St Anne Shevington Standish Lower Ground and Crooke The mission of the church is to know Christ better and to make Christ better known. Church Lane, Shevington, WN6 8BD www.shevingtonstanne.co.uk ShevingtonStAnne @StAnnesShev
Contents VISION 2026... 4 Where we are.....5 Who we are... 7 Our Buildings... 8 The Church... 8 The Parish Centre... 9 The Vicarage.10 The Church School... 11 Our Finances... 12 Our Schools... 13 Our links into the Community... 13 Where we are going Our Vision... 14 What we offer... 16 What we need... 17
The Bishop of Blackburn The Rt Revd Julian T Henderson Ministry in the Diocese of Blackburn Thank you for your enquiry about a vacant post in the Diocese of Blackburn, the Church of England in Lancashire. We believe God wants His Church to grow, and so are looking for gifted and prayerful clergy with a heart for the Gospel and mission, who have the energy and enthusiasm to implement Vision 2026, Healthy Churches Transforming Communities. You can read more about Vision 2026 overleaf. Almost all of our parishes have Vision Champions who have volunteered to work with their clergy and lay leadership in keeping the Vision on the PCC and congregation s agenda. The Vision is about a radical change of culture, in which we engage in new ways in making the unchanging Gospel of Jesus known in our communities. The spiritual, physical and emotional health and the ongoing development of our clergy is very important to us. Please be assured of my prayers as you consider whether to make an application. Bishop of Blackburn Living in Lancashire Lancashire people are known for their warmth and friendliness and those who are new to the area find it to be an easy place to make friends. There are excellent transport connections and the surrounding countryside is spectacularly beautiful. For those with children, the Diocese has over 180 church schools including 10 secondaries, the vast majority rated as Good or Outstanding. +Geoff Pearson Bishop of Lancaster Our call to Mission As a Diocese, we are fully committed to the breadth and diversity of the Anglican tradition. Traditionalist, evangelical, catholic, progressive, Eucharistic, charismatic we don t care what the label is. As long as you are passionate about sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ and long to make new disciples, there is a place for you in the Church of England in Lancashire. + Philip North Bishop of Burnley Bishop s House, Ribchester Road, Blackburn, BB1 9EF Tel: 01254 248234 Email: bishop@bishopofblackburn.org.uk
VISION 2026 The year 2026 marks the centenary of the formation of the Diocese of Blackburn. In the ten years leading up to our centenary, Vision 2026 is a plan to turn around the long-term trend of gradually declining attendance. Our vision is for the growth of God s kingdom, not just of his church. Our vision is to develop healthy churches which transform their communities, a vision in which making disciples for Jesus Christ and pursuing social justice sit side by side. Our vision has had a long gestation. When the Vacancy in See occurred in 2012 we began to look at how we were going to move forward as a diocese. On his arrival, Bishop Julian spent his first year visiting every member of the clergy in their homes and visiting all the parishes of the diocese. At the end of that first year, Bishop Julian shared his reflections and the vision began to become clearer. It was shared with the diocesan family in the deaneries and in a number of local events and unanimously adopted by the diocesan synod. The first year was spent in prayer with the Vision 2026 as the focus. 2016 has seen the Vision develop, with parishes nominating Vision Champions who were commissioned in Preston Guild Hall along with Churchwardens in the presence of 1,600 people. As a diocese with our Vision, we are willing to face the cost of change; and in prayer we see the grace and power of God which can alone bring renewal and growth. We are committed to work together (clergy, laity, church schools, diocesan staff and the cathedral) to deliver Vision 2026 by: Making disciples of Jesus Christ Knowing the Scriptures better through reading, teaching, preaching and study Praying with greater depth and urgency for the Kingdom of God to come Giving generously of our time, talents and money to the cause of Christ Being witnesses to Jesus Christ Sharing the Gospel of salvation with confidence Holding regular enquirers courses in as many local churches as possible Showing God s love in action through projects that meet a local human need Offering thorough and accessible Baptism preparation and follow-up Planting or renewing 50 new strategic congregations by 2026 Growing leaders for Jesus Christ Supporting and equipping the current leadership for today s context Enabling missional leadership in every Christian community Liberating lay leadership for greater participation Creating the varied patterns of Sunday and weekday worship necessary to welcome all kinds of people, especially the newcomer Prioritising work among children, young people and schools to raise up a new generation for Christ The Diocesan Vision Prayer: Heavenly Father, we embrace Your call for us to make disciples, to be witnesses and to grow leaders. Give us the eyes to see Your vision, ears to hear the prompting of Your Spirit and courage to follow in the footsteps of your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen 4
Where we are St Anne s Parish is divided into 2 distinct areas. Shevington is a semi-rural large village 4 miles from the centre of Wigan and close to M6 junction 27. It is expanding with new residential developments. 5 The church building is located in Shevington. There is also a Roman Catholic and Methodist Church in the village. There is a row of shops covering all basic needs plus an optician, hardware store, estate agent, hairdressers, food take-aways, a doctors surgery, post office and a library. In terms of the social life of the village, in addition to the church s events, there is Shevington Youth Club and Community Centre which have a weekly programme of activities for all ages. Housing is mainly owner occupied built within the last 40 years, with just 11% social rented. In addition to the motorway there is a good bus service into Wigan and a local railway station with a regular service to Wigan and Southport and then beyond to Manchester and Liverpool, so many residents commute to work. In terms of schools, there are two community primary schools, a Roman Catholic primary school and a community secondary school. There is no major employer in the village. Shevington has been a winner of North West in Bloom a number of times in recent years and residents are proud of the appearance of their village. Some facts and figures about our parish This information is taken from Parish Spotlights and Returns of Parish Finance. Population (Total) 6900 Age spread (2011 census) 0-4 5-15 16-64 65+ 300 800 4350 1500 Ethnic mix British Minority Ethnic 98% 2% Other Faith mix Christian Muslim 82% >1% Sikh >1% Hindu >1% Education background of population No Degree qualification or above 25% 25% Employment - Lower managerial, administration & professional. - Semi routine occupations. Deprivation Index 50% least deprived Housing mix Owner Social Occupied Rented 2400 300 Normal weekly attendance
The other area of the parish is 2 miles closer to Wigan and consists of Standish Lower Ground and Crooke. Years ago, this was the original mining community. They built a mission church and school but sadly the church slipped into the mine and was eventually rebuilt in 1887 in Shevington. There is still a Methodist church in Crooke Some areas of Standish Lower Ground and Crooke are more socially deprived and there are fewer amenities than Shevington, but the sense of community is probably greater in these villages. People living here would travel to Wigan rather than Shevington for anything they need. Our Church school is located in Standish Lower Ground. It is also the local school but the head teacher and staff work very hard to maintain the Christian ethos of the school. The school is used as a Worship Centre and a Sunday service is held there once a month. With such good transport links, the residents of the parish can enjoy the pleasures and amenities of the local towns and cities or the beauty and tranquillity of the Lancashire countryside. Patron Rector of Standish Electoral Roll 2017 156 Age Profile of the Church 0-17 18-69 70+ 22 55 62 Occasional Offices, Celebrations etc. Occasional Offices Baptisms 7 Weddings 1 Confirmation 1 (under 16) Funerals 2016 In Church 23 Crematorium 8 Shevington Sunday Our Services 8.15 Holy Communion 9.45 Family Communion (1 st, 2 nd, 4 th, 5 th ) 9.45 Family Worship with Baptisms (3 rd ) Thursday 10.15 Holy Communion Standish Lower Ground 11am Family Communion (1st Sunday) 11am Joint Communion service at Crooke Methodist Church (4 th Sunday) 6
Who we are We are an open Evangelical Anglican Church with people from all walks of life, some of whom have been worshipping at St Anne s all their lives. We have services on Sundays and a mid-week service on a Thursday. We have both Messy Church and a Café-style worship each month. There is increasing lay involvement in leading these initiatives. We have a full-time Youth and Families Worker contracted until 31/8/18 We have a main Church building, a Parish Centre next door and a Vicarage 10mins walk away. Our Church School, which is also used as a Worship Centre, is at the other end of the Parish. We have 2 Churchwardens, serving for up to 6 years at a time, with 2 assistant wardens and about 20 sidespeople (on rota) helping at services. At our sung services, we use both organ and piano/flute and have a small, but keen, choir. A multi-media projector is used for some services and parish-produced booklets for others. The last incumbent wore robes (Alb and stole) for some services and suit with clerical collar for other, more family orientated or informal, services. Lay members of the Church read and lead intercessory prayers. We have 3 Pastoral Assistants, 5 Pastoral Support Assistants, a Healing Support Team and a Bereavement Support Team. Part-time voluntary secretaries work in the office in the Parish Centre 3 mornings a week and there are Mission, Finance, Social and Parish Centre Management committees, cleaners, caretaker and Traidcraft representative. A Church Magazine is produced each month and notices each week. We have a website and Facebook and Twitter accounts. Two Bible study groups are held in members homes and another meets in the Parish Centre. Weekly prayer meetings are held in the Parish Centre or, once a month, in the school. Other prayer meetings are held in people s homes and our Ladies Prayer Breakfast is held monthly. We have a pre-school group - SCAMPS; a primary school age group - Saturday Special; a youth group - Shield of Honour; an after-school, Christian Inspired Drama club; a luncheon club for the bereaved - CAMEO. Also linked to St Anne s: - Mothers Union and Brownies. Quite a number of lay people lead or assist with running the various groups. In recent years, we have held several Start and Moving On courses and this year we also ran a Leading Your Church into Growth (local) course. The PCC would welcome applications from both men and women. 7
Our Buildings The Church The Church building, which can seat up to 200 people, is 130 years old and is located in Shevington. It was refurbished in 2008 and is maintained to a high standard. We have just had a quinquennial inspection and all ongoing and recommended repairs are amply covered by church funds. The refurbishment in 2008 consisted of: Removal of choir stalls to create an open chancel. Pews in the front half of the church have been removed and replaced with comfortable chairs and carpet. This allows us to have flexible space to facilitate school visits and alternative styles of worship. Opening up the back of church to create a more welcoming entrance. Addition of toilet and baby changing facility. Disabled access Hearing loop, PA system and multimedia projector. There is a churchyard where burials and interment of ashes continue to take place. The churchyard is maintained by a local gardening contractor paid for by the church. Safety inspections are carried out regularly. 8
Parish Centre The Parish centre is next to the church. It is approximately 100 years old but was renovated and extended in 2009. It comprises: Entrance lobby Meeting room/coffee lounge (seating capacity 32) Large hall (seating capacity 100) Well equipped kitchen Parish office, with photocopier/printer, A4/A3 laminator, shredder, laptop computer and multimedia projector (portable). Toilets Disabled access Burglar alarm Enclosed outside space Car parking. The parish centre is used by both church and community: On a Sunday for teaching children and young people, and for coffee after the main service and once a month for our new Café style worship service. During the week, it is used by church groups eg youth group, Bible study group, CAMEO (a monthly lunch club for those living alone), Scamps (our weekly Christian toddler group), Mothers Union, Brownies, a monthly Ladies Prayer Breakfast, Messy Church (monthly on Saturday afternoon) and Saturday Special (monthly group of teaching and crafts for primary aged children). The parish centre is hired by local groups and for parties. We have a catering committee which will cater for baptisms, weddings or funerals in the parish centre. The parish centre is run by the parish centre management committee and has its own treasurer and sub-accounts. It is maintained to a high standard and the floor, heating and lighting are to be upgraded in 2017/18. 9
The Vicarage The vicarage was built in1979. It is in good repair. Downstairs it comprises a hall, cloakroom, study, lounge, dining room, kitchen and utility area. Upstairs there are 4 bedrooms, a storage room, bathroom with wc and separate wc with wash basin. There is a single garage and gardens to front and rear. At the side of the house there is parking for 5 vehicles. The vicarage is 10 minutes walk from the church. St Anne s Vicarage 81 Gathurst Lane Shevington Wigan WN6 8HW 10
Church School St Anne s Church of England Primary School Wigan Lower Road Standish Lower Ground Wigan WN6 8JP www.saintannes.wigan.sch.uk Mission statement With God and each other, aiming high to achieve our best. St Anne s C of E Voluntary Aided Primary School is located in Standish Lower Ground, 2 miles from the church. It was rebuilt 25 years ago to address the needs of a big new housing development in the area. The old school was a traditional Victorian building unsuitable for the potential new intake. The church had to raise 15% of the cost of the school and the remainder was funded by Wigan local authority. The church continues to pay money into the Barchester Fund to help pay for ongoing repairs to the school. In spite of the distance between school and church there is regular collaboration between the two. The head and senior leadership team are committed Christians and encourage involvement with the church. We run termly Messy Church worship after school which is enjoyed and well attended. Our Youth and Families Worker regularly facilitates Collective Worship within the school, as well as running a Christian Inspired Drama (CID) Club where the children write, rehearse and perform a play depicting a Bible story. This group has recently become so large that we have had to put a waiting list in place. The ethos of the school is unmistakeably Christian. The incumbent is automatically a governor at the school. 11
Our Finances St Anne s is in the fortunate position of being financially secure. We have not had a Stewardship Campaign for many years but many people give regularly through our envelope scheme and many more by BAC transfer. This is all supplemented by Gift Aid wherever possible. ( 10,297 in 2016) We pay our Parish Share in full each year by monthly direct debit (with no arrears). In terms of clergy and other expenses, these are paid in full. All maintenance work is carried out as needed. Finance returns 2016 Parish Funds 128,274 Parish Income Tax Efficient Planned Giving Average Amount per person/family per week Parish Expenditure Parish Share Assessed (2017) Parish Share Paid to 30.6.17 65,893 34,882 15.60 71,577 58,066 29,081 Some of our capital is in restricted funds but 10% of unrestricted funds is given away each year to a mix of local and overseas agencies eg Water Aid, Mission Aviation Fellowship, Utugi Street children, Harnhill House, Derian House (the local childrens hospice). We also collect money at Harvest time and during Lent, all of which goes to support overseas mission. Money in the restricted funds has mainly come from legacies. We do hold social events which raise funds and this currently goes to supplement the Parish Centre income. 12
Our links into the Community Community Schools Our community is lucky enough to incorporate 2 community primary schools which are in federation. We have an excellent working relationship with staff at both schools and regularly have contact with them. This interaction is both in school and in church. Once a month we are welcomed into each school to share a Bible story through our Open Book assemblies, which children eagerly anticipate and in which they readily volunteer. At key festivals, the schools are invited into church to share their own acts of worship with their families and the community. Alongside this, a recent Easter service was held for one school with nine prayer station activities which was so well received that the school requested another one of a similar type. There is one high school in Shevington which presents a wealth of possibilities and a significant challenge. We have parishioners and our Youth and Families Worker who are willing to engage in RE and Collective Worship support within the school, but it has not yet been possible to arrange for this to happen. It is hoped that a new incumbent would be willing and able to pursue this and build vital bridges into this area. Other links The incumbent officiates at the annual Act of Remembrance in Shevington Memorial Garden which is always well attended by parish and local authority councillors, members of the uniformed organisations, residents and members of the congregation. After the Act of Remembrance there is a civic service in St Anne s. The incumbent is also chairman of the local Recreation Ground Trustees. Churches Together is the name given to our link with the local Methodist and Roman Catholic Churches. We hold two outdoor events and two Ecumenical Prayer and Praise Services each year. There are no hospitals, hospices or residential homes in the parish but anyone from the church who is hospitalised or in care is visited by the vicar or a member of the pastoral team. 13
Where we are going Our Vision Mission Action plan 2015 projecting to 2020 Revised 2017 Mission Statement The mission of the Church is to know Christ better and to make Christ better known. 1. To continue to build bridges with those who come to Messy Church with the long-term aim of making disciples. We have changed the way we offer teaching and activities at Messy Church by spending more time talking with individuals on a one to one basis. We hope that this will offer opportunities to invite families personally to services such as our Café style worship and hopefully to an enquirers course. 2. To work with the young people who come regularly to activities and to grow outwards to draw in other young people from the community, especially through friendship and our links with local schools. We now have a weekly church youth group (which they named themselves, Shield of Honour ) run by our Youth and Families Worker and volunteers. There are 20 on the roll with an average attendance of 14. They meet for food, films, discussions, games, outings. We are encouraging them to become involved in Café worship by helping to both plan and take an active part in the worship. The group is beginning to take an active interest in the community and have had a bake sale for Help for Heroes and Macmillan Nurses. 3. To continue our work into all local community schools and nurseries, building on what has been achieved over the last 12 years. Because more children now go to nursery, the leader of our Toddler Group, Scamps, also goes into the local nurseries attached to the primary schools to tell the children a Bible Story. There is a huge opportunity to develop links with the local secondary school and this is a priority for the future. 14
4. To continue our work and support into our Church Primary School, which is situated in a different community to Shevington Church. Much has developed over the last 10 years and the current head is keen for the church to be involved in the life of the school. The school is proud of its Christian ethos and faith is an important part of school life. Our challenge for the future is to find opportunities to engage with the parents of pupils to encourage them in their faith. 5. To encourage more individuals to do the Start and Moving on courses. To continue with this aim during the vacancy a lay member of the congregation has been trained to offer the Start course. 6. Having completed the Leading your Church into Growth course (Local) with about 40 people attending over a 6month period, 2016/17, we need to put the teaching into practice. a) to pray specifically for individuals to come to Christ; b) to invite people to come to services/groups/events; c) church members to make new people welcome and get to know them and their needs. d) the congregation to become more Christ-centred. e) the Church to grow in confidence and be more outward looking to the local community. 7. To continue our ministry to the bereaved, especially those who are widowed ie offer support through the bereavement team; hold a quarterly Memorial Service; hold a get together including lunch and a talk, (CAMEO) once a month. Currently CAMEO is attended by around 25 widows and widowers but there is scope to encourage others in the community to participate in this Christian support group. We plan to maintain and develop the Church s life and outreach through the vacancy and expect that a new incumbent will lead us on further in our mission, growth and discipleship, helping us to have a bigger impact on our local community. 15
What we offer The parish of St Anne s, Shevington, offers an incumbent: Well maintained family sized vicarage 10 minutes walk from the church. A full-time Youth and Families Worker with a contract currently to 31 st August 2018. A church which can, and does, pay its parish share monthly in full. Well maintained buildings and churchyard. A well maintained parish centre with a management committee. A church school with a Christian head teacher and leadership team who want the vicar to be involved. Voluntary secretarial help on a regular basis in the parish office. Existing groups for a variety of ages and needs. A committed pastoral team. An army of volunteers who run all the church groups and Bible study groups. An active and engaged PCC. 16
What we need Someone with a love for God and for all people who is willing to take the church forward in line with Vision 2026 and our Mission Statement. Someone who can engage with families and young people. A strategic thinker who identifies areas for development and can carry the people with them in addressing these. Someone who can identify and enable others ministries at all levels. A vibrant individual with the experience and leadership skills to manage a bunch of willing volunteers and enhance cooperation between individuals and groups. Leading Your Church into Growth has thrown up new challenges and we need someone who can encourage, guide and teach us as we seek to meet these. Particularly we need someone who can help us to: o continue looking outwards to our communities and the wider world; o learn to share our faith confidently; o be more prayerful. The community of Standish Lower Ground and Crooke offers specific challenges to mission but with the school at its heart there is an opportunity to make a real difference. Above all we need a person of God, a good communicator who can lead us by example as we prayerfully seek God s way forward. 17