Parish Profile Knowing Jesus Christ and making Him known

Transcription

1 Knowing Jesus Christ and making Him known Parish Profile 2015 Christ Church Winchester Christchurch Road Winchester Hampshire SO23 9SR Church Wardens: Mark Lowman & Charlotte Slinger

2 Endorsement from our Diocesan Bishop and Archdeacon Priest in Charge Christ Church, Winchester Deanery of Winchester The Bishop of Winchester, the Rt Revd Tim Dakin writes: As a diocese we are committed to rooting ourselves in Living the Mission of Jesus. We have begun a strategic process to deliver a mission-shaped Diocese, so that parochial, pastoral and new forms of pioneering and radical ministry will be infused with the life of the Spirit of mission. It s a life lived out in three dimensions: Passionate personal spirituality; Pioneering faith communities; Prophetic global citizenship. The Archdeacon of Winchester, the Venerable Michael Harley writes: We are seeking a full-time, stipendiary Priest in Charge for this exciting and challenging post, with a heart for mission and evangelism, for facing change and fresh development, and with proven experience of working for growth and social transformation. Christ Church, Winchester, is the largest church in the Diocese of Winchester. It needs to enter a new phase of growth and redevelopment, with a greater involvement in the life of the Deanery and Diocese, its Community and the City. The Deanery of Winchester is engaged in the Diocesan initiative of Mission Action Planning, both at deanery and parish level. Within the Deanery, the intention is to cluster some parishes together, with less stipendiary clergy and more other ministries (both lay and ordained). Christ Church is likely to be clustered with the neighbouring parish of Stanmore, and the new Priest in Charge will take a lead in exploring this possibility. The living has been suspended to actively encourage these explorations. We are living in exciting times as a Diocese and sense that we are being challenged by the Spirit of God. We therefore look to appoint someone who will share in the life of the Deanery and the Diocese as we seek to live the mission of Jesus. The Diocese of Winchester is an exciting place to be at the moment. We wait with eager anticipation to see how this process will unfold. We pray that, if God is calling you to join us in his mission in this part of the world, he will make his will abundantly clear to you. As the Father sent me so I send you Receive the Spirit 2 John 20:21

3 INTRODUCTION Knowing Jesus Christ and Making Him Known We are Christ Church Winchester, a vibrant and growing multigenerational church family increasingly made up of people from all walks of life and different church backgrounds. We aim to bring glory to God in everything that we do and all that we are, basing shared lives on the Word of God, expectant of the Holy Spirit working in and through us. Our aim is to proclaim the Gospel and to share the Good News of Jesus Christ in word and deed, both locally and in other places where God calls us. Our culture is one of generosity, hospitality and encouragement, giving graciously and extravagantly of time and resources to develop leaders and equip disciples, with a desire to grow God s Kingdom. Central to this is our focus on children s and youth ministry, a defining characteristic of Christ Church and the reason for many families joining our worshipping community. Our prayer is that God would show us his heart for our church family, our community, our city and the world. This leads us to a range of social transformation and mission projects. With patronage from the Simeon s Trustees we are committed to mission and social action, motivated by the gospel. We are working towards the Diocese of Winchester s vision: Living the Mission of Jesus. As disciples of Jesus we know that everything we do is founded in his grace and in his power. This Parish Profile aims to show some of what we do as we journey and work out God s call on our lives, and we hope that in telling our story we give a true sense of who we are. We are looking for a leader who feels a deep sense of calling to Winchester and Christ Church. They should have the wisdom and understanding for leadership to join our large and inclusive community of believers. The role is for a minister is gifted in preaching the Word of God, follows the leading of the Spirit and longs for all believers to grow and develop their faith in Jesus Christ. They must have a sense of excitement and expectation about where the Spirit is leading and be ready to embrace and enable the change necessary in a large church in a changing world. If you desire to serve God through these gifts, we will ask God together if this is his call for you and for Christ Church. What I value most about Christ Church is that it is a multi-generational, word and spirit focused community. Though people come from a range of spiritual backgrounds, they are unified in love for Jesus and the Word. Senior Staff member Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion Philippians 1:6 3

4 VISION & VALUES

5 VISION & VALUES Knowing Jesus Christ and Making Him Known Our values are to be: God-centred, gospel-driven and Spirit-led Authentic as a community of grace Generous and hospitable Encouraging Accepting and inclusive Family Challenging and equipping It is vital as a church that we have a vision to guide our thinking forwards but we are conscious that this needs to be worked out in a real and fallen world as far-fromperfect people. Our vision is how we imagine Christ s church here might be. We continually rely on God s guidance and the power of the Holy Spirit as we travel this journey together. We delight in what has been achieved while at the same time embracing the challenges ahead. Imagine a local Church where children, young people, students and adults are helped to come to faith in Jesus Christ; where they are welcomed and loved, taught and trained; where they are confident in sharing their faith and clear about God s call on their lives; where they serve one another and their community, and where gifts are grown and leaders developed. Imagine all this happening through the ministry of God s Word and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever, amen. Ephesians 3:

6 VISION & VALUES Knowing Jesus Christ and Making Him Known a local Church where children, young people, students and adults are helped to come to faith in Jesus Christ... Children and young people are at the heart of Christ Church and much of what we do is shaped by helping them to come to faith in Jesus. We see our young people as today s church and include them in all areas of our teaching, worship and discipleship. The expectation in each of our six worshipping communities is for each person present to encounter God, wherever they are on their journey of faith. By God s grace we aspire to be welcoming, hospitable and inclusive, with people of all generations mixing together and supporting each other. We value time spent eating together to create a space for fellowship and conversation. Our hope is to tell the story of Jesus with honesty, relevance and love. This we do through our worshipping communities, including Messy Church, and also through our outreach courses such as Alpha and Christianity Explored, through our children s, youth and student groups, and through City-wide and regional events such as The Feast, Just10 and the Winchester Passion. As a church we rejoice at our regular confirmation and baptism services. I love the sense of being a family having grown up in this church for the past 13 years; the vibrancy and life, the youth and children s work. It s a place I feel I can be me. Church member, aged 23 Let s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. Luke 14:

7 VISION & VALUES Knowing Jesus Christ and Making Him Known where they are welcomed and loved Though we are a large church, much thought and effort is made to create a family atmosphere where everyone can feel a sense of belonging and be welcomed and accepted. We are aware that we can always improve our welcome and hospitality, as individuals, in our small groups and through church events. Our well-attended church weekend away, spring BBQ and summer afternoon tea in the Bishop s garden are fantastic times of friendship-building and having fun together. A large number of our congregation go to New Wine where the church family is drawn together. Throughout the year we share breakfasts, lunches and newcomers teas. Many students make Christ Church their home and here they are both physically and spiritually fed. A weekly free lunch and Bible study encourages them to strengthen their own student community by being embraced as part of the wider church. Oasis, our weekly women s ministry, welcomes all, whether just exploring the Christian faith or attending from other city churches and further afield. As well as providing space for worship and Bible teaching, we place emphasis on supporting each other pastorally and in prayer. The work of Prospects cares for people with learning disabilities, some of whom come regularly to our evening service. It is our desire to include them in a way that accommodates their needs and grows their faith. We have a thriving ministry for our older church family members, including social gatherings, weeks away and lunch club. Their consistent, prayerful support for our many and varied activities is a bedrock for the church. In our large church family we want to continue to value them and be aware of their needs. At Christ Church we believe that we are all involved in caring for each other. The staff team consider pastoral care and visits to be an important part of their ministry. Pastoral care is an area that we would like to see grow across the whole church. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. John 15:12 They are part of the church family, playing an important role in this worshipping and journeying community...their enthusiasm, exuberance, and unhindered praise are a model to us all. Volunteer leader at Prospects 7

8 VISION & VALUES Knowing Jesus Christ and Making Him Known taught and trained God has called gifted preachers and teachers to use their gifts at Christ Church and many are drawn by this aspect of our ministry. This preaching and teaching is another distinctive point of focus which serves to hold us together as a church. We long for more people to engage on a deeper level with teaching from the Word of God, in a way that leads to changed lives. We often preach sermons on the same topic across each of our worshipping communities, and a typical sermon series might extend for one or two months. These will focus on a particular Bible passage, follow a theme, or sometimes be based on a particular book. Recent examples have included study on books by Tim Keller and Lucy Peppiatt. Agespecific Bible teaching is an important part of our youth and children s work from the youngest to the oldest, led by gifted teachers and communicators from the staff team and congregation. We offer a variety of courses on subjects such as marriage and parenting, a range of Lent courses, and evangelism training both general and specific, such as for the Winchester Christmas Market. At the Christmas Market we resource a mission chalet with a thoughtprovoking theme, the most recent being What are you waiting for this Christmas? As a church we host a regional Hub for the Westminster Theological Centre offering a range of certificate, diploma and degree level courses in Kingdom Theology. We put great emphasis on training and development for our staff team members in order to further their particular ministries and equip the church. Looking forward, we would like to see more emphasis and encouragement placed on developing gifts and skills within the wider church. There is considerable potential to broaden and deepen the lay leadership capability. This preaching and teaching is followed up in home-group studies during the week and through our women s and men s groups, often with a discipleship theme. Good quality teaching theological wrestling! Download Minister All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness 2 Timothy 3:16 8

9 VISION & VALUES Knowing Jesus Christ and Making Him Known where they are confident in sharing their faith We feel it is important that we become authentic disciples who are confident in sharing our faith, with a desire to follow Jesus and make him known. Our hope is to see every-member ministry become a reality for our church, with everybody actively involved in extending the reach and influence of the Gospel through day-to-day mission. We care about community mission, looking after each other and those in our Parish. This is demonstrated through a range of regular groups for different ages that attract churchgoing and non-church attendees: Bumps & Babies and Toddlers, which support carers and young children; XPC which engages school years 5-6; and Pathfinder club for school years 7 9, both on a Friday night. Messy Church is a fantastic example of sharing faith with non-church families and we are excited about its growing potential. Lunch Club, for our older members, provides encouragement (as well as food) and a safe place to invite friends. We are engaged in city mission because we want to bless our city. We are involved in multiple schemes in partnership with other churches including Street Pastors, City Centre chaplaincy and Healing on the Streets. We also believe in the call to bless those who are lost, hurting and disadvantaged through schemes such as Basics Bank, Nursing Home visits, Prison Ministry and the Keystone housing project. The motivation for these ministries is sharing the love of Jesus, with opportunities to share personal faith at the heart. We also share our faith and the faith of others through global mission. Those who have been part of missional visits overseas have found them to be a huge encouragement in learning to share their faith. We pray that God will increase our confidence in sharing our faith. There is amazing potential for our congregation to spread the Gospel more effectively than it does now, and we are conscious of the challenge in stepping out in culturally relevant ways. I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes. Romans 1:16 Download gave me the confidence to grow in my faith and in myself. When I left for university, I had a clearer understanding of what I believed and this has helped me shape my life around God 3rd Year Student 9

10 VISION & VALUES Knowing Jesus Christ and Making Him Known and clear about God s call on their lives We are known and loved by God and want to hear his voice and respond to his call, both personally and as a whole church. We aim to grow in this by practicing obedience and seeking to live holy lives, whilst listening to God about his call and direction. We would like to do more to identify God-given gifts and to hear God s encouragement to step out in faith. Our church Prayer Meeting, our 28 home groups, and other specific groups such as men s or women s ministry groups, youth groups and Third Way are vital in praying for direction and discerning God s prompting about where he is calling us. Previous teaching series have included The Colours of Ministry and Holiness which have explored God s calling, anointing and gifting, as well as our own response and obedience to him. Many people have tested the call to leadership and responded in specific ministries as well as pursuing traditional and pioneer ordination. In the last 10 years, Christ Church has supported 11 people to be ordained, currently there are a further 10 people exploring this call, nine of them under the age of 30. The challenge we face is to broaden and deepen this calling to leadership, to include lay ministry in various forms and to move towards every-member ministry in a meaningful way. Called and Equipped is the theme for our whole church weekend away in March We believe that in this season God is challenging us about our future direction as a church and will mightily bless us and equip us for the adventure ahead. We have a strong sense of God s calling to build community and deepen discipleship. Since coming to Christ Church, I have met Jesus, studied theology for the first time in my life and am now excited about mission work in my local community. Single mum who recently came to faith, exploring Pioneer ministry For we are God s workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10 10

11 VISION & VALUES Knowing Jesus Christ and Making Him Known where they serve one another and their community The essential nature of Christ Church over many decades has been to actively engage with others for the well-being of our city. Tim Keller s study series Gospel in Life has been very important in shaping how we see the gospel changing our hearts, changing our community and changing how we live in the world. We partner with other churches in Winchester to support local community activities such as services and bible-study in the Prison, Basics Bank, The Night Shelter, debt advice and counselling services. Our staff support the Hospital and University Chaplains. As a church we serve one another, including those from marginalized or vulnerable groups, and our home groups aim to be a rich source of pastoral care and support. Our church members have front lines in all sectors of public, commercial, charitable and home life, and we seek to increase our engagement with all aspects of contemporary culture. The church longs to act as an enabler to strengthen and encourage us as we boldly go in his strength. Our sense is that there is great opportunity to explore further what it means to engage fully as committed Disciples of Jesus in our everyday world among people who may disagree with our faith. For us, community is global and includes deep partnerships with Kalerwe, a high-density housing area in Kampala, and Kisoro in South Western Uganda, both partnerships based on schooling and welfare of children and their families. There have been many visits in both directions, with families linked and young people inspired. We are blessed by the love, prayers and faithful service of our fellow Christians from these communities, including reciprocal preaching. Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper. Jeremiah 29: 7 As Street Pastors we aim with God s help to change the spiritual atmosphere in Winchester s night time economy, every hot chocolate, lollipop and pair of flip-flops a prayer and a sign of the Kingdom. Street Pastor volunteer We pray that in this partnership God will enable us to go to higher levels of hearing from Him so that His purpose in us will be realised. Bishop Cranmer of Kisoro 11

12 VISION & VALUES Knowing Jesus Christ and Making Him Known where gifts are grown and leaders developed In our large and diverse church family we endeavour to look for the potential in every individual. This includes embracing and developing gifts to be used for God s service. We hope to provide many and varied ways to develop leadership. We celebrate the number of young people who give time and energy volunteering in leadership, in areas such as the PCC, preaching, music and worship, and children s groups. Download (14-18 years) are welcomed by the church to occasionally prepare and lead services. Our staff team is young and focused on development with many finding Christ Church to be a formative part of their journey towards ordination or further lay ministry. We have run summer schools to encourage engagement with leadership gifts but this is an area where we feel there is significant scope to be more intentional in identifying and growing the many God-given gifts within our congregation. We acknowledge that some people are yet to be fully engaged in their God-given areas of ministry. There is a balance to be found between a well-functioning staff team and opportunities for wider engagement by the congregation in areas of service within the life of the church. This is one of our key challenges going forwards, for a larger number of members to be able to discern, grow and use their gifts. We would love to see these flourish for the glory of God. Each one should use whatever gift that he has received to serve others so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ 1 Peter 4:10-11 I have been able to serve Christ Church in a variety of fun, challenging and interesting ways; from children s work, to co-leading a homegroup, to serving on the PCC and I feel blessed to be able to do so. Church member of 5 years 12

13 VISION & VALUES Knowing Jesus Christ and Making Him Known through the ministry of God s Word and in the power of the Holy Spirit... All we do as a community of believers is underpinned by the Word of God as revealed in the Scriptures, and which is fully trustworthy for faith and life. God s word is central in our meetings, from seniors to Scramblers (2-4 year olds). We believe the Holy Spirit is living and active. We desire for him to be ever more at the heart of everything we do, acknowledging the anointing power of the Spirit in defining what is good and true for the Kingdom of God. We long for greater awareness of God s presence with us, transforming us as individuals and as a community by living out the truths of Scripture brought alive to us by the Spirit. Our vision, strategy and decision-making are driven by prayerful discernment of where the Holy Spirit is moving within the church and in the wider community both locally and globally. Our culture of prayer is therefore vitally important. In our monthly prayer meeting we ask God for clarity about the direction of the church. In the prayer meetings before the main Sunday services we invite the Holy Spirit to be at work in the hearts and minds of all those leading or attending. Prayer ministry is always available, including at the end of each service to allow time for Spirit-filled response to the Word, occasionally including prophetic words and healing power. We long for the number of those responding to increase; this is an area with potential for growth. We have a small group of intercessors praying regularly and seeking God s direction and guidance for us as a church. Our monthly Hungry meeting is devoted to praise, prayer and prophecy, while Hush encourages a more contemplative evening of worship and prayer. We would like many more of our members to engage in the prayerful life of the church. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. Psalm 119:105 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses to the ends of the earth Acts 1:8 For me, Oasis is a place of refreshment. It gives me the time and space to worship, pray, and discover God in His word. It is a journey I walk with my community of sisters; we support and encourage each other, we carry one another in prayer. It is a great way to begin the week - seeking God and receiving His glorious presence. Mother of two, found faith recently 13

14 FUTURE DIRECTIONS

15 FUTURE DIRECTIONS Knowing Jesus Christ and Making Him Known In this season we are beginning to discern areas that we believe the Spirit is leading us to as we move into the future. We believe God s calling for Christ Church is to maintain our current emphasis on children, youth and students, deepening and expanding this mission to include other Christian communities in the city and further afield whilst remaining committed to multigenerational expression of church. We feel there is opportunity to develop further our capacity to train and equip mission workers of various kinds, building on our established training and education programmes. Linked to this is a greater emphasis on the calling and equipping of every member of our church. There is potential for greater collaboration with other Christians as well as other agencies in the city in terms of mission and social transformation programmes. Furthermore, the nature of Christ Church s congregation should enable more intentional engagement with issues of faith in the public square. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3: Our Life in Christ In such a big church family, it is important to recognise we are each different in how we respond to God, follow his direction and serve him. However, we long to encourage all members in the regular disciplines of daily Bible reading and study, prayer and time spent waiting on God. We are also looking to encourage certain individuals to commit to a regular rhythm of intercessory prayer and others to develop their gift in prayer ministry. We aim to encourage every member of Christ Church to understand and apply God s living and active Word to all that we do and all that we are. Our vision is to see our members living distinctive lives as Christians, listening to God, hearing his voice and following his direction. As we go forward we want to create an expectation that time spent with God brings wisdom, revelation and guidance for our individual and our corporate journey of faith. We want to discover afresh, across all our worshipping communities, that our primary reason to meet together is to worship God and bring him glory. Moving forward, we would love to create space for more intimacy with God within dynamic worship. 15

16 FUTURE DIRECTIONS Knowing Jesus Christ and Making Him Known Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds Hebrews 10:24 Community As a church we long to be authentic disciples who can be honest and vulnerable with each other but this does not come easily to us. We hope to be accountable to each other, sharing all elements of life, both weeping and laughing together. We want to continue to share life together in the best way possible and encourage a deeper level of honesty between us. We believe there is a need to broaden involvement of our church members in every area of our church life. We need to move the emphasis of our very capable staff team towards mentoring and supporting church members as they identify their gifts and recognise their calling. We long for people to express their God-given gifts as they build community in the Kingdom of God. This will require even greater focus on the calling and equipping of individuals, and openness to the Spirit s power in growing discipleship. We understand that many people need to grow and develop their gifts within church before they have the confidence to follow God s calling to serve him elsewhere. A practical start for this area of vision will begin in The focus of our church weekend away (in March 2015) is Called and Equipped. We pray that many of us will be encouraged and strengthened in our call, either discovering it for the first time or being refreshed and challenged about where God is calling us and excited about how he has been preparing us and growing our gifts. Our Church Weekends Away (every other year) are a vital part of our community life. They give us an extraordinary opportunity to bring all of our worshipping communities together and are formative in discerning God s direction for us. Many members of Christ Church cite these weekends as turning points in their walk with God. We plan to continue to facilitate and enable these weekends as a priority for the future. We perceive there is a need to enhance our approach to pastoral care and mentoring and to continue working on points of connection and cohesion across the church. In a big church it is essential to have effective methods and networks to make sure everyone feels welcomed and accepted and to enable everyone to find a place to grow their gifts and test their calling. We want to think more strategically and practically about how to do this well. Linked to this is a sense that we need to re-evaluate and encourage our home groups, and broaden our understanding of small groups to include those that enable good discipleship and accountability but do not always follow a classic home group model. We would like to encourage many more members of our church to belong to a small group of some sort. We follow Jesus example of eating together! Fellowship around a shared meal is an important way for us to encourage and bless each other. Christ Church has always sought to reflect God s hospitality and generosity, with each other and the wider community. We want to be pushed even further in the ways that we can do this to bring glory to God, and a great deal of enjoyment to all. 16

17 FUTURE DIRECTIONS Knowing Jesus Christ and Making Him Known Then he said to his disciples, The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Matthew 9: Mission Our schools ministry has expanded rapidly and has reached the limit of Christ Church s ability to resource this work alone. We hope this ministry can be deepened and expanded through closer collaboration with Christians from communities local to the 23 school locations we serve across the Diocese. This outreach mission builds on our strengths in children s and youth work. Christ Church has become a centre of excellence in children s and youth ministry, and there is opportunity to establish a training centre for children and youth workers as well as continuing to invest in our own young people. We would like to be able to begin to produce resources for use by other churches as well as being able to invest time in encouragement and training of local youth workers and volunteers. Our Messy Church initiative has grown rapidly and the challenge now is to discern how to move this forward. Messy Church will need more volunteers if it is to continue to reach new people and grow. With many of our Messy Church participants coming from neighbouring parishes, there is opportunity to work together with other churches to build this into a thriving worshipping community. In particular we are exploring how to work more closely with our local parish of Stanmore this has been highlighted as many of the families who come to Messy Church live in that area of the city. We have welcomed and supported the early-stage development of Pioneer Ministry in the city. This has prompted us to question how church will look in the future. As we look forward we are aware of the need to continue to be creative and sensitive as we seek to reach our friends and neighbours with the Good News of Christ. We are blessed by excellent relationships with the nearby university and feel a sense of God moving in that place. Increasing numbers of students are making their home-from-home at Christ Church. More remains to be done in reaching out to the growing student population of the city. We would like to encourage family hospitality, especially for overseas students, as a way to reach out to the student population. For the students who join us who already have faith we can do much more to support and encourage them through mentoring as well as providing opportunities for conversation and discussion on some of the difficult subjects that they may find themselves facing for the first time at university. We sense that our own young people would also find this a helpful transition from our youth activities as they finish their schooling and start on a gap year, or head to university themselves. Members and staff of Christ Church work to support chaplaincies at the local hospital and in the city centre. We feel there is scope to engage further with these institutions, 17

18 FUTURE DIRECTIONS Knowing Jesus Christ and Making Him Known through prayer and practical support. Members of Christ Church have provided faithful service in prison visiting over many decades and we pray for Christian witness to continue in that place. As public sector funding is reduced there is significant unmet social need in the city and we feel called to engage more widely with social transformation programmes. We have a growing number of vulnerable adults within our congregation and follow the Spirit s prompting to understand how we can bless and be blessed by this group in different ways. We are also beginning to explore how we can be a blessing to those struggling with mental health issues. whole life discipleship, and how God calls each of us to serve him on many different front lines and in different work. This remains an important area to consider for the future. We plan to maintain our overseas focus on Kalerwe and Kisoro in Uganda. We want to enable these communities to grow and develop knowing that we will be consistent in our prayerful and financial support. In the New Year six of our young people will travel to Uganda to work for six months as part of their gap years. We plan to keep encouraging all members of our community to be able to travel and spend time with our Ugandan partners. As visas allow we will continue to welcome our Ugandan friends to Winchester. As a gathered church in an affluent city, Christ Church has many members who are in positions to influence public discourse about Christianity and bring the gospel to the public square. In recent years we have given increasing emphasis to taking Kingdom values to where we live and work, equipping people for outward witness of faith within our contemporary culture. We would like to continue our journey of understanding about 18

19 ROLE DESCRIPTION

20 ROLE DESCRIPTION Knowing Jesus Christ and Making Him Known This Parish Profile gives a broad overview of Christ Church Winchester. The following Role Description should be read in conjunction with the vision, aims and objectives set out in the Profile. It should also be read in conjunction with the Diocesan Vision Living the Mission of Jesus and the particular emphasis on encouraging passionate personal spirituality, pioneering faith communities and prophetic global citizenship. We are looking for a leader who feels a deep sense of calling to Winchester and Christ Church. They should have the wisdom and understanding for leadership to join our large and inclusive community of believers. The role is for a minister who is gifted in preaching the Word of God, follows the leading of the Spirit and longs for all believers to grow and develop their faith in Jesus Christ. They must have a sense of excitement and expectation about where the Spirit is leading and be ready to embrace and enable the change necessary in a large church in a changing world. We are looking for a minister who: Spirituality Is secure in a robust personal faith in Jesus Christ. Allows themselves time and space to hear God, to grow through personal Bible study and respond to the active leading of the Holy Spirit. Deeply values the role of children and young people in the Kingdom of God. Worship and Preaching Is an effective and challenging teacher of the Gospel, preaching God s Word in all its fullness. Will invest in, support and encourage younger leaders and preachers. Encourages our whole lives to be acts of worship. Has the ability to hold together different traditions and styles of worship. Has an aptitude for motivating, encouraging and inspiring others to lead worship. Leadership and Collaboration Demonstrates wisdom, understanding and discernment for leadership and growth of a large church. Has proven ability to lead, manage and develop a large staff team. Can hold an overview, think strategically and seek God s vision for the church. Is a good communicator in every respect; balances decisive leadership and sensitive listening. Recognises the importance of delegation, encouraging and involving a wide spectrum of lay leadership and volunteers in church activities and governance. Is sufficiently flexible to enable change with a degree of patience and an ability to exercise grace. Maintains positive relationships and partnerships with other organisations and forms new ones, as God leads. Demonstrates enthusiasm for new and innovative approaches. 20

21 ROLE DESCRIPTION Knowing Jesus Christ and Making Him Known Discipleship, Learning and Nurture Is committed to developing disciples of all ages to grow and deepen their faith. Discerns God-given gifts and skills in others, encouraging their development and use. Encourages and empowers lay ministry. Evangelism and Social Justice Has a heart for mission, both local and global. Can think strategically about future developments for children s and youth ministry, schools ministry, Messy Church and emerging forms of pioneer ministry. Is committed to Winchester city mission and to furthering social transformation projects. Can inspire us to take Kingdom values into our everyday lives to influence contemporary culture. Pastoral Care Understands the need for effective pastoral care across a large church community. Is capable of identifying needs and establishing whole-church responses. Has a genuine interest and empathy for people, longing for them to find Christ and be welcomed into the Kingdom of God. Stewardship and Parish Organisation Is willing to work collaboratively and co-operatively with the Church Wardens and PCC. Understanding of resource management in a large organisation. Has a heart for equipping Christ Church as a centre for training and resourcing. Is able to prioritise, plan and delegate effectively, where appropriate. Has the confidence to engage with Diocesan priorities. Shows sensitivity in building relationships and working with other churches within the Deanery. Ecumenism and Links with Other Bodies Is committed to working with Churches Together in Winchester, which includes other evangelical churches in the city. Is willing to support and develop relationships with charities and other organisations working with those in need in our city. Is able to work collaboratively with the large institutions in our Parish, such as the university, hospital and prison. Will continue our relationship with the Ugandan Diocese. 21

22 APPENDIX

23 852 church members 1000 worshippers per week 300 under 16s per week 100 students per week 160 at Messy Church 1 (big) kitchen 450 meals provided per week 400 coffees per week 200 bacon rolls per week 50 Bibles given to junior church 150 Volunteers in Children s & Youth groups 750 at Church Weekend Away 94 = eldest person at Weekend Away 8 months = youngest person at Weekend Away 250 at New Wine Summer Conference 1 Lord A Year in the Life of Christ Church 1 Gospel 28 home groups 9 Weddings 5 funerals 14 adult baptisms 8 infant baptisms 10 dedications 16 confirmations 368 advent candles handed out 4000 Visitors to Christmas Market outreach 4000 Christmas Carols 23 school assemblies per month 1 Church 1 Mission 350 Bunches of daffodils at Easter 1 ice cream van hiring 430 Ice creams given to University students 350 Chairs in church Rearranged 9 times a week 15 staff 28 PCC 5 care home visits 1 prison visit per week 1 city chaplain 180 school places in Kalerwe through Karis Kids 400 daily Children s meals in Kalerwe 50 flights to Uganda 23

24 APPENDIX 2: WORSHIPPING COMMUNITIES We have six worshipping communities, which are multi-generational and each with their own character. Some are more formal than others and encompass a range of worshipping styles. We have indicated the size of each congregation, although numbers vary from week to week. Sunday Services 8:00 Communion Service (20) A quiet, reflective service of Holy Communion from the Book of Common Prayer 9:30 Worship and Service of the Word (250 adults children) A lively service which runs alongside six children s groups in term-time. During school holidays this becomes an all-age service. The congregation is mostly made up of families, young and old(er)! This service is led by our curates Tim Gleghorn and Angie Smith. Amazing and faithful volunteers help with children s groups, music, audiovisual, welcoming, and serving refreshments after the service. 11:15 Worship and Service of the Word (100) A more formal service with an older congregation and more traditional worship style. There is an emphasis on intercessory prayer. Tim Gleghorn and Brian Wakelin lead this service. Again, some of the congregation are involved with sung worship, sometimes including the organ, sound and AV, sides-people duty, as well as transport for elderly members of the congregation. 6:30 Worship and Service of the Word (300) An informal service with a diverse congregation, including youth, students and young adults. The main leaders of this service are our Lay Pastors Dan & Jude Greenfield. Volunteers are engaged through the worship band, AV & sound, sides-people duties, preparing and serving tea, coffee & bacon rolls after the service. We share Communion once a month at the three main Sunday services. Midweek Service Each Wednesday at 11:30 with Communion (25) An informal service overseen by Brian Wakelin, meeting to share in BCP Holy Communion. Messy Church One Tuesday per Month at 4:00pm (160) A fun and vibrant group of young families from the local community who sing, get stuck in, get messy creating and making, enjoy a meal together and learn about God. This ministry is overseen by Tash Anderson. 24

25 APPENDIX 3: TIMELINE The story of Christ Church Winchester over the past 50 years has been one of revival and dynamic growth. Many in our worshipping communities have travelled on this journey and displayed amazing generosity of spirit along the way. Our younger generations have been faithfully supported by our (now) older praying congregation and there continues to be a sense of joy and delight in the development and growth of new disciples, whatever their age Christ Church on short-list for closure Revival and growth through emphasis on teaching of the Word and evangelism. 1970s 1980s 1980s Partnerships established with CMS and Tearfund. First Ugandan trip. Further growth and emphasis on gentle and profound experience of the Holy Spirit New Church Centre opens. Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labour in vain. Psalm Appointment of our first full-time Youth Worker Re-ordering of the church with baptistery, open dais and flexible seating The Purpose Driven Life; Rick Warren Mission trip to Uganda, first with a large group & 2006 The Feast; churches working together in city-wide mission Visit to Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago adopting aspects of Promiseland programme for children s ministry; the best hour of my week ; conscious decision to focus on missing generations, particularly children and youth Fresh expressions outreach to Winnall estate Winchester The Winchester Passion around the city and cathedral Just10 Winchester led by Christ Church with hub for young people; worship team in Cathedral; technology links to a network of churches across the Diocese; 24,000 people attend Partnership with Westminster Theological Centre and teaching hub established ,000 children attend mission rally at North Kigezi (Uganda) 2010 Gospel in Life study series; Tim Keller of Redeemer Church, New York Partnership with Kalerwe (Uganda) established in collaboration with charity Karis Kids Lausanne Congress in Cape Town; missional priority is British Isles and Europe people attend Church Weekend Away: Simon Ponsonby (Holiness) Launch of Street Pastors in Winchester, sponsored and hosted by Christ Church church members (in total) make a committed move to St Barnabas Winchester and St Martin s Chandlers Ford Youth conventions at Muhabura (Uganda) Church Weekend Away: David Williams (Unveiled Faces) Living the Mission of Jesus; Diocesan Lent Course Ministerial Vacancy. But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit. Jeremiah 17:7-8 March 2015 Church Weekend Away: Krish Kandiah (Called and Equipped). 25

26 APPENDIX 4: PEOPLE We are blessed at Christ Church to have a large and well-functioning staff team. Their leadership and collaboration are an example to all of the church family and provide a sure foundation for our many church activities. The staff join together every day in the Church Centre for morning prayers before the working day begins. They also have a weekly business meeting on Mondays. In addition to the staff team we have a large number of lay leaders who help to ensure the smooth running of the church. These include our church wardens and 28 PCC members, 10 of whom are also members of the Deanery Synod and three on Diocesan Synod. Our Children s and Youth ministers work with around 150 volunteers, drawn from all areas of the church, who are crucial to the running of the many events and activities for young people. The majority of the volunteers are themselves students and young adults. This model injects extra enthusiasm, relevance and freshness, and is successful through the numbers of young people who are in church each week. We have 852 adults (16+) on the electoral roll. Up to 150 children attend on a Sunday and a further 200 during other weekly or monthly groups. The majority of our congregation, however, do not live in the parish (many are drawn to us because of our children s and youth ministries) so an ongoing challenge for us is how we reach out and serve those geographically in our parish. MINISTERIAL STAFF Tim Gleghorn Senior Curate On the staff since Ordained in Brian Wakelin Assistant Minister Theologian in residence. Oversees Mission Partnerships, and midweek services. Angie Smith Curate On the staff for the last six years as lay pastor. Ordained in Dan Greenfield Senior Lay Pastor Oversees Alpha, Young Adults and 6.30 service. Sam Dinsmore Student Minister Oversees student ministry and supports the CUs at the University of Winchester and School of Art. Jude Greenfield Senior Lay Pastor (Ordinand) Oversees Young Adults and 6.30 service. James Collie Worship Pastor Oversees worship across the church, including over 100 volunteers. Chris Kipling Worship Director seconded to St Barnabas, Weeke. 26

27 CHILDREN & YOUTH TEAM Tash Anderson Director of Children Oversees families and children (0-11s) and Messy Church. Dave Thornton Director of Youth Oversees 11-18s and Schools Work. Dave Smith Assistant Children s Minister Oversees Scramblers, Climbers and XPC. Simon Russell Pathfinder Minister (11-14s) & Lay Pastor Oversees weekly Pathfinders (11-14s) activities, part of evening service team. Melody Lock Assistant Children s Minister Administrative support for Crèche, Bumps & Babies, Toddlers, Xplorers & Messy Church. Anna Jacklin Download Minister (14-18s) Oversees Download community (14-18s). ADMINISTRATIVE AND SUPPORT STAFF Omi Carter PA to the Vicar Oversees ministerial Administration, Weddings, Funerals & Baptisms. Carol Kent Assistant Treasurer Part time. Oversees finances. Teresa Pittis Office Manager Part time. Oversees office management and Alpha. Ruth Kipling House Keeper Part time. Oversees catering. Hanna Russell Operations Manager Oversees events, human resources, training and bookshop. ASSOCIATED WITH CHRIST CHURCH Steve Leach Pioneer Ordinand Part funded by Christ Church. Katherine Gantlett WTC Hampshire Hub Director Runs our local theological hub. 27

28 APPENDIX 5: PLACE We are a city parish encompassing a number of institutions, including the University of Winchester, HMP Winchester and the Royal Hampshire County Hospital. Strong links with each of these institutions have been formed over the years and we are committed to maintaining and furthering these. Other institutions such as Hampshire County Council, Winchester Law Courts and Winchester College are immediately adjacent to our parish boundaries. The retail centre of Winchester and the Cathedral are nearby. The permanent resident population of the parish is relatively small, being just 3,500 in 2011 but the numbers of commuters and term-time residents in the parish on a day-to-day basis is very high. The parish includes no schools and very few public buildings beyond the major institutions which can act as meeting places for the community. As a gathered church, our congregation is drawn from across the city and the surrounding semi-rural communities of mid-hampshire. Our worshipping communities include significant numbers of commuters whose workplaces are across South East England and London. Consequently, our parish boundaries are not restrictive in terms of our outreach activities. WINCHESTER HOLY TRINITY ST. LAWRENCE AND ST. MAURICE WITH ST. SWITHUN-UPON-KINGSGATE WINCHESTER CATHEDRAL PRECINCTS e CHRIST CHURCH, WINCHESTER ST. MARY'S COLLEGE Crown copyright and database rights Ordnance Survey licence number

29 APPENDIX 6: SCHOOLS MINISTRY We consider it a privilege to be able to share our faith with children and teachers across the city through our schools work. Seven times a year, teams from Christ Church visit 23 primary schools to lead their assemblies, speaking to between 4000 and 5000 children and staff. One Headteacher writes:...our School Councillors without exception enthuse about the acts of worship led by your team. There are still other schools across the area which we would like to work with. Increasingly there are opportunities for us to train others and we are currently working to publish a book of material for assemblies. Our aims are to help children know what Christians believe, to present a positive image of Christians and Church, to encourage Christians and to be a stable presence as children move on. We also visit three secondary schools for a half day each year and we are working to grow our contacts with secondary schools, helping lead a CU in one, and occasionally leading RE lessons in others. I think this ministry is the most exciting thing in the world and could potentially change our culture Dave Thornton, Director of Youth Ministry. 29

30 APPENDIX 7: WORKING WITH OTHER CHURCHES We have good relationships with many of the churches in the city and surrounding areas. For many years Christ Church has taken a lead in shared mission activities with Churches Together in Winchester (a network of evangelical churches in the city), most notably the city-wide Feast events in 2007 and 2008, the Winchester Passion 2008 and annually providing a Christian presence at the Cathedral-based Christmas Market. We also work closely with other churches in a wide range of social transformation projects. Relationships with Anglican churches in the city have not always been easy, but have improved markedly since 2009 when, under Christ Church s leadership, the churches of the city and wider Diocese came together to run Just10 Winchester in the Cathedral. Christ Church was able to underwrite the costs of the event and to provide the expertise and resources to support online streaming of the event to multiple venues. Churches from across the Diocese stepped forward and contributed much to the mission activities surrounding the event. More than 24,000 people participated in the 10-week programme. In recent years Christ Church has worked closely with two local churches, St Barnabas Winchester and St Martin s Chandlers Ford, to support the intentional commitment of 100 people from Christ Church to moving and worshipping in these partner churches. Christ Church has provided resources to support the early stages of these initiatives until they have become selfsustaining. We remain committed to working with other churches in our Deanery and Diocese as opportunities arise. Christ Church has also supported the roll-out of the Diocesan vision Living the Mission of Jesus and our staff team facilitated the Diocesan Synod conference where this process was launched. We are part of a Diocesan large church network which provides a forum for discussions concerning the particular needs and opportunities presented by such churches. The Winchester Deanery has just completed its first Mission Action Plan and the implications of this are being worked through at the moment. The plan will involve large scale pastoral reorganisation within the Deanery and closer relationship between Christ Church and neighbouring parishes and benefices. There is opportunity to build on some of the outreach activities initiated by Christ Church in collaboration with others, and for Christ Church to benefit more effectively from the resources available across the Diocese. We are blessed by our relationships with churches in Uganda and are seeking to create deeper and stronger bonds with a number of partners. These are very much two-way partnerships and have had a powerful influence on the discipleship journey of many at Christ Church. 30

31 APPENDIX 8: OPEN CHURCH MINISTRY We seek to create an open church which is welcoming and hospitable to everybody. The doors of our church centre are open every day and the building is fully utilised for missional activities. Our church building is well set up to run events and we work very hard to cater for a wide range of needs. Our staff team and volunteers are experts in running events, using our AV and sound systems, music and IT to good effect. We are committed to table ministry and have invested in an industrial kitchen which provides food for many during a typical week. Our flexible space is used for large missional events, seeker sessions such as Alpha, visiting speakers, jazz evenings, a Winter Ball, and more. Everything is back in place for our regular times of worship. We have well-specified teaching facilities and are able to run distance- and blended-learning programmes using our web-based teaching rooms. Nosh is a fantastic, weekly event for students. It brings us together to build stronger connections and bonds with the church and friends, as well as giving us the chance to share our faith with others. This includes our housemates - giving them the opportunity to discover Christianity and the amazing opportunities it has to offer (Student). 31

32 APPENDIX 9: MUSIC AND WORSHIP We are fortunate to be able to provide different styles of music in our various services, ranging from contemporary to traditional, from the organ through to drums and electric guitar; whichever type, there is a richness and quality to our worship. Christmas Services are a good example of this since we hold both Contemporary Carols and Traditional Carols, both services being very well attended and appealing to a range of different people. We have two paid worship staff; one is currently on secondment to St Barnabas, in Weeke and the other is our Worship Pastor at Christ Church. In recent years, with the encouragement of the staff, there have been several new worship leaders and musicians taking part in all our services and there are opportunities to teach and train more people to use their gifts for worship. This is a significant area of service: up to 100 volunteers are involved in the worship teams across the week. Opportunities are given to younger musical members, since all children s groups include worship and often older children lead younger ones. For example Download members (ages 14 18) lead the worship band for Explorers (ages 7 11) on a Sunday morning. Importantly, we also have a strong group of AV and sound volunteers who support all the services technically. In the future our bands could visit or host large church events more widely, or be available to support other churches or events in the city. In the last two years we have been a venue for Leaders Courses run by Worship Central and New Wine Worship we would like to take a more active role in future events. There is also potential for our worship leaders to be writing original worship music for Christ Church and for use by others. 32

33 APPENDIX 10: FINANCE Our annual income is currently approximately 700,000 with the majority of this coming from regular giving by our congregation. Giving increased almost four-fold during the decade , with church membership doubling during the same time period. However, giving has reached a plateau in recent years and there is some evidence to suggest it may be falling back despite continued growth in membership. Our largest expenditure is on staff costs, parish share and giving to mission partners. We see our staff costs through the lens of mission and almost all of our activities have a missional focus, reflecting our increasing attention on mission in the city and region. We have a strong intention to significantly increase our parish share in Forecast Income and Expenditure - last reviewed in Nov 2014 Inc ome Gift Aided Giving Non Gift Aided Giving Other 3525 Total Income Expenditure Diocesan Parish Share Total Salaries & Expenses Office & Admin Costs Church Premises Running Exp Support costs Evangelism and Discipleship Grants to Missions & Charities Buildings Expenditure Capital Exp / Computers Total Expenditure Income Gift Aided Giving Non Gift Aided Giving Other 2014 Expenditure Diocesan Parish Share Total Salaries & Expenses Office & Admin Costs Church Premises Running Exp Support costs Evangelism and Discipleship Grants to Missions & Charities Buildings Expenditure Capital Exp / Computers Following the planned winding down of reserves over recent years, we have minimal financial assets and maintain reserves of just 2-3 months expenditure. 33 Future financial challenges are to maintain a finely-balanced budget and to encourage generosity in giving as part of our prayerful discipleship. We are fully committed to the Diocesan priority of belonging together in Christ, practising sacrificial living and good stewardship of all that God has entrusted to us. The church and church centre are both in need of refurbishment in the near future.

34 APPENDIX 11: OUR BUILDINGS Church Our church building has been extended and modified over the years to accommodate the needs of our growing congregation. However, space still remains a challenge for us especially during Sunday mornings when the children s groups are bursting at the seams. A task force team of architects and advisors are currently working on further potential changes to the building, looking at both the general upkeep and more radical modifications which would enhance the usability and safety of the building. The building is open and in constant use throughout the week, and staff have their offices on site. Vicarage A detached four-bedroomed house, in a quiet residential road, is located just over half a mile from the church, close enough to walk yet far enough from church for it to remain a place of sanctuary for the vicar and their family. The PCC has in the past contributed towards the upkeep and modernisation of the Vicarage and there is every expectation we would do so in future. The Vicarage is rarely used for church meetings, with only infrequent small meetings having been held there in the past. The house has a well-specified study space which is ideal for personal study, reflection and sermon preparation. However, there is an expectation for the vicar to make the church their day-to-day working base, and to be directly available to the staff and others for much of the time. Winchester has excellent facilities, including first-class schools and sixth-form College. As a church we take the health and wellbeing of our vicar seriously, and appreciate the demands of leading a large and busy church. We support regular sabbaticals and commit to a three-month sabbatical each five years. 34