St. Michael and All Angels, Amersham on the Hill Parish Profile As a Christian Community, we seek to engage with the world around us and be a place of acceptance for all on a journey to God believers, doubters and those who are seeking
Contents 1. Introduction... 1 2. Our Vision, Mission and Worship... 2 3. Leadership and working collaboratively... 11 4. Organisation and Finance... 11 5. Our Church buildings and Vicarage... 12 6. Description of the Parish... 14 7. Amersham Deanery: Introduction to our Nature, Mission and Role.... 16 Appendix 1: Role description... 18
1. Introduction St. Michael and All Angels, Amersham on the Hill is a centre of town parish church with a liberal open-door policy, aiming to be inclusive and welcoming to all on a journey to God. Our liturgical tradition is modern catholic and centred on the Eucharist, with excellent organ and choral music. The church is usually open each day from 9am to late afternoon. We are in a Local Ecumenical Covenant with Amersham Free Church and St. John s Methodist Church, Amersham. In line with our commitment to an inclusive, liberal ethos we are a member of Inclusive Church (http://inclusivechurch.org.uk/ ). St. Michael s was originally formed as a specifically Anglo-Catholic church but has moved to an open, modern catholic tradition, with incense used on eight occasions throughout the year. Amersham and surroundings Amersham is a market town in the Chiltern Hills, roughly 27 miles north west of London, with two distinct areas, Old Amersham, set in the valley of the Misbourne and Amersham on the Hill (also known locally as Top Amersham ), which grew around the Metropolitan line station. The town is linked to London by the Metropolitan Line, with Chiltern Line trains also connecting Amersham to London and Aylesbury. The main roads are the A355 (from Slough and Beaconsfield), the A404 (links Maidenhead and High Wycombe with Harrow), the A416 (to Chesham and Berkhamsted) and the A413 (linking Aylesbury to Uxbridge). There is easy access to the M40, M25 and M4. What we are looking for We are looking for someone with good leadership skills who will enjoy working collaboratively with others and be enthusiastically at home in our liberal catholic tradition. During the previous incumbency, opening to the wider community and work with children and young people have been important features. These aspects, together with the ability to attract new members (particularly adults in younger age groups) will be areas in which we will want our new incumbent to help us to grow. A fuller role description appears in Appendix 1 (p. 18). 1
Looking out to St Michael's Square 2. Our Vision, Mission and Worship Causes for celebration St. Michael s is deeply committed to nurturing strong links with the wider community. Outstanding progress was made in this respect during the incumbency of Reverend Diana Glover (who has recently retired). Our mission to the town has been greatly aided by the redevelopment of St. Michael s Square, the creation of a Labyrinth and Quiet Garden (registered with the Quiet Garden Movement, see http://www.quietgarden.org/index.html ), and the replacement of the wooden doors with glass doors and stained glass Angel panels, creating a bridge between the church and the town and helping the life of our church to flow out into our wider community. St Michael's Square Dedication Service August 2012 2
Comments from newer members of the congregation: I like the way that St Michael's is a place where it is ok to ask questions. I feel that all interpretations of Christianity are welcome & there is no sense of "you need to believe exactly the same as we do in order to belong". It feels like an extended family. The worship is imaginative & often moving I particularly like the fact that I'm not expected to know everything, if I don't know a meaning of a particular passage or where I can find something in the Bible or what a word or phrase means. I love the fact that I can ask questions in an open way and sometimes find out that I'm not the only one that doesn't know. The approach of St Michael's is gentle and welcoming and I feel that I am accepted for who I am and that I can belong. Rather than questioning am I worthy to belong? St Michael's was our nearest church when we moved to Amersham in 2010. We were welcomed by several people very warmly, especially Heather and Diana and Sharon and then it was very easy to join the choir and everyone really made me feel I belonged Having decided that St Michael s was a possible church for us, we visited for a few weeks and were impressed by the friendliness of the congregation and the quality of the music in worship. There are not many churches in this area quite like St Michael s - it has a distinctive liberal catholic ethos which chimes with where we are spiritually. We went to a couple of music events and liked the feel of the place so then came to a Sunday 10am service. We were made very welcome by the people we knew and others The initial welcome from Diana and Sharon and other members of the congregation was wonderful. They made us feel we could return at any time and that we wouldn t be judged or made to feel guilty if we didn t come every Sunday. This has continued to this day. We really enjoy the 2Gether services and special Hybrid events. Also, Meghan has been admitted to communion and this is very special for her. Looking to the future Summary of Mission Action Plan Priorities set in 2013/14: 1. Extend teaching provision for children and parents. Encourage leadership roles among younger adults. 2. Further develop creative spirituality and links with the community. 3. Facilitate transition as older members of the congregation need to relinquish tasks and roles. Children and Young People Through our work with young families, part of our Mission Action Plan is to nurture and support a committed group of pre-teenagers and their parents, who know each other well. They have the potential to advance outreach, spiritual growth and worship with younger people and families. We have already extended teaching provision by establishing a session for children aged 7+, which has been undertaken by the member of the clergy who gives the sermon at the monthly all-age 2gether Eucharist, which is the best attended service each month. In 2014 we prepared five children to be admitted for communion (permission to admit children to communion before confirmation was granted by the Bishop of Buckingham some years ago). Our midweek worship for pre-schoolers and their parents/carers, Little Angels, is now completely lay planned and led. The 3
older (7+) children s teaching group at 2gether is led during the vacancy by Children s Team member Samantha McEwen. 2gether teaching for the older children Little Angels making the Easter Garden In related developments, the Rev d Sharon Roberts, self-supporting minister who is licensed to the parish, has joined the leadership of MAD, a vibrant youth club run by Chiltern Youth Projects for children in Years 3-6. This strengthens our links with Woodside School (where the clergy take occasional assemblies) and with Chiltern Youth Projects and young people in the town 4
(http://chilternyouthprojects.org.uk/index.php/mad-about-fridays ). With other local churches, Joy Johns, a member of St. Michael s, visits schools to jointly lead Open the Book assemblies (see http://www.biblesociety.org.uk/about-bible-society/our-work/open-the-book/ for further information). 2gether activity for the younger children Junior Drama is held once a month on a Sunday afternoon. It is open to all boys and girls in our community, aged 3 to 13 years, without charge. Priorities are to build self-confidence and develop self-expression, creative imagination, voice projection and performance skills in each child, incorporating simple exercise, dance, creative games and practical workshops. 5
Older and retired people As older members of the congregation need to relinquish tasks and roles, St. Michael s wishes to facilitate this transition, discerning people s passions and gifts and being alert to what is sustainable. We will continue our support for retired and older people through regular fixtures such as Tuesday Club (which provides a programme of outings and talks, including theatre visits and very popular short holidays, generally within the UK but Burgundy was a recent destination), Wheeler Coffee (which provides tea, coffee and biscuits at reasonable cost each Tuesday morning (Market Day) and is a joint initiative with Churches Together in Amersham and Chesham Bois), Not One for Lunch (which provides a two course meal for a nominal fee once a month for those who live alone) and communion services in retirement homes and with individuals at home. There will continue to be a need for these activities as people are drawn to the Amersham area by the provision of new housing specifically for the retired. Tuesday Club Halifax Visit 2014 The Wider Community Our mission to the town is fostered through the creative use of outside and inside spaces for community, musical and artistic events and for contemplative and multi-sensory worship and spirituality. Examples of this are our regular Pop in and Paint sessions, our Healing Ministry, the Millennium lectures, links with Amersham Artisans, a group of craft professionals (https://www.facebook.com/amershamartisans ), and the use of our facilities by local support groups. Each June, the church is one of the venues during the Bucks Open Studios fortnight (http://www.bucksopenstudios.org.uk/aboutus.asp ), hosting an exhibition by artists from the local Simpatico group (http://www.simpaticart.com/ ). Cards for Good Causes sells Christmas cards in 6
the church in aid of a wide range of charities in November and December each year (http://cardsforcharity.co.uk ). Lying in the London commuter belt, Amersham has a predominantly middle-class population, though with pockets of relative deprivation, as evidenced by the active local Chiltern Food Bank, for which St. Michael s acts as a collection point - http://chiltern.foodbank.org.uk/. In Autumn 2014, St. Michael s was one of the local venues for Amersham Museum s Amersham at War exhibition, which commemorated the outbreak of the First World War (http://amershammuseum.org/the-museum/special-projects/ ). We continue to develop seasonal creative/spiritual/contemplative liturgies and events, and combine these with Healing and Wholeness outreach events and art exhibitions where appropriate. "Tea Time on St. Michael's Square" July 2015, which included activities for children, spirituality stations in the church, poetry in the Quiet Garden and guidance on walking the Labyrinth. Healing and Wholeness Members of the Healing team are commissioned to offer this ministry in accordance with Church of England guidelines and a healing ministry has been a valued and very significant part of St Michael s life for many years. To date, the Incumbent has been actively involved. It offers laying on of hands as part of the Eucharist nine times a year and also extended half-hour sessions of healing on one afternoon a month, typically attended by both St Michael s members and the community at large. Pop in and Paint Once a month morning sessions where anyone can pop into the church to paint under the gentle and affirming guidance of two artists from Simpatico http://www.simpaticart.com/ ), who are also members of St Michael's. Millennium Lectures Originally established to mark the Millennium, attendances for these events have dropped in recent years. We are looking into how this can be re-energised. For a list of speakers see http://www.stmichaelsamersham.org.uk/pastoral-care/millennium-lectures/ 7
A guide to some of the various community users of the church and hall is available from our website - http://www.stmichaelsamersham.org.uk/ The Worshipping Community Worship Worship is Eucharistic and the church tradition is liberal catholic. Common Worship Order One in modern language is used at the 8.00am Eucharist on Sundays and at the 10.30 Eucharist on Tuesdays as well as at the 10.00 Eucharist on Sunday. Other contemporary language liturgy is sometimes used particularly for special services. Our Holy Week and Easter services are deeply valued and important to our congregation. Our celebration of other festivals such as Candlemas, All Saints and Patronal are also of great significance in the life of St. Michael s. Thought-provoking preaching which does not pretend to have all the answers is appreciated by the St Michael s community. 10am Sunday Eucharist At the Sunday Sung Eucharist there is a robed choir of mixed voices. The choir is affiliated to RSCM and includes talented musicians and singers, several of whom are members of local or national choirs and choral societies. St Michael s also has a fine Walker organ (National Pipe Organ Register No: N09215, http://www.npor.org.uk/nporview.html?ri=n09215 ). Our previous incumbents have shared a passion for St Michael s fine musical tradition. A list of selected choir anthems 2014-2015 is available from our website. 8
Good Friday Icons Weekly schedule of services: Sundays 8 8.45am: Said Eucharist every Sunday in the Lady Chapel. 10 11.15 am: Sung Eucharist Sundays, apart from 2 nd Sunday of the month, followed by coffee. 10 11.00 am: 2gether 2 nd Sunday of the month, followed by coffee. A shorter Eucharist at which children have opportunity to read the Gospel and take part in the prayers. There is the option of age-related activities for both younger and older children, linked to the readings for the day. Tuesdays 10.30 11.15am: Said Eucharist in the Lady Chapel Alternate Wednesdays 10.30am: Term time only Little Angels for pre school children, accompanied by parents or carers. 15 minutes of worship, followed by activities and refreshments. This is planned and led by parents with clergy attendance. Morning Prayer (Monday to Saturday inclusive) 9am-9.25am in the Lady Chapel, using the Anglican Franciscan book Celebrating Common Prayer. Healing Laying on of hands and anointing are offered as part of the Eucharist nine times per year. Average Church Attendance: Annual average attendances during 2014: Sunday 10am Service 74 adults, 5 children Sunday 8am Service 10 Adults 9
2gether all age Service 80 adults, 15 children Tuesday 10.30am Service 17 adults Little Angels 7 adults, 6 Children Morning Prayer 2 adults At the year ending 31 December 2014 the total number on the Electoral Roll was 166. Occasional Offices during 2014 Baptisms (10), Weddings (none), Funerals (14). Events Many regular events have been described already elsewhere. As 2016 is St. Michael s Golden Jubilee year (50 years since dedication), a programme of special events is being planned. Details will be available on the church website http://www.stmichaelsamersham.org.uk/welcome/goldenjubilee.php Our considered strengths and weaknesses Strengths Centre of town location Welcoming, inclusive atmosphere Thoughtfully planned and prayerfully delivered worship Provision of various social and fun opportunities to deepen our connections with one another Well maintained church with a light and spacious interior, which lends itself to flexible, creative use for worship and church/community events Attractive Church Square used by a large number of community groups as part of our community facing mission Well-equipped Hall, with parking, which is used by community groups. Parish Office open Monday-Friday 9.30-12.30, staffed by a paid Parish Administrator Two part time clergy colleagues Active and enthusiastic lay involvement in all areas of church life Well established Pastoral Care and Healing teams: other churches have approached us for information and guidance on healing ministry Well-developed ministry to retired and older people. Expertise in the congregation covering music, art, finance, law, buildings maintenance, film and theatre and journalism Weaknesses: Demographics: An ageing congregation, many of whom hold positions of responsibility in the church Small (but active) Children s group which we would like to grow Few teenagers or adults in younger age groups Ageing congregation could mean fewer potential future volunteers for key church roles. 10
Possible future reduction in resources, given age profile of congregation. 3. Leadership and working collaboratively The Worship, Pastoral Care, and Home Communion teams work with the Incumbent and other clergy in the planning of services, care of members of the congregation, and visiting those who are housebound for fortnightly communion. The Mission Giving team, which has always included the Incumbent, decides on the allocation of the Charitable Giving budget. The Buildings, Finance, and Catering teams are lay led and run and the Administration team works with the clergy and the Parish Administrator on the day-to-day running of the church. Ministry Team colleagues St Michael s is fortunate to have two Associate Priests, the Rev d. Peter Binns, who has permission to officiate and has served at St. Michael s for 39 years and the Rev d. Sharon Roberts, who is licensed to the parish and completed her curacy in 2014. COTHA (Churches on the Hill, Amersham) COTHA is an ecumenical covenant of Amersham Free Church, St. John s Methodist Church and St. Michael and All Angels, Amersham, formed in 1995, and their ministers are able to preside and preach in one another s churches. There are two joint services each year, an annual pulpit swop, three meetings of elected representatives plus clergy, and an AGM with an external speaker open to all. In the absence of a representative coming forward from the laity, St. Michael s representatives on COTHA are at present the Churchwardens. The Leadership of COTHA rotates annually among the three churches. Churches Together in Amersham and Chesham Bois Churches Together is an alliance of St. Mary s, Old Amersham, St Leonard s, Chesham Bois, Amersham Free Church, St John s Methodist Church, the Society of Friends, Old Amersham and St. Michael and All Angels. It co-ordinates the regular Tuesday morning Wheeler Coffee, the Sycamore Club (which provides respite once a week for carers of those with mild dementia), the annual Good Friday Walk of Witness and other ecumenical initiatives when appropriate. Deanery Synod St. Michael s has three lay representatives on Deanery Synod and there is a vacancy for a fourth. 4. Organisation and Finance Organisation Parochial Church Council (PCC) and Standing Committee (SC) 11
PCC meetings are normally held every two months and Standing Committee meets between PCC meetings or whenever events require. Finance We receive hire fees from letting our hall, church rooms and St Michaels Square. We also receive income from the Tuesday Club and other activities. In 2014 we had a net surplus of 10,000 made up of Incoming resources 167,000 Outgoing resources 174,000 Deficit on general activities (7,000) Project grant (chairs) 9,000 Investment income 5,000 Unrealised gains on investments 3,000 Net surplus 10,000 Our parish share for 2014 was 71,729 and in addition to this we paid a further 717 as a contribution to less well-off parishes. For 2015 our parish share is 71,427. As at the end of 2014, we had total reserves of 476,000 including 273,000 in respect of fixed assets mainly in the form of improvements to land and buildings. The remaining financial reserves are 203,000 of which 84,000 is for the upkeep of buildings, 71,000 for other designated purposes and 48,000 in general funds. In 2015 we intend to replace all the chairs in the church and church hall. The cost of some 26,000 will be fully met from a special fund-raising appeal and from grants received. We are currently awaiting a quotation to carry out extensive electrical repairs and anticipate meeting the cost out of current reserves set aside for church buildings. The next Quinquennial examination is due in December 2015. 5. Our Church buildings and Vicarage Brief history of St. Michael s St Michael s was first established in 1919 as a daughter church of St Mary s, Old Amersham. It was to serve the new, rapidly growing town around the railway station and it worshipped initially (although initially stretched out to more than 40 years) in what is now the church hall. The church building was dedicated in 1966, when St Michael s took the first steps towards becoming a separate parish. These were legally completed in April 1973. Travelling On, a short history of St Michael s, was published in 1994 to mark our 75 th birthday. Buildings 12
The main church building has a good sized meeting room for groups, two vestries, a church office, kitchen and toilets. There is a Lady Chapel for smaller services, in which the Reserved Sacrament is kept. It is carpeted and is also used as a meeting room. The church is a light, uncluttered building with a large Sanctuary and a sense of space with seating in the nave and transepts. A major refurbishment was carried out in 2006. St. Michaels Hall was built in 1919 and was originally the church. In the sixties when the current church was built, the old church was extended by the addition of a kitchen and toilets and became the hall. It is a building well utilised by the community and was also refurbished in 2007. The Hall car park (19 spaces, including 1 disabled parking space) was resurfaced in 2015. Vicarage The vicarage is a four bedroomed, detached house alongside the church and is not overlooked. It was built in 1930 and upgraded (with the addition of gas-fired central heating) in 1967. It is surrounded on two sides by a substantial garden, and is screened by fencing and mature trees and shrubs. There are two storage sheds. In 2002 double glazed upvc windows were fitted throughout the property. There is a single garage and parking space for seven cars (some of these are also used by mobility-impaired parishioners). Downstairs the accommodation includes a living room (16ft x 12ft plus a large bay); dining room (12ft x 9ft plus bay); spacious study; kitchen; utility room with space for a washing machine and a chest freezer; and a cloakroom/lavatory. Upstairs there are two double bedrooms, one very large (16ft x 12ft), the other with a washbasin; two single bedrooms; a bathroom with shower over the bath; a linen cupboard; and two walk-in storage areas. There is a large, partly floored loft, reached by a loft ladder. In 2010 the study on the ground floor was extended and other minor improvements undertaken. The Diocese plans to update the kitchen, utility, ground floor shower room and upstairs bathroom, with the anticipated start of works in late 2015/early 2016. The Vicarage from the rear garden 13
Vicarage garden 6. Description of the Parish St. Michael and All Angels is situated on Sycamore Road, the main shopping and business street of Amersham on the Hill. The town centre has many shops including several small supermarkets, coffee shops, post office, chemist and banks. There is also a sports centre, library and GP practice just off the high street. A large Tesco store is situated in Old Amersham and large Sainsbury's and Waitrose stores are in the local towns of Chesham and Beaconsfield. A detailed profile of population characteristics is available from Chiltern District Council at http://www.chiltern.gov.uk/chttphandler.ashx?id=1132&p=0 and more general information can be found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/amersham and at Amersham Town Council s website http://www.amersham-tc.gov.uk/core/amersham-town-council/pages/default.aspx Local issues and concerns: Amersham s situation in the London commuter belt means that demand for housing is high, with correspondingly premium purchase and rental prices. There is pressure on school places locally, 14
particularly in the sought after state school catchments for Chestnut Lane infant school and the adjoining Elangeni School for years 3-6. Unemployment is low by national standards. The routing of the HS2 railway line near Amersham, especially its potential impact on the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, is of concern to many residents. Further information is available from The Amersham Action Group, an umbrella group of local organisations sponsored by Chiltern District Council - http://www.amershamactiongroup.org.uk/ Schools Amersham has a selection of infant, junior and secondary schools. Secondary schools are subject to 11+ examinations. Buckinghamshire County Council can advise on school places. Local schools, particularly secondary schools, have a good reputation, which attracts people to the area and makes places keenly sought. http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/education/schools/admissions-and-moving-school/in-year-admissions/ Infant schools: Chestnut Lane - http://chestnutlane.bucks.sch.uk/ St. George s - http://www.stgeorgesamersham.org.uk/ Junior schools: Elangeni School - http://www.elangeni.bucks.sch.uk/ Woodside School - http://www.woodsidejunior.co.uk/website (in the parish) Independent Schools for Children aged 3-13: The Beacon School (Boys) - http://www.beaconschool.co.uk/ Heatherton House (Girls) - http://www.heathertonhouse.co.uk/ Chesham Preparatory School (Coeducational) - http://www.cheshamprep.co.uk/ Secondary Schools: The Amersham School (Coeducational) http://www.amershamschool.org.uk/ Grammar Schools: Dr Challoner s Grammar School http://www.challoners.com/ (Boys) Dr Challoner s High School http://www.challonershigh.com/ (Girls) Chesham Grammar School http://www.cheshamgrammar.bucks.sch.uk (Coeducational) 15
7. Amersham Deanery: Introduction to our Nature, Mission and Role. Within the diocese of Oxford, as in many other dioceses, there have been significant shifts in the role of the Deanery. The major changes have been in the areas of co-operation in strategies for mission, deployment and finance MISSION - This implies a collaborative approach to the work of the Church at deanery level. Deaneries are asked to ensure that their deanery plans are creative strategies for mission and ministry. There will be increased sharing of resources and, in this new approach, a conscious policy of subsidiarity, where decisions are made by those closest to the work itself. In some places, mission strategy may need to cross parish or deanery boundaries. This is why all churches in the Deanery must now provide a mission action plan to make sure the Deanery plan is relevant. DEPLOYMENT - The total number of stipendiary and house-for-duty posts in a deanery are decided at diocesan level. How they are deployed will be largely on the advice of the deanery. Parishes and Deanery have to work together to come to an agreement on a strategy, which will include the overall provision of authorised ministry (ordained and lay) for the future mission of the Church. FINANCE This deanery is responsible for negotiating with parishes and supporting them to raise the Share allocated to deaneries. Less and less finance comes from the Church Commissioners to the diocese, so the 'living church' must raise the vast majority of its annual expenditure. Adapted from Area Dean Handbook Make up and Structure of the Deanery: There are 12 Parishes or Benefices made up of 35 churches and one Bishops Mission Order (BMO). The Deanery Synod comprises the House of Clergy, and the House of Lay members. Chapter meets 5 times a year for lunch, mutual support, sharing information and discussing items of interest. Synod meets 4 times a year and includes finance, together with presentations or talks of interest suggested by Synod members. The Standing committee of the Deanery is responsible for finance and running of Synod, encouraging the corporate mission of our Deanery; this to include preparation of the annual Trust report and Synod papers. The Mission and Pastoral committee supports pastoral care of ordained or authorised ministers, monitors the mission action plans of the parishes and recommends to Synod (via the Standing committee) the content or effectiveness of the Deanery Mission action plan. It receives representation from parishes regarding pastoral re-organisation, and engages with parishes where there will be a forthcoming vacancy in order to make a recommendation on filling the post (and what type of post) to the Bishop and Archdeacon. 16
Expectations: In order to encourage mission and vision in the Deanery we use as our touchstone Living Faith for the future (see the Diocesan website for all details regarding this). It is an expectation that all stipendiary, associate clergy and locally licenced lay ministers (LLMs) will participate willingly in the collaborative nature of the Deanery, in local mission and wider mission action planning using a rolling scheme. All Parishes are expected to have their own Mission Action Plan (M.A.P.) in place from which the Deanery MAP is formed. We expect attendance at Chapter and Deanery Synod meetings and anticipate that Clergy and LLMs would positively encourage parishioners under their care to understand and engage with the wider role and function of the local churches, Deanery and Diocese. It is hoped that the retired clergy in the deanery will also similarly participate where possible. We encourage Clergy and LLMs to offer and share their particular gifts of ministry within the wider Deanery community as well as in their parish and we welcome new ideas. We anticipate all parishes will pay the allocated share and strive to involve the parishes in understanding how this underpins our mission and wider responsibilities. We are blessed with gracefilled generosity and for the past two years have been able to give financial support to other Deaneries less financially blessed than us. We hope that parishes will engage in the wider life of the Deanery and participate in working out together how we can support one another in our shared ministry with God. The Revd. Camilla Walton Area Dean Updated August 2015 17
Appendix 1: Role description ROLE DESCRIPTION Role Title: Type of Role: Name of Benefice: Episcopal Area: Deanery: Archdeaconry: Vicar Full time stipendiary The Parish of St Michael and All Angels Buckingham Amersham Buckingham Conditions of Service: Please refer to Statements of Particulars document issued in conjunction with this role description Key Contact for Clergy Terms of Service: Archdeacon of Buckingham, The Ven. Karen Gorham, The Rectory, Ford Road, Stone, Aylesbury HP17 8RZ Accountability: Priests share with the Bishop in the oversight of the Church. Whilst, as an office holder, the individual is expected to lead and prioritise work in line with the purpose of the role, they are encouraged to inform the Archdeacon and Churchwardens about any issues exceptional or otherwise that have the potential to affect ongoing delivery of ministry. General Responsibilities: A: To exercise the cure of souls shared with the bishop in this benefice of St Michael and All Angels in collaboration with colleagues including the praying of the Daily Office, the administration of sacraments and preaching. B. To have regard to the calling and responsibilities of the clergy (as described in the Canons, the Ordinal, the Code of Professional Conduct for the Clergy) and other relevant legislation including Bringing the grace and truth of Christ to this generation and making him known to those in your care Instructing the parishioners in the Christian faith Preparing candidates for confirmation Diligently visiting the parishioners of the benefice particularly those who are sick and infirm Providing spiritual counsel and advice Consulting with the parochial church council on matters of general concern and importance to the benefice Bringing the needs of the world before God in intercession Calling your hearers to repentance and declaring in Christ s name the absolution and forgiveness of their sins Blessing people in God s name 18
Preparing people for their death Discerning and fostering the gifts of God s people Being faithful in prayer, expectant and watchful for the signs of God s presence, as he reveals his kingdom among us C. To share in the wider work of the deanery and diocese as appropriate, for the building up of the whole Body of Christ. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES SPECIFIC TO THE LOCAL SITUATION Mission and Outreach Supporting and extending our vision and mission, especially amongst children and adults in younger age groups. Leading the development and expansion of our mission. Leadership and Working Collaboratively Carrying out leadership tasks and the running of the parish in a collaborative manner, specifically with other priests, the Parish administrator and laity. Worship and preaching Leading and developing our Eucharist-based worship at our main services. Supporting liturgy which follows the liturgical seasons in theme, colour and symbols. Sustaining and developing, in collaboration with other clergy/lay people, other appropriate worship e.g. 2gether service and Holy Week services, where our liturgy is firmly valued and important to our congregation. Pastoral care Providing pastoral support for people of all ages, in conjunction with the Pastoral care team Supporting our Healing ministry, in conjunction with the Healing ministry team Other Responsibilities Participate in the Bishop s Ministerial Development Review scheme and engage in Continuing Ministerial Development Carry out any other duties and responsibilities as required in line with the benefice needs 19