St John the Baptist Church Burscough

Transcription

1 St John the Baptist Church Burscough Parish Profile 2015 We do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus sake. (2 Corinthians 4: 5) Vision Statement Knowing, growing in and sharing Jesus love in Burscough and beyond We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Through faith in Him by His death, resurrection and ascension, we can receive forgiveness from sin and new life in the kingdom of God, empowered by the Holy Spirit.

2 CONTENTS 1. Welcome Who We Are Core values Current Service Patterns Attendance Pattern Occasional Offices Outreach Pastoral Ministry Youth Outreach Schools and Mission The Parish Setting The Church Buildings Church Staff The Future A Profile of Our Next Incumbent The Deanery of Ormskirk... 21!! 2

3 1. Welcome St John s is characterised by its people whose focus is furthering God s kingdom in the parish of Burscough and beyond. Throughout the history of St John s we have experienced periods of spiritual and numerical growth which have shaped the church we have today. St John the Baptist Church, Burscough, is part of the Anglican Diocese of Liverpool. Burscough is a small town situated in West Lancashire and is within commutable distance to Southport, Manchester, Liverpool, Preston and Wigan. The town is on the Leeds/Liverpool canal and is at the junction of two railway lines and a fifteen minute drive from the M6 Motorway. Contact Details St John the Baptist Church School Lane Burscough Lancashire L40 4AE Tel: (01704) office@stjohnsburscough.org 3

4 2. Who We Are We are a church who are committed to discipling its members, providing contemporary and traditional Services, seeing people reconciled to God and equipping them to minister in their homes, at work, in the local community and beyond. The parish consists of St. John the Baptist Parish Church, St Andrew s Mission Church and St Cyprian s Mission Church. Together these encompass a range of worship styles. The regular worshipping community consists of around 270 people with an electoral roll of 329. St John s is an evangelical church that offers a range of Services to suit most worshipping styles. St Andrew s Mission Church is more traditional in nature and consists of a regular, mainly elderly, congregation of around 25. There are a number of small house groups who meet regularly to explore the Bible, to pray, and to support each other. 4

5 3. Core values INSPIRED WORSHIP glorifies God and builds His people up. BIBLICAL TEACHING is foundational for a personal living faith. PASSIONATE PRAYER moulds our heart into the heart of God. THE HOLY SPIRIT is the presence and power of God through which the kingdom of God is built. COMPASSIONATE MISSION is our response to God's love for us and purpose for His church in the world. SPIRITUAL TRANSFORMATION into mature DISCIPLES is the aim of every follower of Christ. Everyone has a vital part to play in SERVING CHRIST for His glory in UNITY. LOVING RELATIONSHIPS permeate every aspect of our Christian life and community. 5

6 4. Current Service Patterns Venue Day/Time Description Music St John s Sunday 9am St John s Sunday 11am St John s Sunday 7pm St John s Tuesday 10.30am (shoppers Service) St John s Wednesday 8pm (monthly) St Andrew s Mission St Cyprian s Mission Common Worship HC (Robed) Contemporary HC monthly All-age monthly Baptism monthly Contemporary youth-centred Service (but includes all adult ages) Informal Service (HC monthly) Service of Healing with HC Sunday 6.30pm BCP, EP Sundays 1, 3 & 4 BCP, HC Sunday 2 Sunday 3pm (monthly) Average Numbers Organ Adults 70 Worship Band (guitar, keyboard, drums) Worship Band (guitar, keyboard, drums) Organ or CD Adults 100 Children 30 (go to groups after 20 minutes) Adults 35 Teens 35 Adults 65 Children 2 No sung Adults 25 worship Organ Adults 25 BCP, HC Sunday 2 Organ Adults 6 6

7 5. Attendance Pattern A parish survey was carried out in October 2014; the different attendance pattern at each Service can be seen in the charts below. 7

8 6. Occasional Offices In 2014 there were 25 Baptisms/Thanksgivings, 7 Weddings and 43 Funerals. Marriage Preparation Course A day where couples are invited to come along and think, talk and learn about their future and to prepare for life together as a married couple. Baptism and Thanksgiving Preparation For infants we offer thanksgiving or Baptism. Both of these types of Service always take place within a whole congregation, Sunday 11 am Service. Baptisms are conducted on the fourth Sunday of the month (except December), usually two children per month. Around 1-2 children a year have a thanksgiving Service within another (non-fourth Sunday) 11 am Service. Thanksgiving and Baptism preparation of parents is provided by the curate and a four-strong lay team. Two of these lay trainers are assigned to each family, to accompany them through the training process and beyond. Preparation is given by way of a three-evening course (usually on the first Monday of the month). Unbaptised older children and adults who would like to be baptised, are, after suitable training, baptised either a) over the font in a non-fourth Sunday 11 am Service or b) by full immersion on Easter Sunday evening. Parish Finances To date, parish share and parochial expenses have been met in full. A copy of the 2014 Annual Accounts are included. Although we have a healthy reserve we are currently managing a deficit budget. We are committed to returning to a balanced budget, which includes maintaining and developing all missional activities of the church. As a church we believe a balanced budget can be achieved by focusing on mission and vision. This includes discipling new and current members of the church. To this end we are committed to tithing freewill giving to mission at home and abroad. 8

9 Context for Ministry All work within church is underpinned by a strong prayer ministry. Two weekly prayer meetings are held in the Church Vestry. Monday evening prayer is led by members of the congregation and 7am on Thursday is led by the clergy. 7. Outreach Alpha Course We generally run one Alpha course per year and one Youth Alpha and those who attend are encouraged to join a housegroup. Coffee Morning The church is open for coffee every weekday morning to allow people to drop into church for a hot drink and a friendly chat. Shoppers Lunch There is a shared lunch following the Shoppers Service on the first Tuesday of each month. Fellaship A group set up to develop relationships between the men in the church, through shared activities ranging from paintballing to the regional CVM / New Wine men s days once a year. Events well established in the Fellaship calendar include the annual men s camping weekend (usually to the Lake District) and the bi-monthly men s breakfasts. There are scheduled events that facilitate an easy invitation to those who do not attend church regularly, or at all. Through relations created in the Fellaship group, a fortnightly housegroup in a local pub was established in January

10 On a weekday morning in the week before Christmas, some of the Fellaship men serve free hot drinks and breakfast pastries to commuters at the local train station whilst engaging them in evangelistic conversation. Martha s Ladies Group A group set up to enable the women of the church to come together for fellowship and fun in a variety of settings, ranging from breakfasts to jewellery making, and a whole lot more in between. Guest speakers give an insight into their personal relationship with God. Through this, the women s spirituality and walk with Jesus are strengthened as are their friendships with each other. Wool n Chat This group meets weekly to share and create knitted items for themselves and to give to various charities. Lunch Aid Lunch Aid is held monthly in the homes of congregation members. The funds raised, through sharing a simple meal, are given away to developing world charities. 8. Pastoral Ministry The parish has a paid Pastoral Care Coordinator (20 hours) who oversees all forms of pastoral ministry. Bereavement There is a bereavement team who visit recently-bereaved people who have had a Funeral taken by one of the clergy / lay reader. Acts A group that meets monthly for any parishioner with emotional issues and/or depression to engage in a variety of activities including laughter yoga. 10

11 Firm Roots A monthly meeting for those in the community who have been affected by cancer both directly and indirectly providing both prayer and practical support. Quiet Days In the past twelve months three quiet days have taken place. Open to the whole of the church, they offer a time for meditation and quiet reflection. Care Homes To complement the visits made by the clergy, we have four committed outreach teams who go to the four care homes in the parish. Prayer Chains We have two versions of prayer chains the telephone chain the text prayer chain Healing team There is a healing team who offer prayer during Communion and Healing Services. Meals Ministry This ministry offers meals for people who have recently returned home from hospital. Home Visits There is a team of people who, alongside the clergy, make regular home visits to those in need of this kind of company and support. Women s Fellowship A monthly meeting for ladies. 9. Youth Outreach Schools and Mission The church has a strong commitment to Children and Young People s work. The congregation actively supports this work and the parish has two paid workers (total of 60 hours) who are fully committed to nurturing and developing the spirituality of young people. The young people and their leaders aim to coordinate occasional 11

12 social action days in the Parish and also at Oaks in Skelmersdale. Little Lambs: a mid-week group for babies and preschool children with their parents/carers. There is always a time of free play with an optional craft activity, story time and the best part drink and a biscuit time! Once a term the group meet in church and hold a simple, toddler friendly Service. There are currently 40 families in regular attendance supported by a team of 8-10 volunteers. Crèche: takes place on Sunday mornings. This is coordinated by a team of parent volunteers who provide childcare for pre-school children during the 11am Service. Numbers fluctuate depending on visitors and irregular attendance patterns. SOS: is our Sunday group for primary school aged children. There are on average 20 children in attendance. Their sessions are divided into age related groups and supported by a pool of 5 leaders and 4 young leaders. SOS also meets on a Friday night once a month for children in years 3-6. The group can cater for up to 30 children with a team of 5 volunteers. We have a number of children who come to this session, who do not attend church on a Sunday. Fun Mornings: held one morning every half term during the school holidays. We can accommodate up to 50 children with a pool of 20 volunteers. These mornings are very popular and are a chance for primary age children to come along and take part in a number of craft activities, games and challenges based around a theme, with a short Christian message for them to think about. 12

13 Praise Parties: once a term, an opportunity for families and their primary age children to worship together in a fun and lively way. JCs (Years 7 & 8) and FROG (Years 9 & 10): our weekly outreach groups for young people. These meetings are wide and varied in content. Some weeks, sessions are based on a biblical/moral theme, designed to help young people explore faith in the context in which they live, work and play. Whereas, other weeks may include visits to bowling and participation in wide games (which are activities focused more on relationship building and experiences). For JCs there are on average 20 young people supported by a team of 5 leaders and 2 young leaders. For FROG there are on average 12 young people supported by a pool of 5 leaders. JCs/FROG also meet on a Sunday morning as a joint group where the teaching is specifically Bible-based yet delivered in an appropriate, interactive way. This group varies in size from 2-12 and is supported by a pool of 3 leaders. PUSH: a weekly group that meets before the evening Service for young people in years 11 and above. The group share dinner, have some teaching and an opportunity to chat through the issues they face as Christians in the world today. There are usually about 25 young people at these sessions with 3 leaders. Worship Group: meets weekly to rehearse and discuss worship for the following week. Young people primarily attend the second part of the session where the focus is on the evening Service. Up to 7 young people are involved in this. Angels with Attitude: a group of 10 young people coordinated by a young leader whose aim is to lead worship through dance. Uganda meetings: a team of 11 adults and 13 young people who meet once a month to plan, pray and prepare for a visit to Uganda in

14 Youth Alpha: meets in the autumn term for 8-10 weeks and 2 or 3 weeks late in the spring term Schools work: this is carried out by the Vicar, the curate and the two paid youth workers and takes place in three primary schools and one secondary school. It involves taking assemblies and delivering lessons, and promoting Christian values through the church/school partnerships in such initiatives as Operation Christmas Child, Foodbank collections, Harvest Appeals and Community Days. In addition to this the Vicar is a governor at Lordsgate Township C/E St John s School Head The Children staff and governors feel very much a part of St John s because we are included in everything they do. (VA) Primary School whilst the curate is a governor at St John s C/E (VC) Primary School. St John s School Child I feel comfortable and warm in church, and I find the curate nice and fun. Regular youth weekends and residentials occur annually, including taking a group to Soul Survivor. Some trips are open to all young people and some are aimed at specific groups, but we endeavour to offer all groups an opportunity to get away every year. 14

15 Mission Mission Giving The Church with the PCC has approved the giving of 10% of our income to various mission agencies and projects. Members of St John s actively support the work of Skelmersdale Foodbank through the giving of their time, financial support and gifts of provisions. Ongoing Mission In January 2004, we planted a cell church (OAKS) in a parish in Skelmersdale. A previous curate and a team of ten people from St John s were involved in establishing the church. St John s continues to support them with prayer and financial aid. People from the church have been, and continue to be, involved in overseas mission projects e.g. MAF South Sudan SAMS Paraguay Operation Christmas Child Orphanages - Belarus International Needs Uganda In 2016 a team of 13 young people, along with 11 adults, are hoping to visit Uganda with International Needs. They are underway with fund raising and hope to involve the wider community in donating money for the provision of a well to a small community near Buiwke. They will also visit the homes of people they sponsor there; teach in the local school and worship in the local churches - an exciting project in the early stages of planning! 15

16 10. The Parish Setting Initially Burscough was a farming village but over the years it has developed into a small town. In 2011, the Census Data revealed a population in the region of 10,000. Some of the local population are still actively involved with agriculture, some work on the local industrial estate and many commute to Manchester, Liverpool, Wigan, Preston and Southport. There are five primary schools in Burscough: an Aided C/E school, a Voluntary Controlled C/E school, a Roman Catholic school, a Methodist school and a county primary school. There is also one community secondary school. We have strong links with the two C/E schools and growing links with the county primary school and the secondary school. There are four registered care/nursing homes in Burscough, with which we have established good links. Burscough has a wide range of housing. A considerable amount of residential building work continues to take place providing a mixture of accommodation. The town has good sporting facilities including a sports centre, a cricket club, a football club and bowling greens. There is also a council run youth and community centre, a senior citizens club, a public library and several parks. Alongside the canal, a recently opened local attraction, The Wharf, features eateries, an Art Centre and several specialised shops. Burscough Industrial Estate is an established industrial estate providing good quality industrial and warehouse units. 16

17 11. The Church Buildings St. John s is a Waterloo church built in 1832 and refurbished within the last 20 years with major works to the roof, the pipe organ and with improved disabled access. It is a grade 2* listed building. Recently 5 pews were removed to provide a more flexible space at the front of church. The parish church is situated in the middle of a large churchyard that is still in use. This is an area of pastoral work and outreach with those who visit throughout the week. Last year we started to use the services of the community payback team to help maintain the churchyard. This not only had the benefit of assisting us with maintenance at no cost. but has en enabled us to show God s love to those who do the work for us, by simply talking and offering hospitality. There is a Church Hall built in the 1970s which is used by a variety of other organisations. In 2012 major refurbishment of the Church Hall took place which involved the construction of a Parish office/ youth office, small meeting room, new storage areas for youth equipment and refurbishment of the main hall. 17

18 This was complemented in 2013 by new units to the kitchen which were kindly donated by a local company. The Vicarage is a relatively modern four bedroom detached house built in It is situated approximately half a mile away from St John s Church. St Andrew s Mission Church Established in 1905 St Andrew s Mission Church was originally a mission chapel for the Bargees, and was run by Mersey Mission to Seamen. St Cyprian s Mission Church St Cyprian s Mission Church has historically served a rural community with a monthly Service. We are currently in the process of enabling this to be completely closed and sold. 12. Church Staff Ian Jones Curate Brian Abraham Retired Ordained Local Minister Alan Rimmer Reader Joanna Marshall Children s & Youth Coordinator Christine Spencer Youth Worker Jean Orritt Administration Manager Jeannie Holman Pastoral Coordinator Yvonne Taylor Verger/ Cleaner Jo Sutton Church Hall Cleaner 18

19 PCC The PCC currently has 14 members with 2 co-opted position (Estates Manager) and 3 ex-officio Deanery Synod Representatives. Each member serves for 3 years after which they must stand down for a minimum of 12 months. Currently the bi-monthly meetings are chaired by the incumbent. Lay Ministry St John s has a policy of Every Member Ministry where we encourage the development of lay members gifts. This includes such areas as lay preaching, prayer ministry and healing. The 7pm Service is one in which opportunities for such ministry are more greatly available. 13. The Future The Area Dean, the Reverend Canon Nick Wells, has impressed upon the PCC the need, in future years, for the churches of the Deanery to work in closer cooperation and partnership with each other (included). 14. A Profile of Our Next Incumbent The requirements for our next Incumbent are intrinsically linked with the work that we have begun here at St John s. We believe that the needs of the parish at the present time would be met by a woman or a man with the following qualities: Character A Christian who is passionate for Jesus, obedient to Scripture and has a heart for the lost. A Spirit-filled disciple who longs to develop both the fruit and the gifts of the Holy Spirit in others. An accepting leader who will embrace the diversity of our congregation here at St John s. A person committed to personal and corporate prayer. 19

20 An approachable, friendly and caring individual with a good sense of humour. An encourager and a good listener. A person with the vision and enthusiasm to drive the church out of its four walls and into the local community. An Vicar who will make a long term commitment to the parish and will help us to build on, and further develop, strong relationships with the wider community. Competence A person who will develop the worshipping life of our church. A leader who understands the imperative of mission for the transformation of the communities in which St John s is involved. A person of deep theological understanding, together with spiritual and emotional maturity and who is able to lead and grow the church in this parish. A visionary leader able to inspire, equip and empower a team of lay and ordained staff and volunteers; moreover, a caring pastor who will mentor and encourage the development of their ministries. An inspirational and challenging preacher who will provide practical, accessible and biblically-based teaching that enables people to put faith into action. A team builder who can recognise gifts in others, and has the capacity to nurture and encourage individuals to be effective witnesses and workers for Christ. A leader who will be willing to train ordained colleagues. 20

21 15. The Deanery of Ormskirk Statement re the Parish of St John Burscough The Ormskirk Deanery is a place of contrast with rural acres, market towns, commuter belts and heavily populated pockets. A number of the parishes have church buildings dating back to the 13th century. The churchmanship generally leans towards evangelical with just two more catholic benefices. The Ormskirk Deanery is one of the 15 deaneries in the Liverpool Diocese. The Diocese is currently being restructured to create two additional Archdeaconaries which may see some changes in our deanery boundaries, these should not affect Burscough. As can be seen from the above map geographically the Deanery is the largest in the Diocese, and is made up of 20 parishes in 13 teams/ benefices. There are some 25 church buildings and 20 church primary schools. The parishes are served by 19 stipendiary clergy plus self-supporting clergy, retired clergy and a great group of Readers. The Deanery also has a strong history for training assistant curates with 6 of the benefices having such an appointment within the past 10 years. Recently the clergy have spent time together considering the mission of the church and are increasingly looking at ways to support each other. The deanery has a good number of resources and gifts across the churches and parishioners. The Deanery Mission plan, as in the past, looks to share and offer such resources more broadly. Particular issues we have progressed recently include the appointment of a Deanery Youth and Young Adults Minister with the brief to support and grow our work with 16-21

22 30 year olds, on a cell and celebration model. We have also supported the creation of a Debt Advisory Service to serve the whole area. The appointed priest will be encouraged to take a full part in the life of the Deanery and we hope will feel supported by us. We believe the Ormskirk Deanery is a good place to serve God at this time and seek to support one another in our ministries for the Kingdom. Nick Wells Area Dean of Ormskirk David Burgess Lay Chair of Ormskirk 22