Profile for the Benefice of Great St Mary s, Sawbridgeworth. June 2012 Updated September 2015

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1 Profile for the Benefice of Great St Mary s, Sawbridgeworth June 2012 Updated September 2015 Welcome to Great St Mary s Sawbridgeworth is a thriving small town in rural East Herts, and Great St Mary s church is at the heart of this community. This profile has been prepared to help you get to know us and our church, and to discover something of Sawbridgeworth we hope it will be helpful to you as you seek to discern whether God may be calling you to come and join us as our new Associate Minister (House for Duty). One output of the 2012 Mission Action Planning process was a 5 year vision statement: We will be a dynamic, hospitable, growing Church, welcoming everyone, where all ages can grow in faith and receive spiritual support, and where we use all our resources and talents for loving service to the community, locally and globally. We are looking for an Associate Minister (House for Duty) who will help us realise this vision. We hope you enjoy reading this profile and finding out more about us. More information about the church is available via our website We look forward to hearing from you. Great St Mary s PCC (updated September 2015) 1

2 The Benefice 1. Parish & Town Sawbridgeworth is a vibrant small town with a strong community feel located on the River Stort in rural East Hertfordshire. We are proud of our historical heritage; Sawbridgeworth is an ancient parish and is recorded in the Domesday Book as Sabrixteworde. Today it has a population of approximately 10,000 residents. There are excellent rail links to London and Cambridge, and the M11 is easily accessible either via Harlow or Bishop s Stortford, the neighbouring towns. Stansted airport is only a short car, train or bus journey away. The Parish includes, to the north, the hamlet of Spellbrook where the Church School is located and, to the east, part of Lower Sheering (in the local authority area of Epping Forest). A portion of the local authority area of Sawbridgeworth is in the neighbouring parish of High Wych. The town is pleasantly situated in a rural area. To the south of the town lies Pishiobury Park, a large open country park ideal for afternoon walks, dog walking and other recreational purposes. Recently the walk along the Stort River from Bishop s Stortford to Sawbridgeworth made the Saturday Times Top 20 Wild Walks. 2. Community Sawbridgeworth has a diverse and thriving community. All age groups are represented in our town, with the mean age (40.3 years) slightly higher than the national average. Prior to the Second World War most of the adult population was employed locally in a variety of skilled and semi-skilled occupations with a smaller proportion commuting to London. After the War many of the local employers ceased trading or moved away, and the working population changed to become a commuter-dominated community. Today we have many commuters, both to local towns and into the City, but we also have a number of small businesses both in the town centre and on the periphery. Our social grade is dominated by the ABC1 category (higher and intermediate managerial/ administrative/ 2

3 professional) with 68% of the population over 16 belonging to this grade compared to a national average of 52%. On the parish border with High Wych there is a privately owned nursing home and sheltered housing complex built on a former plant nursery site. This Nursery had an international reputation and the complex is named after the founder, Thomas Rivers. Adjacent to the complex is a private hospital owned by the same company and in High Wych parish. A small orchard still survives and is managed by volunteers through the Rivers Orchard Trust. We have a Town Council consisting of a Mayor and eleven Councillors. The Town Council runs a bus service within the town sponsored jointly by local businesses, and is responsible for the local Farmers Market held bi-monthly. The Town Council is supportive of Great St Mary s and very helpful with advertising events. The Mayor is elected each year and a Civic Service is held in the Church for the new Mayor. The council website address is The Benefice is within East Herts District Council. Three District Councillors represent the town which is not warded. The Memorial Hall is the largest hall in the town and its recent refurbishment was funded by the Town Council, the Trustees of the Hall and Friends of the Memorial Hall. The Bullfields Centre is also available for hire by local organisations, but is primarily meant for the use of Young People under the age of Education There are very good educational facilities in Sawbridgeworth and the surrounding area. Primary Schools are Mandeville for nursery to KS2, Fawbert and Barnard for nursery to KS1 (these children then go on to Reedings School), and our Church School, Spellbrook Church of England Primary School, for nursery to KS2. Spellbrook School has especially close links with our church. We provide regular support at school assemblies and we host visits from the school, including their annual leavers service. Parties of children from the other Primary Schools also regularly visit the church. See 3

4 Leventhorpe School is our Secondary School and has recently become an Academy. Evening Classes in a range of subjects are offered here. See All of our schools have received good or outstanding Ofsted reports during the last few years. 4. Leisure and Recreation Sawbridgeworth is well supplied with pubs and restaurants, covering a wide range of cuisine. The town centre also has a number of shops, including a small Budgens supermarket, newsagents, chemists, hairdressers and other local businesses. There is a health centre and an NHS dentist in the town. A Farmers Market is held regularly in Bell Street Car Park, providing an opportunity for local producers to sell their wares. The public make use of the Leventhorpe School swimming pool, and a leisure centre also for public use has recently been opened in the grounds of the school. This offers a wide range of sports and classes. Both venues have gyms. The River Stort and Pishiobury Park are both pleasant country areas for walking and other outdoor pursuits. There are many organisations for all ages and interests, including the Sports Association involving the Cricket Club, Bowls Club, Tennis Club and Football Club. Children are well-catered for in the town with various public play areas, playgroups, music classes, uniformed organisations including a very successful ATC Squadron, and a Sure Start Children s Centre. Other organisations in the Town include a Woodturning Association, Angling Society, Sawbridgeworth Players (acting), Women s Institute, various arts and crafts organisations, Youth Create (a Community Youth Theatre providing performing arts activities of all abilities), a day centre for the elderly and a visually handicapped group. The town has an active Town Twinning association. Sawbridgeworth is twinned with Bry-sur- Marne, a town east of Paris. Visits are exchanged each year and during the last few years Leventhorpe School has become closely connected to musical groups in our twin town. Combined concerts have been performed here and in France. Visitors from Bry-sur-Marne are enthusiastic about our church and some of their young musicians have performed concerts in the church. A German twinning association is just starting. The Council for Voluntary Service organises a May Fayre on the first Sunday in May. This involves most organisations in the Town, and the Church takes the opportunity to hold a Discovery Day. This includes displays of our activities during the last year. There are activities for children and the day finishes with a short service. It is usual to have four to five hundred people visit the Church on this day. 5. Worship We have a diverse pattern of regular and occasional services. The age range of our congregation is from a few months to those in their eighties. There is a regular rota of lay participation as readers, intercessors, servers and chalice assistants. 4

5 Our pattern of Sunday Services is shown in the table: Service Sundays Typical attendance 8am Eucharist All Sundays 15 (1 st Sunday BCP, others CW) 9.30 Parish Eucharist All except 1 st 80 (Sunday Club for children) 9.30 All Age Eucharist 1 st Sunday Holy Baptism 4 th Sunday as arranged 6.30pm Sung Evensong 1 st, 2 nd, 4 th Sundays pm Third Sunday Service 3 rd Sunday 10 Our pattern of weekday services typically includes: 8.00am Morning Prayer 9.30am Tiny Tots & Toddler Service (on alternate Tuesdays), average attendance am Eucharist Order One (each Thursday), average attendance 15 On Mondays, we lead a service at Highfields sheltered housing complex (fortnightly alternating with the Evangelical Church). We celebrate Major Saints Days at the Thursday Eucharist (Order One). On Principal Feasts and Principal Holy Days there are Eucharists at 9.30am and 7.45pm (average attendance 25-30). Other Special Services include: Advent Carol Service, Christingle, Nine Lessons and Carols, St George s Day Scouts Service, Discovery Day service (May Fayre), Thanksgiving for Holy Baptism, Civic Service, Harvest with local schools, Thanksgiving for the Departed, Town Remembrance Service. Our principal services follow either Common Worship (9.30am service and most 8am services) or Book of Common Prayer (Evensong and a monthly 8am Eucharist). Further details of our other services are as follows: The All Age Eucharist maintains sacramental worship and the choral tradition, but aims at greater inclusion of children in liturgy and music. Children sit in the carpeted space at the front of the nave and their engagement is encouraged by using sorry cards and prayer cards, reading the lesson and an interactive talk. We try different music settings, including rounds, and the children may process around the church to their favourite hymns or songs. The children remain in church throughout the service. 5

6 The Children s Praise service usually takes place on the third Sunday of the month in Church House in parallel to the main service, following the Liturgy of the Word and using a format more accessible to our young people. The relaxed nature of the service means the children can really get involved with and enjoy the worship. The Third Sunday Service (6.30 pm) provides an opportunity to experience worship in alternative styles. Themes have been varied, including a Taize service, Lenten reflections, Advent worship from the Iona community, A Time for Compassion, Encounters with God in the Open Air, Vocation, a Prayer Walk and a service based on Living God s Love. The Tiny Tots and Toddler Service takes place on Tuesdays at 9.30am on a fortnightly basis during term time and lasts half an hour. It is independent of our Tiny Tots Group, but many of those attending go on to Tiny Tots afterwards. The service provides an important opportunity for many parents/carers and young children to experience our church building and simple service in a relaxed environment. Occasional offices: In 2014, 17 children and adults were baptised, 8 members of the congregation were prepared for confirmations, 9 marriages were conducted and 17 funerals took place. Musical Tradition: Great St. Mary s has a strong musical tradition, with a weekly Sung Eucharist and BCP Evensong. Two settings of the Eucharist are used: one by Thorne and the other written by David Wood, our Director of Music. We are members of the Royal School of Church Music and the East Herts Church Choirs Association. There is a robed choir which is augmented by local singers for some of the special services. These have recently included the Advent Carol Service, a service of Nine Lessons and Carols and a performance of The Cross of Christ on Palm Sunday. Liturgical Tradition: Full seasonal liturgical robes are used including chasuble and occasionally a cope, with robed Crucifer and Servers. The Sacrament is reserved for the sick and dying. 6. Pastoral & Ecumenical Many pastoral opportunities arise in Sawbridgeworth through the location of the church in the town and from the fact that it is regarded by many as part of the wider community life, whether through services like the St George s Day parade, or through baptisms, weddings and funerals. The Outreach Committee of the PCC is committed to implementing certain pastoral initiatives which were identified in our Mission Action Plan, namely to create and make effective use of a Welcome Pack and to re-launch our Befrienders and Bereavement Visiting Schemes, for which there is much lay interest. We have a strong link with Highfields which is housing with support for older people. A fortnightly service is conducted either by one of our Readers or another volunteer from our congregation. This service is shared on alternate Mondays with the Evangelical Church. The Mothers Union provides refreshments afterwards. We have links with much of the life of Sawbridgeworth through the involvement of many members of the congregation in groups and organisations such as Scouting, ATC, the Town Council and Town Twinning. In Sawbridgeworth there are two other churches: Most Holy Redeemer, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Evangelical Congregational Church. 6

7 There is no Churches Together in Sawbridgeworth, but we have good relations with the minister of the Evangelical Congregational Church and we look forward to welcoming the new Roman Catholic Priest. Our congregation embraces some Roman Catholics and members of other churches. 7. Leadership & Communications The Churchwardens provide the link between the worship and administration of the parish, encouraging the congregation to develop their talents and participation in the mission and outreach of the church. The PCC consists of 12 members plus 3 Deanery Synod members and 2 Churchwardens. There are 2 ex-officio members. There are 3 committees: Fabric and Churchyard, Outreach, and Stewardship and Finance. The PCC meets quarterly, with the committees meeting in between. The age range of the PCC is from early thirties to mid-seventies. The PCC is supported by a number of other volunteers, including a Child Protection Officer, Health & Safety Officer, Fire Officer, Stewardship Recorder and Electoral Roll Officer. The Parish Office is currently open 4 mornings per week and is staffed by our Parish Administrator. Support includes preparation of the weekly Pew Leaflet and reading sheets, accounts, bookings for the Parish Hall, invoicing and other general office support. The primary method of communication with the congregation is the weekly Pew Leaflet. For more significant communications letters are sent to all on the Electoral Roll. The parish is also responsible for producing a monthly A4 publication entitled Church & Town which is distributed free to every home within the parish by volunteers. A calendar of outreach and social events is distributed twice a year. The parish has a website which is maintained and regularly updated by a volunteer from within the congregation. 8. Ministerial Team We have two active Readers, one of whom has PTO. The Tiny Tots service is led by volunteers from within our congregation. 9. Electoral Roll At the 2015 APCM the Electoral Roll stood at 134 with 6 names having been removed in the last year, and 3 added. 13 of the people do not live within the parish. 10. Church Groups Our work with children and young people has been growing over the last ten years. We have a regular Sunday Club with Sunday Club Minis for pre-schoolers. On the third Sunday of the month the children have their own Children s Praise service which is held in Church House in parallel to the main 9.30am service and follows the pattern of the Liturgy of the Word prior to returning to the Church Building for communion. 7

8 The weekly Tiny Tots carer and child group is very popular and always has a waiting list. There is also a fortnightly Tiny Tots and Toddler Service for this age group. Craft Workshops every Christmas and Easter are well attended by many children from outside the church family. In recent years we have run a 3 day Holiday Club for children aged 5-11 and hope to do so again. Work with our young people at secondary school is just beginning and we hope to build on this. We currently have two House Groups. They meet fortnightly in the evening and both have established core membership, but are pleased to welcome new members. The Outreach Committee is committed to organising a range of social and spiritual events each year and these have included a very enjoyable Beetle Drive, a Treasure Hunt, Quiet Days, and an annual Parish Pilgrimage. The Mothers Union is active in the parish with monthly meetings, a monthly prayer meeting, various social events and supporting the Highfields Service, as well as providing refreshments at the Tiny Tots playgroup. We have a strong musical tradition, supported by the choir which rehearses weekly and performs additional music at special services. Their numbers are on occasion augmented by friends and supporters. The servers, sacristans and flower arrangers all support the liturgical life of our church, as does the committed team of bellringers. 11. Buildings We are proud of our beautiful historic church building. The fabric of the Church dates from the late thirteenth century with the last major work being completed in the sixteenth century when the brick tower staircase was added. The Church was much amended in the Victorian period. The building has several large monuments and seven hatchments. It is a Grade 1 listed building and stands in approximately 5 acres. St Mary s Lodge The church also owns: St Mary s Lodge (the Curate s house, which is currently let) being a three bedroom detached house; the Parish Hall which is adjacent to the Church and is let for various activities; Church House which stands just outside the Church gates and which is used by the Church for various meetings, Sunday Club, events and private hire. 8

9 Major work on the nave floor was completed in May 2015 and the central aisle is now back in use. Work is now in hand on priority items in the latest Quinquennial Report (2012). A group was formed specifically to raise funds for a new (gas) heating system in The necessary sum was raised with the help and generosity of members of the congregation, many businesses in the town and residents of Sawbridgeworth who do not normally attend Great St Mary s. A Christmas Fair was held in Church for the first time in 2011 as a fund-raising event. The whole town pulled together to make this a success and over 400 people attended on the day. Such is the popularity of the Fair that it is now an annual event. The large churchyard is maintained by a monthly volunteer Working Party and other maintenance is done on a voluntary basis where possible. The interior of the Church is cleaned regularly by teams of volunteers. The Fabric and Churchyard Committee takes responsibility for building and churchyard maintenance. The Churchyard also contains the town War Memorial. The Friends of Great St Mary s are active in fundraising for specific projects within the church building. 12. Finance Stewardship is practised through envelopes and by standing order. Gift Aid is actively encouraged and processed by the Stewardship Recorder. The Parish Share is 63,389, which is paid in full. We were fortunate enough to be left a legacy some years ago, which has been invested. The interest earned is used to help cover the running costs of the church and some repair work. Total income in 2014 was 173,171 and total expenditure 172,631. Part of the income for 2014 came from investments held by Great St Mary s. The parish gives 10% of the stewardship income plus 20% of the Gift Aid on the stewardship to mission and charity, with 60% going to overseas causes and 40% allocated to UK causes. In 2014 the overseas portion was donated to the Diocesan Administrative Secretary in Wau Diocese, Southern Sudan, to complete a Bachelor of Business Administration at the Ugandan Christian University. The UK portion was allocated to a CMS outreach initiative in Telford, a community with the smallest number of churches in the country. 13. Strengths & Opportunities for Growth The friendly and welcoming nature of Great St Mary s is a major strength. Many people have commented on how they feel part of the church community and have made friends there. The sacramental worship and choral tradition are much valued and appreciated. Great St Mary s is regarded as family-friendly with a positive attitude towards children. Great St Mary s has a good relationship with all the local schools and particularly with the church school at Spellbrook. Our historic church building, located in the heart of the community, is a major asset which is well maintained by dedicated volunteers. Indeed, a further strength is our volunteers who support the running of the church in many different ways, such as the churchyard working party, serving refreshments after services, and supporting outreach initiatives such as the Discovery Day. 9

10 An area which we are keen to address is the absence in church of teenagers and people in their twenties. There is much work to do in this area. Another area we feel we could improve upon is outreach to the local community. Both these require additional volunteers and leaders. We also need to recruit more members of the Choir. We are keen to find ways to encourage some of the newer members of the congregation to offer their time and talents to support these and other initiatives. Future Priorities 14. Three Priority Areas In our Mission Action Planning in 2012 we discerned the following 5-year vision for Great St Mary s: We will be a dynamic, hospitable, growing Church, welcoming everyone, where all ages grow in faith and receive spiritual support, and where we use all our resources and talents for loving service to the community, locally and globally. To help us achieve this, we identified three priority areas to focus upon: 1. Church Building We have a beautiful church building which we would like to be able to use more widely. We will therefore pursue plans for developing the main Church building so that it meets the needs of the congregation and wider community in the future. We hope to explore possibilities for improved facilities (toilet, kitchen) and re-ordering to open up the interior space so that there are opportunities for increased and more diverse use of the building. 2. Ministry Build on our ministry of welcome, and expand our provision of pastoral care for the young and the vulnerable in the Parish. Our welcome is already a strength and we hope to be creative in building on this. We are keen to find ways to attract more teenagers and young people into our church community, and to develop new outreach initiatives in support of our community. 3. Worship Enhance the provision of worship and develop initiatives for encouraging spiritual growth. The worship that is currently offered is done well and valued. We would like to see a greater creativity and diversity in opportunities for worship. We also long to see greater uptake of activities such as house groups, prayer groups and quiet days. A full copy of the MAP is on the parish website at: 10