Parish Profile St Luke s Church, Bricket Wood St Luke s Parish Profile page 1
St Luke s Church - a snapshot The Place Situated between the busy towns of St Albans and Watford with local rail and bus links to both and fast access to London. Direct access to the M1 and M25 motorways. A range of local shops, a doctor, dentist, pharmacy, post office, hairdresser and 3 public houses. A wide choice of good schools and colleges in the area. Beautiful ancient woodlands and countryside on the doorstep. St Luke s Parish Profile page 2 The Passion To become, once again, the living spiritual and caring heart of Bricket Wood. To engage with local schools and youth organisations, and to encourage young people to grow in the faith. To attract families to worship with us. To demonstrate the love of God to others through our own words and actions. To bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to all the people of Bricket Wood and see revival break out in the village. The People Are Evangelical, gently charismatic and committed to good bible teaching. Enjoy a mix of worship styles but mostly informal. Have a deep, loving and caring commitment towards each other. Are welcoming towards strangers and visitors. Have a desire to be led and an openness to new things. Are very excited about our future.
We are prayerfully seeking a vicar who... Loves God and loves people. Is gregarious, enjoys the company of others and building relationships. As leader, is prepared to work with the existing lay leadership team. Is Spirit-led and will teach the Word faithfully. Will develop and encourage the gifts and experience of people within the congregation. Has a heart to reach out to families in the village. Has the gifting to encourage and build up a congregation that has been struggling. Wants to develop their own ministry and draw on the experience of others. Is comfortable being an active part of the local community. Is God calling you to be? The visionary leader with a passion to work with us who will inspire and lead us in God s calling for our church. The person who is Holy Spirit filled and led, with the spiritual wisdom to grow and guide us according to God s plan and purpose for us. The person who places a high priority on pastoral care and is ready to listen. One with a servant heart who will shepherd and nurture in truth and compassion. The person who is committed to the ministry of young families and is able to develop and encourage our children and youth work. The enabler who can identify, nurture, encourage, value and release all people to use their gifts in the service of God and one another. St Luke s Parish Profile page 3
Our hopes for the future... We believe: that God continues to love and care for St Luke s and Bricket Wood, despite the significant reduction in church numbers over the last 10 years. that God is seeking and preparing the right person who will help turn the church around, to be a place where people of all ages are able to find Christ for the first time and for others to grow in their faith. that this growth will be nurtured by a leader whose teaching is biblical and evangelical, with a living and infectious faith. A person who will be open to the power of the Holy Spirit to enable change. that God has for us a Vicar who has a reputation for welcome, openness and support, as these are core values which we live out within our church and community. that we have potential for growth. Even though our current church family is now small and mainly elderly we are still totally dedicated and trusting God. We have a strong desire to work with a new vicar to achieve this growth. St Luke s will rise up again under God s direction as a vibrant and flourishing family church, well linked into the community. Our challenges To once again reach families and young people. To reach the 20s to 60s age group - people blessed with energy and influence. To grow the church through conversion to Jesus not just through people transferring from other churches. To enhance the reputation of the Church in the community. To find committed Christian musicians to revitalize our worship through music. To refurbish our church and halls complex. To have confidence to reach out into the community with the gospel because we ourselves are excited about what God is doing in people s lives. To trust God to do more than we can think or imagine! Our opportunities We have many people who use our church and hall buildings on a regular basis. We have access to the thriving JMI School in the parish. We have a clearly defined Parish boundary with one other small URC church in the parish. We have a talented, committed, praying and loving congregation. St Luke s Parish Profile page 4
What we can offer... A new Vicar will find a congregation that is welcoming and friendly. It is a praying community that is committed to all the activities of the church and cares for many people in the community. We have a strong leadership team that is working hard to revive a congregation that has been faithfully persevering. We have an architecturally interesting and flexible church building that lends itself to a variety of styles of worship and diverse activities. The halls complex, which is adjacent to the church, has a good-sized hall, a church office, wellequipped kitchen, youth and prayer rooms. It also incorporates a local doctor s surgery. There is an off-street car park. We will support you in your ministry and will work with you to revive the life of our church community. We are prepared to walk with you as you develop your own ministry and are ready to step out in faith with new initiatives. A team that consists of: 2 Church Wardens 2 Readers A retired Vicar with PTO A PCC of 9 including 2 Deanery Synod Representatives A number of people who lead various aspects of church life A Treasurer A strong Pastoral Care Team A part-time Facilities Manager A part-time Cleaner As a church, we will... Pray for and with you. Respect your calling and your authority under God. Help you to develop your ministry and be open to your development of ours. Step out in faith alongside you. Encourage you. Love you. St Luke s Parish Profile page 5
Our strengths and weaknesses During the late 1970s our church began to be influenced by the renewal movement. As a result we grew steadily amongst all age groups and by 2000 had an electoral roll of 199 and 70 children and young people, many of whom were regular attenders at morning worship. We employed both a full-time youth worker and part-time administrator. However, in the last 13 years the congregation has waned, leaving a committed core of people mainly in the 50's to 90's age group, with an electoral roll of 80 and between 2 and 7 children in our Junior Church. Only handful of people has been confirmed and we have lost key leaders and others. Despite the current situation the fundamental strength of the church, our spirituality and commitment to mission, remains. We are pleased to say that the remaining core has begun to pull together since our vacancy started and we continue to be a people longing for vision, direction and love. We remain faithful and full of hope that God wants to begin a new work amongst us. With prayerfulness, enthusiasm and hard work we are looking forward. We are committed to growth and encouraged that some members are beginning to re-engage and some leavers are returning. St Luke s Parish Profile page 6
Our activities Activities run by the church: Overseas and Home Mission Visiting Team The Brunch Ministry Team Come Together Ladies Group Home Groups We have a heart for sending people and supporting work with poor and marginalized people and communities A group who visit and care for sick and bereaved people A monthly café-style Sunday meeting point sharing a meal and encouraging us in our Christian faith Offers prayer ministry at all services of worship A once-a-month evening opportunity to pray, share testimony, worship and learn together A monthly evening meeting with a programme of speakers and special events 5 groups meeting mainly fortnightly with an average attendance of 6 per group Groups active in our church include: Lunch Club Sally's Place Doctor s Surgery Playgroup Community Choir A weekly meeting point for retired people to enjoy a hot meal together A weekly time for mums and toddlers to enjoy a chat and play Located in the halls complex Based in the halls complex four days a week Around 100 members who use our church for practice weekly St Luke s Parish Profile page 7
Our worship life Our worship takes many formats; it is lively, thoughtful, sometimes informal, other times formal. Sunday worship is based around Common Worship using The New International Version of the Bible. Wednesday morning worship is a combination of the Book of Common Prayer and Common Worship and is spoken. Week 1 Sunday 10.30 The Brunch Wednesday 10.00 Holy Communion BCP Week 2 Sunday 10.30 Holy Communion CW Wednesday 10.00 Morning Prayer CW Week 3 Sunday 10.30 Morning Worship CW Wednesday 10.00 Morning Prayer CW/BCP Week 4 Sunday 10.30 Holy Communion CW Wednesday 10.00 Morning Prayer BCP Week 5 Sunday 10.30 Morning Worship CW Wednesday 10.00 Morning Prayer CW Music The church has not for many decades had a choir and currently we have no resident musicians. We use MP4 files of songs and hymns, projected onto a large screen on Sunday mornings and at the monthly Come Together meetings. A visiting guest musician plays once a month on a Sunday and other musicians play very occasionally. The Brunch The Brunch, a monthly Sunday meeting point for cafe style worship, attracts a slightly different group of people, some of whom have little or no knowledge of faith. The format is without singing, has short unstructured prayers, and talks that often have visual content and testimonies. Our aim is to develop friendships amongst all and make some of our worship more accessible. Prayer ministry/listening Prayer Prayer ministry is offered after every service. Refreshments are also served, which gives an opportunity to welcome visitors and to chat with each other. St Luke s Parish Profile page 8
Special Services Senior citizens services and teas are held at Easter, Harvest and Christmas. The Bereavement Service in November is well attended by visitors who find the quiet, meditative and formal atmosphere helpful. The local JMI school, although not a church school, visits occasionally midweek. Christmas At Christmas we deliver an invitation card to every home in the Parish which, along with other contacts with the local community, has resulted in a significant increase in the number of visitors of all age groups joining in our many Christmas services. Around 40 members of the Bricket Wood Community Choir help us with our Traditional Carol Service. Baptisms and Weddings In the last decade most baptisms have been conducted on Sunday afternoons with just the family and friends present. We are currently encouraging these to be included in our Sunday morning worship, with the whole church family present, which had previously been our practice. Currently there are few weddings and funerals, due in part to the church s poor official links with the community. St Luke s Parish Profile page 9
Youth and Children s work Over the years St Luke's has had a large and exciting youth and children's ministry. At different times we have employed a number of youth workers and run groups from a crèche to a youth group for 14 to 18 year-olds meeting on Sundays and mid week. Over the last few years we have lost many of the younger adults who helped with these ministries. Currently we have a programme for 5-11's that meets on a Sunday morning. We support Sally's Place a drop-in club for under 3's and their mums and carers. Within the village there are about 700 young people. The Mount Pleasant Lane JMI School is oversubscribed. Although it is not a faith school, over the years the school and church have had strong links through our Youth Workers. Currently, we provide bibles for Year 6 pupils and finance regular visits from Saltmine (a Christian drama group). Pupils and teachers from the school visit the church throughout the year for a variety of activities, especially around Christmas. We maintain links with: STEP - a local Christian outreach initiative to secondary schools run by one of our former youth workers. www.stepschoolswork.org.uk The 2-67 Project that helps local churches with their Youth and Children's work by putting on events, running training courses for students and leaders and also running residential events in which local churches can participate. www.the267project.com We also support Watford Schools Trust. www.watfordschoolstrust.org We recognise the importance of working with whole families and we long to see many more children become part of the St Luke s church life. St Luke s Parish Profile page 10
A Sending and Training Church Sending Through our worshipping life and personal encouragement many have been called to full-time Christian service. In recent years: 4 people have been ordained to the priesthood. 2 people have trained as Readers. 1 person moved into Youth Ministry and then into the priesthood. 6 people served in overseas mission and one other to the Salvation Army's homeless ministry. Others to Crusaders, to the Baptist Ministry and to Tearfund. One couple into local church leadership and house building in Brazil. 1 person went to serve in Lee Abbey. 1 person to significant youth ministry and now in training for ordination. All these people would say that St Luke's was their spiritual home, has played a significant part in their calling and that our continued support today is important to each of them. Supporting In 2014/15 we supported the following home and overseas missions and have maintained personal links with many of them: Bible Students Fellowship of Bangladesh Bigogwe Health Centre, Rwanda Christians at Work CPAS Crosslinks- supporting 2 families in Togo and Argentina Light of Hope, East London, South Africa Mission Direct New Hope, Watford - serving homeless people STEP (St Albans and Harpenden Christian Education Project) Tearfund The 2:67 Project- encouraging and equipping youth work Unlock - helping urban churches present the Gospel Urban Saints Watford Schools Trust Youth for Christ Last year we gave 12,891 to these organisations. St Luke s Parish Profile page 11
Buildings in our care The Church St Luke's Church is unique. It is a timber framed building erected in 1937 as a Mission Church / village hall for the newly expanding village. It was made in Canada, flat packed and shipped to the UK and then put together on site. Originally it was a multi-purpose hall that divided into various sized rooms or expanded into a single area with a sprung dance floor. The sanctuary was a closed off area at the west end. In the years since, a halls complex has been added and improved and the church has been reordered with the sanctuary at the east end. We have comfortable seating for 160 that can be arranged to suit the occasion. We have all our services in the church as well as using it for social functions, quizzes, concerts and even pantomimes. We have a 2 manual electronic organ, a Yamaha keyboard and drums but at present no musicians! The Halls The halls complex, which is entered from the car park in The Crescent, consists of a good-sized lobby, a main hall, the youth room, a prayer room and toilets. A side corridor leads to the church office and the kitchen. A further suite of 3 rooms is used as the Doctor s Surgery. Their waiting room is shared as another medium sized meeting room when not in use for the surgery. The halls complex is linked internally to the main church building. Next door to the church and halls is 1 The Crescent, a church-owned bungalow that at present is occupied by the part-time Facilities Manager and his family. The church also owns a flat in the village that was originally bought to house a Church Worker but is currently let to generate income. St Luke s Parish Profile page 12
The Vicarage The Vicarage is a 4 bedroomed detached house on a pleasant road, West Riding, only 3-4 minutes walk from the Church. On the ground floor is a large kitchen, two good-sized reception rooms, a cloakroom with toilet as well as a large study separated from the main family accommodation. On the first floor are three well-sized and one smaller bedroom, and a family bathroom with bath and separate shower cubicle. The house has an integral garage, a reasonably large front and back garden with a patio and greenhouse. The driveway can accommodate up to 3 cars. View of the vicarage from the road The rear view of the vicarage View from the vicarage to the road The vicarage garden St Luke s Parish Profile page 13
Where we are The locality, the parish and beyond Bricket Wood is a growing village with a population of 4,500 with plans for a further 150 homes. It is situated near St Albans in Hertfordshire. It forms an island separated from St Albans (5 miles to the north), by the M25 motorway and from Watford (5 miles to the south), by the M1 motorway. St. Albans is a historic city attracting many tourists. It has a significant spiritual history focused on the Abbey, which is home to a large worshipping congregation. The civil parish of St Stephen covers Bricket Wood, Chiswell Green and Park Street. The Parish Centre is on the edge of Bricket Wood. There is also a large recreational area 2 miles away at Greenwood Park, with sports facilities and a large meeting hall. History Until the 1920s Bricket Wood was a countryside retreat to which many Londoners came to enjoy the fairgrounds. During the 1920s several naturist communities developed, and there are still two in the village. In the 1930s many bungalows were built around the area and the Church was built in 1937. However, the greatest housing development in the village took place in the 1960s. Since that time most property development has been infilling. Countryside Bricket Wood has retained a rural atmosphere, with areas of woodland and nearby farmland. It is just 3 minutes walk from the Vicarage to the woods, which are part of Bricket Wood Common: a large area of common land with a wealth of natural history including rare butterflies and a network of footpaths and bridleways. It is great for a leisurely stroll, cycling or for exercising dogs or children. Facilities Local shops include a chemist, post office, butcher, café, hairdresser and general store, all 2 minutes away from the Vicarage. There are major shopping centres, hospitals, cinemas and leisure centres in the large nearby towns of Watford, St Albans and Hemel Hempstead. Premiership football is played in Watford. The Building Research Establishment (BRE) is within the parish. There are a number of small service industries some of which are home-based. Most employment is outside the village, with many people commuting to London or elsewhere. There are many village organisations covering a wide range of leisure activities, and uniformed organizations for the children. There is a CIU Social Club and three Public Houses. St. Luke s members also support the Local Residents Association, and many of the diverse local societies. Our halls complex is the centre of much of the activity within the community. St Luke s Parish Profile page 14
Schools There is ample choice of good state and private schooling in the area. Within Bricket Wood there are JMI and Nursery schools, as well as privately run playgroups. Secondary schools are nearby, with good transport links. Transport Links: Very close to Junction 6 of the M1 and Junction 21a of the M25. Bus links to St Albans, Watford, Hatfield, Luton and fast bus services to central London, Heathrow and Luton airports. Bricket Wood has its own station 15 minutes walk from the vicarage with a shuttle train to St Albans and Watford where one can join the main line to London or the North. Demographic information The Census of 2011 showed that the population growth since 2001 had been static with 4,500 people, living in 1800 homes. It is anticipated that these figures are set to rise. 1550 are owner occupied homes, 200 private rented and 50 social rented. The population comprises 16% children, 61% working age, 22% retired. The number declaring allegiance to the Christian faith has reduced since the previous census in 2001 from 72% to 62% in 2011. Other demographic information about our parish, which you may find helpful, can be found at: www.stalbans.anglican.org/ wpcontent/uploads/ 2014/08/320014-Bricket-Wood.pdf St Luke s Parish Profile page 15
St Albans Deanery St Albans Deanery The St Albans Deanery comprises sixteen parishes, diverse in churchmanship, but with mostly vibrant and lively congregations. Named after the first English martyr, St Albans is a very spiritual place, with an above average proportion of people attending church in the area. The Deanery was enlarged from nine parishes to the present number in 2012. That has changed the dynamics of the deanery, but opened up new possibilities for the support of one another and for promoting the diocesan vision of Loving God s Love. The Deanery Synod is actively engaged in developing a vision and plans for supporting the mission and ministry of the parishes it serves. The Deanery Chapter meets six times a year for fellowship and prayer for the clergy. The new Rural Dean is committed to developing the life of the Deanery and Chapter, providing mutual support and encouragement of its members. St Luke s Parish Profile page 16
St Luke s Parish Profile page 17 Appendix 1
St Luke s Parish Profile page 18 Appendix 2
Appendix 3 Results of a straw poll taken on a normal Sunday 17 th January 2016. 45 Adults and 2 children attended including 5 visitors Average age 72 26% Male 74% Female 74% resident in the parish 26% non-resident 20% of people working full time. Average age of full time workers 56 80% Retired or very part time St Luke s Parish Profile page 19
Our Address St Luke s Church The Crescent Bricket Wood St Albans Hertfordshire AL2 3NF Further information may be found on the church website at: www.st-lukes.org.uk St Luke s Parish Profile page 20