Warfield Church Parish Profile

Transcription

1 Where are w e? Warfield Church Parish Profile St Michael s Woodhurst Park All Saints St Andrew s St Peter s Eternity Bullbrook One Church Multiple Locations 1

2 Contents Contents Preface by Bishop Andrew... 3 An Introduction by the Churchwardens... 4 Our Mission, Values, Culture and Strategies... 5 Our worshipping communities St Michael s, Warfield St Andrew s, Priestwood All Saints and Woodhurst Park, Warfield Eternity Bullbrook St Peter s, Whitegrove Closer Mid-week communion services Worship Groups throughout Warfield Children and Youth Other Services & Activities Our Journey Deanery/Diocesan Perspective Appendix 1 - PCC PCC and Committees Appendix 2 - Church Property The Parish Rooms Other church property

3 Preface by Bishop Andrew Preface by Bishop Andrew As the Area Bishop of Reading, it is my pleasure to welcome you to these pages and to introduce this parish profile to you. You will, no doubt, have already looked at the Warfield Church website and I am sure you have been asking around. In this profile, you will hear the voice of God s people here, speaking about themselves. Warfield Church, dispersed across five [soon to be six] congregations, is one of the largest parishes in the Berkshire Archdeaconry: a success story, by any reckoning. As you will read here [and as you may have heard] Warfield Church has been through difficult times. That is something we can neither hide, or would want to, because we can see how God has been at work amongst us through it all. For a year and more, I have had the good fortune to work closely with the churchwardens and other key leaders here and I thank God regularly for their hope-full faith, their deep commitment to one another and to God, and their hard work. As you will see in these pages, the culture, values and strategies of this parish have been carefully and clearly structured to allow Warfield church to continue growing, in numbers, depth, impact and team-work. We want to see Warfield Church carry on growing and we would like to see it play a more active role in the life of the Deanery. With the right leadership, and with the kind of values we see at HTB, I believe Warfield Church could [and should] also be an encouragement, support and resource for Churches elsewhere. Unusually, we are advertising for the priest-in-charge and an associate priest at the same time. Whilst we are clear about the distinctiveness of each role, we are looking for two people who hold several things in common. Above all, we are looking for two people who know their need of God; real servant leaders, who love God and God s people, as the good and faithful shepherds we pray they will be. Whoever they are, they will need to be comfortable in who they are and whose they are, because we will look to them to work in close partnership with all God s people here, to release, encourage and direct the energy and gifts of all. It will also be important for them to have a heart for all ages and all abilities, if Warfield Church is to continue growing as the truly inter-generational Church it is now. There is so much that is good here: the people are wonderful, the lay leadership is exceptional and the opportunities are abundant. There is a real job to be done here, and if what you read here stirs your heart, we d love to hear from you. In the meantime, please pray with us and for us, as we discern who God is calling to serve here with us. +Andrew Reading 19 th May

4 An introduction by the Churchwardens An introduction by the Churchwardens We welcome your interest in the posts we are advertising for a priest-in-charge and associate priest, and invite you to read this outline of our parish, to which very many of our members have contributed. Warfield church is a wonderful gathering of people whose passion is the extension of God s kingdom and the honouring of His name. For many years we have seen God moving in people s lives. People have been drawn to Warfield (very often without themselves really knowing why!), and their lives have been transformed. They have drawn closer to God, and have learned to listen to Him and to be changed by Him. We have seen so many examples of God bringing healing, restoration, encouragement and change. People have felt compelled to move out of their comfort zone and to step forward into service and ministry. These people are Warfield church. Our vision and priorities are, we hope, clearly outlined in this parish profile. We have chosen to plant into local communities and this is why you see many differently-named congregations in the pages that follow. It is not because parishes have merged, or because we are a multi-parish benefice. Warfield is one parish with one PCC. To give you an idea of the size of the church, here are some basic statistics: Electoral Roll ASA Adult ASA Child Baptisms Marriages Funerals Income 552, , , , , ,330 We have been through troubled waters in recent years, and yet the worship of God and the work of the church have continued. This is because we have an extraordinarily strong beating heart in the body of people who make up our congregations and their leadership teams. Please enjoy this parish profile, and we hope you find it inviting and exciting. Alan Ridell Andy Glaze 4

5 Our Mission Our Mission Warfield Church charts it origins back to 1016AD when Queen Emma granted permission for a chapel to be built on the site of the present St Michael the Archangel Parish Church. But the fact that the church is dedicated to St Michael the Archangel is a strong indicator that the church was built on the site of previous pagan worship it would have been built to proclaim God s victory over paganism built to lift up the name of Jesus. Today, a thousand years on, Warfield Church continues to lift up the name of Jesus. It has an open evangelical and gently charismatic tradition and meets as a number of unique worshipping communities across Warfield and parts of North Bracknell, as illustrated in the profiles of the congregations that follow. The road map below shows the development of Warfield Church over the years. 5

6 This illustration gives an idea of how Warfield church is organised today: Our Mission 6

7 Our Mission Warfield Church s primary mission is Connecting people to Jesus (Luke 19:10), Equipping those people for works of service (Ephesians 4:12) and Releasing them into their God given calling (Ephesians 2:10). Local Context Warfield Church is situated in North Bracknell. Bracknell started as a New Town in the 1950s and continues to grow. It is in the Bracknell Forest borough with a total population of nearly 120,000. The town centre is being regenerated, and this is due to be finished in September It is on the main rail line from Reading (20 mins) to London (60 mins), and many people commute to work outside the town. Berkshire is home to a number of well-known businesses, including Waitrose, Vodafone, HP, Fujitsu, 3M, Mars, Porsche, BMW and many others. There are numerous good and outstanding schools in the borough, including Ranelagh, a C of E secondary school, which will become the heart of a Multi- Academy Trust later in Further information can be found on websites listed below: Bracknell Forest - Warfield Parish - Priestwood - Bullbrook - Joint Strategic Needs Assessment - Our Values We are a Church: Where all people are valued Where everyone has a part to play Where the primary role of leadership is to empower others. We are also committed to growth both spiritually through discipleship and numerically through evangelism and outreach. 7

8 Our Culture 8 Our Mission Warfield Church meets at: the church of Saint Michael the Archangel (Warfield), Saint Andrew s church (Priestwood), Warfield Primary School (All Saints), Whitegrove Primary School (St Peter s) and Holly Spring Junior School (Eternity Bullbrook). From September we will also meet at the Woodhurst Park site of Warfield Primary School. We encourage all members of Warfield Church to belong to one of these congregations, where they can grow in faith through the balanced diet of worship, prayer, teaching, fellowship and pastoral support. In addition we have other parish-wide and congregational ministries, many of which reach out to the unchurched. The theological model for our structure is taken from the 1 st Century Jerusalem Church - one church that met in various homes, as well as in the Temple courts (Acts 2:46). At each congregation we welcome people of all ages, since we believe that inclusive congregations benefit from the strengths each generation offers, are more sustainable in the long run.and are great fun! We love to learn from one another and recognise that everyone has gifts and abilities to contribute. Our Strategies Our strategic values inform our overall structure and how it functions. Each of our congregations engages with their local community, and collaborates with parish-wide ministries. In this context, St Michael s and St Andrew s have significant roles as they provide venues for occasional offices (baptisms, weddings, funerals) and host various events (formal and informal) for which their buildings are suited. Congregationally-initiated. Much of what we do is within individual congregations. This has strength in that it ensures ministries are led by passionate people, it encourages a culture where everyone can play a part, and is flexible and responsive to emerging and changing needs. Congregations are the place where people are known and enjoy regular fellowship, through regular social events for all ages, life groups and pastoral care. Centrally-led. We believe that several areas of ministry are better when centrally organised. Examples of this are women s/men s events, children s and young people s groups (Relentless, All Starz, Little Starz), Ignite prayer meeting, God in Quiet, CBS Bible Studies and Autumn Club. Also, certain initiatives flow out from the centre across all congregations, for example: a focus on prayer and God s presence throughout Lent: Marriage and Baptism Preparation: annual events such as the Winder Lecture, and also short courses run for the benefit of all, such as Prayer Ministry Training and Pastoral Courses/Conferences. Strategic Priority 1: Location Our primary area of ministry is within Warfield and in North Bracknell by permission of the Bracknell Team Ministry and Deanery. The combined population of these areas is circa 21,000 people with 7,000 more to be added when the Woodhurst Park development is completed.

9 Our Mission Strategic Priority 2: Reaching Everyone Our mission is to reach people (make disciples) of every age, ability and life stage. It is important to retain these people as they undergo the major transitions between these ages and stages. Our strategy is to address outreach, provision and equipping ( get, keep and grow') for each of the groups listed below: Children (primary school age and younger) Youth (secondary school age) Young adults (18-30s) - including those getting married or newly married Parents / families - including baptism parties Older singles Middle age (including parents when children have left home) Retired persons Strategic Priority 3: Planting Congregations & Community Engagement Our priority is to grow the church through planting congregations and engaging with local communities. Twenty-five years ago, Warfield was a village with a population of 2,000 and a medieval parish church. As a huge number of new houses was constructed, we built community and church by planting congregations into these growing areas. We are following the same philosophy by working towards a church presence in the new Woodhurst Park development. In more recent times, we have been granted a foothold in the established communities of Bullbrook, Priestwood and Warfield Park (mobile home site). These areas present different challenges and will warrant increased evangelistic effort. By the end of the decade, we will have the potential to influence the lives of up to 28,000 people in our local communities! Strategic Priority 4: Beyond Warfield Warfield Church also has a role to play working with other churches within the deanery and beyond. If invited, Warfield Church would welcome the opportunity to work with nearby parishes, for example, in helping to establish children and youth activities in their neighbourhoods. Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labour in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. Psalm 127:1 NIV 9

10 Our worshipping communities Our worshipping communities The following sections have been written by the lay leadership teams of each worshipping community. St Michael s, Warfield Saint Michael the Archangel is the parish church for Warfield and has been the site of a place of worship for over 1000 years and we value the fact that prayer, praise and witness are soaked into the very fabric of the building. Our worship services are in a modern style whilst keeping a light liturgical framework and having some charismatic elements. Life (home) groups play an important part of church life and membership of a group for support and pastoral care is encouraged. Being the parish church brings a mixture of opportunities and challenges. Weddings, Baptisms and Funerals tend to happen on this site from across the Warfield Parish and therefore are a huge outreach opportunity. Due to its physical locality, we are not a walking distance venue; we are a destination church, where people are making a conscious decision to drive out to a location. Our congregations therefore gather from a wide geographic area and some people travel from neighbouring towns and villages

11 Our worshipping communities 9:15am Congregation Since the early 1990s the Church has run two morning services, currently at 9:15 and 11:00. The morning services follow an identical format led by the same team of leaders, preachers, musicians, etc. but the demographic attending each service is somewhat different, and we need to be able to identify with these two sets in a way that embraces them both. The early service tends to attract an older population with some very young families and the later service has all ages. At the 11am service we offer children and youth provision from 3 to 18 years, broken into two groups; those in early years education and Primary School, and a group that caters to the needs of the older, secondary age children, and youth. Services are tailored to an all-age format when these groups do not meet, and this tends to be twice a month. It is important to us that children are welcomed and are given the opportunity to grow and flourish in their faith. We are blessed with congregations that contribute to all elements of running the church including leadership and preaching, coffee rotas, cleaning, welcome, music, children s work, technical desks, IT support and much more. 11am Congregation 11 Teenagers in Youth Club

12 Our worshipping communities St Andrew s, Priestwood Our worshipping communities St Andrew s is a family-friendly, welcoming and diverse community of people living and worshipping within the Priestwood area of Warfield parish. St Andrew s joined the Warfield family three years ago when the parish boundary moved and we began a journey of blending a fairly high church tradition with a less formal lay-led expression of church. None of us knew what the result would look like... who would have predicted we d be soon be having carol services in the local pub, supporting local schools with BBQs and AV for events, and exploring Lent with Compline based on the Stations of the Cross! Musically we regularly use organ, guitar and drums. We re very happy with liturgy and ecclesiastical colours a happy blend of traditions. Our preferred incense is the aroma of fresh coffee. Physically we are located in the heart of Priestwood, next to a community centre, a children s centre, a pub and near the local shops. Every day many people pass by the building the harvest continues to be plentiful - our prayer is that the workers are many! We are very much looking forward to working with the new priests, as we reach out to Priestwood together. So we get involved in running assemblies and carol services for local schools, men s and women s groups to encourage a sense of community and support as well as hosting a homeless drop-in, film club, Brownies, coffee mornings, baby Makaton and exercise classes demonstrating Church is not limited to a gathering on a Sunday

13 Our worshipping communities All Saints and Woodhurst Park, Warfield Our worshipping communities All Saints was the first of the congregations planted from St. Michael s and this year we have celebrated our 23rd birthday. Our morning worship on Sundays takes place at the Warfield Church of England Primary School (All Saints Rise) with whom we have a very strong relationship. We are a very welcoming congregation with a fairly informal style of service where we aim to make everyone feel comfortable. Members of our congregation come from a variety of church backgrounds and we have a very wide range of age groups. If you had to describe All Saints in one word it would be 'Community'. There is a strong community feel at All Saints which is encouraged by a variety of midweek opportunities for fellowship, Bible study and fun. We have a strategy of 'Invent, Invite, Invest' which means that we are actively looking for ways to reach the community we serve in new ways. A recent example was a Barn Dance, but we also have regular 'bring and share' lunches. One member of our congregation uses the phrase doing life together and it certainly feels that we are heading that way. There are exciting times ahead. The Warfield Church of England Primary School (Woodhurst) site has now opened and is managed by the same Head Teachers that run the school we occupy on Sundays. It is: 'one school, two sites.' The All Saints Congregation are prayerfully working towards opening a full Church service at this second site under the same philosophy 'one Congregation, two sites. Of course, we have plenty of challenges but we are really excited about the future. Woodhurst Park School All Saints School 13 13

14 Our worshipping communities Eternity Bullbrook Our worshipping communities Eternity Bullbrook was planted in October 2005 by a group of people from Warfield Church with a passion for the Bracknell estate of Bullbrook. Our mission was clear: to build a community where everyone can experience God s love. Within this mission, we have three core values - to love God, love each other and love everyone we come into contact with. We meet weekly at Holly Spring Junior School for a time of worship, sharing testimonies, prayers and looking at the Word together. Our children s ministry is split into two groups (pre-school age in Explorers, and school age in All Starz Sunday), with the older youth encouraged to take on junior leader roles or attend the adult service. Twice a term, we meet as a church family for an all-age celebration. The purpose of Sunday is to give everyone a safe place to encounter Jesus and be transformed by His Holy Spirit. However, church is definitely not just a Sunday event! We seek to be an Acts 2 congregation - meeting in each other s homes for life groups, meeting in the local community centre for Communitea (a weekly coffee morning for people of all ages and life stages) and meeting with the school parents at breakfast clubs designed to feed families and give parents a respite before their days start. We actively pursue and encourage community involvement, looking to partner with the men & women of peace in our community for us all to do the best we can for Bullbrook. The current leadership team includes 2 families and a newly arrived Interim Associate Priest. Along with our core ministry teams, which involve the majority of our congregational members, we are committed to seeing this estate transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit, with daily signs, wonders and miracles happening to the glory of God! 14

15 Our worshipping communities St Peter s, Whitegrove Our worshipping communities We are a Christian presence in the Whitegrove community. Planted 18 years ago we have grown and flourished. We have a strong emphasis on welcoming everyone and our style is informal and relaxed, yet deep and prayerful and without compromising our belief that Jesus is central to all we do. Teaching is relevant and Bible-based, encouraging spiritual depth in a number of ways including a testimony slot every Sunday for people to share stories of God s goodness in their lives. The worship tends to be contemporary and informal. We have many people of all age groups and are blessed with engaging youth and children provision. Being a community and having a family feel are important to us as a Church as we learn and grow individually and together. Services last approximately an hour, as does the coffee and fellowship following the service! St Peter s is a place where people are open and honest and can be real with each other. We are a supportive, inclusive and loving family that does life together, not just on a Sunday morning, helping, caring and praying for each other when difficult times come. An Interim Associate Priest has just joined the leadership team who encourage all to get involved and explore, develop and use the gifts God has given them; we love the creative mix this brings. Communion is celebrated once a month, we run social events every half term ranging from picnics in the park to going bowling together and enjoying a curry...amongst other things! There are also Life groups mid-week to deepen our discipleship, two charities that we support and work with (Pocket Money Fights Poverty and Bulgaria mission), women's and men's breakfasts, and we fully participate in our Warfield wide provision for babies, toddlers, children and youth as well as Community Bible Study groups throughout the week. 15

16 Our worshipping communities Our worshipping communities Closer Closer is our parish-wide evening service, held at 6pm at St. Andrew s. For some this is their only Sunday service but most of the congregation also attend, and often serve at, one of the morning services. Closer offers a variety of styles of service but with a focus on drawing closer to God through sung worship, testimonies, prayer and in-depth teaching. Mid-week communion services St Andrew s hosts a mid-week communion service on Wednesdays. Once a month there is also a God in Quiet communion service in the parish room. There are also monthly communion services in Bullbrook, after the regular Communi-tea meeting and on Warfield Park, the static mobile home site where outreach work started in

17 Our worshipping communities Worship Groups throughout Warfield Our worshipping communities Some examples of worship groups which play at our services

18 Children and Youth Our worshipping communities 18 18

19 Our worshipping communities Warfield church carries a real burden and heart for young people and children. We have lots of ministries for children and young people, many of which are outreach programmes too. Little Starz Little Starz is a toddler group for under 5 s which meets on Mondays and Tuesdays at St. Michaels church. Activities include a bouncy castle, play, craft, songs, musical instruments, ribbons, parachutes, puppets, prayer and story. We usually see around toddlers at each session. All Starz All Starz is our Friday night Kids Club with an average weekly attendance of around 60 primary age children - over 140 different children attended at least once during It is jam-packed with fun, games, prizes, crafts, bouncy castle, tuck, fantastic songs and the Christian message. Primary Assemblies We have contact with 8 local primary schools who are keen to engage with Warfield Church. Assemblies and lessons are part of the children s pastor job description and our congregations are vital in ministering in the schools in their patch. Kidzchoir The Kidzchoir is our latest addition, it is for children 5 and over and gives kids the opportunity to sing and learn in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. It runs fortnightly with an average of around 10 children each week. Year 6 Events Year 6 is a year of transition from primary to secondary school and the church has a vital role to play at this time. We provide many year 6 social events, jointly run by our children and youth leaders, to help build relationships between the youngsters and the leaders who will be investing in them next. During each summer term, all of our year 6 s can attend both our children s and youth programmes. These events normally have young people attending. Relentless Relentless is for young people of Secondary School age, and meets on a Friday night from pm. It starts with a free choice of games, crafts, games consoles, pool, table tennis, spa, etc. then moves into a time of fun, worship and a talk. Around 60 young people attend each week. Year 10+ Events Every month we run a life group for our year 10+ young people, alternating between meeting in a home and a social event elsewhere young people attend this group. All Starz Sundays and Congregational Youth Ministry All our congregations run children s work on a Sunday morning and most run youth work too. Each has a vibrant programme which aims to teach and disciple our children in the Christian faith and help them to develop their own relationship with God. Youth Life Groups We now have a life group meeting weekly which has around 20 young people attending. Forums The leaders of each of these ministries are all part of a parish wide children or youth forum who meet regularly to share, bless and encourage one another as well as plan future events and programmes. 19

20 Other Servi ces & Activiti es / Other Services & Activities Warfield Park Warfield Park is a delightful wooded area with static mobile homes. The monthly communion service is held in the community centre. Autumn Club This is an afternoon tea in the parish room for older folks, and is open to all. It runs every 4-6 weeks. In the summer, Autumn Club runs Holiday at Home, providing a few days of fun without going away. Pilgrim Hearts Founded in 2000 by Warfield members, Pilgrims Hearts is an inter-denominational Christian charity which uses creative arts to open up the hearts of all. They work through many churches in the Bracknell area and currently engage with the homeless in Bracknell - running a drop-in centre based at St Andrew s and night shelter hosted by many local churches of all denominations. CBS Warfield Church hosts weekly CBS groups for structured Bible Study (daytime and evening)

21 Our Journey Our Journey The recent past Warfield Church has experienced significant numerical growth since the beginning of the Decade of Evangelism in This growth was achieved by planting new church congregations (as outlined previously). Growth continues with a planned new congregation in Woodhurst Park (extension of Warfield Primary School) in September Our church planting has been very successful, resulting in distinct communities with strong worshipping hearts. However, this approach also presents challenges; there is a balance to be struck between clerical control of Warfield Church and devolved lay leadership, and this has not always been well-managed by the senior clerics. Additionally, while individual congregations are a unique expression of church within their communities, they sometimes struggle to fully connect with the wider Warfield family. Finally, the number of church plants, the size of their congregations, and the extent of our ministries, means the human resources are sometimes thinly spread. The struggles of the senior clerics to manage these challenges led to broken relationships between clergy, LLMs, employed staff, and lay members over this period of growth. Since 2010 this has resulted in five clergy and many other staff resigning, the closure of Eternity Youth Church and the Mosaic congregation s decision to leave Warfield Church was a particularly traumatic year for Warfield Church. The Priest-in-Charge had leave of absence in February and his resignation took effect at the end of the year. Our other two clergy shouldered the burden for many months but they left in November and December. However, on the positive side, the lay leadership, the churchwardens and the PCC stepped up to the plate and carried things forward with the support of the Deanery, in cooperation with the Bishop who was closely involved. This year In 2017, Warfield Church entered a year of transition, with the churchwardens remaining in charge during the vacancy, which is expected to last a year. Of great significance for the whole church family this year was the 2Restore process of forgiveness and restoration. This was made up of four stages: an initial service for all, including many who had left over the years, which was attended by 357 adults; active listening sessions for the 251 who chose to participate, which provided the basis for a report (setting out the issues arising rather than casting blame) a day with acts of worship, celebration, repentance and forgiveness communion services in each location with anointing and blessings on Sunday. This was a cathartic experience from which emerged a strong desire by the vast majority to move forward. In January, with the agreement of the PCC, the Bishop moved swiftly to appoint a part-time Interim Senior Priest for the remainder of the year; he took on the role of PCC chair. This was followed in May by the appointment of a full-time Interim Associate Minister, for a fixed term of 3 years. With the Bishop s approval, the churchwardens had established the Warfield Leadership Team, made up of the Area Dean, representatives of the leaders of each of the congregations, the LLMs, the churchwardens, and this was joined by the Interim Associate Minister and the Interim Senior Priest (who became Chair). The PCC, the Warfield Leadership Team and the clergy are now working together closely and effectively. 21

22 Our Journey The Future Our mission and strategies, set out in 2012, remain unchanged but now we are exploring how best to organise ourselves to achieve these in the light of the lessons we have learned. The shared values of Warfield Church are: all people are valued; everyone has a part to play; the primary role of leaders is to empower others. As a church, we have not always been able to live by these values but they are still valid, and we would like them to be our guide as we move forward. The crucial ingredient required is collaboration between all those involved in God s ministry at Warfield; between clergy, laity, and staff members. Warfield Church s total effectiveness should be more than the sum of its parts. To achieve this, we recognise that we need: priest in charge two associate priests associate minister youth and children s pastors operations manager support staff congregational leadership teams all working together with the vast army of volunteers that makes Warfield Church unique! (We are looking to appoint a priest in charge, an associate priest, and youth & children s pastors.) 22

23 Deanery and Diocese Deanery and Dioces e Bracknell Deanery Bracknell Deanery consists of nine parishes in eight benefices which neatly fall into two clusters, one around Bracknell and the other around Ascot. The parishes represent just about every tradition in the Church of England: Anglo-Catholic, Liberal Catholic, Centrist, Traditional Prayer Book, Open Evangelical and Charismatic. All of the parishes welcome and affirm the ministry of women at all levels of the Church. Our ecumenical partners in the Bracknell end of the deanery include the Kerith Centre, a large non-denominational charismatic fellowship, Easthampstead Baptist Church and St. Joseph s Roman Catholic Church. Warfield enjoys good relations with each. A warm rapport exists among members of the chapter, which expresses itself in genuine concern for one another s well-being. The deanery has been designated a recovering deanery with respect to paying its share. This process began four years ago and, although some parishes continue to struggle financially, this will be successfully completed in Because of its size, Warfield pays about one quarter of the deanery parish share. Difficulties in paying the full parish share caused a significant lack of trust between parishes of the deanery some years ago, but over more recent past this has been repaired, leading to a renewed sense of trust between the parishes. A real mutual respect is enjoyed across the deanery among both clergy and laity, which is reflected in a new willingness to ask others for help and to offer such help. The parishes are also beginning to explore ways to work collaboratively across parish and benefice boundaries in terms of mission, but progress has been tentative and slow. One area in which this could take place is in Youth and Children s work. A desire for collaboration here has often been expressed. There is also a recognition across the deanery that in this area Warfield has expertise and a great deal of experience to offer other the parishes. There have been a good many changes in the clergy of the deanery over the past few years, with incumbents and associate priests/ministers moving elsewhere. Two benefices, both of which border Warfield, have appointed interim ministers, rather than incumbents, to aid them in discernment of their vision for the future. Another parish has just appointed a new incumbent, who will take up the post in August. The Bracknell end of the deanery will have two new housing developments in the next few years, in Woodhurst Park and in the new developed Bracknell town centre. Bracknell Team Ministry, one of the sister parishes of the deanery, will welcome a newly appointed mission priest for the town centre later this year. This may well occasion an opportunity for collaboration and shared ministry with Warfield and other parishes. In addition, Easthampstead Parish currently has two church plants, one in another new housing development, Jennett s Park. The deanery is home to Ranelagh Church of England Secondary School, one of the best state schools in the area. While its popularity has occasioned what has been termed the Ranelagh Effect, that is, families seeking to join area churches merely to acquire a place for their children in the school, it is also recognised that this brings an opportunity for mission and evangelism. In short, Bracknell is a diverse deanery, but one which aims to grow in missional collaboration and co-operation over the coming years. Its financial difficulties and the mistrust which that engendered are now well and truly a thing of the past. Its supportive chapter is one of its greatest strengths. Revd Dr Darrell Hannah, Area Dean May

24 Deanery and Diocese The Diocese of Oxford The Diocese of Oxford serves the mission of the Church in Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire. It is a large and complex Diocese, with more than 600 parishes, over 800 churches, and a diverse population of more than 2 million people located in all types of settings. The Bishop of Oxford is the Right Revd Steven Croft, who began his ministry in the Diocese in September There are also three Area Bishops who exercise strategic oversight for their Episcopal areas. The Episcopal Area of Reading is the same as the Archdeaconry of Berkshire and is made up of 79 benefices in 6 Deaneries, with over 200 churches and nearly 150 licensed clergy. The Bishop of Reading is the Right Revd Andrew Proud, who has been the Area Bishop since April 2011, and the Venerable Olivia Graham has been Archdeacon of Berkshire since October The Berkshire Archdeaconry Plan seeks to encourage and promote the flourishing of a mixed economy of traditional and new forms of church, and a desire to experiment and be open to the movement of God s Spirit as we both imagine and plan for the next 10 years. We are at an exciting time in the life of the Diocese as Bishop Steven leads us in the process of discerning our Diocesan vision for the next few years. He is soon to complete a series of day-long visits to each of the 29 deaneries; he has listened to many individuals and groups around the Diocese and has been reflecting back what he is hearing. In May there was a three day gathering of leaders from across the Diocese: Bishop s staff, Bishop s Council, Area Deans, Lay Chairs, Diocesan staff and several others. We expect to see the launch of a new Diocesan vision within the next few months, calling us to be a Christ-like church which is Contemplative, Compassionate, and Courageous. Energy is rising as we work together on this and the sense of excitement is almost tangible. The Diocese of Oxford would be delighted if you were to partner with us in following God s call. 24

25 PCC PCC and Committees Appendix 1 PCC PCC/Standing Committee The PCC meets 7 or 8 times a year plus extraordinary meetings if required by exceptional circumstances. The Standing Committee meets between the regular PCC meetings to deal with matters arising that need more urgent action. The notes of the SC are circulated immediately to the PCC so as to allow all members to be fully informed of developments. This allows the PCC to focus mainly on policy matters and major decisions knowing that operational requirements are being handled in a timely fashion. Finance Committee The PCC is a charitable body registered with the Charity Commission and an excellent graphical view of the PCC s financial history is available on the Charity Commission s website (Ref No ). Income and expenditure have been in the range 500K - 570K for the last five years, except in 2013 when a major re-ordering project was undertaken to change the internal layout of St Michael s Parish Church, to remove pews, and to install a new stone floor and heating system. Approximately 80% of PCC income is derived from monthly, gift-aided donations on which a tax rebate is claimed. Similarly, Parish Share and staff costs account for approximately 70% of expenditure. Mission-giving is a significant item in our budget and we aim to give approximately 10% of our unrestricted income in support of charitable organisations with objectives which align with ours; grants to individual causes ranging in size from a few hundred to over five thousand pounds. 25

26 PCC The Treasurer to the PCC is supported by a Finance Committee chaired by one of the Churchwardens and together they ensure that the PCC Accounting practices conform to Charity Commission requirements. We have a Gift-Aid Secretary and we employ a part-time Finance Administrator to manage the day-to-day accounts. We have a policy to maintain a minimum of 2 months outgoings as financial reserve and we have more than sufficient readily realisable assets to meet this requirement. HR Committee Formed out of an internal HR Review in September 2015, the HR Committee provides a formal HR function to the PCC. The overriding purpose of this committee is to create and maintain a work culture and framework where all staff and volunteers flourish, whether in ministry or support and whether lay or clergy. The aim is to have a safe and rewarding working environment with good employment practice as a cornerstone. The committee is not responsible for ministry, management or operational structures and processes beyond those seen as HR related. These are some of the achievements since the formation of the committee: Designed and implemented an HR specific set of KPIs; Introduced a Recognition and Rewards programme; Writing and approval of many policies; Formulation of HR procedures and guidelines; Run HR related staff training; Revamped the Appraisal process; Brought consistency across all Job Descriptions. Ongoing work includes sourcing an Occupational Health programme and working with the wider church to dovetail PCC and Diocesan HR policies so each support the other, particularly when dealing with matters involving both clergy and lay staff. Health & Safety Committee Warfield Church relies on a small core of permanent staff supported by an army of volunteers. The activities undertaken by the church and PCC are wide-ranging both in terms of activity and geography, with each year the scale of work growing larger. The legal responsibility for ensuring the safety of our people, members of the public who are affected by what we do and those who use our buildings falls to the PCC and by law cannot be delegated. Instead, in 2016 the PCC directed that a small committee of specialist advisors should be appointed to support the PCC on health and safety matters. The committee is three-strong (two health and safety specialist advisors and one of the churchwardens) supported by two volunteer members of the PCC who act to review and approve safety decisions between PCC meetings. The committee also undertakes investigations into accidents when they take place, using the results from any and all investigations to advise the PCC of what went wrong and update how safety is managed. In the last year the committee has started a major programme of work to bring health and safety management up-to-date. This began with developing a new policy for health and safety management followed by a safe system of work for lone working, a risk assessment framework and a reporting framework for accidents, incidents and near-misses. All processes are consulted extensively with end users and the PCC prior to their adoption by PCC and implementation, in order to make sure that health and safety management is both compliant with the law and as simple as possible for staff and volunteers. 26

27 PCC Fabric Committee The Fabric Committee operates under the supervision of a Churchwarden. It receives requests from congregational leadership teams, plans appropriate works and makes costed proposals to the PCC. It manages faculty and planning permission applications as required. St Michael s parish church building dates back to the 12 th century, and has to be maintained in line with legal requirements. A major refurbishment inside the church 5 years ago, costing around 350k, replaced the pews with lightweight chairs and added a stone floor. Current projects include the enlargement of gas storage tanks and an extension of the car park. The parish room next to the church, mainly Tudor in origin, was totally refurbished 10 years ago. A modern extension was added that serves as the parish office. This project cost around 675k. St Andrew s church is more modern and includes a small kitchen, an upstairs balcony and side rooms used for Sunday school. The heating system needed a full replacement last year and various minor faults need attention. Some refurbishment could make better use of the interior space, and improve the kitchen and toilet facilities. Several thousand pounds have been invested over the last 2 years to install projectors and a sound system. Mission Committee Our main driver, as an evangelical charismatic church, is encouraging the growth of the Kingdom of God in the world. To this end, we have a strong emphasis on developing partnerships with overseas Mission Partners, who we uphold through prayer, financial giving and visits, both of teams to partners and of partners to Warfield. This enables us not only to support the work directly, but also fosters a culture of generous and unselfish concern for other parts of Christ s body. Mission Partners are decided upon at Congregational leadership level, and giving is managed by the Mission Committee. This committee creates and implements policies that reflect our values and gives clear guidelines to how we support our Mission Partners. basis. In 2017 we are working with a budget allocation of 46,000, which represents 10% of unrestricted church income. 80% of this goes to agreed Mission Partners, with the remainder held in reserve for requests for support on a short-term 27

28 Our buildings Appendix 2 Our buildings The Parish Rooms The Parish Rooms house some of the essential activities of Parish life: the office with its full-time, part-time, and volunteer staff provides administrative support for each congregation, and office space for the clergy when needed. There are two additional meeting rooms one a modern office space for groups of up to eight people, the other a sub-dividable spacious room dating back to Tudor times. It now benefits from modern IT, audio and display facilities. There is also a kitchen and toilets including disabled/ baby change facility. An illustration of the functionality of the Parish Rooms is our youth work (although a crèche also operates in the main room, and a weekly mums and toddlers group). The kitchen (which is well-enough equipped to allow full-meal catering for small groups), is used to provide a hot meal for youth helpers. The displays are connected to allow multiple-player video games. The rooms also provide a good base for Alpha courses, Wedding preparation and Baptism preparation events, where the audio and IT facilities make presentation of video material easy and accessible. 28

29 Church Property Our buildings The 4 bedroom vicarage is in a beautiful setting about a hundred metres from St Michael s This is one of the houses owned by the diocese where the Interim Associate Minister lives with his family. This is the other diocese-owned house which is near Whitegrove Primary School, and which will be home to the Associate Priest. This house is owned by Warfield Church and is rented out at the moment The Brownlow Hall The Brownlow Hall is run by an ecclesiastical charity closely associated with Warfield Church; the church is offered free use of the building on Sundays. 29