Benefice of St Mary s, Chard with Wambrook Combe St Nicholas, Whitestaunton and Ham. Seeking a Rector. February 2018 Benefice Profile

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1 Benefice of St Mary s, Chard with Wambrook Combe St Nicholas, Whitestaunton and Ham Seeking a Rector February 2018 Benefice Profile

2 Contents Welcome and Introduction Where we are Our Vision Who we are looking for Current Worship Structure Staff and Team Members The Benefice: St. Mary s Chard St. Mary s Wambrook St. Andrew s Whitestaunton St. Nicholas' Combe St. Nicholas Finance Appendix i What Matters Who Cares ii The Vicarage iii Deanery Plan iv Useful Websites 2

3 Welcome and Introduction Our benefice comprises St Mary s, Chard, with St Nicholas', Combe St Nicholas, St Mary s, Wambrook, St Andrew's, Whitestaunton. Chard is an industrial town with a strong manufacturing base and multi-national workforce, population c situated in the Somerset countryside close to the borders with Devon and Dorset. Within 4 miles of Chard are the villages of Combe St Nicholas, Wambrook, Whitestaunton, with a combined population of Our benefice is relatively new, having been formed in 2010, and its diverse makeup presents opportunity for further developing mutual growth, worship and church-based activities. We thank you for viewing our profile and invite you to pray with us and we with you for God s guidance in the role you are called to and the role we offer in his name. 3

4 The Ilminster Deanery The benefice is part of the Chard area Local Ministry Group and the Ilminster Deanery. The Deanery consists of rural and town parishes. There are 7 full- time clergy, 1 half- time post, 4 House for Duty priests (currently 2 are vacant) and 3 curates. The supportive chapter meets most months and the LMG meets monthly for breakfast in the local Wetherspoons. Deanery Synod meets 3 times a year.. Bishop Ruth is to lead a mission in the Deanery in 2018, the Deanery Mission and Pastoral Group has commenced planning and praying for this event. (See appendix i What Matters Who Cares) The Rural Dean writes... The Ilminster deanery chapter recognises the significance of finding the right person for this post; not just for Chard and it's villages but for the deanery. As a small deanery on the edge of the diocese we enjoy a warm supportive chapter which is keen to share the highs and lows of ministry. We hold a clear vision for realistic but ambitious hopes to grow our churches and the impact we have in our communities. The Deanery Mission Plan (Appendix iii) reveals how we try to balance the specifics of each parish with a united common agenda for The Kingdom. This appointment is a key role; not least because the benefice holds the largest population but the most significant pockets of poverty and social challenges are also to be found here. The engagement by the congregation of St Mary's Chard with these issues has attracted a high profile over the years. There is support and guidance from the fruitful relationships within Chard Churches Together as well as the deanery chapter. If having looked at this profile, you would like to informally chat further, please do contact me. Grace and peace for your discernment. Revd Nigel Done. Rural Dean of Ilminster nigel.done@btinternet.com 4

5 The Diocese of Bath and Wells The Diocese is centred on the beautiful medieval city of Wells, the smallest city in England. The Diocese has an excellent programme of Continuing Ministerial Development available to clergy and readers. Opportunities for study leave and sabbaticals are also provided along with an excellent network of spiritual and pastoral care for clergy and their families. Bishop Peter Hancock and Bishop Ruth Worsley (Bishop of Taunton) seek to be missional, inspirational and relational putting mission and evangelism at the heart of all we do, seeking and focussing all of us in the Diocese on the charge given to Bishop Peter on his appointment by the Archbishop of Canterbury: To grow the church numerically and spiritually. To reimagine ministry. To contribute to the common good. Our vision, and the diocesan strategy that is emerging from it, speaks of the story of Jesus; his life, teaching and work, his death and resurrection; the story which is the context of our faith and the content of our message. We seek to live this story as disciples of Jesus Christ in the world and to tell it, both in sharing the good news and by the way in which our lives speak about Him. Bishop Peter s work on a new vision and strategy for the diocese began during his first year as Bishop of Bath and Wells, which he spent visiting parishes and listening. The diocesan strategy is built around three priorities: 1. To place mission and evangelism at the heart of all we do. 2. To re-align our resources towards mission. 3. To identify, develop and release the gifts of all our people. 5

6 Where Are We? Map 1 Chard and the surrounding area Map 2 Chard and the villages of Combe St Nicholas, Wambrook and Whitestaunton 6

7 Our Vision Seeking to work more closely together as a benefice of church communities, we are committed to nurturing and growing, and to spreading the Good News of our God who loves, inspires, empowers and transforms lives. We wish to draw together into one body, our church in the heart of an industrialised town with our sister churches in the contrastingly different rural setting they are in, each with specific and often different needs. Loving our neighbour is at the heart of our vision. Who Are We Looking For? Experience A leader of people with a proven record of effective people and task organisation, capable of taking up the challenge of unifying and advancing our benefice. A person of the people who can relate to the man or woman in the street or workplace integrating with an industrialised and often poor community of indigenous and immigrant composition but who can also relate to those in rural communities of contrasting composition and needs. Knowledge, Skills, and Competencies A team-leader and team-player capable of working with professionals and volunteers bringing the best out of people by example, listening skills and effective organisation. An encouraging and supportive mentor as part of the team to train curates and readers as they qualify and develop their skills in fulfilling their calling. A communicator who can relate to all and who has good computer literacy skills whilst still including those who do not. A champion of Christian mission and outreach, spreading the word of God into our diverse community of factory, field and town. 7

8 A courageous and risk-taking leader who will inspire the church communities to develop their skills and be prepared to take us out of our comfort zone as we seek to follow Christ. General Attributes An approachable, loving, confident and robust person with a good sense of humour who trusts the Holy Spirit to do extraordinary works. Values We are looking for someone who: Can balance tradition with innovation. Can keep this balance whilst enabling challenging and lively worship something fresh each week. Can integrate into the worshipping community, people of all ages on the periphery of our outreach by providing worship opportunities appropriate to their age-range and availability. Can reach out further to our local schools to integrate them more into our Christian community. Values music in worship and can work hand-in-hand with organists, musicians and singers to plan and deliver a variety of musical content reflecting our rich and diverse nature of worship. Can demonstrate a very real and open love for the Lord Jesus Christ 8

9 A Typical Month Across the Benefice This typical pattern can be varied, especially for Festivals and special Week St. Mary's Chard 1st Sunday 8.00am Said Holy Communion CW 10.00am Morning Prayer 11am Family Time St Marys Church Rooms 2nd Sunday 8.00am Said Holy CommunionCW 10.00am Holy Communion CW 3rd Sunday 8.00am Said Holy Communion CW 10.00am Family Service 3rd Wednesday 4th Sunday 8.00am Said Holy Communion CW 10.00am Holy Communion CW 5th Sunday 8.00am Said Holy Communion CW 10.00am Benefice Holy Communion Every Wednesday events St. Nicholas' Combe St Nicholas 10:30am Family Service 6.00pm Evensong Ham Church (summer only) 10.30am Holy Communion 10.30am Service of the Word 6.00pm Evensong Ham Church (summer only) 10am Holy Communion 10.30am Holy Communion 10.00am Benefice Holy Communion St. Mary's Wambrook 9.15 am Holy Communion BCP 9.15am Holy Communion CW 6.00pm Evensong BCP 10.00am Benefice Holy Communion St. Andrew's Whitestaunton 6.00pm Evensong BCP 9.15 am Holy Communion CW 10.00am Benefice Holy Communion 9-45am Said Holy Communion CW Services are mostly based on Common Worship unless detailed otherwise 9

10 Staff and Team Members My name is Georgina Vye and I am the full time Associate Vicar here in the Benefice of St Marys with the Cloverleaf Parishes. Everyday I thrive on the opportunities that present themselves living and ministering in such a diverse situation. I enjoy my ministry and life here immensely. I enjoy being with people and the privilege of sharing life s journey with them I m Katharine Hawksley and I m the Curate of the Benefice. I m nearing the end of my second year having been priested last summer. I m enjoying serving my curacy within the benefice with all that it brings. The vacancy has brought its own challenges and opportunities, and I m looking forward to participating in a full team once again. I m Charles Sparey, a Reader in the Benefice, having been recently licensed at Wells Cathedral in In addition, I m also the Ilminster Deanery Warden of Readers, and I represent the Deanery Readers on the Reader Council as well as at Deanery events. I live in Ilminster with my wife, Natalie, being a Chartered Engineer, I work full time as a technical team leader and project manager for a Bristol based software development company splitting my professional time between home and the office as required. I am Ruth Rogers. I've been a Reader for nearly 18 years. I coordinate the Tots and Mums group, help with Baptism preparation, visit 2 schools once a week to listen to children read as well as lead Assemblies and I love every single minute of it. Who wouldn't enjoy doing the Hokey Cokey with two and three year olds or singing Who is the King of the Jungle with Key Stage one children? I suppose I spend more time in the community than I do in Church! Of course I still do the "normal" Reader duties (if there is such a thing). My name is Alan Gunn I have been worshiping at St.Mary's for over 15 years in that time I have had the privilege to serve as Churchwarden for four years. Now I am half way through the Exploring Christianity course and I am going for Reader selection in November of this year, this being part of the path where I feel my mission lies in Chard. 10

11 St Mary s Church, Chard St Mary s Chard The People The Rector at St Mary s will join a rich benefice team comprising a full time stipendiary Associate Vicar, and a team of 3 readers plus one Reader in training. We also have a full-time curate in training and members of the church who are pursuing vocations as reader and in ordained ministry. In addition we have ordinary church members who take an active part in worship. We have a forward-thinking and effective Wardens Team There is a PCC whose members vary in age and experience. Church members take part in services, and the music in our worship is expanding. We have a music group that plays at services delivering a variety of music reflecting our diverse and dynamic worship. Our electoral roll numbers 146 and includes people of all ages, willing to use their many and varied gifts when needed. The main Sunday worship at St Mary s incudes Holy Communion, Morning Prayer, Family Service, and a monthly Café Church in the church rooms. Home communions and services in many local sheltered housing communities and nursing homes take place each week. The life of the church extends into the week with social meetings Mothers Union, the WiSH Group, Tots on Tuesdays, flower arrangers, a walking group and coffee mornings, and we are keen to develop this. A strong supportive pastoral team keeps an eye on all members of the congregation and we also have a small number of home groups. We also run Lent courses and Lent lunches. We are trying to develop increased links with community primary schools in the parish. Redstart school has outstanding status. Manor Court School is situated next door and uses the church for festival services; the Head Teacher is keen to make more use of the church. Ruth Rogers a Reader, visits regularly to support the staff and take assemblies. There is a small independent school in the parish and most of the churches in Chard take assemblies there. Holyrood Academy delivering secondary education is a school of about 1300 and received an Ofsted report in 2013 which was outstanding in every category. Chard Town Council is very supportive of the church and we hold a number of large civic events each year. The vicar has been the Mayor s Chaplain twice. The council gave 1000 towards roof repairs and the mayor along with the vicar abseiled together down the church tower to raise funds. This was a wonderful community event where over 100 people took part and over 3000 was raised. 11

12 St Mary s -What Do We Offer? A committed team of clergy and lay within the benefice offering support and capability along with friendship and humour to deliver our vision. Increasingly strong links with our local primary schools and a desire to increase these to other schools. Pastoral care through pastoral teams and individuals. A parish administrator. A vibrant church community comprising: o A singing group. o The WiSH Group. (Womens Social Hub) o Musicians. o Mothers Union. o Bell ringers. o Flower arrangers. o Tots group. o A walking group etc. A community centre hosting brownies, health visitors, English lessons for non-english speakers, and other community activities. A vicarage close to the church, schools and town centre. A welcoming church which encompasses within its family all needs and special needs. St Mary s Chard The Buildings St Mary s is Grade 1 listed, built in the 15th century on the site of at least 2 former churches. Comfortable chairs provide seating for 200 and can be moved easily to suit a variety of activities from the occasional informal service to harvest barn dances, youth events, and concerts. BBC radio 4 has broadcast Any Questions? live from St Mary s and in November 2016, the Archbishop of Canterbury visited St Mary s and the community outreach Mary s of which the new incumbent s role will include Chair of Trustees. 12

13 @St Mary Centre Within the church grounds is the building often known as, The Church Rooms but which belongs to the Southend Church of England Educational Foundation formed on the closure of the school in the 1950s and which continues to run the building as a community centre. Re-decorated and re-launched in 2016, the centre currently hosts the Mothers Union, health visitors, brownies, tots group, a class teaching English as a foreign language, and church activities. The centre is an essential outreach for church mission and activities. Its committee comprises church members and the spiritual needs of the centre are served by a lay chaplain. St Mary s Chard The Future We offer an opportunity to our new Rector to: Take us on a journey to new grounds. Offer dynamic worship attractive to all. Encourage sleeping talent. Support development of new activities and ways of worship. These include: Bereavement Group. Men s Shed. Stronger links with primary and secondary schools. Weekend activities for working people. Improved mental health provision for people within our community. Areas of significant concern are the physical, social, emotional, and spiritual needs of an ageing population, and the needs of young families for guidance and support in matters of finance, parenting, mental health and relationships. Across the congregations and the town, people seek to express their gratitude for the life they enjoy in helping others less fortunate than themselves, so there are lots of opportunities to engage with the global issues of our day in ways that are meaningful and offer hope. Chard Crew use the Church Grounds for the final C25K (Couch to 5 k). Again this is an initiative in development using St Mary s by the community for health and wellbeing. 13

14 St Mary s Chard - Chard Churches Together We are active partners in Chard Churches Together, supporting the work of the Lord s Larder and also providing volunteers and facilities for the children s summer activity week and regular messy church events. We also join with Chard Methodist Church on 2 Sundays a year. Other initiatives include : Chard Street Pastors - Are part of a national team first pioneered in 2003, and Street Pastors continues to grow throughout the UK and across the world. Street pastors are trained volunteers from local churches and they care about the community. They are usually on patrol from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. on a Friday or Saturday night to care for, listen to and help people who are out on the streets. They are led by our local coordinator and we also have support from local churches and community groups in partnership with the police, local council and other statutory agencies. Project Romania - The main aim of the Charity is to share the love of God in the commune of Seica Mare, Transylvania, and this is achieved by helping the children and the poorest and most vulnerable in the community with health needs. Encouraging educational schemes and cultural pursuits such as traditional dance and music. Responding financially when needed, encouraging members of the commune to get work and take responsibility for their families. St Mary s Chard Mission Plan St Mary s Church has a Mission Action Plan which is discussed at each PCC meeting and which is work in progress. While we are never satisfied with our efforts and always strive to do more, mission is currently practised though baptisms, visits to families, visits to schools, home communions, pastoral care, and the work Mary s Centre. We are in the centre of a needy community both materially and spiritually, and we are challenged to respond and that response benefits from regular energisation, inspiration and prayer. 14

15 St Mary s Wambrook Nestling within the Blackdown Hills area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in South Somerset, Wambrook is a rural village of c180 inhabitants. The community consists of people with widely differing backgrounds, experiences, occupations and interests. Surrounded by farmland and stunning countryside the quietness and privacy of country life is much valued as are those elements of village life which bring people together. Within the village there is a mix of traditional buildings several of which are Grade II listed and limited modern buildings. A thriving Inn plays an important role in village life as a venue for meetings and celebrations. The 13th Century Grade II* listed church is a gem of simplicity, energetically supported by members of the Church community; it is the topographical centre of the village and serves as a focus both sacred and secular. A new roof was installed in 2017 under a government funding scheme and further works enabling greater use are planned when funds permit. The Church is reasonably well funded and fully meets the current financial liabilities It is open every day for worshippers and visitors alike. Visitors and new worshippers are very welcome at Wambrook Church and this is actively encouraged. Fundraising is a strength and derives its income from a wide variety of activities including a Christmas Fair, Horse Ride, Motor Cycle event, Flower Show, Pub quizzes and some evening lectures. The Church community is very proud of its traditional values, which are held in high regard, with the Remembrance and Christmas Day Service format(s) as examples. The Parochial Church Council (P.C.C) meets in accordance with Church Representation rules and is committed to fostering a pragmatic and meaningful working relationship between both clergy and laity. A team of volunteers regularly clean the Church and decorate with flowers throughout the year. A further volunteer team regularly mow the Churchyard during the growing season and carry out general tidying up around the Church estate. These team(s) are made up from a cross section of the community, both worshippers and those who rarely if ever, attend. 15

16 A comprehensive listing, produced by three volunteers within the community, of the known burial records up to and including 2016 are in the process of being uploaded to the dedicated Church website. These records will be made available as a download and an interactive map of the Churchyard will shortly be added. This mirrors the records already on display in the Church for visitors to peruse at their leisure. A community wide survey on the future and greater use of the building was carried out in 2014 and it is available as a download from the Church website. We are a member of the Cloverleaf group of Parishes (Combe St Nicolas, Ham, Whitestaunton) and in line with the other Churches, has its own individual style. The group of Churches do work together, the most recent example was a fun horse ride day at the local racecourse kindly hosted by the local landowner. In summary, Wambrook remains a vibrant village with wide inter-generational loyalty to the Church as evidenced by support for regular Services, village events and Church festivals. Wambrook is a listening Church, which has been in continuous use since the early 13th century and will continue for the foreseeable future. Further information can be seen on the Church website at which is regularly updated, voluntarily funded and administered from within the community. St Andrew s Whitestaunton The Parish of Whitestaunton (population 256) consists of the hamlets of Howley, Northay, Crickleaze and Whitestaunton and a Residential Caravan Park. Whitestaunton itself is built on a Roman settlement near the site of St Agnes Well, once a site of pilgrimage. A very rural community, and four miles from the town of Chard, it is in the Blackdown Hills, a designated AONB. Dairy farming continues and there are still a number of longstanding old families involved in the dairy business. Whitestaunton, Howley, Northay and Crickleaze do have a community of local people who are no longer engaged in farming, plus recent newcomers, commuters and retired people. Most residents would still say they lived in a Farming Community. St. Andrew s Church is a fine Grade 1 building in a lovely setting. It is in a good state of repair. It has seating for 110 and has a car park, heating, WC facilities and very good acoustics. Concerts and organ recitals have been successfully held here. The building is well supported by volunteers, who outnumber our regular churchgoers. They 16

17 support the upkeep with time, labour and financial contributions. General services tend to have small congregations; there is scope to improve these numbers. The Festival Services, especially those relating to farming, are well attended and are regarded as traditional community and social events (such as the Harvest Supper).. The bell tower restoration was completed in 2017 and has created a Community Room as part of the bell tower restoration. It is hoped that a number of new activities, such as coffee mornings, group meetings and other ideas will utilise this space. A number of very successful musical evenings and concerts have already been held in the church for a number of years. Although a very small parish we do have some community groups. Young Farmers are very active. Hunting and shooting are a part of parish life during the season. We have a Ladies book club, as well as various coffee mornings and Quiz nights. Other events are held on a more ad hoc basis. Whitestaunton is a parish that rolls its sleeves up (also known as St. Kiplings because of the baking prowess of many of our members!); our mixed and diverse skill sets mean there is always someone to help and we work closely with the other churches within the Benefice. Our recent celebration of the dedication of the bells was widely attended by church- and non-church goers alike and one of our principal goals, with the new community room, is to bring more members of the wider community together in both secular and ecclesiastical celebrations. Congregation numbers attending services can vary widely, with special seasonal services and those containing christenings attracting a larger number of attendees, and one of the main concerns for the PCC is to be able to increase the number of regular attendees. One of the benefits of having completed the community room at the base of the bell tower, and the commencement of community activities such as coffee mornings, could be the increase of the number of people who wish to attend the church on a regular basis. There is a PCC of thirteen and an electoral role of 28. The PCC has been meeting almost every month whilst the bell tower restoration project has been active, and would normally try to meet every other month for general requirements. 17

18 St Nicholas' Combe St. Nicholas The Parish of Combe St. Nicholas ( lies about two miles from Chard and ten miles from Taunton. It is set in lovely countryside on the edge of the Blackdown Hills; the approach from the north via Stoopers Hill provides a stunning panorama of the area. The village of Wadeford lies within the Parish, and also the Mission Church of St.Barnabus, Ham, which is not connected to a supply of electricity. We hold services of evensong at Ham during the summer months when our organist, Marion, has to work hard to 'pump' the harmonium as well as play the music! We consider it a very friendly village, and with its' popular Church of England V A school the community has of a wide range of age groups. Within Combe Village is a shop incorporating Post Office services, a Methodist Chapel, a popular pub, and a well used village hall, which holds a weekly cafe as well as a wide range of social activities. The Parish/ Village Magazine, Cloverleaf is produced bimonthly and delivered, free, to all households in Combe, Whitestaunton and Wambrook. It carries useful advertising, which pays production costs. The village was known as Combe Episcopi and took its present name when the Church was dedicated to St. Nicholas in The church is situated within a large, well-tended, open churchyard with a lovely extension known as Sunday School Wood, which is used regularly by the school for Forest School, and on fine summer days other services can take place. The school is adjacent to the church and uses it for assemblies, end of term services prize giving and concerts. However, sadly, families do not often attend regular services although Christingle, held on Christmas Eve usually draws in about 100 excited children with their parents- which hopefully reminds them that Christmas is not all about Father Christmas and presents. A small adult choir led by Stephen, and a dedicated team of bell ringers with Lynne as Tower Captain supports Church services.the church is in covenant with the Methodist Church in the village and the congregations worship together regularly. The churchmanship of Combe St. Nicholas has by tradition been low, similar to that of the other two Cloverleaf parishes, and wishes to remain so. 18

19 An average of 42 people regularly attend worship, there are 61 names on the Electoral role. In 2017 there were 4 baptisms, 4 marriages and 6 funerals in St. Nicholas' Church. Combe St. Nicholas wishes to remain a low church. The current Church Wardens, appointed 2017, are Penny and Bobbie; both relative newcomers to Combe St. Nicholas. Finance St Mary s Chard We are pleased to say that we always meet our parish share request in full. In recent years this has only been possible because we have drawn upon reserves. The situation has been shared at the 2018 APCM, as it was In For the past two years we have held giving reviews and these have been fruitful. We have yet to develop the embedded routine of an annual giving review. This followed a gap of five years. We would welcome being led in this element of discipleship by our new parish priest. It is perhaps easier to do this in the initial stages of a ministry rather than wait until later. During our vacancy we have continued to engage with the Diocesan Resources Officer on this and he will be assisting us in our 2018 giving review which will be held prior to your arrival. Combe St Nicolas Our Parish Share Band is D which we pay in two instalments in January and June to enable us to claim a small discount. However this is becoming increasingly difficult and next year it may be necessary to forego the discount and pay monthly. Our running costs exceed our annual income by about 7,000. We meet this deficit by drawing on a legacy which was left to the church many years ago and is a finite sum. Our regular monthly giving has decreased year on year as older members pass away. We are constantly looking for ways to attract a younger membership and to raise funds. 19

20 Wambrook Parish share band is 'D' and pays the associated Parish share. Ongoing fundraising activities come from service donations, various community donations and community activities throughout the year. Funding is allocated under multiple funds or headings within a single account. This method has been adopted for various activities and projects in order to understand where we are financially, for planned repairs or projects. The funding covers repairs, mandatory expenses and improvements in facilities offered. on an ongoing basis. Whitestaunton Whitestaunton struggles to earn sufficient to pay its Parish Share We are in classification D (mostly retired, farming self sufficients or Caravan park residents). We try to generate donations to match grants for new projects and try to retain 5K reserves for emergencies. Thank You Thank you for reading our profile and taking the time to consider our Benefice in your Ministry. As you can see we are a great place to live and need the dedication of a Rector to help us grow and offer all the things we want to do. There are many fantastic ideas coming from the communities we serve and many things we are doing or wanting to do. We are aware that things can go wrong and not always smoothly but we are wise enough to learn from and move forwards with changes. If you want to join our hardworking Churches and steer us in a direction that encourages our spiritual needs as well as the community then please apply. 20

21 Appendix i. What Matters Who Cares? What Matters? Who Cares? in March and the Telling Our Story week in May are being facilitated by the parish churches of Ilminster Deanery, supported by the Right Reverend Ruth Worsely, Bishop of Taunton. We started with a big community evening on March 5 th at the Shrubbery Hotel in Ilminster where six very different people spoke to us and represented the views of their sector to start off the evening. And by inviting all members of the public for free, we wanted to bring together thewidest selection of people that we could from our community, and by listening to the speakers and then to one another, draw out the key issues we are facing. So we are delighted to report that there was a remarkable amount of energy and good will amongst the 120 people from towns and villages across south Somerset who gathered at the Shrubbery. Who would have thought that you could get such unity of common purpose across issues as diverse as funding in rural schools, TB infection in dairy cattle, access to universal credit and the preservation and future purpose of churches. If there was one common thread among all six speakers it was that healthy functioning communities are needed for the opportunities and challenges that face us to be truly grasped. Planning is well underway for the events in the week of 14 th to 20 th May, more details can be found on the website tellingourstory.co.uk. TheRevd Nigel Done Rural Dean 21

22 ii. The Vicarage The Vicarage on offer is a relatively modern ground floor bungalow with four bedrooms, two reception rooms, large kitchen diner and an office. It comprises of solar panels a solar heating system and is backed up by underfloor heating throughout. There is a double garage and extensive gardens with a large driveway plus rear parking access behind the garage. Some modification to the meeting room and sitting room has been undertaken to create the second reception room. There is plenty of room in St Mary s and in Mary s buildings to house meetings so the Vicarage can solely be used for living accommodation. Its proximity is opposite St Mary s Chard. 22

23 iii Mission Plan - Ilminster Deanery 23

24 iv Useful Websites