PARISH PROFILE St James the Great, Blendon Seeking God and sharing his love. Ian Willmott 1
CONTENTS 1. Who we are and our vision for the future Page no. 2. What we seek in our new Vicar 3. What we offer 4. Church Life 5 Families, Children and Young People 6. Our location and community 7. Our church building 8. Our finances Appendix Statement from the Area Dean 2
1. Who we are and our vision for the future We are a loving and welcoming community, eager to deepen our relationship with God and to grow our church both in faith and in numbers. We are a close-knit, very supportive and sharing community that helps people to grow in their faith, offers plenty of opportunities to be actively involved in church life, and always extends a warm welcome to new worshippers of all ages and backgrounds. We have been told that: "The church family at St James really does feel like family. Ian Willmott Our Vision Since 2014 we have been developing our five year vision. We began with a core purpose, or strapline : Seeking God and sharing his love. From this we developed a vision statement: Our vision is to become an increasingly vibrant church, known for sharing the good news of Christ and his love with our local community, and helping people of all ages to discover and grow in faith. To implement this, we have identified several areas for action: To find ways of sharing God s love with families and under 40s. To connect with men. To grow in numbers of followers. 3
To identify how we can reach out and share God s love with the community and help people come to faith. To increase the church s visibility/profile and make it more open. To grow in our prayer life and discipleship, and to grow in confidence in our faith and sharing that faith with others. We haven t yet managed to do everything in that list! But we have taken action in a number of areas, including: Starting Messy Church Starting a Men s Group Holding a Fruitfulness on the Front Line course Providing more frequent Prayer Ministry Opening the church twice a week for quiet prayer Introducing prayer before the main morning service Installing better signage and notice-boards around the Church building We are also working on: Plans to replace the external doors with glass, so that people can see inside. Refreshing the church website and increasing our on-line presence (e.g. social media). But we don t want our vision to be set in stone ; it will need to develop, as we grow in our understanding of God s purpose for Blendon. Our Strengths/Weaknesses/Opportunities/Challenges Strengths: We are widely known as a church community that welcomes new people. We have a growing prayer life (but we want to grow this more!). We desire to learn more of God, his word and the work of his Spirit. We have healthy finances, with a good number of committed givers. We have a strong sense of being a team and we work together in practical ways for our Church, the community and God s kingdom. Weaknesses: Few men, few families, few teenagers. Opportunities: A local primary school is very open to contact with the church. Lots of children and young people coming to the building for Rainbows, Brownies and Guides (and many of the parents come into our church to drop them off & collect them). Other community activities include a Pre- School nursery, a Dance School and a Yoga class. Can we make more impact on them? Challenges: To become more outward-looking; to see St James become known in our community as a church where good things happen, where lives are changed. We want to demonstrate the relevance of the Gospel to a society that finds no time for church! Can you help us? 4
2. What we seek in our new Vicar A passion for God, for his word and for his people. Someone of evangelical conviction, believing that Christ is the Son of God who died for our sins & rose again, and that through his grace we are forgiven/saved. Someone with the desire and the experience of preaching to encourage us to: o Grow in our knowledge of God and of his word; o Grow in our experience of the power of his Spirit; and o Grow in confidence, in sharing his love with others. The ability and enthusiasm to lead us in developing our vision for the church & parish, especially in further developing our prayer life and in our pastoral outreach to the community. Someone with good communication skills and a desire to connect with people within the church family and the wider community, e.g. in local schools. The ability and desire to engage with children & young people as an integral part of the family of the church. Someone who can work collaboratively with the Ministry team and church members, encouraging and developing people in their gifts for God s service. The ability to encourage us in developing our worship; someone who is confident in using a variety of worship styles, including both traditional church music and modern worship songs. An understanding of the relevance and uses of technology and social media to connect with the wider community. Please note that the Patron is the Crown; and that a fresh enhanced DBS check will be required, for this post. We would encourage our new vicar to attend Deanery chapter meetings regularly; and to receive regular personal support/mentoring from someone outside the parish. If that support were to incur any costs, we should be happy to contribute 75% of that. 3. What we offer The St James community We have two Pastoral Assistants, an Evangelist and a licensed Reader, who meet monthly with the incumbent, as a team. The Pastoral Assistants take home communion regularly to two church members (this number varies, according to the health needs of the congregation). The Reader is authorised to take funerals. One member of the congregation has just completed her training as a Spiritual Companion. We have a retired priest in the congregation but he is no longer active in ministry. A team of willing volunteers assist with such matters as sidesmen s duties, reading the lessons, running the Data Projector, leading intercessions and in the administration of communion. The Vicarage 5
The Vicarage (200 yards from the Church along a quiet residential street) is an extended four bedroom semi, having a recently re-modelled kitchen and full double glazing and central heating. It has also recently been re-roofed. On the ground-floor there is a study (12 6 x 12 ) at the front (with adjacent WC), separate from the rest of the house, plus a large private reception room (23 x 38 ), kitchen (10 6 x 8 8 ) and utility room (8 9 x 7 7 ). On the first floor are bedrooms: 17 x 8, 13 6 x 12 8, 12 8 x 9 6 & 7 6 x 7 6, plus a bathroom and separate WC. To the front there is a garage and off-street parking for one vehicle with a small garden. There is a large garden to the rear. 4. Church Life Church membership Our Electoral Roll is now 95; average weekly attendance is 76 adults & eight children. The majority of the congregation would probably identify as White British, although we do have members from several other cultural heritages. There is a preponderance of women; and a significant number of our congregation are over retirement age. Members of the congregation are active in the local community, working in a local food bank, the community library, a charity shop, river cleaning, with Crisis at Christmas, and in a new service to homeless men over the winter (January March 2017). Worship style Style: Open evangelical. We use a mixture of traditional hymns and modern worship songs, including a number from New Wine, Hillsong etc. The minister is usually robed for Communion services; but not normally otherwise. Opportunities for open prayer and praise are given; and, fairly frequently, we invite folk to contribute testimonies. Service Pattern Until the commencement of the Interregnum, our Sunday service pattern has been as set out below, with typical numbers attending in [brackets]: 1 st Sunday 2 nd Sunday 3 rd Sunday 4 th Sunday 5 th Sunday 8.00 am Holy Communion (BCP) Holy Communion [5-10] (except Holy Communion [5-10] 6
[5-10] when there is a 5th Sunday) 10:30am Holy Communion [50-60] Family Service [60-80] Holy Communion [50-60] Holy Communion [50-60] Morning Worship [50-60] The difficulties of obtaining cover for services, during the interregnum, have required some changes; please see our website for the latest details. Two families with young children attend the 8.00 am Holy Communion services; but they do not normally attend the 10.30 service. At seven of the Family services during the year, the uniformed organisations (Guides, Brownies & Rainbows) parade their colours. We have also had occasional informal worship services at 6.30 pm. We have a weekly communion service on Wednesday at 9.30 am [5-10]. Music Music within our worship is provided by a small music group (singers, cello, flute, guitar & piano) and the (electronic) organ. Before each 10.30 Communion Service, the music group sings an introit. A larger choir is formed each year for our Christmas services, led by our exceptionally able and committed Musical Director. Ian Willmott Services We meet to pray at 10 am on Sundays before the service (though only a small number normally participate in this). Twice a month prayer ministry is available after the service. (Refreshments are served after services and prayer ministry takes place at 7
the same time.) We have a data projection/pa system which we use to display hymns and other notices. It can also show videos etc. In 2016 we had three Baptisms (all during the main 10.30 Sunday service), one thanksgiving for a child, eight funerals (of which two included a service in the church) and three people confirmed (all adults). Weddings at St James are a rarity there has been only one since 2004; but we have regular requests for the reading of banns. We have an annual memorial service (normally at All Saints-tide), for the families for whom we have conducted funerals in recent years. This is well-attended and greatly valued, as is the tea which follows it. During Advent, we have a Christingle service, a well-attended Carols by Candlelight Service [100-120] and a popular Crib Service on Christmas Eve [100-150]. We have good links with CRUSE who have an annual remembrance/carol service [85-90]. At Christmas 2016 we arranged a second remembrance service for a local funeral director [40]; feedback on this was positive and they have asked to return this year. Church Life We have regular bible study groups and prayer meetings. We have been praying weekly for the interregnum and the appointment process for the new Vicar since we became aware of the vacancy. (Six or seven people on average attend that prayer meeting.) In recent years we have benefited from 24-hour and 48-hour prayer rooms; and a quiet day with opportunities for meditation, including a labyrinth. We look forward to deepening our prayer life under our new incumbent and repeating such events. In recent years, several church members have attended New Wine in Somerset and have been greatly blessed by it. Other aspects We enjoy good relationships with local primary and secondary schools. At one primary school (just outside the parish), the previous incumbent took assemblies and participated in RE lessons, as part of a rota with other local clergy. This included having the children visit the Church. The primary school within the parish also uses our Church for their carol concerts. Blackfen School for Girls (Secondary School & 6th Form) is also in the parish. The PCC worked exceptionally well together with the previous incumbent. The PCC and Standing Committee normally meet in alternate months. We also have a mission committee, a fabric committee and a social committee. We have two major community engagement events each year, being the Christmas fair (end of November) and Plants Plus in May. Other community events include theatre trips, Harvest Supper, a family picnic and a duck race on the river which runs through the parish this is specifically intended as a low-key outreach opportunity. 8
We have a number of Mission partners whom we support (listed in section 8 below) and have been glad to welcome speakers from these partners to tell us how God is at work through their organisations and projects. 5. Families, Children and Young People Numbers of children and young people attending services (apart from the attendance of uniformed organisations at family services) is low. There are around ten youngsters whom we see more or less regularly and we make provision for them, as follows: Pathfinders (10-16 years) meet on the 1st & 4th Sundays at 10.30, also one Saturday a month at the Cabin (for the three older Pathfinders only all now 16+). Explorers, Climbers & Scramblers (3-10 years) meet every Sunday at 10.30, except for Family Services and for the Sundays when Messy Church meets in the afternoon. In alternate months (when there isn t a Messy Church), we have a craft based morning, with worship, based around bible teaching called juniorjames@10.30. This is for all PECS groups including crèche children. A crèche is available every Sunday except for Family Services and the Sundays when juniorjames@10.30 meets. There is no specific provision for children during the school summer holiday. 9
Messy Church Messy Church meets bi-monthly on a Sunday afternoon from 3.30-5.30. At each session we have refreshments, informal worship, activity based crafts which endorse the bible theme, and a light meal. We see returning families and welcome new ones; the age of the children ranges from babies to 8, which presents a challenge when planning, to meet everyone s needs. Since we started our Messy Church in November 2013, 50 families have registered but recently the average attendance has been 28 (parents and children). Those who have come along have heard about us through word of mouth, and advertising with leaflets, posters and banners. Our team numbers 12 and extra people help to set up and clear away on the day. Messy Church is always fun, and a happy and encouraging event for us (and hopefully for the families that attend) as we discover and learn more about God, his love for us and how we can demonstrate our love for him. 10
6. Our location and community The parish of St James the Great, Blendon, is located on the border of Bexley and Sidcup in the London Borough of Bexley. It is a popular location with professionals and families due to its excellent transport links, proximity to London and its many good schools. There are relatively few significant employers in the parish. A large proportion of the working population commutes to London. The majority of the local housing is semidetached, built in the 1930 s. There are approximately 3,500 homes in the parish and the population is 8,652 1. It has low ethnic diversity and a very low proportion of social housing. There is one other place of worship in the parish the Apostolic Faith Mission, who took over a redundant Methodist church about ten years ago. Sadly, we have very little contact with them. We have close links with other churches through the deanery and Churches Together in Old Bexley (CTiOB). CTiOB organises a number of events, including Lent Groups and a well-attended annual music festival now in its third year. We are also linked to Transform Bexley Borough: http://www.transformbexleyborough.com/ 1 CUF website http://www2.cuf.org.uk/parish/310064 11
Both Transform Bexley Borough and CTiOB were involved in the temporary night shelter for rough sleepers last winter. There is no obvious focus to the parish and there is only one pub within our boundaries, although we do have a superb Indian restaurant! There are some excellent schools in the borough, some of which are selective (i.e. grammar schools). For more information go to: https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/inspection-reports/find-inspectionreport/results/any/21/any/any/e14000869/any/any/any/any/any/0/0?page=1 and https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/inspection-reports/find-inspectionreport/results/any/23/303/any/any/any/any/any/any/any/0/0#search3 There are good shopping facilities at Bexleyheath and Sidcup (two miles) Bluewater (nine miles) and local shops within a ten minute walk. There are theatres in Dartford and Bromley. The borough is well-served by buses and by frequent trains to London (15 minute frequency, 25 min journey). The local railway station is a 20 minute walk away. The A2 road linking Kent to South East London forms the northern boundary of the parish and the M25 is no more than ten minutes drive away. There are also various fitness/leisure facilities in both Bexleyheath and Sidcup. 7. Our Church building Timothy Nunns 12
The church building was finished in 1937 being part of a new housing estate, laid out on the estate of the former Blendon Hall (where the Wesleys frequently stayed and where George Whitefield preached). The early worshippers met in a tent on the site of the present church. St James became a parish in 1990 when it left the mother church of St John s in Bexley village. Since then we have been blessed with three vicars. The building is dual purpose and well maintained. Sliding doors (which are closed during the week) separate the Chancel from the Nave. There is one step from the Nave into the Chancel; there are two steps from the Chancel to the Holy Table. The rest of the building is wheelchair-accessible. The Chancel is carpeted and has recently been refurnished. The Vestry has recently been refitted and is suitable for small meetings. There is a well-equipped kitchen serving the Nave area. The church has two adjoining function rooms (the Blendon Rooms) which were built in 2004: the larger Garden Room, which is appropriately 43 7 by 15 5 in size, and the Penhill Room which measures 16 10. Both rooms are served by an adjoining kitchenette. There is also a small office (approx 18 4 by 7 3 ), a "wheelchair-friendly" WC and a storage area, used by the Blendon Pre-school. We have recently started to open the church (Monday and Thursday afternoons) for the community at large to access for prayer. The Nave/Hall is hired out on a long-term basis during the week to various community groups (Blendon Pre-school, Dance school, Met Police Safer Neighbourhood Team, local councillors for surgeries) and (when required) as a Polling station. The Blendon Rooms are also hired out during the week. Our Sunday school and Alpha courses meet in these rooms. Our premises are also used extensively by uniformed organisations (Rainbows, Brownies and Guides) with some of the Units being run by church members. Some of the Units attend our monthly family service. Last year s Quinquennial inspection did not raise any serious issues; the minor points are being addressed. The PCC will continue replacing the windows with double glazing, and has plans to replace the main entrance doors and to upgrade the toilet facilities. The grounds are low-maintenance, being mainly lawn and shrubs; we do not have a graveyard, nor any interment of ashes. The area behind the building is secluded and well-used by church groups and others. 13
Timothy Nunns 8. Our finances As our income has now exceeded 100,000, we are in the process of registering as a charity with the Charity Commission. We have been greatly blessed by God and have been able to meet our Diocesan pledge (previously Parish Share) in full for several years. We give away 10% of our budgeted income to our mission partners, who are: CPAS (part of this gift sponsors a place at the Carrotty Wood Falcon Camp), Tearfund including sponsoring a water project in Africa through their Connected Church scheme (http://connected.tearfund.org/en/partners/kigezi/) CMS to sponsor an outreach project to street children in Brazil 2, CRIBS, a Christian project working in local schools 3. 2 http://revive-international.org/ 3 https://www.cribsonline.org/ 14
We also give away 10% of any surplus at the end of the year, to Open Doors, as a thankoffering to God for his blessings to us. Our full accounts for 2016 are available on request. In summary, our income ( 102K) was 74% from giving (including Gift Aid recovered); 20% from fees for the use of our premises and 6% from everything else. Our spending ( 111K) was 60% for our Minister (including our Pledge to the Diocese); 13% to external missions; 17% on our building; and just under 10% on everything else. The deficit resulted from deliberate decisions to use some of our reserves during the year. Despite that, the reserves at end-2016 stood at 43,000. We have plans to spend some of this on improving our premises. Of the 2016 giving income mentioned above, 39% was from Standing Orders, 19% from the envelope scheme, 19% from tax recovery, 12% from donations (including some very large ones), 5% from cash offerings, plus other small amounts (6%). 62 church members are tax-efficient givers ; 38 of them give by regular Standing Order. We have no employees. Our cleaner, Director of Music and other organists are all paid as self-employed contractors. Thank you for taking the time to read our Parish Profile. We hope we have inspired your interest! 15
Appendix Dear applicant, Statement by the Area Dean The Deanery of Sidcup consists of eleven parishes which are served by nine stipendiary clergy. Additionally, there are currently two training curates within the deanery. Our relatively compact geographical size means that there are plenty of opportunities to collaborate between parishes. For example, in recent years some parishes have held joint confirmation classes in preparation for the Deanery Confirmation Service, as well as other courses and activities. There is further scope for sharing resources across the deanery. We look for opportunities to worship together as a deanery, recently joining together for an Ascension Day Eucharist and last year we held a harvest Eucharist in a marquee on a local farm, the focal point of a weekend of celebrations. We recognise that in our suburban context parish boundaries can mean little to many of those requesting occasional services and we therefore try to meet people s needs wherever possible, whilst maintaining the etiquette of seeking the goodwill of the relevant incumbent. The chapter meets approximately six times a year, including a corporate meal in January. We meet over lunch and take quite an informal approach to chapter meetings using them as an opportunity to share news, challenges and provide mutual support. Occasionally we invite an outside speaker, and we recently held a meeting at one of the two church schools in the deanery. We do hope for a colleague who would give priority to chapter meetings. The deanery synod meets three times a year and we have recently made an effort to refocus meetings to provide mutual support and the opportunity to share good practice across the deanery. More widely, we have excellent support from our Archdeacon who is very much present to us. We have the opportunity to meet together as archdeaconry clergy for two days a year. In addition the Archdeacon hosts a free annual mini-residential conference in Woking with a variety of different speakers and input. These are excellent opportunities to meet with colleagues ministering across the archdeaconry. You will find that the Bishop is easily accessible and the Diocesan staff respond to enquiries promptly and helpfully. Please be assured of my prayers and best wishes as you discern whether to apply for this post. Yours sincerely, The Revd Philip Wells Area Dean 16