Three Rivers Mission Community Parish Profile Totnes Deanery Diocese of Exeter House for Duty Priest.25 appointment
CONTENTS PART ONE Introduction Overview of the Three Rivers Mission Community Person Profile PART TWO - Three Rivers Mission Community Parishes Church The Vicarage Schools Our Worship Wider Context Statistics Church Finances Our Vision For the Future Appendix 1 - Person Specification for House of Duty Priest Appendix 2 - Monthly Service Pattern Appendix 3 - Average Sunday attendance across the Mission Community
PART ONE Introduction This Profile covers the Three Rivers Mission Community, which is within the Totnes Deanery of the Diocese of Exeter. It currently comprises of the United Benefice of Ermington and Ugborough and the United Benefice of Diptford with North Huish, Harberton, Harbertonford, Halwell and Moreleigh. This arrangement is being discontinued and all seven parishes are to unite as a Benefice. The arrival of an additional priest will mark a turning point for spiritual and pastoral growth of the Three Rivers Mission Community. The Community is ambitious in its aspiration to grow its identity and sense of community; there is an appetite for further development of lay leadership; each village aches for refreshed means of pastoral support; several schools are awakening to new opportunities for engagement; and there is deep Christian strength in regular service attendees. There are substantial and exciting opportunities for the development of Christ's Mission in this Community. Overview Three Rivers Mission Community The Mission Community is within easy reach of the A38 with good communications and motorway (M5) links with the rest of the country Exeter and Plymouth each being a little over 40 minutes away. The main train stations are at Ivybridge or Totnes with links to London, the Midlands and the North of England. Exeter Airport is less than an hour away with direct links to cities in the UK and Europe. The seven parishes are situated in the South Hams of Devon and part of the Mission Community lies within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The parishes stretch from the village of Ermington south of Ivybridge to Harberton, three miles south west of Totnes and to Moreleigh on the road between Totnes and Kingsbridge in the South Hams. The name of the Mission Community reflects the fact that the Rivers Avon, Erme and Harbourne flow through the parishes. There are shopping facilities, medical centres and dentists in Ivybridge, South Brent and Totnes, which also has a small Community Hospital. The nearest large hospitals are Derriford in Plymouth and Torbay in Torquay. Days off can be spent enjoying the many wonderful beaches, walks, gardens and historic venues on offer throughout South Devon. There are plenty of nice places to eat, relax and explore along with lots of local events and musical and theatrical performances. Lots of the villages host art and craft events and there are plenty of different groups covering a wide range of interests along with short courses in a variety of locations. Each of the parishes plays a significant role within the life of their local communities and there are well-established and effective links with the four primary schools, two of which are Church schools. Secondary schools are nearby in Ivybridge and Totnes, and the Christian Educational Charity, Breakthrough Transformation Trust which works with children and
families whose challenges have kept them out of mainstream provision, and where they became isolated as a result. There is a Residential Nursing Home in Ermington which the Priest in Charge visits and where Communion is taken on a monthly basis. Former members of our congregations receive Communion either in own their homes or other local residential homes by arrangement with the Priest in Charge. Each Church holds a Sunday morning Act of Worship, which alternates between a Eucharist and a non-eucharistic lay-led Service by members of our Local Worship Leaders (a team of over twenty volunteers, who have been locally trained). We are seeking to develop these services across our Mission Community to encourage our wider supportive community to engage in relevant and more openly accessible acts of worship. We aim to be a friendly, open and welcoming community with a strong commitment to all ages not only through our links with the primary schools but also seek to encourage the active involvement of young families within the Church in general. This has been most successfully achieved through development of our two Messy Church services held monthly in Diptford and Ugborough. We hold several special Mission Community Services and outreach projects throughout the year; such as Thy Kingdom Come, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, the Pilgrim Course, an Annual Rogation Service and the Armistice Day Service held in North Huish. Compline Services are held in each of the Churches so people can attend from across the Mission Community during Lent, Advent and Thy Kingdom Come.
Person Profile We are looking for a House for Duty Priest: To help establish a pattern of pastoral care throughout the Mission Community and enjoy taking part in the rural community activities that bond the populations together. With the ability to lead, share leadership and encourage the lay teams to interrelate with the communities. With the ability to communicate with, appeal to, understand and relate to a wide range of ages and occupations whilst balancing the needs of the churches in the Mission Community. With the energy and enthusiasm to help lead and support rural ministry and the practical challenges it presents. Who is enthusiastic and creative to provide worship in a variety of forms. Who is willing to help develop our vision to grow through outreach as we become a new Benefice. What we are able to offer: Loyal and supportive clergy and congregations, who care for each other and for their ministry team. A faithful group of lay people who assist in worship. All actual clergy expenses. Support and encouragement for continuing professional development. A good place to live in the vicarage, within the village and in the surrounding area of the South Hams.
PART TWO Parishes Our Mission Community seeks to support all who wish to connect or re-connect with the Church and to this end conducts baptisms, weddings, funerals and confirmations. Those who have been baptised and their families are invited to come along to Messy Church. St Peter & St Paul Ermington The Parish of St Peter & St Paul Ermington serves a community of approximately 900 people. The well maintained church, with beautiful wood carvings has a loyal congregation of 35 regular worshippers from around the area. A small choir, organist, and bell ringers support the worship and there is a good involvement by laity in leading some services, preparing intercessions and readings. A monthly newsletter is distributed to 220 homes. There is already good support from village residents for fund raising projects associated with the church but we aim to make greater contact with the community helping them get to know about God s love for them. The church is open daily but we need to be with them on their home ground too. Given the size of the Mission Community it is not something that can be left to the clergy alone. St Peter s Church, Ugborough Ugborough is a large parish of around 1750 residents, who live in the main Village, and three large hamlets, as well as numerous outlying farms. The community is mixed, with many traditional farming families, professionals, craftspeople, and retirees, as well as many families with children. Our Services are held at 9.30am, a mix of formal and informal services. Congregations are small, but a regular Choir of up to 8 attends. Messy Church is held once a month. A Harvest Festival, a Carol Service and the Christingle, which sees a packed church, also takes place. The School and the Church are very much a part of the community, as are the two Village Halls which both accommodate many community events. A thriving free monthly newsletter is distributed to nearly 700 households, this gives details of all events taking place in the parish, including Church services.
St. Mary the Virgin, Diptford with North Huish We are a rural parish of two villages and a number of small hamlets and farms. The village of Diptford is the larger centre of population with the church of St. Mary The Virgin, the Parochial Primary School and the Parish Hall. The church of St. Mary s, North Huish is in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust and is used for occasional services. Other services and activities take place in Diptford. Congregation members are involved with Mission Community activities such as the Emmaus Study Group, Messy Church, the Mother s Union, an across parishes annual plant sale as well as, within the parish, the school, the Baby and Toddler group and social events for all ages such as Soup and Pudding Lunches. All Saints Church, Morleigh Morleigh is situated between Halwell and Diptford Parishes and is the smallest within the Three Rivers Mission Community. We have a Village Hall in which various village events, a preschool group, dance classes and parties are held. We share services with St. Leonards, Halwell. Within a typical month at All Saints we have one Communion Service and one Breakfast Church. We join with other Parishes for Bible Study, meetings and training. The first Sunday in November we hold a Mission Community Service to which all recently bereaved Parishioners are invited to attend. St. Leonard's Church, Halwell The Church of St Leonard (1475) and the surrounding area date back to the Iron Age, nowadays the parish is predominantly sustained through farming, tourism and a small industrial estate. The Old Inn pub and service station with a Spar Shop and Village Hall, which are all shared with Moreleigh, are great assets to the community. St. Leonard s, continues to have two services a month and during the winter months offers a successful Luncheon Club once a month.
Weddings, Christenings, Funerals, Harvest Festivals and special days of worship are observed in the community through the church. We are a small congregation sharing our services and occasional fundraising with All Saints, Morleigh and a welcome for all in the Mission Community. An annual Plant Sale within the Benefice is a popular fundraiser. Flowers are constantly displayed in the church and the church is open daily for those seeking peace and tranquility. St Andrew s Church, Harberton The Church is situated in the centre of the village with a population of over 600. Attendance at services has been steady over recent years with around 18 Sunday morning worshippers and about 6 on Wednesday mornings. We follow a traditional style of worship but include lay leadership. The church congregation rises to 60 at Christmas, 40 at other festivals. The vibrant village social life is shared between the Parish Hall, Church House Inn and the Church. We organise the Strawberry Fair, Harvest Lunch and monthly coffee mornings and last year introduced a Christmas Tree Festival and concerts to raising money for the repair of the building. We depend on Planned Giving and our Friends scheme (for fabric) and maintenance by a loyal team of volunteers, with contributors beyond the regular congregation: an indication of how much this beautiful 14 th Century Church is valued by those in the area. St Peter s, Harbertonford Harbertonford is a main road village on the A381, between Totnes and Kingsbridge and in a community of around 300 houses with a mixture of privately owned and social housing. There is a Post Office / shop, garage, pub and village hall. There is also a local football club. There are many young families in the village and most of the children go to our Church Primary School. A number of artists live in the community and they open their homes / studios every year for the annual Open Studio weekend. The church lies in the centre of the village and is kept in good order, we have a loyal but very small congregation, at Harbertonford who attend the two monthly Communion Services and two Services of the Word.
The Vicarage The postal address is: The Vicarage Lutterburn Street Ugborough IVYBRIDGE PL21 0NG The Vicarage is a modern property, constructed circa 1984. It comprises of four bedrooms with family bathroom and en-suite shower room to the first floor and kitchen, utility, WC, dining room and lounge to the ground floor. It is well maintained, having recently installed new UPVC windows, cavity wall and roof void insulation. In addition the property was extended providing a study and further WC room to the side. Our Worship The study is accessible through the lounge, but also has a separate external access. There is gas fired central heating and a gas fire to the lounge, a detached garage and large garden with views over the local fields. The Mission Community is generally traditional persuasion with a balanced mix of Eucharist and generally lay-led other forms of worship, including Matins. However with successful engagement with more families we are beginning to see greater attendance at All Age Services. All of the PCC s support the Ordination of Women to the Priesthood and considers that the Mission Community has greatly benefited from the ministry of retired House for Duty Priests. The regular monthly service pattern can be found in Appendix 2. The parishes of Ermington, Ugborough and Diptford with North Huish have small choirs, who sing at Sunday Communion services and combine to sing at Mission Community services such as Rogation, Ascension Day and All Souls. Hymns are taken from Hymns Old and New New Anglican Edition. The churches all have organs that are maintained but when there is no organist, music for the service is provided with the use of CD s or an ipad or ipod.
Some churches have a monthly service using Keynote and PowerPoint either at the main service and or at Messy Church. Visits to the sick, bereaved and housebound are undertaken by the Priest-in-Charge, this is an area of work, which we recognise needs to develop and broaden with the support of our congregations. Contributions to charities and overseas missions are reviewed annually. Donations have recently been made to Christian Aid, Shekinah Mission, Farm Crisis Network along with food contributions both to the Ivybridge and Totnes Foodbanks. The Wider Context Statistics The total number of people on the Electoral Roll within the Mission Community is 231.The average weekly Sunday attendance across the Mission Community is 17 (excluding larger specific services, when the attendance can regularly exceed 100). Attendance at the Midweek Communion services is approximately 9-10 people. Further details can be found in Appendix 3. Church Finances The majority of church members give regularly via weekly contributions, standing orders or the Parish Giving Scheme and Gift Aid is claimed where appropriate. All the Churches paid the Diocesan share and all expenses in full last year but each Church is constantly striving to maintain this. To seek to accomplish this each of our churches income is also derived from a variety of fundraising activities, which are well supported by the congregations and the wider village communities. Full details of the accounts and the current Quinquennial Inspections are available, if requested. Communication We have a Three Rivers Mission Community website and some churches have their own websites or web pages on village websites. Each parish has a magazine or newsletter which is supported and often distributed by the Church members. The churches are also all on the A Church Near You website along with the Explore Churches Website for tourists and visitors. Please see www.threeriversmissioncommunity.org.uk for further information.
Vision for the Future The Mission Community fully supports the Bishop of Exeter s Diocesan strategy of : Growing in Prayer Making New Disciples Serving the People of Devon with Joy Each PCC has been working with this initiative, seeking how best to grow in prayer, make new disciples and serve the people of their communities. We are now looking to develop some of this work in collaboration with the Diocesan Growing the Rural Church Project and the Mission and Ministry Development Team. Following the successful pilot of our Lay Worship training we are currently arranging to establish a Wings for Worship Course through the Diocese as a means of encouraging and expanding the skills of the local Lay Worship Leader teams. Within an area of rural isolation and a large number of elderly people, with a variety of health issues, we are seeking to look at the way we organise our pastoral care of both church members and our wider communities. This means we are currently working on developing innovative ways to raise funds in order that the Church buildings can be better used to serve the wider rural community. As a Mission Community we are praying that our Christian witness across the parishes is welcoming to all who live, work and visit our communities.
Appendix One Person Specification House for Duty Priest Three Rivers Mission Community Each of the following criteria will be assessed via: (a) application form; (i) interview; (p) presentation Essential Requirements Desirable Requirements Qualifications Theological Spiritual / Personal Qualities Vision and Leadership Theological Studies Demonstrates depth and breadth of theological understanding, Commitment to the ministry of the whole people of God Commitment to the theological understanding and development of Fresh Expressions of church and missional communities. Fully embraces the Diocesan Bishop s Initiative. A faith based on regular worship, study of the Bible and prayer An innovative and creative approach to new tasks A proven problem solver with resilience and flexibility. Ability to work in a team and on own initiative Able to lead the church in mission with conviction and enthusiasm Able to stimulate, challenge and open eyes to new vision Able to lead and work with a team of ordained and lay colleagues Have the capacity to discern, along with others, the needs of the parish within the wider context of Mission Action Planning Comfortable working in churches of various traditions. Show sensitivity in dealing with people and change Have experience and understanding of a rural church setting Be responsive and flexible to emerging needs A people-person with a strong pastoral instinct who will be active in the local community Has experience of helping churches to grow numerically and spiritually.
Essential Requirements Desirable Requirements Managerial Able to initiate and manage change Able to delegate and devolve responsibility Have good timemanagement and selforganisation skills Financial IT Skills Awareness of financial issues and procedures Have a functional level of computer literacy Knowledge and skills Excellent communication skills An understanding of safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults Knowledge of Church of England structures Ability to work in partnerships with other denominations Able to network effectively. Able to facilitate meetings. Ability to write reports Full current driving licence Experience Experience of leading or managing volunteers The Employment Equality (Religion and Belief) Regulations, Section 7.2 applies to this post This post will require an enhanced check from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), together with a check of the barred lists. These will be renewed at least every five years.
Appendix Two Monthly Service Pattern Week One Week Two Week Three Week Four Week Five Diptford with North Huish 11am Non Communion Service 4:30pm Messy Church 11am All Age Communion 11am Matins 11am Communion 11am Non Communion Service Ermington 11am Communion 11am Matins 11am Communion 11am Non Communion Service 11am Communion Ugborough 9:30am All Age Worship 9:30am Communion 9:30am Non Communion Service 9:30 Communion 4:30pm Messy Church 9:30am Matins Halwell As below 9:30am Communion As below 9:30am Matins As below Moreleigh 9:30am Breakfast Church As above 9:30am Communion As above 9:30am Communion Harberton 9:30am Communion 9:30am Non Communion Service 9:30am Communion 9:30am Non Communion Service 9:30am Communion Harbertonfor d 11am Non Communion Service 11am Communion 11am Non Communion Service 11am Communion 11am Non Communion Service Midweek Communion Wednesday 9:30am Harberton Wednesday 10:30am Diptford Thursday 12 noon Ugborough
Appendix Three Table Showing Average Sunday attendance across the Mission Community and at specific occasions. 2017 Ermington Ugborough Diptford with North Hush Moreleigh Halwell Harberton ford Harberton Average Sunday 35 12 26 15 8 7 15 Easter 86 62 97 46 Combined with Moreleigh 17 33 Advent 145 54 164 84 22 31 187 Christmas 31 215 139 66 Combined with Moreleigh 29 60