of the congregations the opportunity to learning about the Gospel with their contemporaries. A crib service is held at St. Augustine s each year on Christmas Eve which is well attended by families and children who have been baptised in the Churches of the Parish and the wider Penarth community. The mission group of the PCC believe that it is important to provide more services aimed at young families, initially on other festivals including Mothering Sunday, Easter and Harvest, with the aim of building towards regular services for family orientated worship. Lay Ministry There are 3 licensed lay Eucharistic Ministers who make pastoral visits and give home communion. Throughout the Parish there is a wide range of people who take part in the services, such as welcomers, sidespersons, people who read the lessons and intercessions. The PCC would like to see the lay ministry encouraged and people s talents developed so that we can grow as individuals and as a parish. 5

6 Groups Mothers Union the Parish has a branch of 50 members who meet once a month and also take part in Deanery and Diocesan events. They undertake sick visiting, support Parish events, and they are very keen to work with and give support to the new incumbent. Friends in Faith this group meets once a month for discussions, outings and social events. TOTS Groups there are two toddlers groups run by people from the Parish. They meet weekly and maintain a good attendance. Mothers Union Other groups include the Choirs, the Flower Guild, the Bellringers at St Augustine s and the Parish catering team who organise several lunches throughout the year. Many other social and fundraising events are also held at regular intervals. Friends of St Augustine s Some years ago the PCC approved the setting up of the Friends of St Augustine s which now has over 160 members. The Friends raise money through various social events to support the Parish with the maintenance of St Augustine s church building, the churchyard and the William Hill organ. The Friends group are currently investigating applying for grant assistance to carry out works on the churchyard which contains the graves of Welsh composer Joseph Parry and national brewer S. A. Brain, former residents of the town. There is a spectacular view from the churchyard looking towards Cardiff and the hills of the South Wales valleys. Community Involvement The PCC would like our churches to play a full part in community life. They want to become more involved with Penarth Cytun (Churches Together) so that our congregations are able to socialise and exchange ideas with other Christians in the Penarth area. The Parish organises the Sea Sunday celebration as part of the annual Penarth Summer Festival. St Augustine s hosts the Penarth Christmas Tree Festival which brings large numbers of visitors to the church and raises money for different charities each year. Last year it raised over 2300 and was featured on the local Made in Cardiff TV station. In Llandough the annual village fete is supported by the Church and other village organisations and is a time when the whole community comes together. There has been an informal covenant and close relationship with Llandough Baptist Church in the past, and the Baptist congregation join our service at St Dochdwy s every two months. The two congregations meet annually at the Baptist Church for an Epiphany service and supper. In addition, St. Augustine s hosts the annual RNLI carol service and St Dochdwy s hosts the Remembrance Sunday service for the Llandough branch of the British Legion. Many members of the congregation are also involved in other community activities, for example the annual Open Gardens event for the Benefit of The Children s Society. 6

7 PARISH HALL AND OTHER BUILDINGS The modern Parish hall and office is located on Albert Road approximately two minutes walk through Belle Vue Park from St. Augustine s church. As well as being used for Parish events, the hall is regularly let to other organisations providing a good and regular source of income for the Parish. The Parish Hall, used for parish, social and community activities Other Buildings The Curate s house, which is owned by the Parish and currently let, is adjacent to Holy Nativity church. The Llandough Rectory, presently occupied by a diocesan officer, is adjacent to St Dochdwy s church. ADMINISTRATION The Parish has a PCC of 16 with representatives from all three churches. They meet once every two months. There are a number of sub-committees who oversee the normal running of the Parish and report back to the PCC. They are Finance, Fabric, Hall, Mission, and Social & Fundraising The Parish employs a part-time administrator who works from the well-equipped office in the Parish Hall. FINANCE The Parish has a long tradition of Christian Stewardship and encourages regular, generous and sacrificial giving. The majority of income comes from planned giving with a good addition from Gift Aid. In 2014 this totalled 59,863. The biggest expenditure is the Parish Share which has been consistently paid in full. The Parish share for 2014 was 51,471 and for 2015 is 48,886. Giving to charities totalled over 5,000. Overall figures for 2014 Income 116,679 Expenditure 124,967 Deficit 8,288 This apparent overspend is due to monies being paid out in 2014 that had actually been raised for specific purposes in a previous financial year. Overall, income and expenditure are more or less balanced. 7

8 PATTERN OF SERVICES (Usual pattern before the Vacancy) Sundays Average Attendance 9.15am Sung Mass at Holy Nativity am Sung Mass at St Dochdwy s am Sung Mass at St Augustine s pm Evensong and Benediction at Holy Nativity 15 Weekdays Tuesday Mass at Holy Nativity at am 12 Wednesday Mass at St Augustine s at am 16 Thursday Mass at St Dochdwy s at am 13 Saturday Mass at Holy Nativity at am 4 SPECIAL SERVICES Figures for 2014 St Augustine s St Dochdwy s Holy Nativity Baptisms Weddings Funerals CONTACT DETAILS Parish Office parishcommunityhall@uwclub.net Parish website All Saints website Church in Wales website 8

9 TERMS AND CONDITIONS In accordance with current Church in Wales policy, the new Incumbent will be licensed as Priest-in-Charge, holding common tenure. The Rectory The Rectory is located in Hickman Road, adjacent to the town centre and is approximately eight minutes walk from St Augustine s church and six minutes walk from Holy Nativity. It is a large Victorian semi-detached house, with two reception rooms, a breakfast room and kitchen, plus six bedrooms. There is rear garden, a garage and a driveway with space for 3 cars. Expenses Clergy expenses are paid in full, in accordance with current Church in Wales guidelines. Clergy do not receive an Easter offering. 9

10 PARISH PROFILE OF PENARTH, ALL SAINTS For over a century the people of Penarth have been served by two Anglican parishes and now, in the 21 st Century, along with many other parishes in the Church in Wales, we are looking to become one Ministry Area. The other parish is called Penarth, All Saints. The Parish of Penarth, All Saints is located on the west side of Penarth and it is a largely residential area. The Parish is bordered on three sides by the Parish of Penarth and Llandough and by St Andrews Major and Michaelston le pit on the other. There are two Church buildings. All Saints is situated on Victoria Square near to the Council Offices, Paget Rooms and the railway station. St Peter s Old Cogan stands about a mile from the parish church on farm land on the edge of the parish. All Saints has two Church halls adjacent on Victoria Square. All Saints has been re-ordered as a multi-purpose building. The present incumbent, Peter Cox, has been in post since May 1997 [he could retire in 2020]. A curate, Sandra Birdsall, is preparing for ordination to the diaconate in June The spiritual culture of the Parish is richly varied. At some of our services full vestments are worn, occasionally the clergy wear no robes at all for services. Some services are very traditional [8am] whilst others are arranged and led by gifted lay people [10am]. The current leadership has no desire to find a convenient label to describe the spiritual culture of the Parish. At all services the emphasis is upon participation and shared ministry. There is a Messy Church congregation that has been running since 2011 organised by a large team under the guidance of a lay co-ordinator and a chaplain who is a licensed reader. Music is very important at All Saints. There is a long established choral tradition. All Saints is served by a first rate organist and choir master, alongside a worship group leader. The Living Faith Course has been running for three years under a team of lay and clergy facilitators. The Alpha Course has been running for a decade and has hugely coloured the way that we understand the purpose of the church and mission. Children are important at All Saints. At the moment there are 56 who frequently attend. A remarkable young people s group runs parallel to church services and is deeply integrated into worship on two Sundays each month. The Parish has links with projects in Lesotho, Tanzania and Uganda. The Parish has warmly received the Ministry of female clerics and the PCC are firmly in favour of the recent legislature permitting the consecration of female priests as Bishops. The Parish has a long tradition of Christian Stewardship and encourages regular, generous and sacrificial giving. The average number of weekly attendees: 175 Revd Peter Cox 10