CHESHUNT TEAM MINISTRY www.cheshuntteamministry.org.uk TURNFORD - WALTHAM CROSS CHESHUNT - GOFFS OAK TEAM PROFILE For the appointment of a Team Vicar in the Cheshunt Team Ministry With Pastoral Responsibility for the Parish of St James Goffs Oak. St James - Goffs Oak St Mary the Virgin - Cheshunt Christ Church - Waltham Cross St Clements - Turnford
Where & Who! The Vacancy The Cheshunt Team covers the Anglican parishes of Cheshunt, Waltham Cross, Goffs Oak and Turnford, and serves a combined population of around 65,000. The four churches each have their own PCC but there is also a Team Council comprising members elected by those PCCs. Each church has direct responsibility for its own mission, ministry and finances, while working closely with the others to develop team-wide support and initiatives. A new Team Vicar has been appointed at Christ Church, St Mary s is in vacancy and a new appointment will have to be made at St Clements in the near future because of an upcoming retirement. A new priest at St James will be joining at the time of a fresh start! All clergy have responsibilities to work across the team. Context INTRODUCTION TO THE TEAM The Cheshunt Team Ministry is the second largest team ministry in the Church of England in terms of population. Cheshunt parish has now approaching 30,000 people on its own, making it one of the largest in the diocese, Waltham Cross has around 13,000, Turnford 13,000 and Goff s Oak 10,000. Mainly suburban in nature but with pockets of countryside and several small town centres the large A10 Great Cambridge Road cuts a swathe through the centre. With the M25 forming our southern border and with the employment opportunities of London only a short distance away many people commute to work. The area is well served by road and rail which encourages a dormitory feel on some of the areas estates. Tesco was until recently 2
a large local employer, with their head office locally and the large Brookfield Centre a hub for shoppers in the whole area. On the edge of the M25 is the News International print works which cost 350 million and is one of the largest in Europe, and just down the road is the Lee Valley White Water Rafting Centre made famous at the 2012 London Olympics at which time we were that rarity; an Olympic Team Ministry. Cheshunt and Waltham Cross have some large areas of social deprivation with Waltham Cross and Bury Green Wards being two of the most 10 deprived in Hertfordshire. There are three church primary schools in the Team and St Mary s High School is the first completely new High School in Hertfordshire for 30 years and with an 8 form entry is both demanding and stimulating at the same time. The Cheshunt Team Ministry was formed in September 2008 uniting the four parishes that now occupy the old medieval parish boundary. The Team area is one of natural geographical cohesion and in church terms there has been much improved co-operation.. Christ Church (Waltham Cross) is a shared Methodist/Anglican LEP. The Methodist Minister is a valued and equal colleague in the Team Ministry. Currently each church has its own Mission Action Plan and although we are still looking at a Team MAP, a deanery wide MAP has been completed Each of the four Vicars has had an agreed area of responsibility across the Team and this is designed to play to the strengths of those involved. Until recently these were: Adult Education, Schools, Business and Chaplaincy and Care for the elderly and social care. With the appointment of a new Team Vicar it is hoped that revision of these responsibilities will include support of those vulnerable people on the margins of society complimenting the work of the local Foodbank and a Night Shelter based in Enfield. Clergy staff meetings take place regularly with working together as a team seen as essential for the smooth running of all four parishes. The high value we place on team ministry is reflected not only in the sharing of responsibilities, but also in the importance placed on mutual support. We are committed to collaborative ministry at all levels including sharing worship, skills and motivating congregations to engage with our communities. Meeting together has proved a vital means of communication, encouragement and challenge. We aim to transform our communities by further developing ministries across the Team drawing on the gifts within particular congregations and the needs of the communities they serve. Ecclesiastical Tradition The four churches have usually been categorized as in the middle to Catholic traditions, although the lines are currently more blurred. Christ Church, Waltham Cross, remains in the Catholic tradition of the Church of England although fully accepting of the role of women in ministry. St Clements is middle of the road, with vestments and a relaxed liturgical style and St James, although modern Catholic in tradition takes full advantage of a recently reordered interior to experiment with liturgy and other traditions. St Mary s mixes open modern Catholic liturgy with influences from Celtic Christianity, Taizé, and the Orthodox tradition. Clergy with backgrounds in evangelical theology have enriched these traditions with expository sermons and Bible based teaching. Electoral Roll (2016): 3
St Mary s (Cheshunt) 120 St Clements (Turnford) 94 Christ Church (Waltham Cross) 118 St James (Goff s Oak) 37 The Purpose of the Team To help the church to flourish as individual parishes and as a team To enhance the vision and effectiveness in making Christ present in our communities. To share and ensure effective use of resources across the churches To encourage a wider sense of belonging and fellowship To promote collaborative ways of work (Source: Team Constitution) 4
St James Church Goffs Oak. We are a feisty little church that wants to grow into a big church. Our vision is to be a welcoming, outward looking and spiritually vibrant church with an inclusive mix of people of all ages committed to offering a beacon of love and hope to the local community. St James church is a beautiful small church that has always punched above its weight we are responsible for setting up Broxbourne foodbank in 2011, providing support for individuals and families throughout the Borough of Broxbourne that are in crisis. In 2014 the foodbank moved to new premises but the church and congregation are still heavily involved with the foodbank. In 2016 the foodbank provided over 2400 food parcels at four distribution centres. Broxbourne Foodbank how it all started. Broxbourne foodbank today 5
The Parish of St James, Goff s Oak, under the Broxbourne Local Plan will be undergoing great changes in the near future with the building of 7000 homes and a new school. As a church we wish to grow with these changes and move forwards, becoming a focal point within the community. We cannot do this on our own and are looking for a priest to work with us to achieve this. The exterior of St James church is Victorian but once you step over the threshold you enter into a very modern, light and multipurpose interior with comfortable chairs. For new worshippers is it exceptionally welcoming. The church is used for worship, social events, Craft fairs, meals and meetings. Annual Craft Fair Meals have been held in Church. Community groups have held meetings in church We have a small highly committed but older congregation, our monthly Family Praise has attracted many new families. We want a priest to work with us to develop the involvement of these families in worship, growth of faith and church life through the development of a new pattern of worship. 6
With this in mind we are looking for a Team Vicar who: Going Deeper into God Is a good communicator and can engage with a congregation of varying ages. Will be a committed and active member of the Cheshunt Team Ministry who enjoys the interaction and adaptability this requires but also provides leadership within our parish. Is prepared to be involved in civic and community acts of worship. Making New Disciples Is committed to attracting young people and families to worship at St James and developing their journey in faith while continuing the pattern of worship in place for the established congregation. Will work enthusiastically with the local primary schools developing links already established through taking regular assemblies and encouraging school visits to church for theme days. Transforming Communities Who is an innovator, sensitive to the demands of modern day family life and can provide pastoral care with compassion and understanding. Will have a strong working relationship with the PCC and share the PCC s commitment to enhance St James s position in the local community through our Mission Action Plan. What we can offer our new priest We are a small but committed congregation with good camaraderie who are willing to embrace change in order to pursue our mission We have an attractive, welcoming, modern multipurpose church interior, with additional church hall / kitchen/office facilities. We have a wide variety of church social activities 7
St James Sewing Group Afternoon tea and music We have developed good connections with our two local primary schools. Additional facilities at Hammondstreet Hall that have great potential Attractive well maintained grounds St James Patronal Feast 8
A wonderful Parish breakfast after Sunday services famous in the Team for our sausages! Church work days keeping the buildings and grounds in good condition. Our church interior is very adaptable to various styles of worship. Small worship groups Café Church worship 9
. Local community worship. Weekly Sunday worship The priorities of St James Goffs Oak are: Going Deeper into God To develop a range of opportunities for spiritual nurture and refreshment to enhance a greater sense of well-being. Making New Disciples To share the good news widely but most especially with younger families, children and young people Transforming Communities To work with other local organisations to support those in need. 10
Location The Parish is in Goffs Oak which is in the southernmost part of Hertfordshire and borders both London Borough of Enfield and Waltham Abbey, Essex. Goffs Oak is within easy reach of A10 to London / Cambridge and M25. It is close to several stations, all of which have good connections into London. Our community Originally the parish of St James was an area of horticultural nurseries serving London, gradually this has greatly reduced and housing development have replaced the nurseries. Although Goffs Oak village shops and village hall are perceived to be the central point of the community this is no longer the true centre because of all the developments that have taken place. The spreading of Goffs Oak has led to a lack of cohesion in the area. In the coming months the village hall will be undergoing changes which may lead to it no longer being a community hall. There is a mix of housing, mainly owner occupied with several gated communities. There is little social housing. St James church offers the community the use of its facilities, church and church hall. We jointly lead the annual remembrance service at the War memorial with Goffs Oak Methodist Church Goffs Oak has many active community groups, for example a monthly gardening Club, WI, uniformed organisations and a residents association. Goffs Oak has quick and easy access to a wide range of leisure and recreation facilities within the Borough of Broxbourne Laura Trott Leisure Centre, Cedars and Cheshunt parks. Close by is The Lea Valley Park, Olympic White water centre and Herts Young mariners Base. There are 2 primary schools within the parish, Goffs Oak Primary School and Woodside Primary school. There are several good secondary schools near by Goffs Academy, St Mary s C of E High School and Goffs and Churchgate Academy. Worship Our liturgical tradition is liberal catholic with sung Eucharist every Sunday at 9.30am, apart from the 3 rd Sunday which is a non-eucharist Family Praise service at 10.30am. Members of the congregation participate in the liturgy by reading lessons, leading intercessions, serving and assisting with the chalice. St James also has a licensed lay leader of worship who regularly takes services. Two members of the congregation are authorised to deliver Home Communion. Average attendance at our Sung Eucharist is 23 adults and 22 adults and 8 children at our Family Praise services. We hold special services of Harvest, Remembrance Sunday, Crib service, carol service and midnight mass and Mothering Sunday. We also join other Team churches for services throughout the year. Once a month we hold joint services with Goffs Oak Methodist Church and join with churches in Cuffley for Women s world day of prayer. We have an organist once a month for Sunday services, weddings, funerals and special services, we have a good sound system that is used when we do not have an organist. Pastoral work and Ecumenical relationships At present there is no formal pastoral committee but there is a great deal of support for each other within the congregation. Home visits are made and transport is offered to services and social events. 11
St James is part of Churches Together in Cheshunt and Waltham Cross, we have 2 representatives on the committee and take part in services and events during the year. Baptism visits are made by a trained member of the congregation. Leadership St James has two Church wardens and a PCC committee of 9 members that work towards the daily running of the church, the spiritual development of the congregation and achieving of Mission Action Plan. We have two reps on Deanery Synod and 2 reps on Cheshunt Team Council. The PCC meets 6 times a year and on other occasions when required. Sub committees / task groups are set up as required. Our Electoral Role is 37 Being part of Cheshunt Team Ministry gives us access to Team vicars from the other churches to extend our worship, share good practice and we are able to draw on the expertise of the Team vicars. Occasional Offices 2015 2016 Baptisms 20 20 Weddings 6 6 Funerals 4 8 Interment of ashes 2 3 A Baptism at St James. A wedding at St James. Activities offered by St James for church members and members of local community, Supper Club for fellowship and discussion. (Monthly) Advent and Lent courses Community Midweek Parish lunches (Monthly) 12
Stay and Play group for parents and pre-school children (weekly term time) Host concerts in church for local community groups. History of St James and buildings St James Church was built in 1862 as a daughter church to St Mary Cheshunt, St James has been the Parish Church (Church of England) of Goffs Oak and Hammondstreet since 1871. It was originally surrounded by farms and Nurseries with St James School next to the church. The farms and Nurseries have since closed and been replaced by housing and the school moved into the village and became Goffs Oak primary school. In 2006 the church was radically re-ordered and refurbished and is now a light and airy Victorian building with a beautiful wooden roof which pays tribute to its Victorian past but provides up-to- date facilities, paying attention to comfort, accessibility and flexibility. Attached to the church is a kitchen, office, toilets and church hall, all of which have recently been refurbished. This is used for church activities and local community groups. The fabric of the church building is in a good state and all urgent works recommended in the last Quinquennial Report have been completed. The next Quinquennial inspection is due 2019. Finance Our financial situation at St James is a real challenge. The only way we have managed to balance our books at the end of the year has been to underpay our Parish Share, even though we have been given a Pastoral Grant to reduce our annual contribution. Our congregation is very small and elderly, though extremely generous, and over the past couple of years we have seen many people leave us through going into care, moving away and even dying. Our organist fees are paid by donations from the congregation and we have pared our spending to the bone. We used a recent legacy to upgrade our Church Hall & Toilets to an acceptable standard as without our Hall rentals we would struggle even more. We also hope that by having so many varied groups renting our Hall, it will act as an outreach and maybe attract newcomers. We know we are not the only Parish to find themselves in this position and we are sure that with new leadership and perhaps a different approach we will increase our congregation and in doing so solve a lot of our current problems. 13
Stewardship is practiced through planned giving with the use of envelopes Our Parish share for 2017 was 31,726, this takes into consideration a Pastoral Aid Grant of 5000. Expenses of Office All clergy and laity expenses are paid in full on production of receipts or documentation. Communications We produce a weekly newsletter that contains the readings for the day, details of services, Church activities for the coming week. We produce a Parish magazine 3 times a year. There are noticeboards both outside and inside the church. The Team Council are looking to appoint a shared part time administrator to work across the team to support all team churches and improve communications. Strengths & areas of development. St James is a very welcoming church and has a loyal congregation that keeps St James open, there is something about St James that makes people keep coming when they could go to a larger church with more clubs / activities etc. Our PCC knows its church well and is active in its running and development. The PCC have a firm understanding of how we want the church to develop and grow, but do not have a plan. We have worked hard with our previous priest to reach the stage we are at present we want to continue to work in conjunction with the new priest and will not blindly follow. The congregation is involved in all decisions and all opinions are taken into consideration. The Church community is heavily involved in secular organisations outside the church within the local community which gives us an opening to spread the word and make disciples. Our areas for development Our congregation could be described as an elderly congregation and the number of regular attendees is steady, reflecting our Electoral Roll. Numbers increase at Family Praise and special services, especially Easter and Christmas. We need to look at what we do and how we can bring families that attend Family Praise and Special services to church. We have regular Baptisms, a course was written by priest and Baptism visitor to develop the role parents and God parents. Unfortunately attendance was low but it did show us that young families are interested in finding out about Christianity and faith. The development of individual s faith journeys is an area that there is scope for change and development. In the past we have had a regular House Group and Bible study groups which were well attended. They have had a break and could be started. Financially we manage to pay our bills and do our best to pay our Parish Share, we are still seeking Pastoral Aid Grants. We need to develop our stewardship of gifts of money, time and talents. St James Church is not located at the centre of the Parish, over recent years we have become better known in the community and we now need to build on this. There is an opportunity to offer our buildings, both church and hall for various functions and meetings as the Village Hall is changing its use. 14
St James Vicarage. St James Vicarage is a large 4 bedroom detached house with a large establish garden. The property comprises of lounge, dining room, kitchen with utility room, downstairs cloakroom and an office. There is a garage and off street parking for several cars. 15
The Other Team Churches Christ Church Waltham Cross Anglican & Methodist Local Ecumenical Partnership (LEP) In 1975 Cheshunt Methodist Church was closed and sold and Christ Church was formed into an Anglican-Methodist LEP. The church was refurbished using the proceeds from the sale of the building. The name changed from Holy Trinity to Christ Church to reflect Location The Parish is within the town of Waltham Cross, which is in the southernmost part of Hertfordshire and borders both the London Borough of Enfield and Waltham Abbey which is in Essex. Waltham Cross is within easy reach of Junction 25 of the M25 and the A10 (London to Cambridge Road). There are good rail links to London Liverpool Street, and Cambridge. Community On the edge of Greater London this area, once a small market town, is now a busy and diverse community of 13000. Housing in the area is a mix of private and social housing with pockets of significant deprivation. The parish is situated in the Borough of Broxbourne. Church affiliated organisations include Scouts, Guides and other uniformed groups and there are also significant links with the Royal British Legion and the Royal Naval Association. There are six Primary Schools in the parish: Holy Trinity Cof E (VA), Downfields, Four Swannes, St Josephs (RC), Hurst Drive and Holdbrook Worship We currently worship at 9.15am, which is usually Anglican, but 4 times a year is Methodist led. This worship is Eucharistic. Once a month we worship at 10am in a non-eucharistic Family service, which can include Church Parade with our uniformed organisations. average attendance at Sunday morning worship in 2016 was 61 adults and 13 children We also have a Wednesday morning Eucharist at 10.15am which has a congregation of around 20. Major feast days of the Church are observed and are often shared across the Team. The Deanery Walsingham Cell alternates Pastoral Work and Ecumenical Relations Pastoral Visits at home and in hospital are undertaken by clergy and laity. Home communions are currently provided by lay people. There is a Bereavement support Group (BT) that meets regularly and four members of the congregation have received training to undertake Baptism preparation visits. Our relationships with churches of other denominations in the area are good and there are various joint services throughout the year. These are arranged through the local Churches Together Group and Ministers meetings. 16
Leadership In addition to the Churchwardens, the PCC consists of Deanery Synod representatives, ten lay members, two Methodist members, one Methodist observer and the Methodist Minister. The PCC meets approximately 6 times a year and on other occasions when required. There are currently 5 sub-committees: Finance and Stewardship, Standing Committee, Missions, Social and Fundraising, and the Christmas Fayre. In addition there are representatives elected to sit on the Team Council and Churches Together. Strengths & Future Priorities Christ Church is a friendly and welcoming church. We are well organised from both a financial and administrative standpoint with good teamwork, lay involvement and sharing of responsibilities. However, we are aware that we need more volunteers to take responsibility for the running of the Church. The building has been modernised and has a sound and loop system. Organisations There are several organisations affiliated to Christ Church including a branch of the Mothers Union, a Choir, Servers, Junior Church, Parent & Toddlers, Uniformed Organisations, BT Group, Deanery Walsingham Cell, a Women s Group and Music & Movement Group. Accessibility The building is accessible to people with disabilities and recent additions include the floodlighting of the frontage, commissioned Stations of the Cross and a church office. The Lady Chapel has also been recently refurbished MAP GOALS Going deeper into God-Transforming Communities-Making New Disciples Agreed in 2013 and to be reviewed by our new team Vicar who was licensed in November 2017. 17
St Clements St Clements was consecrated in 1898 and is a red brick Victorian Church originally built as a chapel of ease for Cheshunt Parish to serve the community that lived and worked in the nursery industry. This industry has long since disappeared from the area and St Clements is now an urban parish of mixed private and social housing situated on the A10 corridor and a member of the Cheshunt Team Ministry. Latest estimations put the population at 12,300 and new building is constantly increasing this. The Church is situated on the edge of the Lee Valley Park. The building is well maintained and an ongoing plan for maintenance is in place. Our Living God s Love vision is to be a church at the heart of our community, reflecting the diverse ethnic mix of our parish, offering an inviting space for community use and a place where worship and prayer remain an important foundation for vision and growth. We aim to be an inclusive church that supports the church family pastorally and also reaches out into the community. Open in attitude we try to have a flexible approach in styles of worship when appropriate. Our Sunday service is at 10.30am, reflects Anglican traditions and can be described as liberal catholic. Vestments are worn and Sunday morning worship is mainly Eucharistic although the first Sunday of the month is usually a non-eucharistic service of Family Praise led by clergy or one of our two Lay Leaders of Worship. Common Worship is used at many services. Junior Church leaders provide an enjoyable learning environment for the children who meet in the hall during Sunday services. We are currently looking at ways to optimise space and provide more community facilities. On a weekly basis we run Coffee, Tea and Toast sessions where the community can drop in for refreshments, company and information and we host the Community Book Swap at the same time! The St Clements Mothers Union meets monthly in the hall where the 3 rd Cheshunt St Clements Brownie Pack also meets. The Brownies usually attend the monthly Family Praise services. Each year we support local, national and international charities and Christian Aid. We support the Children s Society through our Christingle Service and collection boxes. 18
We share our site with Churchfield CE Academy, Primary School and Nursery. The team vicar leads church services weekly for KS1 & KS2. Clergy and lay members of the congregation are also involved in supporting the school in many ways. There are two other primary schools and a Secondary School Academy within the parish. We are aware that we need to encourage the involvement of more youth and 18 25s in the life of St Clements. Being active on Social Media promoting events and information about St Clements would be one obvious way! As part of the discerning process for our Mission Action Plan we became aware of just how much we are restricted by the size and plot of our building and as a result we need to be imaginative and creative to increase our provision of further space. We also confirmed that we have been encouraged by the increasing diversity of our congregation and the mix of young families and older people as we continue to strive meet our mission action goals. MAP GOALS Going Deeper into God Transforming Communities Making New Disciples (adopted by PCC, October 2016) To investigate options for sharing infrastructure, gifts and talents within the team. (Caretaker and Administrator included.) To increase giving and income by at least 10%. To produce a detailed plan for the optimisation of the church building for the future that enables increased use by the congregation and community in time for our 2017 APCM To raise the equivalent of 10% of stewardship for local, national and international mission and to encourage participation in mission To set up a weekly Prayer Group in Spring 2017 to pray for vison and guidance in the way forward for St Clements and the Cheshunt Team Ministry. 19
St Mary the Virgin, Cheshunt In 1418 construction of the new church of St Mary the Virgin in Cheshunt started. This means that 2018 will mark 600 years of the present building which continues Christian Worship on the site which probably started in Saxon times. Cheshunt and the surrounding towns and villages continue to change and the formation of the Cheshunt Team Ministry in 2008 reunited the ancient parish in terms of boundary only, with each church retaining its individual character, mission and ministry. St Mary s is located in the old part of the town and the church is on the other side of the A10, Great Cambridge Road, to the area of shops and café s centred around the Old Pond roundabout and fountain. The popular Brookfield Shopping Centre is not far from the church and the parish has a variety of housing from large detached housing to closely knit estates and areas of high deprivation. Near to the church is Dewhurst St Mary CE Primary School, founded in 1640, which has a very close connection with the church using the building for a variety of activities as well as regular worship. The relationship with schools is important for the parish and wider Team Ministry with each Team Vicar supporting the work at nearby St Mary s High School, this 1000 pupil academy also has close links with the church. During recent years the emphasis for worship at St Mary s has shifted from more formal choral services to an easier going family service format, although traditional services with vestments, incense and servers are still important to the core of traditional worshipers. The very traditional services of the Walsingham Cell are shared between St Mary s and Christ Church and other services include a regular Thursday Communion with occasional BCP and healing services. Work is ongoing to install a permanent nave altar, to gain toilets and upgraded kitchen facilities within the church building. We want to encourage the use of our ancient building by the whole community and have fitted a large concealed projector and screen which in conjunction with an upgraded multi-media sight and sound and system allows new worship, school services and increasingly popular film nights to augment our regular activities. A regular commitment for the parish is the occasional offices, with St Mary s having the bulk of weddings and baptisms within the Team along with a fair number of church funerals. There is a keen and active Friends of St Mary s organisation, an award winning branch of the Mothers Union, a good and enthusiastic band of bell ringers for our peal of eight bells, Hand Bell ringers, links to the Sea Cadets and a range of civic and historic commitments which we regularly undertake. 20
St Mary s has recently worked hard to turn around our finances and proudly gives away 10% of our income to Christian based charities selected by the congregation and voted for at an annual Charities Fayre. We still, however, face a host of challenges linked to a diminishing number of volunteers to carry out important work in and around the church. We need to find a way of further involving the increasing number of families who attend the Family Service helping them to make a fuller commitment to other aspects of church life. Living God s s love A PowerPoint Slide from a recent Family Service at St Mary s MAP GOALS Going Deeper into God Transforming Communities Making New Disciples (adopted by PCC 24/01/15) To encourage children, families, and all those who have found a spiritual home at St Mary's. To complete the churchyard drainage and soak-away project. To reorder the interior of the church building so as to better serve the people who use it. To restore Church House and use the new hall, kitchen, office and youth facilities to make a difference locally. To support the Team Ministry MAP, further building co-operation across the four churches. 21
The Diocese Further information is available from the Diocesan Website www.stalbans.anglican.org/diocese/other-vacancies For informal conversation about the Team Vicar role please contact The Venerable Janet Mackenzie, Archdeacon of Hertford, Telephone 01727 818159 Email: archdhert@stalbans.anglican.org 22