The Churchwardens welcome you to the PROFILE FOR THE BENEFICE OF. CHARLTON MUSGROVE, CUCKLINGTON AND STOKE TRISTER with BAYFORD

Transcription

1 The Churchwardens welcome you to the PROFILE FOR THE BENEFICE OF CHARLTON MUSGROVE, CUCKLINGTON AND STOKE TRISTER with BAYFORD

2 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 3 Who are we? Where are we located? OUR VISION 4 THE PERSON 4 Key Tasks Key Skills & Qualities What We Offer Supporting a Half Stipend Rector OUR CHURCHES 6 HOUSING 6 WEBSITES & USEFUL LINKS 7 THE PARISH OF CUCKLINGTON 8 THE PARISH OF STOKE TRISTER WITH BAYFORD 9 THE PARISH OF CHARLTON MUSGROVE 11 OUR WORSHIP IN THE BENEFICE 12 OUR FINANCES 13 BELLS & THE BENEFICE CHOIR 14 VILLAGE NEWS 15 BRUTON & CARY DEANERY 15 THE DIOCESE OF BATH AND WELLS 16 HOW DO I APPLY? 16 ANNEX 17 Summary of Parish Finances as at 31 st December 2015 THANK YOU 18 Page 2

3 INTRODUCTION We hope that you will find all you need to know to help you discern whether God is calling you to be our next Rector. Who are we? One of our church windows depicting our rural heritage We are a rural benefice of three parishes whose members work well together. We celebrate the history of our churches and this helps us to maintain a Christian ethos within our villages in the present day. We know that we need to engage with the question of how to provide for the future; to make our churches relevant and to seek to discover ways to grow and share our faith with the many who do not as yet come to church. We are looking for a spiritual leader with sensitivity who will assist us in this task. Where are we located? The Northern Blackmore Vale Set within the north of the beautiful Blackmore Vale, this delightful rural Benefice of four villages sits comfortably on the borders of Somerset, Dorset and Wiltshire close to an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is part of the Deanery of Bruton and Cary, in the Diocese of Bath & Wells. We have a good working relationship with the neighbouring Parishes of Wincanton and Penselwood. 3

4 The Benefice of the A303! The nearest towns are Gillingham and Wincanton. Gillingham, just over the border into Dorset (5 miles) has a main line railway station to London Waterloo (2 hrs) and Cross Country Rail links at Basingstoke (1 hr). Wincanton (3 miles) has a non-stop coach service to London (Hammersmith). Both towns have good primary and secondary schools, a library, supermarkets, banks, fitness centres, a swimming pool and numerous other shops and offices. Wincanton also has a health centre and a community hospital. The A303 is approximately 2 miles away. There are excellent road and rails links to all parts of the country. OUR VISION Although three separate Parishes, we are faithful witnesses to our Christian tradition. We see ourselves as engaged in a journey of exploring where God is calling us in the future. Continuing to make the Church more accessible and meaningful to our communities. Maintaining the growth of our congregations. Involving our children in the life of the Church. Worshipping together on a regular basis. Securing our finances. Preserving the heritage and fabric of our places of worship. THE PERSON Key Tasks To help us engage with the question of how to help the rural church flourish. To nurture our existing congregations and encourage growth, especially among the young. 4

5 One of our children! Key Skills & Qualities The varying styles of the parishes and their parishioners all mean that we are seeking a person who is flexible and comfortable officiating at a range of services. Equally we seek someone who is prepared to innovate, to move the thinking of the PCCs forward, to help us attract additional younger members, and finally to support us as we seek to develop and grow as a Christian community. There is also scope to encourage lay members of our congregations to do more in our acts of worship. The ideal candidate will therefore have a commitment and enthusiasm for this role, which in turn will inspire, energise and enthuse those with whom he or she interacts. The following characteristics are sought: An individual with an understanding of and empathy with rural communities and their issues, and a willingness to support and participate in village activities. An outgoing, warm and approachable individual. Inspirational and visionary. Strong inter-personal skills and the awareness needed to provide influential, enabling and unifying leadership. Strong communication and presentational skills and able to interact with people of all ages. Enthusiastic, energetic and with an engaging style backed by a good sense of humour. What we offer: A rewarding, interesting and challenging opportunity to minister to a varied and engaging group of parishioners, to broaden the congregational base and to widen participation. 5

6 Scope for developing more lay leadership in all three parishes. A range of services, traditional and modern with some enthusiastic singing and music. A good range of cross-benefice activities linked to the churches e.g. gift days, fund raising events, harvest lunches and suppers, concerts in the churches, regular interesting talks in village halls, carol singing around the villages etc. An enthusiastic team of bell ringers. Supportive Churchwardens, PCCs and a helpful Parish Office in Wincanton. Several local retired clergy willing to take services when necessary. A very tranquil and beautiful rural environment but with some major artistic and cultural centres near at hand, including Sherborne, Bath, Salisbury and the newly fashionable artistic centre at Bruton. Supporting a Half Stipend Rector The position would seem ideally suited to one seeking opportunities for further study, writing, artistic pursuits or perhaps part-time teaching, or who has young children or other caring responsibilities. We will support the desired work/life balance of the Rector and ensure that his or her availability is well publicised throughout the Benefice. We are used to working with and supporting a Rector appointed on a half stipend basis, and to involving a Lay Reader in the life of the Benefice. The collective experience of the PCC members is considerable, and we aim to agree with our Rector the division of administrative duties thus allowing maximum time to be devoted to the ecclesiastical aspects. The community recognise that this is a part-time appointment and in the off duty periods Churchwardens are the first point of contact for those who require the services of ordained or lay clergy. The Churchwardens seek to agree a basic working timetable with the Rector but are always willing to adjust this to suit the incumbent s personal requirements. OUR CHURCHES Although each village is different in terms of social mix, age range and character, we are united in a common aim of fostering our churches and developing the Christian spirit. We have active and supportive PCCs and our Churchwardens meet regularly with the Rector. There are now four places of worship in the Benefice: St Lawrence in Cucklington, St Andrew in Stoke Trister, and St Stephen and St John in Charlton Musgrove. Three of these churches have permanent facilities for children. Ownership of a former fifth place of worship, Bayford Mission Chapel, was transferred to the Bayford Mission Hall Society in April The Society is a charity and the former chapel is in the process of being converted into a village hall. The parish has retained rights of use for six days of the year. Chestnuts HOUSING The Rector resides in Cucklington in a comfortable, modern, easy to maintain, four-bedroomed family house named Chestnuts. It has a conservatory and an excellent office (with fast broadband) over the 6

7 detached garage block. It is a 3 minute walk to St Lawrence Church, an 8 minute drive to St Andrew and no more than 15 minutes to St Stephen and St John in Charlton Musgrove. The property is currently let but some refurbishment work was carried out at the start of the vacancy. The aim is to complete the maintenance programme prior to the arrival of the new Rector, but to leave scope for personal choice in appropriate areas. There are four websites that cover the Benefice: Chestnuts Benefice Cucklington Stoke Trister Charlton Musgrove Other Useful Links: The Diocese Deanery Parishes Wincanton Primary School King Arthur s School Wincanton Health Centre Community Hospital Balsam Centre Wincanton Sports Centre

8 OUR PARISHES The Parish of Cucklington St Lawrence, Cucklington Cucklington is a small, very picturesque hilltop village from which there are spectacular views of the Northern Blackmore Vale. The ancient Grade 2* listed church of St Lawrence is set in a tranquil position on the side of a west facing hill and there is an especially beautiful and peaceful outlook from the churchyard. Regular church attendance is usually between 15 and 20, with a very high attendance for feast days, Christmas, Easter, Harvest, and the Remembrance service which rotates around the Benefice. Our PCC has 10 active members, and meets formally four times a year. Its members work together extremely well, having a mutual care for our church and community. Upkeep and running of the church is shared amongst the Council members. There are two Churchwardens. There are 82 households, several working farms, a population of about 200 and 34 on the parochial electoral roll. We have a good proportion of residents who are Somerset born and bred, some retired couples, and some who regularly commute to London. A number of young families have moved here over the past few years and are making a positive impact; we are keen to encourage them to participate in our services whenever possible. Several other members of our community are involved in flower arranging, cleaning, bell ringing and church opening (the church is open daily). We are also lucky in having a community that, whether it attends church regularly or not, is very willing to help with fund raising and special events. Although we have no pub in the village, there is a modern and much used Village Hall (Arthur Morison Memorial Hall) which is shared with Stoke Trister and Bayford, and provides excellent facilities and a playing field. A number of village properties offer holiday accommodation from B&B to self-catering and there is a broad selection of pubs and restaurants locally. We are keen to continue the tradition of regular home communion visits and pastoral care, which is so important in rural communities. 8

9 A Wedding at St Lawrence Church The earliest records of the church appear in the Taxatio of 1291 and the first recorded rector was Henry de Furneaux in A Parish register exists from The church was greatly restored in the 1880s after major storm damage and retains some fine early features such as the Norman font and some mediaeval glass. There are six bells in the tower regularly rung by a team of enthusiastic ringers led by one of our Churchwardens. Our last quinquennial inspection took place in 2012, and thanks to fundraising, donations and grants, major restoration of the tower was completed in 2015 on time and on budget. The Church Architect in his report noted that it is An interesting and very beautiful church...well cared for and in generally good condition. Over past years some of the more ancient chest tombs have also been restored. The organ donated in 1818 has a lovely tone and we are fortunate in having a dedicated and accomplished organist. The Parish of Stoke Trister with Bayford St Andrew, Stoke Trister Stoke Trister is located on a hill about one mile in a north westerly direction from Cucklington. The parish church of St Andrew was built at the top of the hill in Bayford lies about one mile north-west from Stoke Trister on the original A303 trunk road. 9

10 The parish population is around 300, with 24 on the electoral roll. Regular church attendance at St Andrew averages 14 with between 60 or more at Christmas and Easter. The residents have a variety of occupations covering the professions, agriculture and service industries. There is a strong core of people born in the local area who treasure its rich mix of beautiful countryside, the rural way of life and the community spirit that sees them through good times and bad. They are joined by people from other parts of the country who have retired to this area. The two groups mix well together and there is an excellent sense of camaraderie in both villages. We have an active PCC of 6 members which meets at least four times a year. There are two Churchwardens; one looks after the estate and acts as Treasurer and the other our worshipping programme and other ecclesiastical aspects. The members bring many skills to the benefit of the parish and organise various fundraising and social events in the year. They also pay close attention to the form of services and consider new ways of reaching out to our village communities, the Benefice as a whole, and beyond. We have our own organist, a musician by background, who also plays at the churches in Charlton Musgrove. There are teams who clean the church, look after the flowers and open it six days a week. The level of planned giving is excellent and this reflects the wish of the community, churchgoers and nonchurchgoers alike, to see the parish church remain at the heart of the two villages. The parish also owns trust land in the middle of Bayford. We take particular care to involve our children in the work of the Church and the provision of their dedicated area has been very well received. We encourage others to join with us and to appreciate the value of the community coming together in a spiritual sense. Whilst many of our residents are more comfortable with traditional forms of worship, we recognise our duty to embrace change and to pass on to those that follow, a thriving Christian spirit within our churches. St Andrew is a Grade 2 listed building and the 2013 quinquennial inspection report states it is a building in generally sound condition; relatively new roof covering and walls upright. The parish are to be commended for the evident care they give. The organ was replaced in 2009, the entrance area enlarged in 2010, a hearing loop installed in 2011, the working ring of six bells underwent major refurbishment in 2013 and the window repair programme was completed in In 2015 we carried out a major tree surgery programme in the churchyard. We are developing plans to install a servery and toilet in the building. St Andrew, Children s Area 10

11 The Parish of Charlton Musgrove St Stephen - Charlton Musgrove St John - Charlton Musgrove Charlton Musgrove, is a scattered country parish a few miles north of Wincanton. There are about 150 households in the village, with an increasing number of families with children. Regular church attendance is somewhere between 10 and 20, with many more at Christmas, Easter, Harvest, and other special occasions such as Remembrance Sunday. There are 37 people on the Electoral Roll, and the 9 members of the PCC meet regularly to deal with the business of the church. Agriculture is still very important in the area. There are several working farms in the parish, some equestrian establishments, a garden centre, and several flourishing businesses which have long outgrown the kitchen tables on which they were conceived. There is a wide variety of houses, from a onetime mediaeval priory, to modern detached homes, farmhouses, cottages and council houses, the large majority of which are lived in all the time. We have a Farm Shop, a busy village hall with pub nights and lots of traditional fund raising activities such as the flower and produce show, annual party, and similar activities. Wincanton racecourse also lies within our boundary. The village raised an impressive amount of money recently to rebuild the village hall from scratch, with much support from the community. We are fortunate to have two churches in different parts of the village: St Stephen is the mediaeval parish church and St John is a Victorian chapel-of-ease which belongs to the parish. Both churches are loved and have been well maintained. Our last Quinquennial Inspection was in 2014: overall both churches are in good condition and we have an ongoing programme of maintenance, including fundraising for work to St John s spire and belfry. We have, however, recently been made aware of serious problems with the roof of St Stephen, which will require a considerable fundraising campaign before repairs can begin. The Diocese are actively supporting us with this task and we will be working together to seek to secure the funds that we need. Both churches have been recently re-ordered inside to make special children s areas, which is a great asset. Whilst we are a widely dispersed parish, with houses and farms scattered over several square miles, we are also neighbourly, welcoming, and enjoy the community coming together for occasions such as Harvest, Easter and Christmas. We have a strong group of regular worshippers, but also make sure that 11

12 the less regular churchgoing part of the community feels welcome on the occasions when they like to join in. We value the traditions of the church and the countryside. We hope our new Rector will help us continue to grow in our spiritual life both within the parish and beyond. We strongly support our new pattern of worshipping together as a benefice. This relatively new arrangement has brought the benefice villages closer in a very cheerful and mutually supportive way, and encouraged us all to work together to try and ensure a sustainable future for our rural parishes. Children very much enjoy the special services that are held several times a year, including a Mothering Sunday service, a crib service, a Christingle, and an occasional pet service. Children are encouraged to take part in many activities linked to the Church, such as the Palm Sunday walk, Harvest festival and supper, and Shrove Tuesday supper. We are open to new ideas and welcome those members of our community who wish to play a more active role in the ministry of the parish. We would welcome a priest open to holding both traditional and more contemporary services, and who might have ideas for further expanding the kind of services we offer and their timing. Harvest Playlet at St Stephen Both the regular churchgoing members and the wider community work hard to raise the money needed for our parish share through fundraising events, as well as encouraging regular contributions, to keep our churches fully open and operational. Concerts in the church, an annual quiz night, Jazz in the Barn, Clay Shoot, and Barn Dance, all contribute to the ongoing challenge of maintaining open and functioning churches. We have specific funds set aside for the fabric of each church and along with generous donations, have recently refurbished the organ at St John s and installed hearing loops in both churches. OUR WORSHIP IN THE BENEFICE It was our practice to hold a service in each parish on a Sunday. However, resulting from an earlier review of our worshipping and spiritual needs, we took a unanimous decision to reduce this to two services on a Sunday. There were two underlying objectives in making this change: the first was to worship together 12

13 on a regular basis and the second was to recognise that certain forms of services were more popular in some parishes than others. The revised programme was trialled in the period January June 2015 and has been a great success. A typical monthly programme is: Sunday Time Service Location Comment First 9.30 a.m p.m. Benefice Communion 1 Evensong Stoke Trister Cucklington Children s areas are used in all Sunday morning services. Second 9.30 a.m. Benefice Communion Charlton Musgrove (SS) Third 9.30 a.m p.m. Morning Praise or Growing Faith Evensong Stoke Trister Cucklington Fourth 9.30 a.m. Benefice Communion Charlton Musgrove (SJ) Fifth 9.30 a.m. Benefice Communion Fifth Sunday services rotate around the parishes in turn This programme has fostered a greater sense of togetherness in the Benefice. Another benefit has been that with larger congregations the services are more welcoming to those who are considering a return to worship. There has been a noticeable increase in people attending church at least once a month. Coffee is served after most morning services At Christmas all three parishes hold a service in their own church. There are also services of Lessons & Carols, a Christingle service and a two day Christmas Tree Festival in St Andrew which, depending on its date, includes the singing of Advent or Christmas carols. Easter is also celebrated in a traditional manner of which the highlight is a Benefice Holy Communion Service. Prayer, healing, bible study and similar groups all meet during the year, with some being led by lay members. OUR FINANCES All three parishes are financially sound and have reserves to deal with the recommendations of their respective quinquennial inspections. Our levels of planned giving are good and we receive financial support from churchgoers and non-churchgoers alike. In the last three years all the parishes have carried out large refurbishment or maintenance projects, some of which involved successful fundraising from 1. CW is used in Charlton Musgrove and Stoke Trister, and BCP in Cucklington. The programme is based on a three month rotation that ensures all parishes have a communion, morning praise, growing faith and evensong service at least once in the cycle. Morning services are followed by refreshments. 13

14 external providers as well as claims from the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme. The major internal fundraising event of the year is the Summer Fair, which is organised on a central basis with the proceeds divided equally between the three parishes. Benefice Summer Fair & Dog Show at Charlton Musgrove Individual parishes carry out their own fund raising events, which are well supported by their communities. A summary financial statement of the three parishes is at Annex A and copies of the latest reports and financial statements are available on request. BELLS & THE BENEFICE CHOIR Two of our churches have working rings of bells and we are fortunate to have a keen group of ringers who prepare us for Sunday worship. They also make themselves available for weddings and other services as required. The Bath & Wells Change Ringers now hold training sessions at Stoke Trister. Our Happy Team of Bell Ringers! An occasional Benefice Choir, which numbers about 15, has been in existence for nearly 5 years and is directed by our two volunteer organists. The choir sings at some of the major services, both in support of the congregation and also on their own with anthems and other religious music. 14

15 VILLAGE NEWS Village News is a publication that started life as a monthly parish magazine but has since set out to encompass the whole community. We include the Diocesan monthly message and also ask our Rector to write a monthly piece of about 450 words. There is a section for each ecclesiastical parish and their allied parish council or parish meeting, together with notices on various local events and advertisements from local traders. Nearly five hundred copies are distributed each month and it is appreciated by all members of the community whose generous donations keep it on an even financial keel. Village Flower and Produce Show BRUTON & CARY DEANERY The parishes of Charlton Musgrove, Stoke Trister and Cucklington form part of the Bruton and Cary Deanery, a Deanery of nearly 50 parishes in the south east corner of the Diocese. Whilst much of the Deanery is rural, nearby towns provide good day to day shopping and other facilities. Deanery Synod meets three times a year with a special annual Ascension Day Eucharist with a guest preacher. The Deanery has a friendly clergy chapter comprising 13 members. We meet monthly for a mixed programme of business, study and social events. We also meet twice a year with colleagues on the Greater Chapter comprising Readers and retired Clergy. There is a growing sense of collegiality and co-operation between the clergy in the deanery and we have a special relationship with Wincanton and Penselwood. Wincanton has recently had a large increase in population partly because of the development of new housing estates and also due to a large number of military families from RNAS Yeovilton being based in the town. The church is undergoing a major re-ordering project in order for it to become more accessible to the local community. Ministry with young families is growing and the Deanery is looking to encourage a flexible attitude to the sharing of time, resources and skills across the two benefices. 15

16 THE DIOCESE OF BATH AND WELLS The Diocese of Bath and Wells is centred on the beautiful medieval city of Wells, the smallest city in England. The Diocese has a spacious modernized Diocesan Office where an extensive programme of continuing ministerial training is available for Clergy and Readers. A policy of no one alone has been fostered and modelled at the highest level. Since rural ministry can sometimes be isolated, the idea of Clergy working more closely together across parish and Benefice boundaries has been encouraged. There are also opportunities for training, development and mentoring for those new to Rural Ministry through the Diocesan School of Formation. Opportunities for study leave and sabbaticals are also provided along with an excellent network of pastoral care for Clergy and their families. HOW DO I APPLY? We welcome applications from suitable candidates irrespective of age, gender, marital status, national origin or tradition of worship for the above position. We are hoping and praying for a new priest to accompany us on the next stage of our journey. If after prayerful consideration you feel this may be you, for further conversation please contact either: Acting Archdeacon of Wells Venerable Kevin Roberts The Old Deanery St Andrew's Street Wells Somerset BA5 2UG Tel: adwells@bathwells.anglican.org Rural Dean Revd Liz Mortimer The Vicarage Church Street Castle Cary Somerset BA7 7EJ Tel: brucarydeanery@gmail.com November 2016 Annex: Summary of Parish Finances as at 31 st December

17 SUMMARY OF PARISH FINANCES AS AT 31 st DECEMBER 2015 ANNEX A Cucklington Charlton Musgrove Stoke Trister & Bayford UNRESTRICTED INCOME Plate Collections 4,439 2,945 2,964 Planned Giving 2,548 4,280 3,925 Fundraising 4,265 2,519 1,620 Other Income 9,852 4,959 DESIGNATED & RESTRICTED INCOME Fundraising & Grants 1,750 1, Other Income 1,953 5, TOTAL INCOME 24,807 17,268 13,686 UNRESTRICTED EXPENDITURE Parish Share 12,848 9,070 5,902 Utilities Maintenance ,478 Insurance 859 1,422 1,096 Other Expenditure 3,629 2,780 2,484 DESIGNATED & RESTRICTED EXPENDITURE Building & Fabric Other Expenditure 960 1, TOTAL EXPENDITURE 19,288 16,382 13,963 SURPLUS/DEFICIT 5, Add: Unrealised Investment Gain/Loss 398 5, BALANCE SHEET Assets: Cash 16 Bank 16,557 14,523 3,264 Deposit Account 14,944 34,379 9,096 Investments 1,500 9,576 22,537 33,001 58,478 34,913 Liabilities: Unrestricted Funds 16,207 13,201 8,758 Designated Funds 2,979 Restricted Funds 16,794 42,298 26,155 33,001 58,478 34,913 17

18 And finally, should you decide that you are not being called to our Benefice, we thank you for reading our profile and wish you every good fortune in your continuing journey with God 18