GOING FOR GROWTH ST. PETER S CHURCH RICKERSCOTE, STAFFORD. PARISH PROFILE 2014

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1 SEE OF EBBSFLEET. DIOCESE OF LICHFIELD GOING FOR GROWTH ST. PETER S CHURCH RICKERSCOTE, STAFFORD. PARISH PROFILE 2014

2 OUR NEW PRIEST. Will be able to communicate easily with all age groups and especially the young members of our church. Our new priest will be strongly committed to support the liturgical tradition of this Anglo Catholic Church. He will be able to establish new links with our local schools and so enable the Gospel to reach out again to the young people in our Parish. The Priest will be able to work together with the P.C.C and also able to motivate and develop the potential of the parishioners. This is a 0.5 post.

3 1. THE COUNTY TOWN OF STAFFORD. Chinese Temple at Historic Shugborough Hall. Walks on Cannock Chase. Pony Trekking Centre nearby. Stafford town centre is a minute car journey away from the vicarage. In the town there is a mainline railway station with frequent trains to London, Birmingham etc. a theatre, cinema, swimming pool plus gym/leisure complex, a variety of shops, excellent restaurants and coffee shops. There is easy access to the motorway system from Stafford at Junction 13 of the M6 and access to M6 Toll road. The A449 or A513 also provide easy access to Stafford. Places of interest are the Ancient High House in Stafford town centre and Weston Hall. The Historic Shugborough Hall Estate and Cannock Chase are just minutes away by car and both provide good walking, bird watching and stunning scenery. Adjacent to Cannock Chase there is a pony trekking centre.

4 2. ST. PETER S CHURCH VICARAGE The vicarage is situated on the South side of Stafford and is 5 minutes away by car from the church. It is a modern 4 bedroom detached house with garage and drive for parking. It comprises of entrance hall, lounge, dining room, kitchen, utility room, bathroom, central heating. There is a Priest s office with access from the house plus separate access from front of the building. At the rear is a small manageable garden. It is situated on a small estate on the south side of Stafford, near bus routes to town, close to infant, junior, senior schools plus one specialised sports college, also an independent grammar school. A 10 minute walk from the house takes you into the countryside along quiet country lanes leading to Hyde Lea and Coppenhall.

5 3. PARISH BOUNDARY The Parish boundary The county Town of Stafford is situated to the North of Rising Brook and is a minute car journey away.

6 4. ST. PETER S CHURCH RICKERSCOTE, STAFFORD. Preparing the Easter floral decorations. We have a group of ladies who arrange the church flowers on a weekly basis. On special occasions though, such as Easter and Christmas, they need extra help so we have other volunteers in the congregation who always offer to help out.

7 A team of 7 Eucharistic Ministers assist the clergy in the administration of Holy Communion. The Eucharistic Ministers also take Holy Communion to the sick and housebound. There is 1- Sacristan 11- servers. We have an organist/choirmaster and a small choir. Formally elected are 13 sidespeople. There are 13-readers, 5-Intercessors and 11-Servers, 13-Greeters who assure that a warm and friendly welcome is given to all who attend St. Peter s Church. We have a reputation locally as being a very friendly church. 5. The Sunday school is run by leaders & assistants on a rota basis. These people together with other helpers also run our Messy Church sessions.

8 6. The Church of St Peter s was consecrated on the 14 th September Since then there have been 7 incumbents. Over this period three men have been ordained to the sacred ministry.

9 We have a social and fund raising committee who throughout the year organise a mixture of fund raising events, some purely social and some are a mixture of the two. The principle fund raising events for the church are the Summer Fayre and the Christmas Fayre. Other events are Pudding nights, A Burns night, Talent evenings and beetle drives. The Summer Fayre 7. Our previous priest was invited into the local schools; some of the children have held their Nativity services in our church. The Christingle and dressing the crib service this year was well attended by approximately 50 local families. Approximately 100 people attended services at church over Easter. At Sunday morning mass, the average attendance is 40

10 adults and 3 children. The numbers have remained stable during the interregnum. Whilst the average age of the congregation is approaching 70 yrs we do have a dedicated younger group of worshippers, aged 10yrs-50yrs. We are told by visitors that we are a very friendly and welcoming church. The number of people on the electoral roll is TOTAL 54 Resident 38 Non-resident 16 During the interregnum the designated laity have kept all the appropriate registers up to date and signed by the visiting clergy. FINANCE and BUILDINGS We confirm that our parish share has been paid in full and on time by direct debit for the duration of the interregnum. This was quite a challenge for the small dedicated congregation as the majority of our income comes from regular planned giving. The quinquennial inspection was carried out in June We received the report in March 2014, the fabric committee will organise any repairs that may be required. The church has solar panels installed on the roof of the church which has helped enormously with electricity bills.

11 8. Worship and tradition S. Peter s is a modern Catholic parish. The PCC has recently re-visited Resolutions A and B and by a large majority voted to continue in this way, looking to the Bishop of Ebbsfleet for Episcopal oversight. The principal service on Sundays is the Parish Mass at 10.15a.m., incorporating Sunday School at the back of the church. Stations of the Cross and the Holy Rosary are prayed once a month on Sunday afternoons. A Young People s group meets regularly and Messy Church takes place once every two months, with a strong attendance. During the interregnum, masses are being celebrated by visiting priests, mostly retired, most of whom are members of Forward in Faith and/or the Society of the Holy Cross (SSC). Baptisms take place during Parish Mass, usually on the first Sunday of each month, after preparation, and weddings and funerals as required. (2/3 weddings and 5/6 funerals annually) The priest also officiates as required at the local crematorium. During the week Morning Prayer is said in church on Tuesday and Saturday, and Mass is said in the evening on Thursdays. On the first Thursday this is our monthly Walsingham Mass. A group of people take part in an annual pilgrimage to the Shrine each summer. Masses are offered according to the new Roman Rite, and on feast days and solemnities incense is used. S. Peter s has sets of vestments for all seasons. Servers, intercessors, readers and Eucharistic Ministers from among the laity work according to a rota for Sunday Mass, and several are licensed to take the Sacrament to the local sick and housebound. A Mandated Ministry Team keeps an eye on matters such as pastoral care, discipleship, worship, youth and children s matters and ministry in the community. The church has superb acoustics and the flexible layout of the east end make it highly suitable for large scale concerts or similar. There is a fine Viscount Prestige 2 digital electronic organ of 3 manuals and pedals, with 56 speaking stops.

12 St Peter's Community Centre 9. St Peters has a large Community Centre at the rear of the church, with one large room with dividing doors to create two smaller rooms, and a large conference room. The centre has had a considerable amount of work done: - Newly refurbished - Modern kitchen with high end range and appliances - Newly refurbished toilets including accessible toilet -Wheelchair access -New central heating -Refurbishments carried out with grants from various charities and services Used by: Community choir Community lunch club Rainbows And a number of different dance groups The centre is also popular for social events in the community such as birthday parties, and is used frequently for Church fundraising events and Church social events Facilities include a large number of tables and chairs and ample storage space. There is a large garden at the rear, with paving and lawn and storage. The garden is used for the Parish Summer Fayre among other things.

13 10. Young people and children in the life of the church There is a small but active Sunday school who meet during the main service most weeks and a family service the third Sunday of the month. Some members of Sunday school are also actively involved in serving and the social side of the church. We have Fresh Young People, a small group of young people in the church who meet to discuss faith and the life of the church as well as playing games and going on trips. Most members of fresh young people are involved with serving, the church choir, and play an important role in the social life of the church, by helping its social events. The church has a music group that plays every third Sunday for the family service, and also contributes to social events. Messy church happens once every two months and is well supported by the community and the church, with a good number of families from the community attending on a regular basis.

14 The Wider Context 11. St Peter's Rickerscote is a member of the Stafford Deanery with three lay representatives, one of whom joined the Deanery Mission and Pastoral Committee this year. The Parish has hosted Deanery Synods, Archdeacon's Visitations and the Stafford Clergy Chapter during the Interregnum, thus ensuring participation in the life of the Lichfield Diocese. From a wider perspective there is a St. Peter's Walsingham Cell; in addition to the monthly Mass an annual weekend pilgrimage provides the opportunity to experience the varied facets of a visit to the Shrine of Our Lady and to interact with pilgrims from diverse areas of the country. St Peter's has been the venue for Lichfield Diocesan Forward in Faith Assemblies for a number of years. This has helped to establish links with Catholic parishes in the Lichfield area and surrounding regions. Meetings of Clergy with the Bishop of Ebbsfleet have been included in this arrangement. In general community terms St. Peter's Centre is a useful, indeed valuable amenity for the church and local area. It is a meeting place for community projects and various activities. There is a tradition of good relationships with schools in the parish, of which there are three primary schools and a sports college. We are looking forward to re-establishing and developing these links. The parish has been associated with other local organisations and facilities for example the Community Fire Station. A Parish magazine is delivered to homes in the parish once every other month. The magazine is an outreach project which perfectly sums up the attitude towards mission within the Church.