Parish Profile & Statement of Needs

Transcription

1 Parish Profile & Statement of Needs February 2016

2 Welcome to Worplesdon - Welcome to Worplesdon... 3 Our Parish Vision... 3 Our Biggest Challenges... 3 Our Parish... 4 Bricks, Mortar (and some hefty flints!)... 7 Collaboration with Other Churches Worship, Prayer and Liturgical Life Ministry Music Finance Our Church Community Teaching and Discipling Our Statement of Needs Opportunities in Our Parish Our Next Rector Our Commitment to You And Finally APPENDICES PARISH FACTS & FIGURES Diocesan Common Purpose Our Parish Governance Annual Accounts Summary for Outward Giving (2014) Vision Maps

3 Welcome to Worplesdon - Welcome to Worplesdon We ve reached an exciting but critical point in our 1000-year-plus history where we face major challenges to grow God s Kingdom in our parish and to secure its future for generations to come. As you read our Profile and Statement of Needs we pray that God will enable you to discern if you re being called to help us with this. Likewise, please pray for us as we seek the person who God is leading to us so that together we can help to grow God s Kingdom here. Our Parish Vision Our current, agreed vision (p.42) is to reflect God s love for everyone in all we say and do. We recognise that each member has a unique relationship with God. Our objectives are to: encourage and facilitate all on their journey of faith through worship, prayer and nurture provide an open welcome and safe sanctuary to encounter God rejoice in friendship with God and each other understand and meet the needs of the community thrive and grow as a church community encourage generous giving and participation in our community, the wider church and the world increase understanding of the purpose and work of the church in our community The context of our vision is the Diocese of Guildford s Common Purpose (p.33). Our Biggest Challenges To focus on God and His plans for us To grow our faith as individuals and as church to increased confidence in God To grow joyful 24/7 discipleship for all To address urgently the need to grow both of our churches with new members of all ages, young and old To increase outreach to all. 3

4 Our Parish - Parish at a glance Our Parish We re located to the north west of Guildford in Surrey: see map, p.43. We have 2 churches, St Mary s in the north east of the parish and St Alban s in the south west. Although close to the town of Guildford the parish still has a semi-rural feel with large areas of woodland and common land. Housing is mostly owner-occupied with some social housing. It is very socio-economically diverse with some agriculture (mainly grazing) small/medium businesses, countryside pursuits, and some light industry, mainly on the edge of Wood Street. Parish at a glance Christians in the Parish (from 2011 Annual Parochial Return) Total Christian: 4500(64%) Easter Communicants: 177 Easter day Attendance: 232 Christmas Communicants: 229 Christmas Attendance: 522 Population centres Our parish has 3 main centres of population Fairlands (population 1444) is an area of housing built between the 1930 s and the 1960 s with a single road in from the main road. It has a Community Centre, shops including a Post Office, a Medical Centre and Worplesdon Primary School. Wood Street Village (population 1718) has a large village green complete with maypole and a village pond. There are two pubs, a general store with Post Office in the centre of the village, along with an Infants School and a preschool. There is also a private daycare and nursery school. Housing is mainly owner-occupied, some very wealthy, but also a small amount of social housing, largely in the estate opposite St Alban s Church, plus a small travellers pitch. 4 4

5 Our Parish - The Town of Guildford Worplesdon Village one of Surrey s long villages (population 1503 in the village itself and surrounding neighbourhoods) The village still has a village green at Perry Hill opposite St Mary s Church. It has a Memorial Hall, sports ground with new pavilion, an antiques shop, a bakery, a pub, a hotel with restaurant and bar, and a luxury guesthouse. There is also a residential home for the elderly. Worplesdon railway station is situated just outside the parish. There is a smaller settlement at Broadacres situated between the community of Park Barn and Wood Street Village. It comprises housing and industrial units and a pub. Our Parish also extends partly into Guildford s suburbs on its south eastern flank covering parts of the Weydown, Willow Park and Park Barn estates which adjoin the surrounding ecclesiastical parishes of Stoughton and Westborough & Park Barn. These areas are generally higher-density suburban housing. Other population resides across the Parish in its more rural areas. The Town of Guildford Guildford itself is a thriving town (total population in whole borough of just under 150,000 in 2014). Founded in Saxon times it continues to grow in population. It also continues to develop economically. Our Parish s southern boundary adjoins Surrey University s research park which is fast becoming a major centre for advanced technology and manufacturing including IT, medical and pharmaceuticals, space exploration and satellite technology. Guildford Local Plan Guildford Borough Council expects to publish its latest draft local plan sometime in Previous drafts earmarked our Parish for significant development, mainly new housing, around 760 homes. Further land was targeted for future use for housing. This development, if it goes ahead, will significantly alter the nature of our Parish. However, there is some question over this as several of the nearby commons are protected wildlife habitats preventing development. 5

6 Our Parish - Educational Establishments Educational Establishments Our Parish includes Worplesdon Primary School situated in Fairlands and Wood Street Infant School. There is a private day nursery Christopher Robin and a pre-school in the cricket club called Little Crickets also in Wood Street. We enjoy good relations especially with Worplesdon School and increasingly with Wood Street Infant School. Guildford College s Merrist Wood campus and arena are situated in the Parish. It offers education and training for land-based and leisure-related industries. In the past, the Parish has had contact with Merrist Wood, its students and staff, through chaplaincy and there may be opportunities to re-establish this contact. Care Homes and Sheltered Accommodation There is a large care home in the Parish, Worplesdon View, and a smaller one, Primrose House. 6 6

7 Bricks, Mortar (and some hefty flints!) - St Mary s Church Bricks, Mortar (and some hefty flints!) St Mary s Church St Mary the Virgin, the parish church of Worplesdon parish, stands on a hill surrounded by its churchyard. A grade 1 listed building, the church combines architecture from the 11th, 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th centuries. Its Patron is Eton College. The church consists of a Nave, Chancel and side aisles. There is a Choir and Clergy Vestry on the north side. On the south side is the St Mary s Room which was a former side chapel. There is a cloakroom and a small kitchen. The church tower has been described as one of the finest in Surrey. It was built around the year St. Mary s is unusual among Surrey churches in still having some 14th century stained glass. There are eight bells dating from 1547 to Recent Renovation at St Mary s Over the past decade or so our fund-raising efforts and the generosity of donors have enabled us to carry out major renovations and improvements at St Mary s including: Completely re-roofing the Chancel and Nave Repairing and restoring external and internal stonework including around windows Full redecoration of the Chancel and Nave Refurbishing and rehanging the bells Re-ordering the Chancel and pulpit to add a proscenium with a movable Nave Altar and movable front choir-stalls New lighting in the Chancel and Nave Improvements to the sound system Clearing and extending the Churchyard. We ve recently improved the heating system to make it more energy-efficient and to give better control. We ve also taken this opportunity to improve some of the utility services to the church. The 2015 quinquennial inspection revealed some issues that will need addressing but only those that would be expected with a building of this age. 7

8 Bricks, Mortar (and some hefty flints!) - Where Next with St Mary s? Where Next with St Mary s? St Mary s is a much-loved building in the community as shown by the active support of the Friends (p.19), those wishing to celebrate their weddings with us, have their children baptised or come to us for funerals. It is loved by our many visitors who come to see the church for its historic interest and of course members of our own congregation. Yet St Mary s is also a living church building and its structure and layout today would probably be unrecognisable to its congregation in the 11 th C! Today we too need to recapture some of the vision that inspired our forebears to adapt the church to the needs of their day. Their generosity is remembered at various points inside the church. So we seek vision on how best to use St Mary s to meet the needs of the Christian Church in the 21 st C and to discover the opportunities we have today to use this lovely and historic building in God s service. St Alban s Church Although technically a daughter church, we regard ourselves as a single congregation which worships in two churches. St Alban s is situated on Oak Hill in Wood Street Village. The present church was built in 1967 replacing an earlier temporary building. It comprises a Narthex with Vestry and a Church room. The interior of the church has been re-ordered to give a semi-circular seating arrangement around the Altar all on the same floor level. Chairs, rather than pews, and a movable Altar give some flexibility in how we can use the worship space as evidenced at Sanctuary (p.13) and the Holiday Club service (p.24). We ve already started informally to explore how better to use the space at St Alban s to serve the wider community. Suggestions include providing a space in the narthex for use by young people during the week, using the church itself for community events etc. As with St Mary s we need a coherent vision and implementation plan for all of this. St Alban s Church Hall St Alban s Hall is used as part of iworship (p.11) and events such as our Passover Supper (p.12) and catering at festivals such as St Alban s tide. It is heavily 8 8

9 Bricks, Mortar (and some hefty flints!) - Vision for St Alban s used by the local community see Parish facts & Figures p.38 for a full list of users. It has a kitchen compliant with the local authority s food-hygiene requirements. The hall is suitable for basic indoor sports. Movable tables and chairs are available. Vision for St Alban s The 2015 quinquennial inspection showed up some issues that will need to be addressed at St Alban s. Overall the buildings need modernising and refurbishing to make them more attractive to the many community groups who use them as well as to our own congregation. This could include, for example, improvements such as new lighting and heating, new audio-visual and data system better to support modern worship, modernised cloakroom facilities, additional kitchen equipment, improving the vestry or maybe relocating it to give a bigger narthex suitable for community use. Rectory The Rectory, a modern, purpose-built two storey family home, is situated in the grounds of St Mary s Church. It has 2 reception rooms with a separate kitchen/diner, 4 bedrooms, a Rector s Office, attached garage and a private rear garden. The Rector s Office is close to the front door and is separated from the rest of the home with an internal door to afford family privacy. The Rectory was extensively refurbished and refitted 5 years ago. There are pre-schools and primary schools in the parish with secondary schools in next-door parishes. Prior to occupation the Diocese will complete any necessary repairs and the Parish will arrange redecoration throughout to an agreed finish. Church Office The Church Office adjoins the Rectory and has its own entrance. It can accommodate two people. It is equipped with modern office facilities including IT. Vision for Our Buildings We are very blessed with our buildings which overall are now in fair shape with the provisos mentioned above. With upkeep of buildings now less of an issue, we look to our next Rector to help us to develop and implement our vision for how all of our buildings can 9

10 Collaboration with Other Churches - St Mark s, Wyke best be used to benefit our congregation, the wider community and above all used to the greater glory of God. Collaboration with Other Churches St Mark s, Wyke We are in a Group Ministry with the adjacent Parish of Wyke which covers almost all of the nearby village of Normandy (population around 3000). At present collaboration involves clergy in each Parish assisting at each other s services. Wyke has a stipendiary priest (Revd Alison Craven) an assistant SSM priest with PTO, 2 Locally Licensed Ministers (Readers) and an Occasional Preacher 1 Many of Wyke s objectives are similar to our own. It too aims to be a friendly, inclusive church. Its worship patterns are like our own. It has close links with its primary school and runs Open the Book, takes assemblies etc. Its challenges and opportunities generally are similar to ours (nurturing faith, connecting with the surrounding community and securing the Parish financially.) These synergies all suggest the possibility of closer collaboration between the two Parishes. Worplesdon United Reformed Church We enjoy good relationships with Worplesdon United Reformed Church (minister: Revd Alison Toplas). We have joint services with them, usually in the Week for Christian Unity, and this year one of our clergy, Revd Ruth Brothwell, is preaching for them. We sometimes share study and courses with them (p.25). 1 Guildford Diocese runs an Occasional Preachers Training Course for lay members

11 Worship, Prayer and Liturgical Life - Our Church Tradition Worship, Prayer and Liturgical Life Our Church Tradition We greatly value our inclusive, gently catholic tradition and aim to offer a safe and supportive spiritual environment for those of all church traditions and of none. We greatly welcome people who want to explore faith before making a commitment as well as those who are unsure of their beliefs. Worship Our current pattern of worship is as follows: Eucharistic Worship The Eucharist lies at the heart of our worship and we celebrate 2 or 3 Eucharistic services each Sunday in a monthly cycle see side panel. We use material from Common Worship, including seasonal provision, and the Book of Common Prayer. We use vestments and we reserve the Sacrament at St Alban s. Our laity takes a full and active part in Eucharistic worship, reading lessons, leading intercessions, participating in the Gospel procession and administering the chalice. At our Eucharistic services, Sunday Club for primary school aged children runs twice a month at alternate churches. We have recently introduced a Celtic Communion based on authorised material from the Iona Community. It offers a more accessible form of the Eucharist. We celebrate the Eucharist each Wednesday at St Alban s at 11am which includes replenishing the Reserved Sacrament. Non-eucharistic Worship In September 2015 we refreshed our monthly worship pattern to offer two non-eucharistic services, iworship and God s Family at Worship at St Alban s on the 2 nd and 4 th Sundays. We also have a Parade Service for uniformed organisations in the parish. We plan to review this in January iworship Informal Worship offers opportunity to explore faith and the Christian story not just through words and music but also actions, crafts and related activities. It St Mary s 1 st Sunday: 8am: BCP Communion 10.45am: Celtic Communion 6pm: Healing Service 2 nd Sunday 10.45am: Parish Communion 3 rd Sunday 8am: BCP Communion 10.45am: Parish Communion 4 th Sunday 10.45am: Parish Communion 5 th Sunday 8am: BCP Communion 10.45am: Parish Communion Average attendance t 49 adults, 7 children St Alban s SUNDAY SERVICES 1 st Sunday 10am: Parish Communion 2 nd Sunday 8am: BCP Communion 10am: God s Family at Worship 3 rd Sunday 10am: Celtic Communion 4 th Sunday 8am: BCP Communion 10am: iworship 5 th Sunday: 10am: Child-friendly service Average attendance t 36 adults, 13 children 11

12 Worship, Prayer and Liturgical Life - Worship starts with fellowship over tea, coffee, juice and cake. Our iworship congregation has grown and on average it now attracts around 60 adults and children including some who also come to Monday Café and Monday Club p.22] God s Family at Worship GFW is a more structured service which is normally non-eucharistic. At this service we also welcome church members, young and old, who ve recently been baptised see below. Parade Service Each term we have a Parade Service at St Alban s which affords another opportunity to share the Christian message with a wider group of children and young people. Healing Service We hold a Healing Service once a month at St Mary s to which all bereaved families are invited, and is open to all who wish to pray for healing or be prayed for. Festal, Seasonal, Patronal and Holy Days We observe the liturgical seasons and have separate service booklets for each prepared from the seasonal material in Common Worship. This includes the two penitential seasons of Lent and Advent followed by our Festal celebrations of Easter and Christmas, also Pentecost. We observe the Holy Days of Ascension and Corpus Christi with a Eucharist in one or other of our churches. We observe All Saints and All Souls Days when we remember each departed one by name. We celebrate St Alban s Patronal Festival at St Alban s tide in June and St Mary s Patronal at the Festival of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary in September. Weekday Worship We say Morning Prayer from Common Worship Monday Friday at St Mary s. It s open to all and one of the clergy normally leads it. Home Communions and Care Home Communions We take Holy Communion to the housebound as required. We have a simple celebration of Holy 12 Christmas Worship Reflective Carol Service Parish Carol Service Crib Service Midnight Communion 8am Communion Festal Eucharist Easter Worship Passion Sunday with Passion Narrative Palm Sunday with Procession Holy Week Mon: Communion Tue: Communion Wed: Passover Meal Thu: Communion with Footwashing Good Friday At the Foot of the Cross (Family Service) Last Hour at the Cross EASTER SUNDAY Sunrise Bonfire 8am Communion Festal Eucharist 12

13 Worship, Prayer and Liturgical Life - Worship Communion monthly in the Worplesdon View and Primrose House Care Homes (p.6) Sanctuary Sanctuary offers a quiet space and an opportunity for private prayer in one of our churches at the start of Advent and Lent. It usually has several prayer stations around the church with material and sometimes interactive activities as a way into prayer. It runs during a Saturday morning and visitors can come and go as they choose. Civic Services We host civic services mainly at St Mary s for notable occasions such as the Centenary of the outbreak of World War I in 2014 and the 70th Anniversary of the end of WWII in These services are usually arranged by the Parish Council. Occasional Offices Holy Baptism We have an open baptism policy and welcome enquiries from all who live in the parish or have a connection with us. Most baptisms take place at St Mary s and are usually held on the afternoon of the 1 st Sunday of the month. At the next God s Family at Worship service after their baptism, children are formally welcomed into the family of the Church and presented with their baptism candle and a book of Bible stories. All families bringing children to baptism receive a home visit. We average 12 baptisms a year. For the first seven years, normally around the anniversary of the baptism, annual personal contact is made with the families. Weddings We celebrate weddings at both of our churches although St Mary s is a very popular venue. We receive many requests from couples living outside the parish who have a qualifying connection with us. In addition to an initial meeting to book the wedding and the wedding rehearsal, all couples attend a lay-led day of marriage preparation. We average 13 weddings each year. The Parish is currently open to the marriage of couples in church after divorce and to praying with those entering a civil partnership. 13

14 Worship, Prayer and Liturgical Life - Opportunities for Personal Prayer Funerals Most funerals are direct to the crematorium and nearly all church funerals are held at St Mary s. Bereaved families from the past year s funerals are invited to our annual All Souls Day Service to remember their departed loved ones. We average 15 funerals in church and 1 conducted at a local crematorium. Bereaved families are invited to the Healing Service in the month after the funeral when special prayers are said for the family and a candle is lit for them. St Mary s Churchyard St Mary s churchyard is open for burials and there is a Garden of Remembrance for the burial of ashes. We have recently opened an extension to the churchyard. During most daylight hours there are people visiting graves, reflecting an important pastoral need. We have been fortunate recently to receive substantial effort to improve the churchyard from two community-based organisations: some armed service cadets and latterly helpers from the Probation Service. Our willing volunteers within the parish tend the churchyard regularly to keep it a tranquil and beautiful place for its many visitors. There have been some difficulties recently over the design of monuments and decoration of graves. We are currently drafting a management plan to give more clarity on what is permitted to those seeking to commemorate their loved ones in our churchyard. Opportunities for Personal Prayer As well as intercessory prayer in Sunday worship we offer opportunities for prayer including said weekday Morning Prayer (p.12), Sanctuary (see above) and, introduced in the past year, a half-night of prayer and a 24-hour prayer vigil, both at St Alban s. We wish to encourage greater attendance at these events. CHALLENGE: We need to improve our prayer life corporately and individually if we re to grow. The weekly Crossway Supplement is available each Sunday. As well as the Sunday collects and readings, it provides a list of intercessory prayer topics including those in need and the departed. Church members are encouraged to use the Crossway Supplement in their daily devotions

15 Worship, Prayer and Liturgical Life - Opportunities for Personal Prayer We offer the Worplesdon Cycle of Prayer a booklet available to all church members which contains a simplified form of the Daily Office with a weekly and a monthly cycle of intercessory prayer. This now needs revising and maybe rethinking to encourage its greater use. There is a small uptake of daily Biblereading and prayer material in the Parish. 15

16 Ministry - Clergy Team Ministry Clergy Team We have a committed and enthusiastic team of selfsupporting, part-time assistant clergy who understand and are experienced in collaborative ministry. They commit as a team to support our new Rector. Revd Ruth Brothwell Ruth joined us in 2012 to complete her post-ordination initial ministerial education (IME). Ruth is selfsupporting and now continues to offer some Sunday support and occasional offices under her Bishop s PTO. Revd Anne Payne Anne came to us in 2014 as a newly ordained curate and was priested in Anne is self-supporting and offers us 3 days plus Sundays each week while still completing her IME training. Revd Thomas Weil Tom was licensed to us in 2015 after leaving full-time secular work in a university where he was also a selfsupporting assistant chaplain. He remains selfsupporting and offers us one day each week plus some Sundays. Revd Mandy Welch Mandy is our Ordained Local Minister who trained with us in the parish. She was ordained in Mandy is self-supporting and offers us 3 days each week plus Sundays. Revd Martin Wright Martin is a retired parish priest although sometimes you d never guess it from his energy and hard work! Martin has the Bishop s PTO and offers us one Sunday per month. Betsy Herdman Reader Emerita Betsy was licensed to us as a Locally Licensed Minister (Reader) in

17 Ministry - Pastoral Assistants Pastoral Assistants While recognising those (few) pastoral situations when only the Rector will do our five Pastoral Assistants make Christ s love in action known to people in need around our Parish, sharing this vital pastoral work with the Rector. The team comprises Jeanette Grey, Julie Lynch, Steve Reeds, Brian Williams and Trish Williams. Church Wardens Over the years, God has blessed the Parish with wise, hard-working and spiritually-aware Church Wardens. Our present ones are no exception! They serve 5-year terms. Carol Caven has served us as Church Warden since 2012 and finishes her term of office in Glenda Archer became Warden in 2014 and will serve until Parish Staff We have two part-time administrators, Michaela Kelly and Carolyn Howard-Jones who shoulder much of the administrative load of the Parish. Crucially, as they staff our Front Desk in the Parish Office they too share with the Rector the vital task of welcoming people to our Parish often for the first time through enquiries about baptisms, weddings and funerals (p.13), visitors to St Mary s, and being a friendly voice on the phone sometimes for people in great need or distress. We also have two part-time vergers at St Mary s, Steve Reeds (see above) and John Collier. Their ministry is often hidden: whether ensuring that everything is ready for public worship, tending the churchyard or those 1001 small but essential jobs. PCC We have 8 elected members of the PCC, 1 co-opted member, 3 Deanery Synod representatives and 6 officers. Licensed clergy attend ex officio. PCC meets bi-monthly with the Annual Parochial Church Meeting and Vestry Meeting in April. An organisation-chart, list of PCC sub-committees and administrative policies are shown on p

18 Music - Director of Music Music Director of Music Music is a very important part of worship in the parish. The parish employs a professional Director of Music and the current holder of the post, Nigel Evans- Thompson, is in his 10 th year. When an organist is required at main services at both churches, we employ an external organist. We are lucky to have a local organist who can usually play for us as needed. There is a pipe organ at St Mary s, last serviced in November 2014, and a digital church organ at St Alban s. Both churches have digital pianos. Choir At St Mary s there is a robed choir that sings at each Sunday morning service and forms the basis of all other services across the year. At St Alban s some singers help to lead the singing at services. At major festivals, the parish choir is supplemented by the Festival Singers. This group of singers appreciate their involvement at some services. At the less formal services (God s Family at Worship and iworship) music is led currently by a combination of piano and guitar, played by one of the congregation. We plan soon to add singers. Children s Choir A junior choir in the parish is going from strength to strength. Currently, there are 9 children who are involved once a month at God s Family at Worship (p.12). This has developed from initial ad-hoc participation and there is potential to develop this further. Bell-ringers We have a small but enthusiastic team of bell-ringers drawn from the congregation and wider community which when available rings before the 10.45am service at St Mary s and also at weddings and major festivals. St Alban s has a prayer-bell to call the congregation to worship and as an audible reminder of the church s presence in the village

19 Finance - Income Finance Income In 2014 we initiated a fresh Stewardship campaign, Happy to Give and Ready to Share which has bolstered the regular giving although there is still much to be done to ensure sufficient income. Meanwhile, we gain additional funds from the rental of the Hall at St Alban's together with weddings, funerals, fundraising and investments. Parish Share We pay our Parish Share in full. Property Transactions In 2015 we sold a clergy house in the grounds of St Alban s Church. We are buying a house in the housing estate opposite St Alban s church, which in the short term will generate rental income and longer term could be used to house parish staff, such as an outreach worker. We plan to invest the residue of the sale in a further property in the locality. Overall Following the sale of the property, the overall accumulated reserves have increased significantly. However the Parish runs at an annual deficit which we plan to reduce by future rental income and an increase in our planned giving and fund generation. Yet we recognise much more has to be done. At the heart of it is our response to God as individuals and we as a congregation need help to understand that only when we re in right relationship with God can our giving become truly generous. Friends of Worplesdon Parish The Friends of Worplesdon Parish is a new initiative to connect with members of our surrounding community who actively wish to be involved with us but don t see themselves as churchgoers. The Friends express their connection through their generous donations - as individuals and fundraising events such as concerts and musical evenings at St Mary s. Some give of their time, e.g. helping to maintain St Mary s churchyard. FINANCE AT A GLANCE Electoral roll: 216 Planned Giving Number in scheme : 142 average per week: 13 (Diocesan average: 18) Income (2014): 192K Expenditure (2014): 181K Annual Staff Salaries: 26K Current Reserves: 750,000 approx (see note p. 40) Commitments: Estimated Repairs from 2015 Quinquennial: 60K approx. Parish Share (actual for 2014): 75,393 (estimated for 2015): 78,072 Jesus says, Where your treasure is, so shall be your heart Worplesdon doesn t have a money problem but it does have a giving one. 19

20 Finance - Friends of Worplesdon Parish Through the Friends generosity we ve been able, for example, to improve the exterior lighting at St Mary s. Their contributions also literally kept us warm while the heating was upgraded at St Mary s. An audited financial summary for 2014 and a provisional one for 2015 are found on p

21 Our Church Community - Engagement with the Wider Community Our Church Community Engagement with the Wider Community We have close and cordial contact with many other organisations in our Parish including the civic parish council, village and residents associations, sports, leisure and cultural groups. Some church members are actively engaged with these groups and organisations. Some of these groups and organisations use our facilities, mainly the church hall at St Alban s, and we actively support others, for example, community carol-singing at various locations in our Parish. A list of all these groups and organisations is in Parish Facts & Figures p.38. Community engagement offers major opportunities for us to develop growing friendships across the Parish. This is a vital first step in encouraging individuals on their journey of faith. We need to find the best way of building on these friendships to lead people into relationship with Christ and fellowship in our church. CHALLENGE! How do we build on existing friendships to win new disciples for Christ? Outreach and Evangelism We have specific activities geared towards Christian outreach and evangelism but we know that we have to do much more and this means developing our own discipleship (p.24) so we become more confident to share our faith with others. Existing activities include: Open the Book We run the Bible Society s Open the Book programme in Worplesdon Primary School 2 We plan to expand this to Wood Street Infant School when resources permit. This introduces children to Bible stories presented interactively through drama. CHALLENGE! What new opportunities are there to share the Good News of Jesus with our community? Involvement in Local Schools Wood Street School holds a Harvest Festival and a Carol Service in St Alban s. A member of the clergy team periodically takes an assembly in the school each term. Years 3 & 4 of Worplesdon School hold a Carol Service at St Mary s. Past Rectors have served as school governors at Worplesdon School

22 Our Church Community - Outreach and Evangelism Monday Club and Monday Café This initiative which we set up last year takes place every Monday afternoon in term-time at St Alban s. The café offers parents a chance to chat over tea or coffee in the hall while their children, up to 11 years, hear Bible stories and take part in activities in the church. About 17 children come each week. We want to encourage our Monday Club children and their parents to come to Sunday worship at St Alban s. Friday Café Friday Café takes place fortnightly at Fairlands Community Centre and offers fellowship over tea and cake. It attracts people from the wider community as well as from our own congregation. Church notice-boards Our Communications Vision Group (p.39) provides a range of different posters for our roadside noticeboards mainly about church events but also simple reminders about major Christian Festivals. Publications Free literature is available to visitors at both churches describing our activities and is also offered in welcome-packs, for example for those enquiring about marriage. Internet presence We have a professionally designed website optimised for mobile devices 3. We have a Facebook page 4 offering current news about the Parish. We run electronic mailing lists which anyone can join to keep in touch with us. Recently we ve published a sermon given in both our churches on the internet for the first time 5 Parish Magazine and Cards Our free Parish magazine, Crossway is published monthly and has a circulation of 400. It s available in both churches and also in local shops in Fairlands and _smaller.mp

23 Our Church Community - Opportunities for Fellowship Wood Street Village. The content is largely focussed on church activities although with some community material. There is always a preface and pastoral letter from the Rector or one of the clergy team. The magazine is almost entirely funded through advertising. Each year we produce a Christmas and Easter card which we aim to deliver to every home in the parish including outlying ones across our commons! These cards give a very simple Christian message in words and pictures as well as details of our Festival services. Puzzling Questions We periodically run sessions for enquirers and those unsure about the faith where difficult questions can be explored in a safe and affirming environment. The challenge we now face is what other current activities could be refocussed to include evangelistic content. Obvious ones include the fortnightly Friday Café that takes place at Fairlands Community Centre, and the monthly Village Lunch at St Alban s Hall. Outward Giving As part of our outreach, we currently give to external missionary and charitable organisations in the UK and overseas. Our giving is currently 5% of income. A list of the organisations who receive our gifts is shown in Parish Facts & Figures p.41. CHALLENGE! How do we sharpen and focus our existing outreach and evangelism? Parish Youth Group The Parish Youth Group is for church members and their friends of secondary school age (years 7 9). The programme includes quizzes, games-nights, musical evenings, drama, debate, cooking and craft activities. The Group meets on Sundays around 6 times each term and typically 8 to 10 young people come. Opportunities for Fellowship Fellowship within the Church family offers important mutual support, sharing news and informal discussion of faith-related topics. Many of our groups which meet for other purposes, such as home-groups (p.25) also offer opportunities for fellowship but we acknowledge this is an area we need to improve. 23

24 Our Church Community - Opportunities for Fellowship Smilers We ve recently started Smilers, a monthly social group specifically focussed on support and friendship within our church family. We welcome visitors from outside and within the parish and from other churches. Events include talks, visits to local places with a meal or light refreshments and a chance for all to meet newcomers and welcome them. YPCC (Young People, Chat and Cake!) YPCC offers young people, mainly teenagers, a chance to meet each month for fun and friendship. Holiday at Home This one-day event in mid-august is run jointly with Worplesdon URC (p.10). It is intended for older but still young at heart people - church members and visitors. There re talks, activities and entertainment with a sitdown meal. Around 40 attend. Holiday Club Take a week in July, St Alban s Church full of children and young people and a theme, mix together and you have Worplesdon s annual Holiday Club! As well as plenty of fun, exercise and activities, Holiday Club teaches the Christian story in a lively and engaging way. It ends with a special service at St Alban s where the rest of us hear about what s happened during the Holiday Club week. Typically 45 children and young people come. Parent and Toddler Group Held every week in term time (average attendance 25) plays a large part in relationships with baptism families and children who later come to Holiday Club

25 Teaching and Discipling - Home Groups Teaching and Discipling As well as Sunday worship we run various activities for teaching and developing discipleship. Home Groups We now have 3 home groups meeting in different parts of the parish during the day time and the evening. Our groups typically study a set book or discipleship material from one of the national mission or outreach societies. Confirmation classes We run classes as required to prepare adults and young people for confirmation. Be and Share The PCC has resolved to support young people of 7 years or over who wish to receive Communion below to agree to this. Our Be and Share course extending over 7 weeks ensures that the young people have a basic understanding of the Christian faith before receiving Communion for the first time. Young people who complete the course are admitted to Communion at a main Sunday Eucharist where the rest of the congregation is asked to support and affirm them. Young people participating in Be and Share can seek confirmation later on if they so wish. Advent Private Study In the busy run-up to Christmas, we encourage church members to observe Advent through prayer, private study and devotion. In 2015 we recommended Paula Gooder s book, The Meaning Is In The Waiting. Advent starts with Sanctuary, a time for prayer and reflection at St Alban s. Lent Group We run a weekly Lent Group which meets in St Mary s Room. In 2015 we studied Food for Thought a Pilgrim Course about the Eucharist. We started our Lent Studies on Ash Wednesday with a joint meeting with the minister and members of Worplesdon United Reformed Church where we discussed our understanding of the Holy Eucharist. 25

26 Our Statement of Needs - Growing in God Our Statement of Needs To move the Parish forward we know that we have to address the following issues. Growing in God We need to grow in God as individuals and as a congregation. We need to connect our daily individual discipleship much more with our prayer and worship together as a church. This includes developing our prayer life further, listening to God more, depending on Him more and being filled with His Spirit so we can minister more effectively to those outside church. Come Holy Ghost our souls inspire, and fill us with celestial fire. We seek help to better share our faith, helping to make new disciples and then welcoming and integrating them into church life if we are to grow. Focussing on God and His Plans for Us We ve recently spent much time on our Vision 21 plans (Parish Facts & Figures p.40) We hope our new Rector will help us to ensure God is always at the centre of them instead of relying on ourselves if God s Kingdom is to grow here. Put CHRIST at the centre of all our plans! We need to clarify our existing plans to give them sharper direction and to seek God s vision for the new plans He has in store for us. Opening Ourselves Up for Change There is much desire in the Parish to move forward with God. We must all become more open to God leading us and to the changes He wants us to make. Seeking a Common Purpose We need to celebrate our differences within God s wider purposes for us. We all need to look beyond ourselves by becoming more obedient to God if we are to succeed in His plans for us. We seek a Rector who will help us all to grow in unity and obedience to God. The Kingdom of Heaven is like someone who takes from their store things old and new. A Clearer Sense of Mission & Outreach We believe that God is calling us to make new disciples. We need to develop our existing fruitful ministry with young and older people alike. We must 26 26

27 Our Statement of Needs - A Sense of Shared Mission be far more willing to look outwards to the wider community and we need much help if we are to achieve this. A Sense of Shared Mission Traditionally we ve been quite clerically-centred. In today s church this has to change if we re to grow individually and as a Parish and we ll need help from our new Rector to achieve this. Let yourselves be built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood 1 Peter, ch.2: v.5) Grow Our Congregation We believe that with God at the centre of our lives then mission and outreach will happen and our congregation will grow. In turn that will help us to solve other issues such as fewer volunteers and some current financial concerns. As already mentioned above we will need help from our new Rector if all this is to happen. And day by day the Lord added to their number those being saved. (Acts ch.2:47b)) 27

28 Opportunities in Our Parish - Grow Our Congregation Opportunities in Our Parish Although we currently face major challenges we nonetheless believe there are great opportunities in our Parish to see God s Kingdom grow as more and more people are called into faith by Him. The main ones we see are as follows. Refreshing and re-energising the faith of the existing congregation to better prepare us for the work of mission and evangelism. Helping individual church members to deepen their daily discipleship and walk with God. Helping enquirers to explore the Christian faith and then to make a commitment to Christ. Helping us to turn away from our own particular wants and instead to focus on the needs of others especially those in the wider community outside church. Developing existing initiatives, e.g. our growing children s work. Helping us as a church to sharpen our vision for serving the wider community and sharing the Good News of Jesus with it. Helping and enabling us to implement our vision faithfully under God s direction. each other s needs to prefer for it s Christ we re serving (Graham Kendrick) Our Next Rector To make all of this happen we seek a Rector who can lead us in our spiritual growth through prayer, liturgy and increased discipleship as we further develop our gently catholic parish tradition. This will mean enabling and encouraging church members to take responsibility for the church s work as we recognise it cannot be done by a Rector alone. So we need to engage with all as the priesthood of all believers. We recognise the importance of leadership to ensure that we remain faithful to the vision that we believe God is calling us to. To find out the qualities we think God wishes our new Rector to have, we asked our congregation for input as well as asking more widely in the Diocese. Next we arranged a 24-hour prayer-vigil and asked church members to share any ideas that came. We then asked our Diocesan Parish Development and Evangelism Team to help us to spot any patterns in the ideas

29 Our Next Rector - Grow Our Congregation Next we asked some of our most spiritually-minded church members - our young people - to come up with their ideal Rector and the picture shows what they suggested. We asked some adults too: they were wordier but the same general ideas emerged and these are in the text alongside. A Leader embracing and including all proactive team player empowering and confidence building A Communicator able to build a community inside so we can go out Unifying our church community by focusing on Jesus and giving us confidence to be able to talk about our faith to others Be Resilient manage change sensitively Bring experience Help us to learn to celebrate our differences by focusing on what God wants for us Be Unifying able to unite groups within our church who come to God and worship differently Building community Visionary a clear sense of where we want to go Refreshing us in our faith and helping us to grow Approachable and a good listener. Do YOU have these skills and qualities even just some of them? Are YOU looking for a big challenge under God s leading and guidance? Could WE be the right parish for you? If so then please get in touch! 29

30 Our Commitment to You - Grow Our Congregation Our Commitment to You The Rector can t do it all! We recognise that if we are to grow together as a Parish then our new incumbent will need plenty of support, encouragement and sheer hard work from existing leaders and church members. To summarise: you ll be able to draw on the skills, knowledge and commitment of many in our Parish including: Our assistant clergy (p.16) Our authorised Pastoral Assistants (p.17) Our two Church Wardens (p.17) Our two Parish Administrators (p.17) Our two vergers (p.17) Our Director of Music, Choir and musicians (p.18) The PCC (p.17) Our volunteers Your leaders, clergy, PCC and other staff all recognise the urgent need for change if our Parish is to thrive and grow. We will support you as you lead us through this necessary change. Your leaders in the Parish and many church members and parishioners too will offer you friendship and support for you and any family you may have. We want you to enjoy your time with us and to have fun! We especially commit to being alongside you during life s difficulties and when the going seems tough. But most important of all, we ll faithfully pray for you as you come to lead us forward on this exciting but very challenging journey. The Diocese s Commitment to You You will have active support from the Diocese through Your membership of the Guildford Deanery and Chapter A varied programme for Continuing Ministerial Development Two Bishop s Study-days each year The Clergy Triennial Conference (next one: 2018) A personal coach or mentor if required Regular role appraisal Diocesan Staff Advisor and Counsellor 30 30

31 - From our Vacancy Prayer: And Finally From our Vacancy Prayer: Guide with your heavenly wisdom those who are to choose a new Rector for this parish, that the one whom we receive may be a wise and gentle shepherd of your people: ready to serve us with joy, to build us up in faith, and to lead us by example in loving obedience to your Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen 31

32 And Finally - From our Vacancy Prayer: Appendices PARISH FACTS AND FIGURES The demographic data in this section is Guildford Diocesan Board of Finance and is reproduced with permission. Further data is available on

33 Diocesan Common Purpose - Guildford Diocese - our vision Diocesan Common Purpose Guildford Diocese - our vision At the heart of Guildford Diocese is a desire to bring the grace and truth of Christ to this generation and the next. This is expressed in Common Purpose - our vision of growing communities of faith and engagement. Common Purpose is focused on growth in three key areas: Spiritual Maturity, Numerical Growth and Growing in Community Engagement. Spiritual maturity resisting superficial and simplistic Christianity in our secularised culture creating an ethos of commitment to worship, prayer and learning, both corporately and individually, in our churches and our schools. encouraging lifelong discipleship and attractive, godly living Numerical growth resisting talk of decline as inevitable creating an ethos of expectation of new things because nothing is impossible with God encouraging all people to hear and respond to the Gospel of salvation Community engagement resisting isolation and inward looking, self-preserving attitudes creating an ethos of involvement that seeks to serve the world God has made and loves encouraging a practical concern for justice, right living and respect for all in our wider communities. A culture of mutual support and encouragement between all who work and worship in every part of the Diocese, parish, fresh expression, chaplaincy and Cathedral, is essential to the outworking of Common Purpose. All the ministries, structures and departments of the Diocese serve this vision and work towards enabling engagement with it. Clergy working in our parishes play a vital role in creating and sustaining our vision; working collaboratively with those in the parish, with colleagues lay and ordained; with neighbouring parishes across the deanery and diocese in chapter and synod; investing time and resources in stewardship and administration. Safeguarding children and vulnerable adults is a priority for the Diocese of Guildford as we seek the outworking of Common Purpose with all clergy coming into the diocese receiving appropriate training in their first year in post. 33

34 Our Parish - Demographics Our Parish Demographics Parish Age Profile General Population (2011) Congregation Age Profile 34 34

35 Our Parish - Diocesan Age Profile Diocesan Age Profile Ethnicity 35

36 Our Parish - Household Spaces and Composition Household Spaces and Composition Spaces With at least one usual resident: 97% Caravan or other mobile or temporary structure: 8% Composition 36 36

37 Our Parish - Employment, Social Grade and Lifestyle Employment, Social Grade and Lifestyle 37

38 Our Parish - Community Organisations Community Organisations External Users of St Alban s Hall Cubs and Brownies Yoga Scrap-book Group Sure Start Childrens Centre including bi-monthly Health Visitor sessions. Wood Street Village Association Karate Art Group Belly dancing Joint Events and Activities with Local Community Organisations Fairwood Helpers neighbourhood care service. Carols on the Green (at Perry Hill and Wood Street with Perry Hill Residents Association and Wood Street Village Association). Civic Services with Worplesdon Civic Parish Council e.g. 70th Anniversary Commemoration of end of World War 2 in Previous Rectors have served as the Mayor of Guildford s Chaplain. Local Clubs and Societies Fairlands Women s Institute Worplesdon Women s Institute Wood Street Cricket Club Worplesdon and Burpham Cricket Club Tennis Club Rambling Countryside Rangers and volunteers (Surrey Wildlife Trust) Wood Street Horticultural Society 38 38

39 Governance - Policies in Force Governance Policies in Force Protection of Vulnerable People Alcohol and Drugs on Church Premises Policy St Mary s Churchyard Regulations Food Hygiene Policy Electrical Safety (portable appliance testing) An Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Policy is in preparation. Management Structure Rector Ministry Team Administrator Assistant Administrator and Rector's PA PCC Standing Committee Pastoral Assistants PCC Staff Team (licensed and PTO clergy, LLM) Vergers Finance & Fundraising VG Worship VG Witness VG Communications VG Pastoral VG Property VG PCC Treasurer The post of PCC Treasurer is currently vacant. Those duties are shared between the Wardens, PCC and the church office. A team of volunteers helped by external Accountants accounting team produces quarterly accounts together with regular forecasts. Vision Groups Vision Groups are responsible for implementing activities in the area(s) each covers. They can also propose new developments in their areas. Groups report to the PCC which ratifies their decisions, approves their membership and authorises any resources that they require. Their goals and activities are shown below. The Groups currently are: Communications Finance and Fundraising Pastoral Vision Group Property Vision Group Witness Vision Group Worship Vision Group Ministry Team This group comprises the Parish clergy, Pastoral Assistants and Church Wardens. It meets bimonthly as a support-group for the Rector, to pray for the Parish and its needs. It also provides a forum in which ideas to develop the Parish and its activities can be discussed before being formally brought to PCC. 39

40 Annual Accounts Summary for Annual Accounts Summary for 2014 (2015 figures are unaudited) 40 40

41 Outward Giving (2014) - The Church Overseas Outward Giving (2014) The Church Overseas Community of St Mary, Masasi, Tanzania UK Church & Christian Organisations Children s Society Christian Solidarity Worldwide Christian Aid Guildford Street Angels (Town Centre Chaplaincy) UK Secular Charities Parish Tree (balance from WorpFest) Vaughan House Action Aid The Chase (Shooting Star Children s Hospice) North Guildford Food Bank (church/secular) Worplesdon Pre-school Little Crickets Pre-school Wood Street Infant School Woking Hospice 41

42 Vision 21 - Objectives Vision 21 Vision 21 was the Parish s last development plan which commenced in Its work is ongoing. The plan was devised through the PCC receiving input from the Vision Groups (see below). Its main principles were formally adopted in January 2015 at a special meeting of the congregation. Further details are in Collated Papers for Vision 21 available from the Church Wardens. Objectives 1. To encourage and facilitate all on their journey of faith, especially through worship, prayer and nurture 2. To provide an open welcome and safe sanctuary for an encounter with God 3. To rejoice in friendship with God and each other 4. To understand and meet the needs of the community, within our agreed core purpose 5. To thrive and not just to survive 6. To encourage generous giving and participation in our community, the wider church and the world 7. To create an awareness and understanding of the purpose and work of the church in our community

43 Maps - Parish Boundaries Maps Parish Boundaries Latest data available for parish boundaries: September Boundary data from the Church Commissioners for England. Digital Mapping Solutions from Dotted Eyes. Crown Copyright All rights reserved. Licence number

44 Maps - Location Location [Google maps attribution required] 44 44