Faith Building, Bridge Building, Life Building Parish Profile

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1 S O U T H B O R O U G H Faith Building, Bridge Building, Life Building Parish Profile

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3 Contents Welcome and Overview Person Profile What We Can Offer Our Vision Faith Building Bridge Building Life Building Where Next? Our Vision for the new Group Ministry Our Location Our Parish Our Buildings Finances Diocese

4 Welcome and Overview As Parish Profiles go this one is a bit different! Different because things are changing... We are looking for someone with vision and passion for the Kingdom of God who will lead us into a new chapter in the life of Christ Church Southborough. We have been part of a Team Ministry for the past 20 years but now, as we continue to work with our neighbouring churches in Southborough and environs, we are exploring what might be the best configuration for Anglican ministry in the area. The patron s right to present has been suspended by the Bishop during this period of consultation, and the suggestion is that Christ Church will become a new parish, working collaboratively with other parishes in Southborough, in a Group Ministry. If you were to join us in this exciting time in the life of our church you would play a key part in shaping the future of Christ Church as its Incumbent and in the ministry of the churches in the town, at a time when extensive re-development of the centre of the community is about to take place. Due to this period of consultation and the technicalities of Team Ministry, the position being advertised is Associate Vicar with responsibility for oversight at Christ Church. The ultimate title of the incumbent will depend upon the final outcome of the pastoral reorganisation. 1 S O U T H B O R O U G H

5 HISTORY - A Brief overview Historically, we begin with St Peter, a singularly prominent church on Southborough Common, technically a church plant out of the much older St Lawrence in 1830 in response to the population growth around the new railway. Christ Church was built in 1871 as a daughter church to St Peter to serve the needs of the working classes at that end of the town. Enlarged in 1888 it continued mainly unchanged until the 1970s. At this time the rear of the church was partitioned to provide a Day Centre run by Age Concern. Modernisation continued in the 80s and 90s with the removal of pews, which were replaced by chairs, removal of the pulpit and organ and reordering of the chancel. The parish of St Peter with Christ Church continued until the mid 1990s. In 1992 a team was created with St Matthew, High Brooms comprising a Rector, Team Vicar and Curate. In 2002 a new Team was created when St Lawrence, Bidborough became the fourth church in the Team and posts of Team Vicar were established both at St Matthew and St Lawrence. Christ Church has continued the evangelical tradition established at St Peter; an emphasis on encounter with God through the exposition of scripture, sung worship and Holy Communion. Sung worship features a mixture of old and new led by various musicians among the laity. Robing is at the discretion of the celebrant and lay participation is actively encouraged in all aspects. S O U T H B O R O U G H 2

6 Person Profile Skills, competencies and qualities required: Enthusiastic bible based person who lives, teaches and preaches based on biblical principles and is open to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Proven competent leader who is able to build, direct and nurture a suitable team support structure. Ability and willingness to identify necessary areas for change and make difficult but decisive changes if required. An approachable enabler and encourager. A good communicator. Has a passion for mission and outreach. Can relate to and engage with the high number of young families in and around the community alongside the more senior members of our congregation. Has experience of and demonstrates pastoral skills and organising a pastoral team. A sense of humour. Someone who takes time out for personal spiritual refreshment and has a good work/life balance. We see the following as the key tasks of our new incumbent: Interpret, teach and live out the gospel in a way that encourages faith development. Work with paid staff and a leadership team to continue to build, adapt and develop our vision. Move us forward as a church with that vision and help us engage more effectively and efficiently with the wider community utilising the resources we have and the services and outreach we may be able to offer. Provide day to day leadership of the team of volunteers who have leadership roles in a way that liberates and energises them. 3 S O U T H B O R O U G H

7 What We Can Offer We recognise that the parish is busy and demanding, but if you come to Christ Church you will not be working on your own as you will be supported by a strong team of both paid staff and volunteers. Staff & Ministry team Our team currently consists of: Nigel Griffiths, a stipendiary curate (in his third of four years) Sue Shrubb our church administrator (part time) Linnea Voisey our Youth worker (part time) Gen Griffiths our Families worker (part time) two Licensed Lay Ministers who also support the Diocesan Lay person s development programme through teaching and area Rep roles a Lay Evangelist a retired priest with PTO and other experienced lay service leaders, some of whom also preach. District Church Council Under the current Team Ministry structure under which 4 local churches operate under one PCC, each church in the Team has its own DCC which carries out most of the local governance. Christ Church DCC currently comprises four elected members, one deanery synod member, three co-opted members, the two churchwardens, Treasurer and the Curate, twelve in all. Meetings are normally held every other month. The Standing Committee, comprising the clergy, churchwardens and treasurer take decisions (mostly financial up to an approved level) between meetings which are then ratified at the next DCC. Ministry Leadership Team, MLT As well as the official DCC, we also operate a Ministry Leadership Team to advise and support the incumbent in the key ministry areas of church life. There are people representing Prayer and Worship, Small Groups, Men s Outreach, Outreach, Mission Links,Youth and Children s work. S O U T H B O R O U G H 4

8 Incumbents housing 86 Prospect Road Owned by the Diocese, the Rectory is next door to the church and is a Victorian six bedroom detached property. On the ground floor there is a study, dining room, sitting room with patio doors onto the garden, kitchen, utility room and cloakroom. There is a bathroom and toilet and four bedrooms on the first floor and two more bedrooms on the second floor. It has a garden, garage and off-road parking. It needs a degree of modernisation and plans are afoot to create an en-suite in one of the large bedrooms to provide better amenities for family living. Work is currently being scheduled whilst the property is empty. Link to our website 5 S O U T H B O R O U G H

9 Our Vision Faith building, Bridge Building, Life Building The above strap line summarises the vision statement adopted in These three features are intended to focus all that we do as a church: Faith building: We believe the Bible reveals God s will, by His Spirit and we seek to enable people to understand its true meaning and apply it to their lives as true disciples of Christ. We seek also to create a worship environment in which the reality of God is experienced. Bridge building: We seek to ensure that the church is a visible and valuable presence in the community by welcoming and serving as many people as we can. Life building: We believe that we are created to have a relationship with Jesus Christ by His Spirit. We seek therefore to give opportunities for people to discover for themselves the relevance of Jesus for their lives and to demonstrate this through our communal life and care for one another. S O U T H B O R O U G H 6

10 Faith Building As a CPAS patronage parish our tradition is evangelical. We place a high value on biblical preaching, mission and worship. We stand firmly on the authority of the Bible as the revealed Word of God and believe that the Bible speaks to each new generation afresh and the Holy Spirit is at work in our world today. Weekly Sunday Services Monthly Pattern First Sunday Second Sunday Third Sunday Fourth Sunday Fifth Sunday Morning Service Evening Service am 6.30 pm All-Age Service Holy Communion Holy Communion Evening Prayer Morning Worship Holy Communion Morning Worship, with Prayer for the Streets Informal Morning Worship with Missionary Focus Informal 7 S O U T H B O R O U G H

11 10.00 am Morning Services The monthly All Age Service sees children and adults remain together with something for everyone and the emphasis on Fun. On the other Sundays: Pathfinders and CYFA yr 7-13 meet in the adjacent hall Jesus and Me (JAM) meets in the Annexe where they learn more about Jesus and his love for us before being split into age appropriate learning groups. Other morning services include Holy Communion which takes place on the second Sunday of every month and many look forward to the third Sunday when coffee and doughnuts are served as you enter the church! Worship and music plays an important part of our main services with two different music groups leading worship; the Music Group and Youth Band. Having replaced the pipe organ most worship is now centered round an electric piano, drums and/or guitar. Everyone is encouraged to remain together in fellowship after the service for tea, coffee and biscuits and prayer stations in the church enable prayer to continue for individuals whenever there is a need. Average morning attendance is currently between 70 and 80 adults and 20 to 30 children pm Evening Services are a smaller and more intimate affair with an attendance between 10 and 25. We have been experimenting recently with varying degrees of success (measured in terms of attendance) with alternative forms of service on 4th and 5th Sundays including panel discussions, informal discussions over a light shared meal and having the occasional guest speakers. S O U T H B O R O U G H 8

12 Messy Church takes place on the fourth Sunday of every month from 3.30 pm to 5 pm. This is a fun and active service for children of Primary School age and their parents. This is always well attended by an average of 30 children and 15 adults. With a child-friendly, vibrant approach this service is geared to appeal to both regular church families as well as families who don t attend our other Sunday Services, the latter of whom usually make up the majority of the congregation. Wedding Services are a very occasional occurrence at Christ Church since the setting of St Peter is a much more attractive option. Couples wishing to marry at Christ Church meet with our Vicar for marriage preparation discussions. Couples who have been previously married and divorced are invited to discuss what their options might be. Baptism Services take place during the morning Sunday Services. Following the practice of the earliest church, we baptise new converts (of any age) and the children of families in the parish following baptism preparation. For those parents who prefer to wait we offer thanksgiving dedications (for their children) we also offer reaffirmation of vows. SANDS Service This ministry is an annual church service run in conjunction with the Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society Charity. Memorial Service is an annual church service for those in the community who come to remember and mourn the loss of family and friends. The service is shared with our local funeral director. 9 S O U T H B O R O U G H

13 Prayer We have regular monthly Women and Mens prayer meetings and a bi-monthly evening prayer meeting. Alpha We aim to ensure that there is access to a yearly Alpha course, if not at Christ Church, then in partnership with a neighbouring church. Alpha is advertised amongst the various congregations and the churches provide facilitators and cooks for the evenings. Soul Survivor This summer festival is a must for many of our young people. We have for the past few years organised successful trips to the festival. Ecumenical Life Whilst Southborough sits a little outside Tunbridge Wells, though still part of the borough, there is a very strong ecumenical aspect to church life in the Town. Churches for Tunbridge Wells, the Annual Week of Prayer for Tunbridge Wells and is a member of Evangelical Alliance. Members of Christ Church are involved with Tunbridge Wells Street Pastors and the annual Churches Winter Shelter which runs from the New Year for two months and provides a warm bed, food and conversation to street homeless people during the coldest part of the year. S O U T H B O R O U G H 10

14 Bridge Building Messy Club A relatively new ministry, run fortnightly on Friday afternoons during school term time that began as an offshoot from the original Messy Church on Friday afternoons. It is run by our part time Children and Families worker using the Hall and the Annexe for usually approx primary school children the majority of whom are not Sunday regulars. Each session of crafts and games is based on pieces of scripture. A small rota of 3-4 volunteers help run these sessions. It is beginning to feed into our Messy Church Services and other activities missional events such as our Holiday Club and Light Party and has proved to be an invaluable way of building relationships. Friday Café This is run every Friday morning in the Hall during school term time. Following the school drop it offers parents the opportunity of a place to meet and meet and share time with other parents and have tea/coffee and bacon rolls.toys and refreshments are available for those who have preschool children with them. This attracts about 25 adults and 10 children each week. Friday Lunch Club This follows on from Friday Café and is aimed at the elderly in the parish. Lunches are provided by Age UK in Tunbridge Wells and alongside fellowship these lunches exist to minister to those in their later years as most attendees are not members of the Sunday congregations. 11 S O U T H B O R O U G H

15 Holiday Club Each year during the summer holidays a themed Holiday Club is run for primary school aged children. It has been run over 3 weekday mornings with a suitable all age service on the following Sunday. About 40 to 50 children sign up for the sessions which are run by the Children/Youth worker and a team of about 10 volunteers. Prayer Collection One evening every month a group of approx. 4-6 volunteers visit every household on a different street in the parish primarily to ask whether there is any request that they would like taken to the next Sunday service for prayer. These are than summarised and presented to the congregation in the following service. Tea and Toys Is our term-time toddler group for parents and carers to bring their pre-school children to play in a friendly and safe environment every Monday morning. Tea and Toys provides fun activities with lots of toys, and opportunities to sing songs and listen to stories. We have an average of between 35 and 50 children each week, most of those who come are not part of the regular Sunday congregation. Youth Club Every Friday evening during term time the church welcomes all young people of secondary school age in Southborough. The club is run by our youth worker and volunteers who supervise as many as 30 teenagers. It s a chilled environment where they play pool, air hockey,wii football and a lot of other things! S O U T H B O R O U G H 12

16 The local Primary School Southborough C of E Primary School sits directly next to the church and both the church and the vicarage share a boundary with the school. Links between the church and the school have always been strong with either the vicar or, more recently, the curate being an ex officio school governor; three members of our congregation are Foundation Governors. It currently has approx. 600 pupils and is planned to grow by a further 100 children over the next 2 years to become fully 3 Form Entry. Services: The school make use of the church for services such as Easter, Christmas and Harvest. Assemblies: Our staff are invited to do weekly assemblies for the upper (KS2) and lower (KS1) schools. We have started a monthly staff prayer meeting and are hoping to begin a parents prayer meeting. Our Church Mission Partners We support both in prayer and financially five mission organisations which are: CPAS - Crossteach - Education for Life - MAF - Sovereign World Trust S O U T H B O R O U G H

17 Life Building Home Groups (also known as Life Groups ) meet fortnightly in people s homes and follow a common programme set by one of our Licensed Lay Ministers. Each group had a leader or sometimes leadership is shared. This term for a change, the groups are meeting en masse in the church hall. Study topics are varied and in terms of length usually fit around the length of school terms, so about six to eight study sessions. Recent topics have included material based on The Kings Speech, Fruitfulness on the Front- line (LICC), Galatians, HTB Prayer Course. Youth Life Group Meet every Wednesday at church to dig a little bit deeper into the Bible to understand God s will for their lives and the amazing gift of knowing his son. It is led by the Youth worker. Men s Breakfasts and Curry nights We are running quarterly breakfasts and monthly curry nights to promote fellowship and provide opportunities to bring friends. Coffee and Chat A small group of approx. 8-10, mostly women, who are predominantly all members of the Sunday congregation, meet in the Annexe alternate Wednesday mornings, to do just this and from time to time go out on various trips. Youth Band After the morning service members of the youth band meet to worship and practice songs for when they lead the worship on the third Sunday. Food and Fellowship A range of fellowship activities take place throughout the year. These have/would include a Burns Night, Harvest Meal and Barn Dance, Quiz night, Curry night. Some of these events are focused on Outreach whilst others are to strengthen the community of the church. S O U T H B O R O U G H 14

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19 Where Next? As we move forward to become a separate parish with our own vicar, we still consider ourselves to be very much part of a Group actively seeking ways to partner together in a shared missional approach towards Southborough. We value our own identity as a church but are excited about the possibilities of pooling our resources and talents in mission while offering Southborough a variety of ways of doing Church. We need open hearts and minds to be able to see the opportunities placed before us, as we try to further build and extend God s Kingdom in the place we have been planted as a church and congregation. Strengths and Opportunities 1. Our place and standing in the community we serve. The church is in a prominent position locally and stands at the heart of the community and beside the local primary school. The visibility and reputation of the church are also known by many of the residents through invitations to events throughout the year, school services in the church at Church festivals and monthly door to door prayer collections through the year. 2. The variety and appeal to local residents of the various outreach initiatives we currently run. 3. The quality, extent and flexibility of the fabric we have available the church with its removable seating and then the hall and the annexe each with their own kitchen/catering facilities, toilets and suitable seating. 4. Our Lay Leadership Team including part-time youth worker and part-time families worker. 5. The variety, and success, of the outreach ministries are a platform for developing church growth. However, this is likely to require identifying the necessary key interim steps that reflect the stages of the faith journey of many of those that attend these ministries. 6. The proposed development of the Southborough Group to replace the Team with its aim to develop a combined mission approach towards Southborough may see new and varied ministries developing at Christ Church. 7. We have yet to tap the mission/outreach potential of the new annexe space. S O U T H B O R O U G H 16

20 Areas of Concern and Challenges 1. The age profile of the congregation which is older than that of the surrounding community. We particularly lack numbers in the age bracket and have little representation in the age band. 2. We struggle to run all the outreach ministries we have with our limited pool of volunteers. This may reflect a culture of being served and not serving or not enough nurturing of a next generation of volunteers meaning we have relied on too few activists. 3. A record from 2010 of declining church attendance numbers. However the previous seven years have been a busy period, with increased outreach activities. Each of these activities have grown and each seem to have been successful with most continuing today. 4. The ageing profile of the congregation and the heavy dependence on elderly givers means that, unless something changes, there will be financial crisis for the mission and ministries; the short term consequence of which may be to terminate or cut back these activities. 5. There is a possibility that the demand /high number of users taking up certain ministries e.g. Friday Youth Club may cause an over-stretching of the volunteer support group to the point that we lose control or fail, and have to close down ministries. We need to find strategies to identify and take appropriate steps to better manage and direct these ministries. 6. In particular our pastoral work is unstructured and limited relative to what might be seen in other churches of this size. There is a need to develop a pastoral team and such pastoral work as there is rests with the clergy and a handful of faithful volunteers and tends to be more reactive than proactive. 17 S O U T H B O R O U G H

21 Our Vision for the New Group Ministry We are really excited about the great mission opportunities which the new Group approach will offer. The intention is to form a Group Council and agree what we shall partner on and how we shall pool personnel and resources in key ministries. Among this yet-to-be-birthed Group we have already held a successful Alpha Course, shared Lent courses, collectively opened our doors for co-ordinated prayer events in Thy Kingdom Come and we see this as just the start. In addition, the local council is well advanced towards the building of a new social centre of amenities, offices and a community theatre known as The Hub. Situated on London Road we believe the possibilities to offer a presence in the form of united services, public meetings and social events in the new civic space are huge. S O U T H B O R O U G H 18

22 Our Location Southborough lies immediately to the north of Tunbridge Wells in West Kent, near the East Sussex border. It is a town of approximately 11,500 within the Borough of Tunbridge Wells but it retains a strong sense of independent identity. Southborough has a small, but busy, High Street with local shops including convenience stores, a butcher, cafes, wine merchants, and a variety of food outlets. A new Town Hub is expected to be built in the next few years housing a new theatre/community hall and it is expected that it will rehouse the existing medical centre and Library. In line with current trends around the greenbelt a number of housing projects are planned in and around the area to address housing shortages. Other amenities include 71 acres of woodland and Common with a cricket pitch, several play parks and recreation grounds. Tunbridge Wells Sports & Indoor Tennis Centre and the Knights Park Leisure Centre including tenpin bowling and a multi screen cinema are close by, as indeed is Tunbridge Wells. Transport links are good with easy access to the A21 and M25 orbital, the Kent & Sussex coast is 30 miles away. Central London can be reached in approximately 50 minutes from our nearest mainline railway station, High Brooms, approximately a mile away. 19 S O U T H B O R O U G H

23 Our Parish Our parish is largely residential but includes a stretch of High Street and one or two small businesses. In addition to the neighbouring C of E churches of St Peter s and St Thomas s our neighbours include : St Dunstans (Roman Catholic) Southborough Methodist Church New Life Church (Open Doors Network) The Team Parish comprises 13,400 residents mainly UK born (92%), in 5,150 households. Approx. 60% of those living in this area are under the age of 44 years, with the largest demographic being those aged years. About 10% of the area s households are single occupied by people over the age of 65 years. On the other side, about 1 in 5 of all households with dependent children are lone parent households. Nearly 18% of the households in the area are socially rented households and18% of all households have no access to a vehicle. The Christ Church electoral roll has 111 members most of whom live within walking distance and the 2016 average Sunday attendances was 93 adults and 26 children. It is guesstimated that approx % of the usual congregation is over the age 55 years though there are some young families and an active and growing youth group. To give some indication of our pastoral serices in 2016 Christ Church conducted around 20 baptisms, 5 weddings and 10 funerals. 9 S O U T H B O R O U G H 20

24 Our Schools Christ Church is directly next door to Southborough C of E Primary School southborough.kent.sch.uk/ (See section on Bridge Building for more details.) In addition there are a number of other C of E primary schools within a few miles of us. There are two church secondary schools in Tunbridge Wells graded as Outstanding in their latest OFSTEDs: St Gregory s Catholic Comprehensive, and which lies just outside the parish boundary Bennett Memorial Diocesan School, bennettmemorial.co.uk/ which is about a mile away Additionally, Kent still retains its state grammar school system and there are two boys grammars and one girl s grammar school within walking distance of Southborough. 21 S O U T H B O R O U G H 10

25 Our Buildings The Church, Hall and Annexe Constructed in 1871 and extended in 1888 the building is generally in good order and is due a Quinquennial Inspection during The space can be used very flexibly for various events such as barn dances, Christmas fair, café church etc. In addition to the main worship space and vestry there is a hall, separated from the worship space by a sliding partition with a recently upgraded kitchen and toilets. Additionally last year saw the completion of our long-awaited annexe building the result of a vision stretching back to the millennium to expand our own scope for our activities as well as providing the wider community with a space for hire. The funding for the project came completely from the pockets of the congregation or by their fundraising efforts. The annexe is a stand-alone space with a hall, a kitchenette, a disabled toilet and a small meeting room. Under floor heating means that the space is kept at a comfortable temperature. The design is such that it can be used completely independently of either the hall or the church but as there is a connecting door to the hall, all three spaces can be used at once. Both the hall and the annexe are hired out for community use with the new annexe proving particularly popular. S O U T H B O R O U G H 22

26 54 Holden Park Road Is a three bedroom Victorian semi detached house currently jointly owned by Christ Church and St Peter and lying 50 yards from the church. It is currently occupied by our curate and his family. It is in good order and has a substantial repair fund built up over a number of years. 23 S O U T H B O R O U G H

27 Finances The charts below present summary information about the general fund income and expenditure for 2016 which had a small surplus at year end, before the transfer of approx. 2,000 to the repair fund. General Fund Income ( 121,986) Grant - youth work 2% Gift aid giving 57% Other income 13% Other voluntary giving 1% Collections at services (Cash & FWO) 7% HMRC (gift aid/ GASDS) 16% Other planned giving 5% Nearly 80% of this total income came from planned giving (with approx. 60% from those aged 65 and older) and the associated gift aid income. S O U T H B O R O U G H 24

28 General Fund Expenditure ( 120,502) Mission giving 9% Church running costs 16% Administrationcosts 4% PCC/Diocesan costs 47% Children/youth worker & costs 18% Parish activities 7% Our mission giving is allocated equally across 7 pots - 5 mission partners here in the UK and overseas, a pot for local charities and community activities and the final pot is for emergency situations (e.g. earthquakes). In 2017 we budgeted to continue with our Diocesan Parish Offer through the interregnum period. Provision was also made for a Children and Youth worker and a part-time Children and Family worker. Following the building of the Annexe (opened in April 2017), sufficient funds exist to complete several long outstanding wish list refurbishment projects.the first has been the modernising of the kitchen area.the upgrading of the lighting in the church and a new projection system are the final two applications await DAC approval. 25 S O U T H B O R O U G H

29 Diocese Called Together - the vision for the Diocese of Rochester Launched in November 2017, Called Together is the strategic vision for the Diocese of Rochester. The vision and core themes were discerned following extensive engagement across the Diocese, seeking to hear what God is calling us to in this place and time. The three themes Growing Disciples, Enriching our Communities, and Resourcing our Mission and Ministry seek to give focus and direction to our priorities over the next five years. Every parish in the Diocese is invited to support the shared vision in a way which fits their local context, working towards the same goals. Called Together marks the beginning of an exciting journey for the Diocese of Rochester. As Bishop James said, This is a significant moment for us as a Christian community. It has implications not just for how we move forward and connect as a Church family, but how we engage and support people across our communities. More information can be found on the Diocesan website at org/called-together Tunbridge Wells Deanery There are 18 Anglican churches within the Deanery of Tunbridge Wells. (The civil and ecclesiastical boundaries are not the same so that some parts of the borough are in another deanery and some are served by Chichester diocese.) Across the churches there are some 24 clergy in the deanery which includes assistant ministers and curates as well as chaplains at the diocesan secondary school Bennett Memorial Academy and Burrswood Healing Centre, One of our wardens is currently Lay Chair of Deanery Synod and Lay representative to Diocesan Synod. S O U T H B O R O U G H 26