ST ANDREW S CHURCH SHOTTERY (in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire) PARISH PROFILE Page 1 of 17
BISHOP S INTRODUCTION When thinking of Shottery, St Andrew s, I think: nice place, nice building, and nice people! So. this post sounds like a nice role? It is! But it is more than that. With a Church school to work in, and missional opportunities both in a relatively overlooked part of the parish as well as lots of new housing developments, there is plenty of scope for a missional-minded and pastoralhearted priest to grow in their own ministry as well as growing the church and growing the Kingdom. You will find here a congregation who are loving and kind, and who recognise their own need to develop. They are in a good place in many aspects of that phrase, but do not wish to stay comfortable. You will have room to grow new ministries. You will also find deanery colleagues who are developing more partnership working as they consider the emerging missional opportunities in the area, and seek innovative ways to address these. If you are creative and undefended you will be a welcome addition to this thinking, decision making, and action. It is pleasing as a bishop to have many parishes across the Diocese where I can be confident that church health and growth, and community transformation, are priorities, and where the congregations are warm and supportive of their incumbents. St Andrew s, Shottery, is one of those, and I commend this post to you. With my prayers Page 2 of 17
DEANERY SUMMARY Fosse Deanery comprises the large town and suburban parishes in and around Stratford (including Shottery), a large village (Wellesbourne), and lots of smaller rural parishes. The Deanery currently has 9 stipendiary clergy posts, several self-supporting and retired clergy, and 2 curates serving the 8 benefices with their 25 parishes. Recognising the difference between the town ministries and the rural, we have decided to differentiate the leadership of these different sections of the deanery by having two Acting Area Deans. I (Patrick Taylor) am responsible for the parishes around the town of Stratford-upon- Avon, including Shottery. My colleague (Barry Jackson) has the rural benefices to the east of the Deanery. There is some overlap however, especially in trying to think strategically about the future shape and structure of the whole deanery to meet the needs of mission. We both see the role of the deanery as supporting the mission and ministry of the parishes in the deanery. Mindful of both the many challenges and opportunities facing churches and benefices across the deanery, the Deanery Mission and Pastoral Committee (DMPC) and Chapter are working on a long-term, strategic 'Deanery Plan'. The aim is to produce a clear, prioritised set of actions that will tackle some of the biggest challenges we are facing and prepare us for the missional opportunities of the future. The development of this plan is involving extensive discussion and consultation with clergy, PCCs and deanery synod and we look forward to involving the new vicar of Shottery in this exciting project to help us re-imagine church in the deanery. There is a genuine depth of friendship among the clergy and a number of us meet together weekly for quiet prayer and monthly for a prayer breakfast. We support one another through: Chapter meetings over a shared lunch. Co-operation and generosity in sharing resources. Trying new ways of doing things as we re-imagine rural and town ministry for today. The new vicar of Shottery will be expected to work in collaboration across parish boundaries, especially with the neighbouring parish of Stratford. These are both exciting and challenging times, and we look forward to welcoming a priest with passion for extending God s kingdom. The Revd Patrick Taylor Acting Area Dean of Fosse Page 3 of 17
BACKGROUND TO POST Shottery is an attractive area of Warwickshire immediately west of Stratford-upon-Avon. The membership of the church reflects this pleasant area, with (recognising the bias behind this statement!) many delightful people! The church is central/open catholic in its tradition with evangelical leanings, has excellent facilities, and has steadily grown in both spiritual depth and numbers during the ministry of the previous incumbent. The church has extensive lay ministry, though we recognise that we are beginning to show signs of our age. We also recognise that because we have excellent relationships with each other, and the church is in good heart, we could have become a little too comfortable. The parish currently has about 7,200 residents but part of the parish has been identified for extensive building development which will increase this by several hundred new households. Another distinct part of the parish has a more socially diverse population. We also have a Church of England Primary School (St Andrew s) in the parish. We There is increasing recognition in the 3 Anglican churches in and around Stratford that we need to work much more closely in partnership, especially as new housing areas bridge across different parish boundaries. We also recognise that the 3 existing churches provide, on the whole, a similar style of Anglican worship and there is room for more diversity across the town. A significant feature therefore of the new Vicar s role will be to work in partnership with other churches in the Stratford area, towards framing a missional strategy for the whole town, not just our own parish. This will include: Strategically addressing the missional needs of the new housing estates, in partnership with others. Reaching areas of Stratford which are more socially diverse, including within our own parish. Attracting a younger demographic. Assisting in the strategic provision of more diverse approaches to worship. If the potential of all this excites you, please read on! The previous incumbent was valued in the wider Diocese and included some secondment work to a parish needing considerable support, wisdom and reconciliation. This went well, and subsequently he has been appointed to an Interim Post in another Diocese with a similar brief. Page 4 of 17
ROLE SPECIFICATION The role of this post is to lead the churches in fulfilling the Diocesan Mission Purpose of: Worshipping God Making New Disciples Transforming Communities. This will be achieved by developing 8 essential qualities in the life of the church: Empowering Gift-oriented Passionate Inspiring Holistic Need-oriented Loving Functional Leadership Ministry Spirituality Worship Small Groups Outreach Relationships Structures PERSON SPECIFICATION We welcome applications from candidates who value a Eucharistic tradition and who: Have an infectious passion for sharing their Christian faith with people of all ages in our community. Will love, support and challenge us out of our comfort zone, and be able to laugh with us as we travel (and hopefully enjoy!) this future journey together. Can strategically address the missional needs of a parish, including new housing estates, more socially diverse areas, and a younger demographic. This will include working in partnership with other parishes. Can assist in the strategic provision of more diverse approaches to worship and the development of small groups. Have successful experience of linking church with schools in a way which is mutually positive. Page 5 of 17
ST ANDREW S AND THE DIOCESAN MISSION PURPOSE AND 8 ESSENTIAL QUALITIES OF HEALTHY CHURCHES The Mission Purpose of the Diocese of Coventry is: Worshipping God Making New Disciples Transforming Communities. St Andrew s, Shottery, is fully committed to fulfilling these three aspects. We believe that we will achieve this Mission Purpose by developing 8 Essential Qualities in the life of the church. See further http://www.dioceseofcoventry.org/healthychurches The last healthy churches survey we completed was in 2016 so the statements below show our current thoughts on where we have come since then. We would anticipate undertaking another survey soon after the new vicar arrives. Empowering Leadership This is a strength of St. Andrew s, nurtured over the years by our previous incumbent. We have various groups which are lay-led and help with the ministry of the church. These include: Bereavement Visitors Baptism visitors Church Flowers Fabric Committee Finance Committee Fundraising Committee Catering Team Outside Giving Worship Group STAY Café team Parish Centre management team An Open the Book team operates in three local Primary Schools and regularly contributes to the monthly Family Service in church. In addition to the above, we have two competent Readers who have contributed much to our worship, including introducing different styles (e.g. Celtic). Page 6 of 17
Gift-Oriented Ministry A large number of people use their time and talents to serve both the church and the wider community, including supporting the young, supporting the elderly, caring for the fabric of the building, writing the monthly Searchlight magazine, cooking meals, and working with the Stratford Foodbank. Music plays a key part in worship week by week and we are especially blessed to have two superb directors of music (organist and choir master) and a dedicated church choir who, at special times of the church year, enrich the experience of the congregation with the quality and variety of their work. People have also been given the opportunity to participate actively in worship services by preaching, reading and leading worship and intercessions. We greatly value these people in the life of the church and beyond. Passionate Spirituality This area was the lowest scoring of the 8EQs in our last survey, though we did not feel that it was entirely accurate. We think that there are many people who are very committed and confident in their faith who are seeking to express it more passionately in their daily lives. It is important to us that people have a vibrant faith, nurtured through prayer, worship and spiritual discipline. The areas in which we try to nurture this include: Bible study group Church of England Pilgrim Courses on The Creeds (held at The Bell Inn) Pilgrimages to local churches and to cathedrals such as Worcester, Gloucester and Lichfield. Retreats to Walsingham and Lindisfarne Advent and Lent courses (with in-house produced prayer booklets to use at home). Forgiven At The Cross (Easter Passion Play written and directed by a Reader). Page 7 of 17
Listening and Prayer Team (listening to people and praying for them after the service). Cell Group (meets fortnightly). Diary of a Cross in my Pocket (a daily prayer, available on the church website or through Facebook). A retired Minister has also written some well-received prayer guides for both Advent and Lent and has been instrumental in leading creative spirituality courses. Inspiring Worship We are a fairly traditional congregation but not at all stuck-in-the-mud, and are willing to try new things (genuinely!). We believe that God feeds his people through the Bible, the sacraments (we are a Eucharistic-centred church), prayer and through one another in fellowship, in the context of an open and caring Christ-centred community. Within our main framework of a Common Worship Parish Eucharist most Sundays, we offer a variety of worship opportunities including: 8am a traditional Holy Communion service that is based on the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. 10am Family Service held on the first Sunday of the month. 6.30 pm BCP Eucharist on 1 st Sunday 6.30pm Sung Evensong on other weeks. Mid-week Eucharistic services held at 7.30pm on Tuesdays and at 10am on Thursdays. Wholeness and Healing Services twice a year. STAY (St. Andrew s Youth) Café on the third Sunday of the month at 7.30pm. On the second Sunday, The Grid (Sunday School) is held during the 10am Service for 11-18 year olds. Page 8 of 17
The Family Service does attract some younger families but we recognise more work needs to be done to make their attendance more regular and to attract more unchurched families. On the second and fourth Sundays, Fellow Travellers (Sunday School) is held for young Primary aged children where interesting craft activities and discussions take place in the Parish Centre. A Listening and Prayer group has formed which is there each Sunday morning after the main service to minister to anyone s needs as well as arranging Wholeness and Healing Services twice a year. Gradually we are trying to widen the range of music heard and played in church. Holistic Small Groups This is one of our weaker areas. We only have one home group which meets every fortnight during term time, concentrating on Bible Study, prayer and fellowship. Bible Reading Fellowship meets monthly for discussions and Bible Study, looking at Bible teachings and modern-day church and secular life. Mothers Union meets monthly and welcomes all. It is outward looking through the diocese and worldwide and through prayer and fundraising. Ladies Fellowship meets monthly for friendship, talks and outings. Our evening pilgrimages to other local churches are increasing in popularity and bring participation from both church and non-church people. We acknowledge that our small group life is not a strength. It is not something that we have been used to within the life of our church and is likely to take some time to help build it up. We would welcome a vicar with expertise in this area and who could help us develop a more coherent and integrated approach to small group life appropriate to our context. Page 9 of 17
Need-Oriented Outreach The people of St. Andrew s have always been heavily involved in the wider parish and throughout Stratford-upon-Avon, showing love and concern for others in a variety of ways. Many from St. Andrew s are regularly involved with Stratford Food Bank and with Stratford Churches Together Weekend Meals for the Homeless, while others are actively engaged supporting charities such as RNLI and The Children s Society. The Shakespeare Hospice (next door) is very well supported both with people giving their time and raising funds for them. With an excellent parish centre, many organisations and groups meet regularly in our buildings. These include Keep Fit, Grape Club, a monthly Dementia Café run by the Alzheimer s Society, a club for partially sighted and a Steam Railway club. For several years each month a Traidcraft stall sells food and goods to help people in developing countries to transform their lives. A Lunch Club is held every month for people to meet and socialise during the week. In the Autumn a Time to Remember Service is held followed by tea in the hall specifically for those in the local community who have lost a loved one during the year and carol singing takes place at Morrisons. On Christmas Eve Carols at The Bell is a long-standing tradition which proves very popular, as is carol singing in Henley Street. New experiences have been Let s Go Fly A Kite on the Burton Dassett Hills, reaching out to people beyond Shottery and an Open Mic For MIND evening supporting Mental Health in the UK. At Bishopton Community Centre members of our congregation provide a Lunch Club once a month for people living in that area. Once a month, the contents of the collection plate for that week from all services are given to a charity nominated for that month in 2017 that amounted in total to over 5,000, and in addition some 1,300 was collected for specific appeals. As Shottery and Stratford continue to expand we see new faces joining our church, but most tend to be middle-aged or retired. Additionally, and encouragingly, 20 children were baptised here in 2017 and these children are encouraged to come to Little Stars, a Parent /Carer and Toddler Group which meets twice a month on Friday mornings. However, in all honesty few attend. Page 10 of 17
Loving Relationships St Andrew's is a thriving, active church with many committed worshippers. We have a reputation for being a friendly, welcoming church. Through fellowship people seek to know and support one another and the community and to live out the love of God in their daily lives. We are enthusiasts for our church life, recognising what individuals contribute and supporting each other in times of need. We enjoy our times together, find joy and laughter in each other s company and are always ready for a celebration! St Andrew s helps people to achieve all this through worship, prayer, pastoral care, and through social activities. We love our church and the people in it, but recognise that there are sections of our community who are not represented, so we are not as diverse as we should be, for example in age and social background. We would value some help in being able to become a more diverse congregation. Functional Structures This is another area of strength for St. Andrew s. The activities of our church are well planned and organised. Over the years, small focus groups and committees have been set up to plan and work together to make sure everything runs as smoothly as possible. A member of the PCC is usually represented in a group but not always. The 17-member PCC meets monthly as does a Standing Committee (excluding August). For many years now, someone has worked in the Parish Office daily in the mornings and this has proved a real blessing, making sure that activities, bookings and arrangements are carefully organised. The Shottery Searchlight magazine is a monthly source of information, news, comments and thought-provoking articles. St. Andrew s Website contains photographs and information about the church. Page 11 of 17
THE PARISH History St. Andrew s Church was originally a daughter church to Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon- Avon and it wasn t until 1 st July 1975 that it gained the status of a parish in its own right, and thereby enjoy the full-time ministry of a vicar. Location Shottery lies a mile west of Stratford-upon-Avon town centre, and while being part of the town, still retains the feeling of a distinct village. It is best known for Anne Hathaway s Cottage, the childhood home of William Shakespeare s wife. Shottery has a Church School in Hathaway Lane with whom we have good relations and representation on the governing body. The local park, Shottery Fields, contains two football pit ches and a children's play area. The Fields retain distinctive "ridge and furrow" undulations, marking medieval field systems, and these can be seen when the sun is low. The Fields also contain a footpath to the town centre. There is one pub, The Bell Inn, with which we have useful connections holding meetings there and the annual singing of Carols at The Bell attracting about 200 people. Bishopton formerly a hamlet and chapelry in Old Stratford parish, is situated to the north west of the town on the other side of the Alcester Road. Most of the housing was built in the 1960 s and 1970 s. Page 12 of 17
There is a Primary School, the Welcombe Hills School 16-19 Hub, a pub called The Squirrel, a convenience store, bookmakers a post-office and a small community centre. Recently the Lower Meadow Care Home was rebuilt next to the schools. Following Government and Local Authority guidelines, there is proposed significant new building, both residential and commercial, in both Shottery and Bishopton, providing several hundred new homes, including social housing and starter homes as well as more expensive properties. There is a local bus service with buses also running to local towns and cities. Stratford Parkway Station is on the Stratford to Birmingham railway enabling people to commute to the West Midlands. Warwick Parkway also provides national rail coverage. Population. The parish has about 7,200 residents, the vast majority (about 96%) of whom are white British. It is mostly middle-class with some social housing, although about 20% of the population are lone parents. There are several hundred new houses about to be built which may alter these demographics. Buildings Page 13 of 17
The original church building, in the Early English style, dates from 1870. Over a period of 10 years from 1997 the church building was significantly extended to include an enlarged and flexible worship area, a large church hall, kitchen, church office, choir vestry, toilets and storage space. These give versatility for use by the church and local community groups. All are in very good condition and extensively used. We are in the process of designing, with advice from the diocese, a new dimmable lighting system together with overhead screens and projection and new sound system control through a console/desk. Vicarage The Vicarage, built in 1976 as a result of monies raised by parishioners and donation, is adjacent to the church. It is a modern brick and tile built four-bedroom house, with lounge, dining room, kitchen and study, all in good order. There are well stocked gardens to front and rear, with a drive to a brick-built garage. Services An example of an average monthly Sunday service rota is shown below. We are willing to consider changes to this. 1 st Sunday 2 nd Sunday 3 rd Sunday 4 th Sunday 5 th Sunday Holy Holy Holy Holy Communion Communion Communion Communion BCP BCP BCP BCP 8.00 a.m. Holy Communion BCP 10.00 a.m. Family Service 6.30 p.m. Holy Communion BCP Parish Eucharist Third Sunday (shortened Parish Eucharist Parish Eucharist With Fellow Eucharist) With Fellow Travellers Travellers Evensong Evensong Evensong No service 7.30 p.m. STAY Cafe Weekday services are held at 7.30p.m. each Tuesday and 10.00 a.m. each Thursday both Eucharists. Page 14 of 17
School Links We have very positive relationships with our Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, St Andrew s. It will be expected that the new vicar will become an active Foundation Governor, alongside our current PCC governor. For the last five years our Open the Book group has visited the school monthly to take assemblies and has forged good relationships with the staff and children. The school visits St Andrew s for special services and other events during the year. Links with Bishopton Primary School have increased since the Open the Book group started taking assemblies there some three years ago. This school also holds occasional assemblies at the church. The Willows C of E School, originally founded by the Parish Church of Holy Trinity, also has monthly visits from the Open the Book group. A page summarising the work of the DBE with schools can be found here: http://www.dioceseofcoventry.org/images/document_library/udr01414.pdf. Ecumenical Links St. Andrew s is an active member of Stratford Churches Together, strongly engaged in the Annual Walk of Witness around Stratford town centre and organising the annual advertisements of services celebrating Easter and Christmas. At least twice a year ecumenical services are held at each of the churches in turn. We hold occasional meetings between clergy and churchwardens of the Stratford, Alveston and Shottery area of the Fosse Deanery in which current trends and ideas are discussed which encourages us to share in each other s ministries. We have two representatives on the Fosse Deanery Synod and in addition the Lay Chair is also one of our members. We have organised the Fosse Deanery shared family picnic Let s go fly a kite on the Burton Dassett Hills, enjoyed by a number of people from our churches and as a means of outreach. Page 15 of 17
Administration We have a Church Office within the Church premises, with a paid secretary, open Monday morning and afternoon, and mornings only Tuesday to Friday. We have a paid gardener who maintains the beautiful church grounds and has been given awards for this. Our website is managed by a volunteer church member and we have a monthly colour magazine and weekly news-sheet. Our Parish magazine, Shottery Searchlight, has been published for over 40 years and is widely distributed throughout the town and to local B & B s and hotels. Finance and Stewardship The table below summarises our financial situation in 2017. They reflect a parish with some 180 people on the Electoral Roll. St. Andrew s Shottery Income Planned Giving + Gift Aid 69,820 Fundraising 15,532 Other Income 25,218 Revaluation of Investments 9,040 Total Income 119,610 Expenditure Parish Share Contribution 62,425 Other expenditure 45,138 Total Expenditure 107,563 Unrestricted Reserves 99,059 Restricted Reserves 73,013 Any special considerations, future expenditure etc. Projector, sound system, lighting, resurfacing car park As can be seen from the chart above, we have sound finances. Although not a wealthy parish, our members are highly committed in their giving. St. Andrew s congregation recognises the need for parishes like ours not only to pay their way, but to support other churches by an additional contribution to the Parish Share system. Last year this additional contribution was 6% of the Parish Share. All clergy expenses are met in full. A copy of our accounts for the last 3 years is available on request. Page 16 of 17
FURTHER DETAILS For further details and an application form please contact: Joe Grayson, Assistant to the Archdeacons By email to Joe.Grayson@CovCofE.org or 024 76 521 342 Informal conversations very welcome. Please contact: Archdeacon Missioner, The Venerable Morris Rodham on 07506 731 892 (morris.rodham@covcofe.org ), or Acting Area Dean, the Reverend Patrick Taylor on 01789 508 155 (vicar@stratford-upon-avon.org) Closing date for applications: Noon 11 th January 2019 Interviews: To be held on Monday 4 th and Tue 5 th February 2019 An application form can be downloaded from the Diocesan Website: http://www.dioceseofcoventry.org/vacancies/current_vacancies Enhanced DBS disclosure is required for this post. Page 17 of 17