Team Vicar in the Wednesfield Team With responsibility for St Alban s Church Could there be a place for you at the front of this picture? Read on! Introduction Thank you for considering God s call to lead and serve St Alban s church as part of the Wednesfield Team Ministry. St Alban s congregation is supportive and enthusiastic, with a strong tradition of worship and prayer alongside engagement with a strong local community facing many challenges. The church has grown in recent years, and with a congregation of 50-60 willing to support new ideas has potential to grow further in numbers as well as in depth. If God calls you here you ll be part of a parish team of clergy and lay ministers, working with St Thomas Church to reach out together to a large multicultural parish with commerce, leisure and industry as well as residential areas, many with significant social and economic challenges. We hope that you will find scope to bring your particular gifts and enthusiasm into play across the whole parish, to the benefit of both churches and beyond. St. Alban s is in the charismatic evangelical tradition of the Church of England, though with a strong liturgical base to our worship. St. Thomas is in a more central tradition of worship, with some elements of renewal. We therefore seek a Team Vicar enthused by the former and at least comfortable with the latter! There s a lot to do. We have strong engagement with local schools and community groups, and a key opportunity for mission is through life event ministry especially around baptisms and funerals. We re not rich in material resources, but we have faith, goodwill, a good building, sound finances and energy. If after reading this profile you believe that God may be calling you to minister here, please come and visit us. We would love to meet you and work together to find God s way for your next appointment and our next Team Vicar. 1
St Alban s Mission Statement Our aim is for every church member to be growing into the maturity and likeness of Jesus Christ and to reach those people who don t yet know Jesus. Our Core Values We aspire to develop an inclusive community which seeks to love and worship our Father God, working together, each with a valuable role, inspired in worship and lifestyle by the Holy Spirit, based upon a biblical faith and centred on the life of Jesus Christ, seeking to follow his teaching and example in our thinking and behaviour and finding opportunities to love one another, those around us and those in the wider world. For a fuller statement of our values, please see Appendix One. Where we believe God is calling us next Like every living church, we long and pray for growth in numbers and in depth of discipleship. We hope that you will bring your own gifts, enthusiasm and love for God through Jesus to bear in helping and leading us in this. In particular, the PCC recognises the following challenges and believes them to be part of God s calling for St Alban s and the Wednesfield Team Ministry in the next few years. In line with the Diocesan focus on Discipleship, Vocation and Evangelism as we Follow Christ in the Footsteps of St Chad, we are praying for a Team Vicar who will lead and serve with us in: Discipleship: as we keep developing our worship with its balance of tradition and freedom, old and new, liturgy and use of gifts of the Spirit, so that the congregation grow together as the Body of Christ; through building a planned, cohesive programme of teaching and formation which will involve a growing number of the congregation in small groups as well as through practical, Biblical preaching, so that we can learn together how to follow Christ. Vocation: as we grow our embryonic branches into mature teams for ministry, to build a sustainable and effective church where all can grow into their calling; by improving our practical communication and co-ordination so that the whole body of the church can work together effectively in God s service. Evangelism: by building on our work in the local community with local agencies and people of good will to play our part in building justice, confidence and vision in Wednesfield and especially in Ashmore Park; enabling one another in evangelism, to use that community involvement and the rest of our everyday lives as opportunities to share the good news of hope in Jesus. 2
A Statement from the Area Bishop It has been a joy to see St Alban s grow, spiritually, numerically and in its engagement with the local community, over these past few years. It is one of the Churches within my Episcopal Area where it has been easiest to see God at work. Excellent ordained and lay leadership has been a significant factor in enabling God s mission to prosper, as has the strength derived from being part of a small but mutually supportive Team Ministry. There is no reason however why the present health and vitality of the Church should represent a high water mark. There is still so much more potential to develop and the members are faithfully and fully committed to striving for more, holistic, growth. This opportunity is ideal for someone with a genuine calling to urban estate ministry, who sees life events as a really important aspect of the local Church s mission and ministry, who will enjoy working within and contributing to a well-functioning Team Ministry, and who is happy to seek to build patiently from a secure foundation. I would be confident that such a person would find St Alban s, the Team and the wider Diocese, a very rewarding context in which to come and serve. If this could be you, please explore further and do visit our Diocesan website to get a feel for our vision, priorities and our common life. + Clive (Area Bishop of Wolverhampton) 3
Our Next Team Vicar s Role The role description provided here is indicative and not prescriptive. We anticipate that the Team Vicar and Team Rector will together review their role descriptions six months after the appointment of the Team Vicar, in the light of their respective gifts and strengths in ministry, and the emerging needs of the churches. Worship and preaching Leading worship (principally at St Alban s, but also at St Thomas ) in a variety of worship styles that give glory to God prayerfully, competently and confidently, using and developing the gifts of old and young in that worship. Planning and leading a programme of teaching which supports the church community, develops its faith and responds to the need of different ages and levels of faith or knowledge. Leadership and working collaboratively Sharing ministry as appropriate and working collaboratively with others, having a willingness to delegate, inspire and challenge so that individual gifts are identified and used effectively in any given situation or task. Leading in building good communication within the congregation and outward to St Thomas and the wider community, adapting to the cultures of our local communities in so doing. Pastoral care Leading in the identification of pastoral need and in developing appropriate structures and skills to provide this to the community (including parish visitors, pastoral assistants, prayer groups and other teams) with particular reference to those who cannot attend church any longer. With the Team Rector and others, ministering and witnessing to the wider community, in particular around baptisms, weddings and funerals. Mission and outreach Supporting the congregation in evangelism and discipleship so that members of the church are encouraged and enabled to show God s love in action. Continuing to build links with the local community outside the church congregation, in schools and more widely. With the Team Rector and Parish Wardens, identifying at least one area of mission and ministry on which to lead across the parish. Stewardship and parish organization Taking a full part in church leadership and governance at district, parish and deanery level, including chairing DCC and involvement in PCC. Managing personal time, energy and focus effectively through personal administration, planning and organization, working in a team, chairing meetings using interpersonal skills and taking appropriate breaks. Personal development Seeking in all things to follow Jesus more closely as a servant and child of God. Continuing to learn, academically and practically, as a growing and maturing minister. Maintaining a prayerful spiritual life with appropriate support networks (including spiritual director or equivalent and regular retreats). 4
Our Next Team Vicar s Character, Gifts and Experience You will be in good standing in priest s orders of the Church of England or a sister Anglican Church, and will have completed satisfactorily IME 4-7. As well as general experience and competence in parish ministry, you will be able to show in particular that you: are able comfortably to lead worship in a range of styles including relaxed traditional liturgy, informal and all-age worship; are open to the work, guidance and gifts of the Holy Spirit in your own ministry and that of others in the congregation, within and outside corporate worship; preach practically, positively and biblically, from the lectionary and from themed series; can develop the gifts and ministries of others in a planned and creative way; ground your own discipleship and ministry in a mature pattern of prayer, study and spiritual discipline. We also hope that our next Team Vicar will also be able to show that s/he: can encourage us in discipleship, particularly those of us who lack confidence and self-esteem; can work with and help build upon our developing ministry to schools and young families; is skilled in prioritising, planning, administration and communication; can share responsibility for the leadership of the whole parish with the Team Rector and Parish Wardens, helping to build and strengthen the partnership of two distinct churches with a shared mission. What We Have to Offer St Alban s is a friendly, welcoming church family, supportive of each other and good at including new people. We have a wide range of ages both in years of life and in years in faith, and we re committed to helping one another grow. I love the way we are all a family looking after each other, whatever age, and knowing that all our joys and sorrows are in the presence of Jesus. There is a very positive feel of His presence in everything we do. We are happy to work together in the routines of church life and in projects that will serve God s work among us; but we know that we need the lead of our Team Vicar to help us to do that work well. Our building is well-placed for mission, flexible for church and community use and in good order after a lot of work in recent years. Our finances are strong enough to be confident, but not so strong as to be complacent. We are deeply involved in our local community, with strong relationships to local groups and people. As a congregation we are committed to supporting our Team Vicar, as well as to listening to her or him. In particular, we expect you to take regular days off and annual leave, and also to make space for continued learning, an annual retreat and regular quiet days. We expect to pay reasonable working expenses in full. Above all we commit to pray for you not just for your ministry but also for your wellbeing and discipleship and that of any family you bring to join us. As part of a Team Ministry you will also have the support of the Team Rector. The clergy meet and pray together regularly. The two churches work together whenever possible, but each has their own life and character. Both clergy work across the team and share ministry and mission, but each focus on leading one church as their main role within the team. The Team Rector has general oversight of the whole parish and will seek to help you to lead St Alban s in line with your own prayerful vision and the needs of the church rather than to instruct or constrain you. 5
The Congregation Broadly speaking demographics of the congregation reflect that of the Ashmore Park community, predominantly identifying as white British, with a few south Asian, African and Chinese members. Most members would regard themselves as working class, with a few professional people also part of the church. The Church Leadership The Team Rector, Nick Watson The Rev d Nick Watson, based at St Alban s sister church of St Thomas, has been Team Rector since 2009, having been ordained in 1992 and previously served in County Durham, Teesside and Derbyshire. His Twitter bio says, Husband to Joanna, Dad to three great young people, disciple to Jesus & Rector to the people of Wednesfield. Trying to balance those & play the guitar as well. The clergy of the team meet regularly for support, planning and prayer, and Nick is always available as a sounding board or helpline as and when needed. He treasures the previous Team Vicar s parting description of him as a senior colleague who never made me feel like a junior colleague. Authorised lay ministry The regular congregation is drawn from a worshipping community which at the last count included 108 people, of mixed ages as in the table to the right. Many more people come to St Alban s through each year for occasional services and seasonal events, and would see us as their Age Number church. 0-10 14 11-17 6 18-34 8 35-69 43 70+ 37 Children s and Families ministry enabler, Helen Hammond The parish employs a half-time Children s and Families ministry enabler, Helen Hammond. Helen has been in post since September 2017, and her post is funded to September 2020. She works across the two churches and the whole parish to resource and support these areas of ministry (see more details below). Helen is married with two children, and is passionate about seeing people grow in God s love. Readers and other authorised lay ministers No Readers are presently based at St Alban s, but Terry Braithwaite (parish warden) is partway through training, and the Team Vicar will be able to work with him in forming and encouraging his ministry. Two Readers and two Authorised Lay Ministers are based at St Thomas, and are available to help and support at St Alban s as needed. Other members of St Alban s have considerable experience of leadership in other church settings, and are able to contribute significantly to our life and worship. 6
Wardens and officers The wardens team includes Terry Braithwaite (parish warden, sharing oversight of the whole parish), Laurence Fletcher and Sylvia Kelly (district wardens with a local focus) and Deb Dale (assistant warden and DCC secretary). St Alban s has a tradition of churchwardens serving for limited periods, so there are former wardens in the congregation able to help with the tasks and responsibilities of the role. Church Councils The Team is a single parish, and so the legal responsibility for governance is with the PCC, which brings together representatives from both churches 4-5 times each year. The Team Rector normally chairs the PCC, which usually alternates its meetings between the two churches. In practice, the District Church Council oversees most of the life and direction of St Alban s, working with the Team Vicar and reporting regularly to the PCC. The DCC currently meets 7-8 times each year. The Team Vicar has normally chaired the DCC, but recently a Lay Chair, Carl Taylor, has begun to take on this role and may be open to continuing to share the chair once the new Team Vicar is appointed. Volunteer teams Committees and working groups are set up as needed to oversee different areas of church life. More widely, volunteers are organised in groups to use their gifts in key areas of ministry Sunday worship, sound and vision, pastoral, discipleship, prayer, buildings and grounds and youth ministry. These vary in strength, and we hope with our new Team Vicar to identify and develop team leaders. The Mission Action Plan The Mission Action Plan was last reviewed fully in 2015 and is ready for a full rewrite, in line with the new diocesan focus on discipleship, vocation and evangelism. We hope that the new Team Vicar will find this revision a good tool for working with us to discover God s next priorities for St Alban s. The 2015 MAP is available to candidates at www.wednesfieldteam.org.uk/st-albans/teamvicar.php with comments from the wardens at the start of the current vacancy to give a snapshot of how things have developed. We hope that it gives an unedited flavour of the enthusiasm and the challenges of St Alban s! Worship Our main service is on Sunday morning at 10.00 a.m., with a usual attendance of 50-60. There are no regular evening services at present, but there is scope to develop this opportunity for worship, at St Alban s or in partnership with St Thomas. Most Sunday morning services are Holy Communion, but the congregation is open to other styles of worship, including all-age. The congregation participates and is willing to try new things. The atmosphere of services is warm, friendly and informal. Ministers, as allowed by recent diocesan agreement, are not usually robed other than at key seasonal celebrations and when pastorally appropriate. We use a range of service booklets based on Common Worship in contemporary language, but using traditional texts, prayers and responses as well. Different services cover the seasons of the church year as well as providing variety for different themes. 7
Biblical, practical preaching is an important part of our worship and life as a church. Usually we follow the lectionary readings, but leave the lectionary to preach themed series when that seems more appropriate to the Team Vicar and DCC. A large team of people, including four vergers, are involved in preparation, reading, prayer and serving, organized on a comprehensive rota and wardens are available to organize and encourage those who take part. What s great about St Alban s? Inclusivity all are made to feel welcome. Great atmosphere. Enjoy the style of worship; respectful but informal, which I feel helps me to feel closer to God. More in keeping with how I imagine Jesus taught/preached. We have intercessory prayers led by members of the congregation and during communion anyone seeking God s healing or with other needs can be prayed for individually. Children and youth usually take part in their own group worship and learning during the main service in the St Alban s Room and the vestry. There is a side area with play space and toys for really little ones. Activities and Programmes Congregational groups Music Music in worship is varied but always well led. We have an excellent, versatile organist and a guitarist to lead worship music, which always incorporates a wide range of styles, including traditional hymns and more modern worship songs. Words are printed as well as projected on two screens where everyone can see them. Music and accompanying videos can also be shown. A dedicated team supervise the audio visual from a sound desk at the back. Small groups There are no continuous small groups, but small group activities usually run for a period of weeks in connection with a themed teaching series in Sunday preaching. Most recently, in 2017 the congregation worked through the Jesus Shaped People programme of preaching, prayer and Bible study. One of our priorities is to improve the continuity and follow-through of study groups and courses, to ensure that we build depth in the congregation s discipleship. Regular outreach activities (to adults) Pop- In The community Pop-in is held every fortnight on Tuesday, 9.30-11.30 am, in the main church hall. Clothing and brica-brac are for sale and a breakfast, toast and a cup of tea is available. It is an open door opportunity for prayer, fellowship, advice and support in an informal, friendly setting, aimed particularly at people struggling financially. Lunch Club Once monthly, St. Alban s room is the opportunity for a cuppa and a chat with. A couple of games of bingo for prizes of biscuits, toiletries, chocolate etc. are then played. This is a small group with about 10/12 people who come on a regular basis, meeting needs especially around isolation after bereavement. 8
Children s and Families Work Helen Hammond (0.5FTE worker shared with St Thomas ) oversees a range of activities, some taking place in partnership with St Thomas or with parallel groups there. Sunday Mornings Sparks, Rainbows and Glow Groups are children s activities taking place alongside the Sunday morning service. Sparks and Rainbows are aimed at 4-9 years but we often get younger children wanting to come in, which does bring challenges as we want to engage with all the children in the church and to provide fun as they learn. We use Scripture Union books for ideas, which work well. We would like to start a younger group but we would need more leaders. We currently have between 3-15 children a week, averaging 8-10, and they all seem to enjoy themselves. Glow, for ages 10+, meets every two weeks during the morning service. We have seen the young people in this group go through some big life challenges such as moving from Primary to secondary school, becoming teenagers, losing loved ones and just life in general. We study a mixture of Scripture Union resources and Bible Art Journaling to embed scripture and learn about Jesus, life and individual relationship with God. Three members were confirmed alongside adult candidates during 2017. We have choreographed and performed dances for the Bishop s visit during the church s 50th Birthday celebrations last year and enjoyed helping at both Yum Tums and the summer and Christmas Fairs. Members of the group have carried out charity work, such as sponsored walks. Holiday Club With St Thomas we run a Scripture Union holiday club for a week of each summer holiday. In 2018 we ran the Teambuilders series, with almost 30 children, mostly from non-church families, taking part. Leaders were drawn from both churches, and a solid team is developing in this work. Messy Church We run Messy Church sessions around main festivals, with a vision to run them monthly (jointly with St Thomas ). Over 120 children came to Messy Church on Good Friday 2018, drawn by a range of different craft activities and a mini zoo in the car park. Outreach to children and families TLC TLC is our parent and toddler group held on Friday mornings. TLC continues to go from strength to strength with a strong committed team, who find it a joy to be part of something so special. Traditions such as Santa coming in and giving presents, the Easter bunny and a Summer Party are kept up and there are always new ideas being introduced such as Christian themed art and craft activities and new songs. 9
Who let the Dads out (WLTDO) This is a male carer and toddler group. Who Let the Dad s Out began three years ago and over the last few years we have been delighted to welcome around 45 dads, fifteen of who came this last year. Over the same three years we have welcomed over 60 children to the Saturday group. It has happened most months, usually on the first Saturday of the month, from 9.30 11.30am. Usually about 8-12 dads come. appreciated down time. Each week we have the hall filled with toys and the smell of cooked breakfast rolls has wafted out into the church. Some men have been very regular, others have come just once or twice, but it s one way of reaching out to dads who may not normally come in to church, blessing them with quality time with their children and their wives/ spouses with some much Yum Tums Yum Tums is an initiative hosted by St Alban s and supported by members of St Alban s and St Thomas churches to provide a warm, welcoming family friendly environment and provide hot home-made meals during the holidays for those children who have school meals. Helen Hammond co-leads this with Lisa Donnelly as Yum Tums project manager. The food is provided by Fare Share, a company that saves food from going into landfill. Weight watchers also raised over 700 The first one was October half term 2017, followed by a traditional dinner at Christmas. Children received a present from Santa and a Christmas Eve bag. Yum Tums has provided home cooked meals February half term, Easter, and May half term with plans to continue to meet every other week in the summer holidays. Links to community groups The church building is used as a venue for a range of community groups and activities, including two exercise groups, a popular tea-dance, two slimming world groups, weight watchers, a community choir, brownies and bladder cancer support group. As well as bringing people into the building and so eroding one of the barriers to coming to worship, these activities are helpful to the finances of the church, raising approximately 10,000 p.a. for church use. Concerts events recently have included California Dreaming a group which came to town in February and rocked us with the sounds of the 60 s.and the Ashmore Park Choir who use the facilities for practice and occasional concerts. 10
Work with schools St Alban s has good relationships with local primary schools, and the Team Vicar is a welcome visitor. The primary relationship is with St Alban s School, which with St Thomas School has recently entered the Manor Multi Aacademy Trust, with the Christian Ethos of the school safeguarded as part of the constitution of the Trust. There will opportunity for the Team Vicar to take a post as a foundation governor, but this is not an ex officio requirement. The Head of School, Darren Jones, described the relationship between the school and St Alban s church. The school has close links with St Alban s Church and Reverend Sam regularly leads whole school worship. The children attend special church festivals throughout the year and Year 6 leavers worship is also held in church. School continues to foster and strengthen these links with St Alban s Church and aims to increase the number of visits to church, support local church run events and invite church staff/congregation etc. to share in the school s Christian lessons and worship. A fuller statement from the school is available at www.wednesfieldteam.org.uk/st-albans/teamvicar.php. Life-event ministry and mission Ministry and mission around major life events is one of our key points of contact with the wider community, and we recognise that it is often a long-term investment of loving service. Weddings and funerals are shared with the Team Rector and others, where possible based on the district of residence of the people concerned but also based on ministers availability and pressures of work. Most funerals and weddings in church take place in St Thomas, regardless of the district of origin, but there is a growing minority of both coming in to St Alban s. Recently the Team Vicar has on average presided each year at baptisms for 20-25 families, around 6-8 weddings, 30-40 funerals (mostly at the nearby crematorium) and 5-10 burials of ashes. For adult baptism, we have the option of immersion where that s appropriate. On funerals, one Reader from St Thomas and an excellent local retired priest take others, and another lay minister from St Thomas is training in funeral ministry. A lay team based at St Thomas is available to help with pastoral follow-up. Communication Face to face communication is key, with announcements a lively part of Sunday worship and included in printed take home sheets with the songs and Bible readings. The church website, saintalbanschurch.co.uk, has had over 65,000 hits in its nine years of operation. As well as receiving direct traffic it is linked from within the parish website, at wednesfieldteam.org.uk. Both churches also have a presence on Facebook. 11
The Church Building St. Alban s is a multipurpose building, built in 1967. It is well situated for witness, ministry and mission, facing the main Ashmore Park shopping parade across a green on the main road through the estate. Double glazing along the length of the main hall was installed three years ago. Following a flood the parquet flooring was replaced in 2016. A curtain is drawn across the sanctuary during the week, when the hall is used by a range of community as well as church groups. The whole space has recently been repainted, and is a good, flexible worship space in good condition. It can seat 100 people comfortably, more at a squeeze! The rooms are comprehensively decorated, with good storage space and clear signage. The space is warm, welcoming and worshipful. There is level access to the St Alban s Room, main hall, toilets and kitchen, and parking immediately outside. The DCC has a vision to develop a redundant boiler room as a prayer room, and has the PCC s backing. There are no outstanding items of work identified in the last quinquennial inspection. The hall is enhanced by art produced with the congregation painting, textile and mosaic. The St. Alban s room is used regularly for children s Sunday activities, for DCC meetings, Brownies and as a café. A well-equipped kitchen between the main hall and St Alban s room has serving hatches in both directions, making it very flexible. Accessible via the vestry and through the back door is the St Chad s Room. The St Chad s room is named after another church in the Team which had to close and many of whose members joined St Alban s. It is used as a chapel for daily prayer and for small meetings. The side room was cleared and decorated in 2015 in order to store stock for Pop In, the church chairs and for use during services as a parent and toddler area. The Memorial Garden The rear of the church has a small memorial garden for the burial of ashes. It is maintained by volunteers and is accessible via gates at the side of the church building. It is open throughout the year and is regularly visited by local families. A year ago a third bed was opened for the burial of ashes. It also has a war remembrance bed and together with the British Legion and Coppice High School, plans are in their early stages to improve this. 12
Church Finances For legal and reporting purposes our accounts are part of the accounts of the Wednesfield Team Ministry, and Parish Share is divided between the churches by the PCC. The DCC holds its own bank accounts, and as in other areas of church life most decisions about financial priorities are taken at that more local level. In 2018 St Alban s is paying 34,657 of the parish s total share of 79,141. We paid the share in full in 2017 and are on schedule to pay this year s before the end of December. We aspire to increase our share gradually to a 50:50 split with St Thomas (currently at 40:60). The DCC tithes 10% of direct giving for aid and mission work. Of that, half is split between four charities, the other half is set aside as a local relief fund. We have very limited reserves, designated for particular purposes. In addition to giving and fundraising, we receive income from fees for funerals and weddings, and share with St Thomas the rental income from land adjoining St Alban s Church and from the former curate s house. A statement of 2017 and earlier parish accounts and annual reports can be found at charitycommission.gov.uk, searching for charity number 1137018. The Vicarage The Vicarage is located next to the church building, with a nursery on the other side. 13 The accommodation includes a study and cloakroom, which can be accessed from the house, but also has its own outside door. Downstairs there is a large living room and a smaller dining room. The kitchen was refitted in 2007. From here there is access to the garden and a double garage. Upstairs are four bedrooms and a bathroom. The house has loft and cavity wall insulation and is double glazed. There is a large garden at the back of the vicarage, with an extensive lawn, enclosed by a fence and trees. The trees have been pruned recently and it has three rose beds. The Parish Wednesfield Parish covers the North-eastern segment of Wolverhampton, though it has a distinct identity, having been a distinct industrial town which has been absorbed by the West Midlands conurbation. The parish has a total population counted in 2011 at c.26,500, with significant building of new houses since then. Within this parish, the St Alban s district covers a residential area, mainly the Ashmore Park and Castlebridge estates, with a population of c.12, 500. St Alban s was planted originally to serve the Ashmore Park estate, and its roots are firmly there. Ethnically and culturally, Ashmore Park is predominantly white British working class, while the parish as a whole is more diverse, with strong Jamaican- and Punjabi-origin groups in particular
among a very varied population. The estate has a strong community identity, and the church is wellsituated to be at the heart of this identity, facing the main parade of shops and adjoining the community centre. Various community groups (some run by the church, others independently) use the building, and there seems to be quite good awareness of the church s presence and life. While some pastoral offices from the district do gravitate to St Thomas as the historic (and larger, more traditional) parish church, a good number of baptisms and funerals in particular still come through St Alban s, and as community links have strengthened in recent years there is a growing parish church sense, evidenced in the first noncongregational weddings taking place in church for some time. The memorial garden behind the church is well-used and valued by the local community. As set out by the Church Urban Fund, Wednesfield is among the 12% most deprived parishes in the country on multiple indices (see www2.cuf.org.uk/parish/200211#data) There is a particular issue in the parish with the numbers of adults without qualifications (51.9%, in the bottom 3% nationally) which follows through into the priority needed for education locally hence the emphasis given to our engagement with local schools. The Bentley Bridge retail and leisure complex is within the parish, as is a major leisure centre with gym and swimming pool. Wednesfield High Street has suffered economically in recent years, but St Thomas is engaged with local shops, councillors and market traders to help bring some regeneration. The secondlargest group of local shops is opposite St Alban s on Ashmore Park and there are small parades of shops throughout the parish. All are linked to the St Alban s district by short bus rides. St Alban s church has close links with the nearby Ashmore Park Hub, a community-run library and community centre with a wide range of activities and a volunteer-run café. New Cross hospital adjoins the parish, and is a major local employer. Other employers are on the Strawberry Lane industrial estate and in scattered smaller industrial and commercial areas. Most who work outside the parish do so in a relatively small radius few commute long distances. The deanery and other Church of England links Wednesfield is part of the Wulfrun deanery, which covers the northeast half of Wolverhampton. With a total population of c.125, 000, it comprises nine parishes with thirteen churches, and eleven serving clergy (of whom two are OLM, the rest stipendiary). The deanery chapter meets roughly monthly, alternating business meetings and pub lunches. Synod meets twice per year. Both are supportive and positive groups. Beyond the deanery, we have good relationships with the adjoining parishes of St Matthew Wolverhampton and Heath Town Holy Trinity, both of which have provided cover and support in the past. Since 2014 St Alban s has had a developing relationship with St Chad s Church, Pattingham, as part of the diocesan For richer, for poorer programme to link rural and urban churches. This has already built a positive link, benefitting both churches, and has scope for further development. Other wider links are to the New Wine network and to the Estates Churches Network. 14
Other churches There are two other churches on Ashmore Park (both very near to St Alban s) Ashmore Park Baptist and Corpus Christi Catholic Churches. Relationships are good, though there is no formal structure. Elsewhere in the district are two free churches The Mt Peniel Apostolic Church (in the former St Chad s church building) and the Wednesfield Christian Life Centre. In the St Thomas district is a Seventh Day Adventist church and the New Testament Church of God. Other faiths The principal non-christian faith represented in the parish is Sikhism, with a large Gurdwara almost opposite St Thomas Church. Shared engagement with the local community has brought Church and Gurdwara closer together over recent years, and relations are good. Both the Jehovah s Witnesses and the Latter-Day Saints have active meetings within the parish, and are active in proselytising. Schools The churches have good relationships with local schools. There are two secondary schools - Coppice Performing Arts College is in the St Alban s district, with Wednesfield High School in St Thomas. Our primary schools are St Thomas s and St Alban s C of E (both part of the Manor Multi-Academy Trust), Perry Hall, Wood End, Edward the Elder, Wodensfield, and Oak Meadow. There are also two Roman Catholic Primary Schools, St Patrick s and Corpus Christi. St Alban s, Oak Meadow, Perry Hall, Corpus Christi and Coppice schools are within the St Alban s district. At present the clergy lead collective worship regularly but with varying frequency in all the non-rc primary schools. Both secondary schools use St Thomas Church for concerts and some other special events. Slightly further afield, Wolverhampton has two Church of England Aided comprehensives, St Peter s and King s schools. Walsall s schools (including selective state grammar schools) also draw from the parish. Wednesfield as a whole and Ashmore Park in particular has a fairly settled population several generations still often live within a short distance of one another, and at least within the churches networks of family, friendship and care are strong. The downside of this is that there is often limited experience of life in other places, or worship and discipleship in other churches. As a result, there is an innate leaning towards the familiar. One of the main local challenges for the churches is to raise aspiration, in many areas of life. Beyond the parish Wednesfield is a quite self-contained community, but transport links are good, with regular buses into Wolverhampton and ready access to the M54 and M6. The Essington and Wyrley Canal runs through the parish, and provides a pleasant cycle route into Wolverhampton or into the countryside. Within half an hour by car are the wonderful countryside of Cannock Chase to the north and the cultural opportunities of Birmingham to the south. A little further afield are beautiful countryside and historic towns throughout Staffordshire and Shropshire. 15
Appendix 1 Statement of values St Alban s seeks to guide its life by these core values: Local Church Life that is welcoming, relational, and accessible for all generations and builds family and community life. Inspired Worship that is passionate, intimate, culturally appropriate and facilitates encounters with God. Anointed Leadership that is visionary courageous, humble, consistent, full in faith and releases Church members into their God given ministries. Spirit Empowered Mission that is evangelistic, holistic, kingdom centered and concerned with justice and care for the poor and encourages new church Fresh Expressions initiatives. Orthodox Theology with doctrine and ethics founded on the person, teaching and work of Jesus Christ as revealed in the Bible. Bible-based Teaching and training that is thoughtful, relevant and equips for everyday life and ministry. Personal Discipleship that is based on living like Jesus, exemplifying love, prayerfulness, holiness, integrity, accountability, humility and generosity. Every-member Ministry that discerns each person s calling and expresses God s love through the gifts and powers of the Holy Spirit. A Pastoral Heart where every member is caring and supportive towards each other and the local and wider community. 16