PARISH PROFILE 2017 The north side of St. John s Our Mission statement is: Helping the community of Copthorne to know Jesus more clearly, love Him more dearly, and follow Him more nearly. (after the Prayer of St. Richard of Chichester) Charity Number 1155185 Parish profile approved by the PCC August 2017 Page 1
OVERVIEW The parish of Copthorne, West Sussex, is the most northerly ecclesiastical parish in the Diocese of Chichester, and together with Crawley Down makes up the civil parish of Worth. It is part of the Deanery of East Grinstead. Copthorne is an expanding village of just over 5,000 people, situated between the towns of Crawley and East Grinstead. It is mid-way between London and Brighton close to Junction 10 of the M23, giving good travel links to neighbouring towns and Gatwick Airport, which is some 5 miles away. There are frequent bus services from the village to Crawley, East Grinstead and further afield. We are fortunate to have few employment problems. Many are employed within the airport itself and by its associated activity, at the well-established industrial and commercial park in Crawley, or at one of the several small businesses around the village. There is a distinct community feel within the village, and a great desire to maintain the green strategic gap between Copthorne and Crawley. There are three pre-schools, an Infant School and a Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School. Both the Infant and Junior Schools are rated Good by Ofsted. There is also Copthorne School, a pre-prep and Preparatory school located on the outskirts of the village. Post Junior school, the children travel by bus to schools in neighbouring towns, including Sackville and Imberhorne Comprehensive Schools in East Grinstead and The Holy Trinity Church of England (Voluntary Aided) Comprehensive School in Crawley. The Village Green, opposite the Vicarage, is used for various village events, including the St. John s sponsored Jazz on the Green early in June and the annual Copthorne Carnival held on the last Saturday in June. The village has several local shops, two pubs and a social club for adults. There is an extensive choice of clubs/uniformed organisations for the younger generation. Jazz on the Green Carnival Parish profile approved by the PCC August 2017 Page 2
OUR CHURCH BUILDING Originally Copthorne was part of the ancient parish of Worth. The new parish was also carved out of part of the neighbouring new parish of Crawley Down (formed in 1862), and from the parishes of Burstow and Horne, to the north in Surrey. The population in 1881 was 1,079 (and by 1935 was 1,335). The mid-victorian church (gifted by Sir Curtis and Lady Jane Lampson of Rowfant, a hamlet some two miles south of Copthorne) was built in the 1870 s and completed by 1877; services were held by special licence until 4 August 1881, when the church was formally consecrated by the Bishop of Chichester. It has an attractive stone exterior, with a red, black and white brick interior. By the 1990 s Copthorne had grown to over 4,000 people, and our predecessors of 100 years ago would not be able to imagine the thought of the M23 or Gatwick airport! The church has also developed over the years with the installation of audio-visual equipment, a hearing loop and CCTV, which has helped to keep any problems in the church, when unattended, to a minimum. The vestry has been refitted with a kitchenette and a toilet, which is disability friendly and has baby changing facilities. There is ramped access to the church, which is usually open during daylight hours for prayer and contemplation a much appreciated feature amongst the village community. The Quinquennial Report, received earlier this year, found no major problems and we are very fortunate to have an enthusiastic and capable team who keep the church well maintained at our monthly Saturday work parties. Parish profile approved by the PCC August 2017 Page 3
THE CHURCH AND ITS COMMUNITY We are the village church and encompass people from many traditions and denominations. We celebrate and encourage this diversity. In common with many churches, our congregation is mainly older. We have several families with young children but shift work, the busy-ness of working mums and the draw of Sunday activities for young people impacts weekly attendance adversely. Again, commonly, we struggle to keep our teenagers. There were 141 people on our Electoral Roll as recorded at the APCM in April 2017 with an active congregation of around 70 most Sundays and 20-25 attending the mid-week Communion. There are Worship activities for the children during the 10.00 am service on Sundays. The church takes its safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults seriously with a dedicated safeguarding officer carrying out regular update training. We are all seeking to know more of God s love, to experience it for ourselves, and to share it with others and this is reflected in our vision to be Fabulous in Worship, Faithful in Prayer and Generous in Holy Hospitality. CHURCH ORGANISATIONS AND ACTIVITIES Home Groups 2 groups meet in afternoon or evening for study, discussion and fellowship. Friday Teas a social gathering meet for tea and a chat once a month in The Parish Hub. Mothers Union meets monthly for the three village churches of Copthorne, Crawley Down and Turners Hill. Poster Church our version of Messy Church, has meet occasionally throughout the year. Both adults and children engrossed in Poster Church activities. Prayer Circle requests for prayer are circulated around a small group by telephone/email. In addition, we have a Prayer Board in church for anyone to request prayers, which are read out during our Wednesday Holy Communion services. On Sundays, prayer ministry is offered during communion. Parish profile approved by the PCC August 2017 Page 4
OUTREACH Agape this monthly sheet keeps the congregation informed of events for the next month and we are encouraged to share it with friends and neighbours. The Copthorne Magazine is produced every two months by St. John s for the village and is distributed free to over 2000 homes in Copthorne. We are grateful to the editorial team, the delivery volunteers and the revenue from our advertisers. Website and Facebook our website www.copthornechurch.org is currently being redesigned to bring it up to date. Our Facebook page (St John s Parish Church, Copthorne) has frequent new postings. OUR SERVICES Our services use material from Common Worship (CW) with a strong emphasis on biblically based teaching. Anglican Hymns Old and New is our main source of hymns and songs. The liturgy and hymns for the main Sunday service are usually projected onto a retractable chancel arch screen. The accompanying illustrations add another dimension to the worship, this being much appreciated by the congregation. Our spirituality is middle of the road Anglican, with a touch of evangelical. Sundays: 8.00am Holy Communion (CW Order 2) 10.00am Parish Communion (CW Order 1). Occasionally we have a non-communion Worship Together service. Fresh coffee and croissants are enjoyed in the church following this service. 6.00pm Evening Prayer (3pm during the winter). Wednesday 10.30am Holy Communion (CW Order 1), followed by coffee. Thursday and Friday 9.15am Morning Prayer We print Communion Service Booklets according to the liturgical season and a weekly PewsNews sheet with the hymns, readings, the Collect, and other information. We are fortunate to have a retired NSM, Rev Paul Smith, who occasionally helps with services. Lay involvement has always been encouraged and supported within the services, with an introductory prayer, intercessions, readings, and communion administration being taken by members of the congregation on a rota system. Additionally a service of Holy Communion is celebrated weekly, often with lay leadership, at Heatherley, our local Cheshire Home and monthly at Francis Court, a Residential Care Home in the village. Parish profile approved by the PCC August 2017 Page 5
Music is provided by volunteer keyboard players who play for the 10am Sunday and the Wednesday services, using the organ or Clavinova as appropriate to the mood of the hymns. We have a singing group, which is growing in confidence and in its repertoire, to lead the congregation at the 10.00am service. We enjoy different services for special times of the year Advent, Christmas, Christingle, Easter, Harvest, Remembrance Day (with involvement from uniformed organisations and The Copthorne Silver Band) and the All Souls Memorial Service, which are all well attended by the regular congregation and villagers. The Singing Group at their Summer Soirée Service Statistics 2015 2016 Baptisms under 1 13 12 Baptisms 1-12 4 13 Confirmations 0 4 Marriages 13 12 Funerals in church 10 10 Funerals at crematorium 15 15 CHURCHYARD The churchyard is open for burials and there is a Labyrinth Memorial Garden for interring of ashes. The labyrinth represents the journey of life and many villagers and visitors spend time there. Parish profile approved by the PCC August 2017 Page 6
There is a wonderful glass sculpture at the centre of the labyrinth, specially commissioned, and installed by Colin Reid (artist in glass), which is a great feature and focus for thought. The churchyard is well maintained both by a paid employee and volunteers. THE PARISH HUB The opening of this top-quality building in 2015 in the curtilage of the churchyard has brought St. John s closer to the centre of the community and revolutionised the social side of the church. We have been thanked for providing some people s social life. Many church social gatherings take place there, such as Sunday lunches, quizzes and Agape Suppers. Worth Parish Council lease three offices and a meeting room on the first floor and there is a large hall and a catering standard kitchen on the ground floor. Good Friday All Age Worship Parish profile approved by the PCC August 2017 Page 7
Both the meeting room and the hall are available for community hire and are well booked. St. John s Sunshine Pre- School occupy this hall every morning during term time. Friends enjoying an evening meal The popularity of the Parish Hub can make it difficult for St. John s to find space for smaller groups to meet. OUR VISION FOR THE FUTURE In parallel to the building of The Parish Hub, St. John s vision for the future is to build The Link onto the north side of the church building to facilitate our ideal of being Fabulous in Worship, Faithful in Prayer and Generous in Holy Hospitality. The popularity of The Parish Hub has demonstrated the need for a more intimate place for small groups to meet and to provide refreshment for the many who visit the church and churchyard every week. The Link and the church We have Planning Permission and a Faculty for The Link. This will give somewhere for our junior church to meet on a Sunday, rather than in the unsuitable surroundings of the vestry, a more comfortable venue for after service refreshments and for chancel lunches. A village survey indicates there would be a good uptake during the week for community use. Many of the congregation have pledged finance towards The Link and we are actively seeking grants. See more pictures of The Link on page 14. Parish profile approved by the PCC August 2017 Page 8
THE VICARAGE St. John s Vicarage Between the church and Copthorne CE Junior School, the vicarage overlooks the Village Green. It is a good sized 4 bedroom house with large garden, garage and parking for several cars. FINANCE AND OTHER FACTS CHARITY GIVING Over the year we support many charities, practically, financially and prayerfully. We have a mission partner through the Church Mission Society in Tanzania and support a child with his schooling through Compassion in Uganda. There is an ongoing food and toiletries collection for a local hostel for the homeless. EMPLOYEES Parish Administrator and Assistant Administrator Verger and organists for weddings and funerals Churchyard Groundsman / Parish Hub Caretaker Two Parish Hub Administrators and Fund Raisers Parish Hub Cleaner / Caretaker We have a contract with Peninsula (Human Resources Consultants) to advise on employment matters. Parish profile approved by the PCC August 2017 Page 9
SUMMARY OF STATEMENT extracted from the accounts presented in the Annual Report for 2016 Parish profile approved by the PCC August 2017 Page 10
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CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES Challenges and Opportunities that have been identified by the PCC. CHALLENGES To encourage, nurture, expand and retain our Junior Church to provide a thriving youth group for the future. To retain the interest of the couples who are married here and the families who come for baptism. To sustain our singing group and maintain its present sense of confidence. To raise the funds to complete The Link. To meet fully our Diocesan Share (currently 80%). To have ideas and programmes to grow our congregation we have a lot of contact with the community but do not always connect our faith with them. OPPORTUNITIES To build on our many community links to strive to maintain St. John s at the heart of the community To support our links with the pre-school, Infant and Junior schools, particularly through our Junior School Governor responsibility. To maintain our forward thinking and track record of getting things done for the benefit of the village. To encourage others to join our great team, that works hard in administration, church upkeep and social activities. To nurture our small, but dedicated group of Junior Church leaders. To plan accordingly for the anticipated new housing developments, which could increase the village population by up to 1,500 over the next 10 years. Parish profile approved by the PCC August 2017 Page 12
How we see the role of our Incumbent A shepherd of our flock: Who has vision for the future of our church and a collaborative leadership style. Who is passionate about sharing the gospel with all ages and encouraging us all to grow in faith and love. Who is willing to take an active part with our Pre-school, and village schools (particularly the Junior CE School). Detail from the East Window Who has patience and time to spend with older folk for whom personal, face to face contact is so important. Who will be a visible presence and continue to open our Christian family to the village community. Who will promote and develop our youth participation in services and activities Who is ready for a challenge - to lead us forward to growth not just in numbers, but in our individual faith journeys We hope that the incumbent will desire to foster a whole variety of gifts and ministries, enabling all People of God at St. John s to be engaged joyfully in the ministry and mission in Copthorne. What we can offer the new incumbent enthusiastic and hardworking Wardens and PCC to support and share in the mission. a well established team of employees an experienced Building Team. a committed congregation ready to share your vision. a strong sense of community within the village. a church with the heart to grow and reach out, not only to the community in which we live, but also to others in greater need worldwide. Parish profile approved by the PCC August 2017 Page 13
Architect s drawings and plans for The Link Parish profile approved by the PCC August 2017 Page 14
St. John s from the Lychgate, showing the east wall and vestry. St. John s from the south side. You are welcome to contact either of the Churchwardens to discuss our profile or any other aspects of the parish Susan Williams 01293 887477 smwilliams1@btinternet.com Monica Polley 01342 713584 monica@thepolleys.co.uk Parish profile approved by the PCC August 2017 Page 15
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