ST. MARGARET S CHIPSTEAD OUR MISSION IS TO KNOW & SHARE GOD S TRANSFORMING LOVE WITH ONE ANOTHER, WITH OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY & WITH THE WIDER WORLD.

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1 SUPPORTING WELCARE OUR HEART FOR THE COMMUNITY CELEBRATING LIFE S BIG MOMENTS OUR HEART FOR ONE ANOTHER FOCUSSED ON & DEDICATED TO PRAYER OUR HEART FOR THE WIDER WORLD KNOWING GOD S LOVE OUR HEART AND PASSION FOR TRANSFORMATION ST. MARGARET S CHIPSTEAD OUR MISSION IS TO KNOW & SHARE GOD S TRANSFORMING LOVE WITH ONE ANOTHER, WITH OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY & WITH THE WIDER WORLD.!1

2 Contents Part One - Who we are Introduction 3 Our Values 4 Our Future 13 Our New Rector 13 Part Two - What we have Our Parish 14 Our People 16 Our Buildings and Churchyard 17 Our Figures and Finances 18 Our Contact Details 18!2

3 St. Margaret s is a vibrant growing Christian community with an evangelical and gently charismatic tradition, undertaking a wide and diverse range of activities. Building on our historic role as a church that serves our local communities, over the last ten years we have embraced significant change. Whilst maintaining these traditional roots which still play an important part in defining who we are, we have become much more diverse and we have developed a more contemporary worship style to complement our traditional services, a range of courses from Alpha through Pilgrim to a marriage course, a thriving network of Life Groups and a significant involvement in initiatives such as the East Surrey Winter Night Shelter. Notwithstanding the changes that we have embedded, much more still remains to be done. Our current Mission Action Plan focusses on three areas. Building on our established children s ministry, we are investing further in our youth ministry as, like many churches, we have struggled to hold on to our young people during their teenage years. Our parish contains a significant number of older people many of whom live on their own. We are trying to build community within this demographic through initiatives such as our CAMEO group but this is still in its early stages and we need to do more to reach those who do not necessarily take the initiative to come to us. Netherne -on-the-hill is a newer part of our parish (having been incorporated into the parish within the last decade). It has a wide demographic which is very different from our historic parish. While many of our congregation come from Netherne, we are still seeking ways in which St Margaret s can be present in Netherne itself, including the possibility of introducing a Fresh Expression. Our Mission Action Plan describes our current initiatives. As a community we are seeking someone who will continue to challenge us and to help us to deepen our faith and develop further outward looking activities. We have grown significantly in recent years and it is our desire that this continues. We recognise that if we are to do this we need to change our organising and thinking to further progress towards a Church where members are encouraged, empowered and supported by the rector, and others, to develop their gifts in diverse ministries. Our overriding Mission is to know and share God s transforming love. We are hungry to find new ways to fulfil this mission and to deepen our faith. We are looking for someone who can build on what we have and who has the passion, leadership and bible based faith to take us to the next level. St Margaret s PCC October 2017!3

4 OUR VALUES In preparing our Mission Action Plan, we identified our 9 Values as a church, and have listed our various activities under the relevant headings: CHRIST CENTRED: St Margaret s aims to be a Christian community where we continue to grow in making prayer the heartbeat of our common life and where we become more comfortable with sharing our own stories of faith. Our expectation is that we will experience the healing of Christ in body, mind and spirit and also that life changing encounters with Jesus will happen as part of our normal life together. (Philippians 3:1-11; Luke 8:40-56) Life Groups: As we are growing in number, our 10 midweek life groups vary widely in character and are regularly attended by around 60 people. We have a life group co-ordinator who organises meetings once a term for leaders to share ideas, joys and challenges of their role over a meal. Leaders receive recommendations for material in different genres but are free to choose whatever they feel suitable for their particular group. Our Young People: Children and family activities and Youth groups are core ministries. Our young people s groups on Sunday mornings are held in The Orchard during the service. We have a Bubbles group (3-5yrs); Splash & XStream (school yrs 1-6) and Ignite (yrs 7-9) We aim to fully engage children and young people with their faith using relevant, engaging Bible-based teaching and resources. We usually have about 40+ young people in our groups. Prayer Circle: We have a team of around 12 people who have committed to pray for St Margaret s. Requests are sent at the beginning of each month. We also have a monthly prayer diary and over the year we cover every road in the parish, every aspect of church life, the local community and our mission partners. Prayers for these are also included in the requests. XStream is so much fun, its fun to do crafts, make friends and learn all about Jesus, all in one morning! Maya, Aged 9 Prayer Ministry: at 9 and am: Prayer Ministry is available in the chancel after 9.00 am and am services, and a number of people have been trained to offer prayer in this way. Prayer Events: We have participated with prayer in Thy Kingdom Come, The National Prayer Weekend and Christian Aid. In addition we have held workshops on prayer. The prayer stones in the churchyard are a resource available to all. Morning Weekday prayer: Morning Prayer is said each weekday morning, numbers attending are small. There is a dedicated prayer line which people are encouraged to call or text with prayer requests and these are included in our intercessions.!4

5 UNIFIED AND DIVERSE: St Margaret s aims to be a Christian community that is completely united in Christ but that also values our diversity in worship, age and social background. We will express and display this unity in different ways. (Ephesians 4:1-16; John 17:20-26 Sunday morning Services: - 8am (Book of Common Prayer - Holy Communion); Quiet service with no music clergy robe. (Average weekly attendance 12) - 9am (Common Worship - Morning Prayer or Holy Communion); Traditional hymns with organ music (Average 30 40) am (Contemporary style Worship Morning Worship or Holy Communion); Music group and worship songs; children start in church with parents for 20 mins before going to their groups in the Orchard (Junior Church building) (Average adults) All Age service monthly. Monthly Evening Worship: These events alternate between: Kingdom Come informal contemporary café style worship session in the Orchard (Average 15-20) Sacred Space a quiet contemplative service in the chancel (Average 10-12) In our diversity, its Christ and His love that unifies us as family Music: Our music is varied; we have three voluntary local organists for traditional services, and two organists who share the weddings and funerals. Our Music Director leads worship for weekly contemporary services with singers, keyboard and drums and there is also a Christmas choir. Diverse parish: Our parish is made up of four distinct communities and varies from rural and sometimes isolated living to a more adjacent and condensed suburban style. Each community has local social, sporting and community interest groups, and some groups are open to wider range of membership. Creche : Creche facilities are available during the service organised and manned by our creche team!5

6 ST MARGARET S, CHIPSTEAD PARISH PROFILE 2017 WELCOMING AND HOSPITABLE: St Margaret s aims to be a Christian community where all are equally welcome, included and valued. We long to be a community that is accessible to all. As we have experienced the generous and outrageous welcome of Christ so we wish to extend that welcome to one another and to others. (Romans 12:9-21; Luke 15:11-31) Winter Night Shelter: For several years we have hosted the floating East Surrey Winter Night Shelter for the homeless in The Orchard. This happens on one night a week for 6 weeks and involves around 21 volunteers each time from the church and a few from the local community. We did host for 12 weeks one year but resourcing the overnight shifts is difficult. We typically have 4-8 guests each night. Our hospitality isn t just about serving each other and our community, its about coming together and giving of ourselves, as an act of worship. Hospitality Team: We have a well organised team of people who take on events which require catering from butting buns on Good Friday to cooking three course meals for 80 for a social event. Social events open to all: Our small team which organises our social events ensure that there is something for everyone throughout the year. These events are open to church members and anyone else who wants to join us. CAMEO: Come And Meet Each Other is a monthly drop in held on a Wednesday afternoon in conjunction with Hooley Residents Association in Hooley Village Hall. It began in October 2015 as part of MAP target 2. Between mainly elderly people attend, a mixture of Hooley residents and Church family. Usual Guest Services: We have quite a few services that involve those who do not attend our usual Sunday worship. These include a full range of Christmas services, Carols by Candlelight, Christingle, Harvest, Remembrance Sunday, Living with Loss, Mothering Sunday, and Easter. We also have at least four services a year at our Mugswell Mission Hall. Disabled facilities and access: There is disabled access to most parts of the church, except the Sanctuary, with ramps where appropriate, and a wheelchair is available if necessary. We also have a hearing loop for the hard of hearing. The Orchard has full disabled access and a hearing loop.!6

7 RELATIONAL: St Margaret s aims to be a Christian community where we are growing in loving relationships with God, one another and our communities. We long to be a place where all can be honest about the struggles of real life. Where all are equally cared for and loved and where each person can find a place of belonging. (Mark 12:28-34; Col 3:1-15) Its a privilege to share really important times with people Kim Occasional Services: We have a thriving ministry of occasional services (16 weddings, 32 baptisms and 10 funerals last year, as well as several memorial services) bringing in excess of 2,000 through our doors. We have established teams to deal with the administration for weddings and baptisms. There is also an important funeral and burial ministry with our open churchyard. Chipstead Lodge: Chipstead Lodge is a care home, specialising in Mental Health and Dementia. We hold a monthly service and once a month we visit to chat to residents. This regular visiting has enabled us to begin to develop a good working relationship with the staff. Dealing with Depression: As a result of a well attended course by an outside speaker this year, we have recently set up a support group for those suffering from depression or anxiety, for church and non-church people alike. Parish Magazine: The parish magazine goes our 11 times a year to 500+ subscribers, many of whom are not church-goers and are of an older generation. The magazine has a bright contemporary look and provides some spiritual input, news of church events and items about local village activities. Advertising pays for the printing and it makes a reasonable profit.!7

8 VALUING TRADITION BUT OPEN TO CHANGE: St Margaret s aims to be a Christian community that values the best of our traditions and shared story. We respect those traditions whilst also being open to change and new approaches. (Isaiah 43:14-21, Jeremiah 6:16; Matthew 9:14-17) Youth Groups: our Ignite group (yr7 9) meet together on Sunday mornings in the Orchard (Average 8-12) and our small age group have more flexible meeting arrangements, sometimes on Sunday evenings and at different locations to meet the needs and interests of the group. Both groups have a midweek meeting point on Wednesdays at Starbucks. Our Junior Church: All our children s groups meet together on Sunday mornings during the service (Average 30-40). Our morning structure is based on the Promiseland model and our Bible teaching programme for years 1-6 matches the Lectionary in church. Joint Services: Two or three times a year, we have a joint service in church to include all three Sunday Services worshipping together. Fresh Expressions: One of our Mission Action Plan targets is to plant a Fresh Expression of church in Netherne. Two members of the congregation attended the Diocesan Fresh Expressions one year course. Planting Fresh Expressions in Netherne is an ongoing challenge and doors have opened and closed, but we feel God is calling us to do this. Parish Flyer: The parish flyer is a new initiative and the aim is that it goes to every house in the parish three times a year. Its purpose is to give those who don t know us, an idea of who we really are. Beyond the pews, we seek to connect with our community and Church family on-line, meeting need, sharing stories and encouraging each other. Facebook: We have 218 followers on our main facebook page which we use to inform on a regular bases. We also have a St Margaret s Church Family group page which is used for members for everything from recommending a babysitter to sharing photos. Website: The website regularly receives on average between hits per month. Sermons are uploaded every week. We have a weekly newsletter and a link to this is ed to everyone on our church circulation list.!8

9 ENABLING AND EQUIPPING GOD S PEOPLE: St Margaret s aims to be a Christian community that equips its members to live more effectively as Christian disciples in our everyday lives and where we continue to grow in depth of faith. We also aim to help each person find their role in the church and will equip them to be effective in that role. (Romans 12:1-8; Matthew 16:21-28) Encouraging people to take a role in church life: Our three Sunday services require a total of approximately 38 people giving of their time talents in different ways and we actively encourage people to join teams, especially if we recognise a particular gifting in someone. There are also non- Sunday teams of people who serve in different ways behind the scenes. Offering training where appropriate: We publicise and encourage people to take advantage of courses offered by ourselves, other churches or run by the Diocese. This includes Prayer Ministry, Faith Pictures and Leading Intercessions. Our lead singers from the music group have just completed the Southwark Worship Leaders Course (Worship 4 Today). Helping on Sunday makes me feel part of the team Abi Courses: We offer opportunities to take part in the following courses: Parenting Children, Parenting Teenagers, Marriage Preparation, The Marriage Course, the Pilgrim Course and Alpha (although take up for this has declined we didn t run one in 2016 and none is scheduled for 2017). We have occasionally held one-off discussion evenings for church and non-church members, eg Brexit the Christian response and Science and Faith. Annual retreats and Quiet Days: Once a year we spend 24 hours at Wychcroft, Southwark s Diocesan local retreat house, led by a visiting speaker. We have occasionally had a local Quiet Day which generally attracts the older generation.!9

10 OPEN: St Margaret s aims to be a Christian community that is open and welcoming to the wider parish and local communities. That seeks to serve local people regardless of their beliefs and is non-judgemental and respectful. We also aim to be open to learning from and working in partnership with other churches and agencies. (Matthew 5:13-16 & 7:1-5; Philippians 2:1-16 Netherne Stay and Play: On a monthly basis we attend stay and play and lead a craft activity for toddlers. This provides an opportunity to chat with parents and carers and has led to some coming along to events at St Margaret s Holiday Club: We have a long and varied tradition of Holiday Club and aim to provide a Bible based, fun and exciting experience for local children annually. We ve held Holiday Club during the Easter school break and in the Summer holidays; in local village halls and in the Orchard, This year, we held a Superheroes Holiday Club for 27 children at Netherne Village Hall. Maggie s Song: Maggie s Song is a music and movement group and attracts an average of young children under 5 with their carers. It is held in the Orchard on Friday mornings in term time. Marriage Preparation: We offer a whole day Marriage Preparation to all our Wedding Couples, based on the Holy Trinity Brompton Course. Church Fete: The church fete is held in June and over 12 years has flourished. It is our largest community event and attracts people from Hooley and Netherne, as well as Chipstead and beyond. We have resisted taking on commercial traders, preferring to keep the traditional church fete atmosphere. We use the churchyard, the church and the Orchard on the day. Local connections: As a church we support Renewed Hope Trust (Drop in Centre in Redhill) and Welcare (Southwark Diocese support charity for young families) Heritage Open Day: Where possible we support the national Heritage Open Day to invite visitors to the church and churchyard.!10

11 ST MARGARET S, CHIPSTEAD PARISH PROFILE 2017 MISSION SHAPED: St Margaret s aims to be a Christian community that is shaped by the five marks of mission. We seek to grow in proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ, in teaching, nurturing and baptising new believers, in participating in acts of loving service, in challenging injustice and caring for God s creation. We recognise that this mission is our responsibility in the parish where God has placed us but we also seek to partner with others in this mission around God s world. (Isaiah 6:1-8; Matthew 28:16-20) Mission Partners: As a church we have formed links with and support financially the following organisations Women of Purpose; Open Doors; Christian Aid; Bible Society; Zimbabwe Link; Discet in Sierra Leone; AIM in Cambodia; Welcare and Renewed Hope Trust. ECO Church: An Eco church team was formed in 2016 with the aim of making our church community more aware of environmental issues and how we can, individually and collectively, make a contribution towards caring for God s creation. It is also looking at how we can work towards achieving a national Eco-church award. Slum Survivor: Our young people have taken part in Slum Survivor events to raise awareness of world poverty and money for Soul Action a partnership between Soul Survivor and Tearfund. Fairtrade: We are committed to using Fairtrade products where possible and all our coffee and tea for refreshments and hospitality is Fairtrade. Messy Church: Messy Church takes place on a Saturday in the Orchard around 9 times a year and a typical session may have attendance of in total. It attracts some families who are not otherwise connected with church. Families bring their friends, and some families come via Maggie s Song. Sent with the love and prayers of St Margaret s, I felt fully supported Liz!11

12 PASSIONATE: St Margaret s aims to be a Christian community that is continuing to grow in passion for God; that is hungry to grow through the bible, sacraments and the work of the Holy Spirit. We aim to have a tangible excitement about faith in Jesus Christ which overflows into real joy and a love of life. (2 Chronicles 7:1-10; John 10:1-10) New Wine helps forge friendships with our church family Flis Our young people choose topics for their youth group programme which are relevant to their life experiences and challenges seeking a Jesus perspective for their everyday lives. Our Junior Church groups aim for our Sunday morning to be the best hour of the week New Wine: St Margaret s has been attending New Wine since 2006 and the group has levelled to between adults of varying ages and children. Friendships are always forged or deepened at New Wine. Most people who attend do so regularly and especially value the social time spent together. We often have non-st. Margaret s people join us.!12

13 Our Future We believe God is asking us to go deeper in our faith and learn to listen to his Holy Spirit. We d like to increase our passion for outreach in our local community, for mission in the wider world and in challenging injustice. We want to be ready for fresh challenges, to increase fellowship between our different congregations and nurture new and fringe members as we grow in number. Our New Rector Will be a person of prayer, open to the Holy Spirit s direction with a passionate desire to follow God s lead. Will be able to communicate the Bible message effectively. Will be able to encourage, empower, train and support others in leadership and ministerial roles and be able to discern gifts in others. Will be a strategic manager, who can challenge, inspire and manage change with sensitivity. Will be able to foster good relationships with all ages and engage with our local communities. Will have a heart for the marginalised and persecuted and a desire to stand up with others against injustice in our society. Will be an open and honest communicator Will have a balanced perspective on today s problems and issues and reflect on what the Christian response should be. May have spent time in a different church context and be able to bring their experiences to inspire our congregation.!13

14 OUR PARISH Situated to the south of London, just inside the M25, the parish of Chipstead is within easy reach of central London from Chipstead and Coulsdon South railway station and Gatwick airport, yet is surrounded by countryside. There is a well-established pre-school in Chipstead and three primary schools are within a short drive. St Bede s, an outstanding Christian secondary school is in Redhill, four miles away. The parish of 11 square kilometres (a car is essential) has a population of around 5,000+ and includes four village communities - Chipstead, Mugswell, Hooley and Netherne-on-the- Hill all of which have very different characteristics: Chipstead has a strong community and a dedicated Residents Association and Village Preservation Society strive to maintain village life. The village is well served with sports clubs and associations and there is an 18-hole golf course, three pubs and a community-built theatre. The siting of the parish boundary means that Chipstead s parade of shops and station are actually outside the parish. The Peter Aubertin Hall, beside picturesque Elmore pond, belongs to and is managed by St Margaret s church. It is in high demand for a variety of uses. Much of Chipstead is rural and one of the farms has a farm shop. For some, the high hedges and long drives are a drawback as it means some people can become isolated.!14

15 Hooley is the area closest to the church and is bisected by the busy A23 and Star Lane which cuts through the middle and becomes a rat-run at rush hour. Despite this or maybe because of this, villagers proudly hold on to their community spirit and tend to know their neighbours well. Housing in Hooley ranges from a few large properties to smaller units owned or rented both privately and from the local authority. A village hall which has been maintained by residents over the years, together with a communitybuilt social club, provide the entertainment in the village. There are a handful of small shops and businesses spread along the main road, two petrol stations, a café and a Starbucks which is always busy, mainly with visitors rather than locals. Mugswell is a rural hamlet of a few winding lanes again with a strong sense of community and some local activities. St Margaret s owns a very small hall here (Mugswell Mission Hall) and services are held several times during the year. Netherne on the Hill This privately owned 180 acre site became part of the parish with the building of 600 homes the majority of which belong to professional families with children and teenagers. There are very few retirees. There are also shared ownership properties and social housing alongside older properties which were on the original NHS owned site. There is a pool, gym, tennis courts and a large recreation hall which is used fairly regularly and a village shop. A community bus takes commuters back and forth to Coulsdon South station. There is a cricket pitch with a pavilion which is owned by the management company and can be hired by villagers. Recognising the need for a place for residents to socialise, plans are in progress to set up a community café there on a couple of days a week. A ten minute walk across farmland from Netherne finds Alderstead Heath Caravan & Camping Club site, also part of our parish.!15

16 OUR PEOPLE There is a strong leadership team at St Margaret s, which includes the staff team who meet weekly to discuss day to day matters, including pastoral concerns. Our paid staff include 2 admin staff, the Director of Music, a Youth and Community Worker and the position of Children and Families Worker (currently recruiting). We also have other lay leaders to assist in the administration of Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals, and our PCC includes a Treasurer and Secretary. Rev. John Wates Rev. Alison Elson Andrew Britton Madeleine MacCallum Hon. Curate Permission to Officiate Curate in training : Part time NSM Reader Permission to Officiate Reader Permission to Officiate Kim Honey Reader Chris Taylor Church Warden Shirley Page Church Warden? Libby Egwuba Musical Director Amy Reeves Youth Worker Children s & Families Worker Jen Smith Parish Administrator Sally Foxen SPA Emeritus Margaret Quaife SPA Deborah Mathews Finance Administrator!16

17 OUR BUILDINGS AND CHURCH YARD Our church is a beautiful, historic Grade 1 Listed 12th Century building which is well maintained and manages to accommodate all our styles of worship. Our listed, peaceful churchyard is still open for burials and provides opportunity for a churchyard ministry. We have installed a prayer walk involving engraved stones with Jesus I AM sayings, which will we hope give spiritual help to those who use the churchyard. The Orchard within the churchyard has a main hall and two smaller meeting rooms together with kitchen and toilet facilities. It was opened in September 2012 by the Bishop of Croydon and is in regular use by many of our church groups. It has been used by neighbouring churches for quiet days, courses etc and is sometimes available to the wider community. Its main use is for our Junior Church and Children and Youth Groups on Sundays. Peter Aubertin Hall, about 1 km from the church, is part of the church s responsibility. It is used extensively by local community groups and every weekday morning by Chipstead Pre-School. Mugswell Mission Hall We have a small mission hall in Mugswell which is used by the local community. We hold services here for Mothering Sunday, Easter and Christmas as well as Harvest and a Summer Service and Strawberry Tea. Rectory There is a modern 5 bedroom Rectory in the heart of Chipstead village, about 2km from the church. All our buildings are covered by a professional cleaning contract.!17

18 Our Figures and Finances Attendance at St Margaret s has grown consistently over the last 10 years. In 2005 our average Sunday attendance was 82 adults and 19 children. In 2016, the averages were 113 adults and 35 children, not including our Sunday evening youth group or Messy Church. Our electoral roll at the end of 2016 stood at 235 members. The congregations are generous, although a large proportion of the regular giving is borne by a small number of parishioners. Under the new system of parish share the PCC took a decision to be generous in giving to the parish share. In 2016 the share was and we have always paid the quota in full. Our income in 2016 amounted to approximately 260,000 and our total expenditure was approximately 245,000. Our staff team involves paid employees in the following roles: Administrator, Finance and Booking Administrator, Musical Director, Youth and Community Worker and Children and Families Worker. Our current mission budget amounts to approximately 12,000 per annum We also have the support of The Friends of St Margaret s who hold fund raising events to raise money to help maintain the fabric of the church. We also have a generous endowment fund, which provides income to support the church. Our annual fete is a great social event in the village and has also brought in 6,000+ last year. Our Contact Details St Margaret's Church, Church Lane, Chipstead. CR5 3RD admin@smchipstead.org For further information or an informal chat, please contact our churchwarden Shirley Page: wardens@smchipstead.org You might like to have a look at some of the local websites: stmargaretschipstead.org facebook.com/smchipstead chipsteadvillage.org nethernevillage.org!18