Profile for the United Benefice of Winkfield and Cranbourne

Transcription

1 Profile for the United Benefice of Winkfield and Cranbourne

2 Preface This incumbent status post offers a terrific opportunity to someone to make a real, missional difference in Winkfield and Cranbourne. We are seeking to appoint an interim, transition minister, initially for a period of three years, but extendable to a fourth, to help the churches in this benefice work together and equip themselves for what it is that God is calling them to do and to be across these village communities. As you will see from this Profile, this is a traditional middle of the road benefice serving two very different and distinct communities: those whose faith is nurtured through very traditional worship; and the many young families who come because of the tremendous effort that has been made to provide contemporary worship which suits them. Like in many communities in this part of the country, that has been a difficult balance to strike. A further challenge is that, like many parishes, this benefice has to rely on the voluntary support of several key, retired folk, because most of the younger, working families, under considerable pressure at work, find it difficult to take on responsibility. In the Oxford Diocese, our purpose is to create a caring, sustainable and growing Christian presence in every community. This requires faith, creativity, flexibility, vision and a real desire to work in partnership with all God s people. We are seeking to appoint a transition minister because we want to address the following areas we have identified as priorities: To help the worshipping communities of this benefice discover what it means to be one Body and to work together for mission; To bridge the gap that exists between those who value traditional forms of worship and those want the contemporary; To go deeper with the people here and to help them become a community of disciples who care for one another and serve the wider community; And to help us discern how ministry should be structured for mission longer-term. To this end, I believe it is vitally important that whoever is appointed does not simply try to go it alone. She or he will need to work closely with the ministry team and the lay people here, to encourage more people to become involved in ministry and mission across the benefice. It will also be important that the person appointed is confident in their faith and totally committed to maintaining an outward-looking, community focus, and has the confidence to seek out and work in partnership with others in the wider community. +Andrew Bishop of Reading The Electoral Role has increased by 87 per cent. 1

3 Welcome Welcome to the benefice profile of Winkfield and Cranbourne, comprising the churches of Winkfield, St Martin s Chavey Down, and St Peter s Cranbourne. We hope that you find it useful and interesting. We continue to pray for the person God is calling to lead us. If that is you, we hope you will feel attracted and challenged by this information. The benefice was formed in 1985 when the parish of St Peter s Cranbourne was added to the Winkfield Parish and now comprises the three churches of and St Martin s which are in the Parish of Winkfield and St Peter s which is in the Parish of Cranbourne. The Parishes of Winkfield and Cranbourne fall within the Diocese of Oxford and the Archdeaconry of Berkshire. They are two of nine parishes within the Deanery of Bracknell, the others being, Ascot Heath, Binfield, Bracknell, Easthampstead, Sunningdale, Sunninghill & South Ascot, and Warfield. The Benefice is of a semi-rural nature and is located on the edge of Windsor Great Park. It is a relatively affluent area and nearby towns and villages include Windsor, Ascot, Bracknell, Reading, and Oxford. There are a number of outstanding state and independent schools within the benefice, some excellent pubs serving real ale and good food, and trains run every half hour from Ascot and Martins Heron to Central London. Primary employers in the area include Heathrow Airport, telecommunications and IT businesses, and Bracknell Forest Borough Council. There are several farms and horse riding establishments in the area including polo clubs. A significant proportion of people commute daily to work in London. The total population of the Benefice was put at 5,613 in the last fully published Census. At that stage approximately 22 per cent were aged 15 or under and 5 per cent were aged over 75, the average age being 38.5 years. Unemployment is low at 2.4 per cent and over 80 per cent of the homes are owner-occupied and 8.4 per cent privately rented. The ethnicity is predominantly white and 78.9 per cent describe themselves as Christian. On the whole, education and social needs are met within the surrounding areas. There are access difficulties for those who do not have their own transport, particularly in the Cranbourne parish. The problems of loneliness and social isolation are an issue for some of the older population, not helped by the bus service to the nearest towns of Bracknell and Windsor being infrequent. The churches in each village are passionate about maintaining their presence and growing the worshipping heart within each community. You will see from the pages that follow that each has its distinctive features and growing band of dedicated parishioners who have been finding ways in recent years to work more effectively together as a united benefice. 2

4 Benefice Map 3

5 Our Benefice Developing a Vision At services of Holy Communion, we often use the following invitation to Communion: "This is the table, not of the Church, but of the Lord. It is made ready for those who love Him and who want to love Him more. So, come. You who have much faith and you who have little, you who have been here often and you who have not been for a long time, you who have tried to follow and you who have failed. Come, not because I invite you: It is our Lord. It is His will that those who want Him should meet Him here." We feel that this simple invitation really does encapsulate what we hope to achieve across our benefice. We are here to serve all in our communities whether they worship with us on a regular basis or not. If we are honest, although we have been very good at supporting and growing our congregations in recent years, to a certain extent we have neglected our wider communities and have not engaged with them as we could have. We therefore want to work with our new transition minister to improve how we work as a united benefice and to develop a new vision for our benefice with pastoral ministry at its heart, so that we can deepen our own faith and then go out into our communities and live out our calling as disciples of Christ. This will involve a journey of change and investment in the future. Mission To be a warm, friendly, welcoming and inclusive benefice of churches for all individuals, To stand at the heart of our communities as a visible sign of God s presence and blessing, To work effectively as a benefice, respectful of each church s varied histories, traditions, and worship, To be faithful in worship as a church family and aspire to be more innovative and outgoing within our communities, To move forward through fellowship, teaching, and the development of pastoral care, and To bring Christ s reconciliation, blessing, and message to every part of our existing and growing communities. 4

6 Worship and Leadership Across the Benefice we offer a wide range of worship from Book of Common Prayer Holy Communion, through Common Worship to Messy Church. All of our services are led by either a Priest or one of our four LLMs. Congregants serve in our churches, undertaking the following: Administering the wine at Holy Communion Leading the Intercessions Reading the Lesson Welcoming teams Crèche and Explorers Serving/sacristan Organist Refreshments Bell Ringing Choir Music Running the Fairtrade stall We would like to develop and grow the lay involvement in our services and wish to draw further on the talents of our congregations, particularly when it comes to the younger members of our churches. 5

7 Services 1 st Sunday of the month 08:00 09:30 09:30 11:00 11:00 2 nd Sunday of the month 08:00 09:30 09:30 11:00 11:00 3 rd Sunday of the month 08:00 09:30 09:30 11:00 11:00 4 th Sunday of the month 08:00 09:30 09:30 11:00 11:00 5 th Sunday of the month 08:00 09:30 09:30 11:00 11:00 Mid-week Services Time Service Church Average Attendance BCP Holy Communion St Peter s 8 Family Service St Martin s 50 Family Praise 90 Holy Communion 36 All Together Family Service St Peter s 45 Holy Communion Holy Communion Messy Church with Holy Communion Family Matins Holy Communion BCP Holy Communion Morning Prayer Family Praise Holy Communion Morning Prayer Holy Communion Holy Communion Family Praise Matins Holy Communion Holy Communion BCP Morning Prayer Family Praise Matins with Hand Bells Morning Prayer St Martin s St Peter s St Peter s St Martin s St Peter s St Martin s St Peter s St Martin s St Peter s Both St Martin s and St Peter s offer a mid-week service of morning prayer and discussion. Across the Benefice we would like to build on this and offer more opportunities to worship in addition to Sunday

8 Children and Young People As a benefice we are passionate about providing Christian teaching to the children and young people of Winkfield and Cranbourne. To this end a significant amount of work has gone into providing a range of services and other activities aimed at the younger members of our community. Crèche A growing crèche is organised for those four and under at St Martin s church, this takes place during the main 09:30 service. Explorers Is aimed at 4 11 year olds and takes place at St Martin s church on a Sunday morning during the main 09:30 service. Faith Finders A new group that meets once a month for those aged at St Martin s church. Family Praise A short, simple, informal service held on three Sundays a month in church at 09:30 designed with young families in mind. Each service follows a Bible theme which is relevant to family life. Messy Church On the second Sunday each month church holds 'Messy Church'. This is when youngsters are encouraged to participate in craft activities that help them remember a particular Bible truth or story. Pebbles A monthly mid-week service for pre-school children and their parents held in St Peter s church. Sunday School This is aimed at older children aged 7 11 and takes place in church during Family Praise. Trailblazers Aimed at 4 11 year olds and takes place at St Peter s church on a Sunday morning during the main 11:00 service. Across the Benefice we are seeing significant growth in all of these services/activities, some of which are growing on a weekly basis. We are though far from complacent and realise that we can do much more and certainly do it better. For a start we would like to coordinate all of our youth ministry activities at a benefice level to ensure that activities take place where it is most appropriate; to ensure that we share best practice; and to ensure that similar offerings are not taking place at the same times. Secondly, we are acutely aware that our offering for older children is not good enough; we need to do much more in this area and are keen to work with our new transition minister to take this forward. Thirdly, within the Benefice are three popular schools with links to the church, Winkfield CofE Primary School, Cranbourne Primary School, and Ranelagh CofE Secondary School. This provides a wonderful opportunity to engage with a large number of children and their parents. We would like to strengthen these links and work more closely with our local schools. 7

9 Music and Bells As a benefice music is very important to our worship with all three churches having their own organists and choirs. The choirs at church and St Peter s church also sing at special services, weddings, and funerals. At there is a junior choir which regularly performs at the Family Matins services and other special services. church also has an enthusiastic band of volunteers who ring the church tower and hand bells at our church. The Tower Bell Ringers ring every Sunday for the 11:00 service. They ring for all special services such as weddings, funerals, and every national occasion. The Handbell Ringers take part in local and national activities and ring during the 11:00 service on the 5th Sunday of the month. Home Groups We offer a small number of opportunities for home based Bible study, prayer, and discussion. We have two groups under the title of Still Waters, one is a prayer group and the other is a poetry and reading group. We also have a regular evening session of Bible study, discussion, and prayer. These groups are each usually attended by around five people. We are keen to develop this area of our worship and prayer life. We would like to grow the numbers attending existing groups and work to develop new groups, perhaps in areas of the Benefice where our presence is not as strong as it could be. Coordination of home groups at the Benefice level will also be a welcome step forward. Women s Guild Women s Guild is an enthusiastic group of ladies who have taken care of the church for many years. Their fund has provided a pulpit restoration, kneelers, hand-made cope and much more. They continue to arrange the Harvest Lunch and refreshments at the annual Christmas concert. They also take responsibility for the flowers in church. Making a Difference in the Community As a benefice we strive to make a difference in the communities we serve. In Chavey Down for example the church and hall are the only public buildings. As vitally important village resources we are continually looking to see how we can better use these resources for the local community. Supporting the Bracknell Churches Together Across the Benefice we support the foodbank with donations of food and financial support, the clothes bank, and the night shelter. Mission Support The Benefice supports a number of school/village projects in Uganda. The Benefice also supports MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship) and Traidcraft/Fairtrade. We also actively support the work of Peter Clemison, a former member of St Peter s congregation, who works in Cape Town with his wife Becky for a charity called YWAM. They work on anti-trafficking and run a safe house for girls. St Peter s also supports Tear Fund. 8

10 Church Halls We have three halls, each of which is used by a variety of community organisations including: Montessori Schools, uniformed organisations, the WI, keep fit classes, bridge, and bingo. Popels Hall is also surrounded by a number of alms flats and houses that are run on a charitable basis and provide subsidised housing for women in need. Schools There are three schools linked to the Benefice. Cranbourne Primary School holds three services a year in St Peter s church. Ranelagh CofE secondary school in Bracknell has an excellent reputation locally. The school provides a traditional, supportive, stimulating, and secure environment in which young people can thrive. The quality of guidance and pastoral care given to students is outstanding. As a CofE school, supported by the Diocese of Oxford, education at Ranelagh is provided within the context of Christian belief and practice. This is a happy school in which children are encouraged to gain an understanding of the meaning and significance of faith and Christian values are promoted. The school has received four consecutive outstanding Ofsted reports. In order to gain a place at Ranelagh, currently a parent needs to apply to join the church electoral roll, and can gain a capped maximum of six points relating to years of being included on the roll. The parent is then required to attend at least once per month in the 12 months preceding their application. This provides us, as churches, with a great opportunity to minister to those who actively seek a place at this heavily oversubscribed, outstanding school. For those with pre-primary age children, our local CofE primary school, Winkfield, is also a popular choice. In order to gain a place at this school, currently church attendance and catchment area combined receives an extra allocation point over catchment area alone. For this, a parent needs to attend church twice per month for the eight months preceding their primary school application. In order to ensure transparency, each Church has a weekly signing in book for parents to record their attendance. Christmas We organise a number of services and concerts for our own congregations and the wider community. The Carol & Candle Light services held on Christmas Eve at church are so popular that we have to issue tickets (free of charge). Each service will be attended by 300 people. A long standing and popular event involving people from the church and beyond is the Christmas music and carol concert organised by the Friends of. Launched in 2014, the Chavey Down village carol service was a tremendous success. Each member of the village received an invitation to attend and local people were invited to take part in the service. The WI provided a choir and the local residents association provided excellent mulled wine and mince pies after the service. There was another service last year and plans for a service in A collection is taken in aid of a local good cause. Remembrance Sunday The Benefice organises and hosts the local Civic Remembrance Sunday service. Bowling Every Thursday from 15:00 16:30 St Peter s church hold indoor carpet bowls in the church. Holiday at Home It was felt that the long summer and Christmas holiday periods were particularly difficult times for those who lived alone. Holiday at Home was therefore established to provide a range of activities in St Peter s church to get people out and mixing with others. Activities include talks, film screenings, exercise classes and much more. Northern Parishes Arts Week An annual week-long event organised by the local civil parish councils. St Peter s church hosts a number of events including an organ recital, acapella singing, drama, and talks of local interest during this week. Village War Memorial Chavey Down did not have a war memorial to commemorate those from the village who gave their lives in the two world wars. Members of St Martin s congregation formed a committee and money was raised from across the Benefice to 9

11 fund the new memorial. Other Churches in the Benefice Within the Benefice is Ascot Priory, a former convent which is now divided into a very well regarded care home for the elderly and a retreat centre run by a full time Anglican Priest. The Priory hosts retreats, runs courses, and holds daily worship. The Benefice has a good working relationship with the warden, Fr. Paul McLaren-Cook who often helps covering services including weddings, baptisms, and Christmas services. We have an established relationship with Winkfield Row Methodist Church. On two occasions each year we hold joint services, alternating the venue. In addition to this there is also Joel s Place Community Church which is part of the Salt and Light family of churches. Joel s Place has a new initiative, called Dynamite, which is a youth club one Friday evening per month that is open to all children in school years three - seven and all the churches in the area have been invited to join in. An Anglican priest, who has permission to officiate, lives in Winkfield Row and is exploring work across a wider geographical area in evangelism with non-churched adults. As it develops, this work may eventually be covered a Bishop s Mission Order, and in the meantime cordial relationships exist between him and the benefices churches. The Future We believe we have established firm foundations on which to build our future vision and from there to reach out to the wider community and engage with those who do not currently worship with us. We believe there is a tremendous opportunity to move our benefice forward with all that we offer as well as growing our offerings for older children. Also a challenge to bridge the gap between our more informal child/family focussed services and our more traditional offerings. We believe there is significant untapped potential locally and are excited to work with a new transition minister to take advantage of all these new opportunities to grow as a benefice and to grow closer to God in the process. We are already looking at merging our two PCCs into one Working as a more united benefice In recent years we have worked hard to see how we can work better as a united benefice. We have centralised our administration, and we now work at a benefice level in the provision of marriage, baptism, and confirmation preparation. However, we acknowledge that there is much more that needs to be done. With this in mind, we are already looking at merging our two PCCs into one and amalgamating our two parish magazines into one benefice-wide offering. We look forward to working with our new transition minister in what we believe to be exciting times for our three churches as we seek to work more effectively as one benefice. Stewardship Our finances are basically sound, although we feel that Stewardship in its broadest sense has been neglected in recent years. Some in our congregation could perhaps give more financially whilst many more could make more use of their skills to support not just the church but also the wider community. 10

12 Developing a pastoral ministry The pastoral ministry across the benefice has not received the focus it should have in recent years. This needs to be built upon, developed, and regularised. Furthermore, where the church is the only community asset there is a tremendous opportunity to become the central focus for the wider community. This is something that we have not taken full advantage of to date, but it provides a wonderful chance to reach out to those not presently attending our services on a Sunday. We wish to utilise our resources better and draw on the talents of the local population and meet the needs and interests of our community. More fundamentally we would also like to work with our new minister to revitalise the pastoral side of our church so that we reach out and support those in the parish who need us whether that is through visiting, home communion or something else. We have started to develop ideas in this area and are considering establishing monthly cinema nights or a pop up pub. Communication At present our main source of communication is through our two parish magazines which are delivered to every house in the Benefice 10 times a year. These magazines are also a good source of regular income from the adverts local businesses place. We also have a benefice website and both St Martin s and have a page on Facebook. Going forward we would like to develop our website and take greater advantage of the opportunities provided by social media platforms such as Twitter. Additional support To achieve our vision and to support our new minister we have an aspiration to appoint an additional part-time assistant Priest. Baptisms, Weddings, and Funerals Baptisms, weddings, and funerals are all booked through the Benefice Office. Preparation for Baptism and marriage is organised on a beneficewide basis. Baptisms in 2015 Weddings in 2015 Funerals in 2015 St Martin s church church St Peter s church

13 What can we offer? We do not expect our new minister to do everything. Within the Benefice we have an effective Ministry Team that will work under his or her direction to assist with ministry across the Benefice. The Ministry team includes: Licensed Lay Ministers The Benefice is blessed with the support of four Licensed Lay Ministers: Stuart Ager Mary Knight Jacki Thomas Mike Thomas We are also fortunate enough, for the time being, to have the services of a locally resident priest with permission to officiate. PCC L- R: Stuart Ager, Mary Knight, Jacki Thomas, and Mike Thomas The Benefice currently has two PCCs, one for St Peter s church consisting of nine members and one covering the Winkfield churches of St Martin s and consisting of 22 members. These include three Deanery Synod members, three wardens/deputy wardens, and clergy. Each PCC meets on a bi-monthly basis. At present we are actively discussing merging the two PCCs into one. Benefice Administrator Alison Burt is our part-time administrator. She combines working part time at a local alms charity with assisting the Ministry Team, the churchwardens and treasurers by dealing with all routine administration and enquiries. This includes: Opening our church office where she deals with enquiries about baptisms, weddings, funerals, and general correspondence, etc. Dealing with all contacts with the church office including phone calls and s, and Assisting with the arrangements for all services including baptisms, weddings and funerals as well as our regular Sunday services. She assists with the baptism and wedding preparation sessions and services at St Peter's church and will also be a great support for the transition minister and wardens. 12

14 Vicarage Situated on the edge of Maidens Green in a quiet lane and only a short walk from St Mary's church is the Vicarage. It is an attractive, detached four-bedroom house set in large mature gardens backing onto open farmland. A gravel drive leads through the front garden to a double garage. The ground floor consists of an entrance hall, study, kitchen, cloakroom, lounge, and dining-room with patio doors opening onto the back garden. Upstairs the landing leads to four bedrooms, a family bathroom and a separate shower room with toilet and washbasin. The house has central heating and double-glazing. 13

15 Our Churches church, dating back to 1298 is situated in Winkfield on the edge of Windsor Forest. The church is at the heart of the community, not only fulfilling its traditional religious purpose but also welcoming locals and visitors to a variety of social gatherings. is a church with strong roots in the Book of Common Prayer and the King James Bible. Alongside this the church has developed innovative ways of engaging with new families through additional Family Praise and Messy Church, both of which are growing on a service by service basis. provides the opportunity for people of all ages to worship in a traditional but friendly atmosphere. In recent years a tremendous effort has gone into providing services that reach out to young families and this has been hugely successful. However, we are aware that we need to do more to retain these families as their children grow. We are acutely aware that moving from Family Praise to a BCP service of Holy Communion or Morning Prayer is a big step, we therefore want to work with a new transition minister to explore ways of bridging this gap and taking advantage of opportunities to make the BCP and KJB relevant to a new generation. On a typical Sunday the age profile of our congregation across all services would be: children: 56, young adults: 44, and adults 42. The church is financially sound and is able to meet its contribution towards the Benefice Share. Currently there are 389 on the electoral roll. In order to help maintain the fabric, electrics, and other contents of St Mary's church, including its organ and musical materials, a new charity, 'Friends of St Mary's Winkfield', Charity number , was established in 2015, with membership open to all who wish to support the church as a heritage building and centre of the community, as well as a place of worship. The Friends have made their first grant and organised the successful St Mary's Christmas Concert referred to earlier. Our congregation has grown by 99.5% since

16 Our Churches St Peter s St Peter s church is a beautiful Victorian building dating from 1851 and lies near the edge of Windsor Great Park. It was restored and re-ordered following a major fire in St Peter s is a welcoming and friendly church offering a wide range of worship. We feel that in recent years, following the fire, a huge amount of time and effort has been put into developing the church to make it as accessible and user friendly as possible whilst retaining its beauty. We feel that this provides us with a wonderful opportunity to reach out to the wider community and bring people to Faith. St Peter s aims to be a united fellowship, honouring Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit sharing the love of God in our daily lives. We exist to demonstrate the love of God within our community, help all people find opportunities to share Christ s love and develop the devotional life and spiritual gifts of believers by the power of the Holy Spirit. The worship style is a combination of traditional and contemporary. On a typical Sunday the age profile of our congregation across both services would be: children: 12, young adults: 18 and adults: 25. The church is financially sound. Currently there are 91 on the electoral roll. Our congregation has grown by 20% since

17 Our Churches St Martin s St Martin s church is situated at the very heart of the village of Chavey Down in the civil Parish of Winkfield and dates back to St Martin s is a friendly and welcoming Christian community, but we can always do better. We have a wide range of talented people in our congregation with various skills. In recent years much work has gone into encouraging people to get more involved by using their talents to help the church. We are keen to build on this and to see how we can involve even more people in the life of our church. We also want to develop the role of our younger members, not just at family services, but every Sunday. St Martin s also serves the community of Martins Heron. Martins Heron is well known locally as being the site of Harry Potter's uncle and aunt's house. The filmed version of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was filmed partly on location in Picket Post Close, Martins Heron. In recent years ministry in Martins Heron has been neglected and we are keen to rectify this going forward. Importantly, St Martin s hall also serves as the administrative centre for the Benefice where Alison Burt the Benefice Administrator runs the office. On a typical Sunday the age profile of our congregations as a whole would be: children: 20, young adults: 20, and adults 30. The church is financially sound and is able to meet its contribution towards the Parish Share. Currently there are 87 on the electoral roll. Our congregation has grown by 10% since

18 Appendix One Draft Role Description 1. Details of the post Role title (as on licence) Interim Priest in Charge Name of benefice The United Benefice of Winkfield and Cranbourne Diocese Oxford (Episcopal area: Reading) Archdeaconry Berkshire Deanery Bracknell Conditions of Service Please refer to Statements of Particulars document issued in conjunction with this role description Key contact for Clergy Terms of Service Archdeacon of Berkshire Accountability Priests share with the Bishop in the oversight of the Church. Whilst, as an office holder, the individual is expected to lead and prioritise work in line with the purpose of the role, they are encouraged to inform the Archdeacon and Churchwardens about any issues exceptional or otherwise that have the potential to affect ongoing delivery of ministry. 2. Context Wider context As a diocese we are committed to holistic mission, working through the framework of Living Faith for the Future. We have defined our purpose as to join with God in creating a caring, sustainable, and growing Christian presence in every part of the Diocese of Oxford, enabling every Christian and every Christian community to live and share the love of God, seen in the life of Jesus Christ. Within the Living Faith framework, we are inviting every parish, benefice, Board and Committee to paint their own unique work of art using the colours of: Sustaining the Sacred Centre Making Disciples Making a Difference in the World Shaping Confident, Collaborative Leadership Creating Vibrant Christian Communities These priorities are supported by resources, training, conferences, workshops, missioners and much more. We are inviting benefices and their priests to share a vision rather than demanding a response. 17

19 We encourage a priest to have a ministerial interest beyond the Benefice which is a personal specialism and may be made available to the wider church a sixth day ministry. Above all, we want all our priests to flourish in ministry and deepen their enjoyment of God. Local context The Bracknell Deanery comprises nine parishes from Sunningdale to Binfield. Winkfield and Cranbourne is in the Ascot Cluster of Winkfield and Cranbourne, Ascot Heath, Sunningdale, and Sunninghill & South Ascot. The Bracknell Deanery Synod holds five meetings annually, all of them now in the pleasant and convenient venue of Ascot Priory. Two of these meetings are now Deanery Gatherings, recently addressed by Bishop Andrew and Archdeacon Olivia. 3. Role Purpose and Key Responsibilities General A. To exercise the cure of souls shared with the Bishop in Winkfield and Cranbourne in collaboration with colleagues, including the praying of the Daily Office, the administration of the sacraments, and preaching. B. To have regard to the calling and responsibilities of the clergy (as described in the Canons, the Ordinal, the Code of Professional Conduct for the Clergy) and other relevant legislation including: Bringing the grace and truth of Christ to this generation and making Him known to those in your care, Instructing the parishioners in the Christian faith, Preparing candidates for baptism and confirmation, Diligently visiting the parishioners of the Benefice, particularly those who are sick and infirm, Providing spiritual counsel and advice, Consulting with the Parochial Church Council on matters of general concern and importance to the Benefice, Bringing the needs of the world before God in intercession, Calling your hearers to repentance and declaring in Christ's name the absolution and forgiveness of their sins, Blessing people in God s name, Preparing people for their death, Discerning and fostering the gifts of all God s people, and Being faithful in prayer, expectant and watchful for the signs of God s presence, as He reveals His kingdom among us. C. To share in the wider work of the deanery and diocese as appropriate, for the building up of the whole Body of Christ. Key responsibilities specific to the local situation Be the interim Team Leader of the United Benefice of Winkfield and Cranbourne Enable the Benefice to address current challenges and obstacles to mission, Work with the Ministry Team and others to develop pastoral ministry that reaches out to all those we are called to serve, Prepare the way for future leadership in the Benefice, 18

20 Enable the Benefice to work more effectively as one Body, Lead work to develop a coherent plan for our work with younger people, and in particular children of 11 and above, Discern gifts in others and nurture these, Promote the concept of Stewardship in its broadest possible sense, Build on and nurture much of good work that has taken place previously, and Undertake such other reasonable duties as agreed with the Archdeacon and Area Dean. The key responsibilities listed above may be supported by long and short term objectives to be agreed between the post holder and the Priest-in-Charge. 4. Key Contacts Generic: Benefice ministry team Churchwardens PCCs LLMs Deanery Chapter Local head teachers Ecumenical partners Residential care homes Specific: PCC Committees Home Groups Speculative: Parish and Borough Councillors Local MP Other secular organisations within the Benefice Supportive: Archdeacon Area Dean Ministry Development Officer Spiritual Director Diocesan Secretary and Church House staff 19

21 5. Benefice summary Benefice United Benefice of Winkfield and Cranbourne Patron Bishop of Reading Clergy Priest in Charge Staff Benefice Administrator PCC Winkfield PCC (St Martin s and ) and Cranbourne PCC (St Peter s) Churchwardens Barbara Knight (St Martin s), Lesley Philpot (), and Anne Crewe (St Peter s) LLMs Stuart Ager, Mary Knight, Jacki Thomas, Mike Thomas Buildings St Martin s church, Chavey Down plus hall; church, Winkfield plus Popels Hall; and St Peter s church, Cranbourne plus hall. Population 5,613 Average Sunday attendance across the Benefice 233 Benefice Share in ,906 (paid in full) Churchmanship Middle of the road Resolutions As a Benefice we have decided not to ask for special arrangements under the House of Bishops Declaration on the Ministry of Bishops and Priests. 20

22 Appendix Two Person Specification Introduction As a benefice we are a looking for a transition minister who: Is caring, compassionate, outgoing, and able to relate to people of mixed ability and at differing stages on their journey with Christ, Loves people of all ages and backgrounds, Will be passionate and excited about growing, leading, and developing all our services, with an ability to develop appropriate styles of worship within a diverse church tradition, Is passionate about children and youth ministry and who is willing to work closely with our local schools and develop and grow our benefice offering for those young people over the age of 11, Is understanding of the need to be actively involved in the wider community with a deep commitment to the pastoral ministry, Is a collaborative leader, willing to nurture the gifts of lay people and the LLMs, Has the leadership abilities to manage a wide range of employed and lay people who work across the Benefice, Shares our vision of working more closely together as a united benefice and who will be willing to take the leading role in driving this forward, and Has a gift for preaching and teaching the Bible. Qualifications and Training Essential Ordained Priest within the Church of England, or a Church in communion with it, or a Church whose orders it recognises, Have satisfactorily completed Initial Ministerial Education, and Willingness to engage in further training that enhances the skills of community leadership. Desirable Qualification or training relevant to youth ministry Experience Essential Engagement with and pastoral support for people of all ages, Priestly ministry at incumbent level involving vision setting and team development, 21

23 Desirable Working within a multi-parish/church benefice, Youth ministry, and The liturgical tradition of the BCP. Knowledge/Skills and Competencies Essential Ability to preach well in a variety of styles and formats to a broad range of listeners with varying outlooks, ages and understanding, The ability to identify and respond to opportunities for mission, An ability to make and build on links with individuals and community organisations whose involvement with the Church is limited, and Leadership skills including the ability to motivate, inspire and effectively coordinate volunteers. 22