St Peter s Church, Tollerton

St Peter s Church, Tollerton

Statement of THE PARISH OF ST PETER S TOLLERTON Patron Lord Chancellor Deanery East Bingham Population 2,000 approx Number on electoral roll 38 1. Are you called to be our new House for Duty Priest-in-Charge? We are looking and praying for someone: - whose life is rooted in prayer and who will develop the spiritual life of the church who will be able to connect the Bible to everyday life in a relevant and creative way who will encourage people to serve God and one another; who will be warm, compassionate and ready to reach out to those both inside and outside the church congregation and who will be able to communicate effectively We are enthusiastic about women s ministry and would be very happy to receive applications accordingly. 2. A brief description of the Parish. The Ecclesiastical Parish of Tollerton lies about six miles to the south of Nottingham. What was a predominantly farming area is now more a dormitory for Nottingham and Leicester but still with a surviving farming community. It has ready access to Nottingham for employment and amenities. Housing is of a good standard. About 60% of the residents are in the 45+ age group. There are shops and a Post Office in Tollerton. The Parish is well served with a pub and restaurants. Tollerton airport, to the east of the village is the home of a flying school. An area between the village and the A52 to the north of the village (and including the airport), currently within the Green Belt, is proposed by the Rushcliffe Borough Council to become housing land with up to 4000 properties by 2028. Nottingham is very well provided with hospital facilities. There are a new Health Centre, two chemist s shops and two dental practices in Keyworth. There is a 15 minute bus service through the village from Keyworth to Nottingham. The Parish has a very successful playgroup and state primary school. South Wolds Community School, in Keyworth, has a very good academic record and is a specialist language school. There are other very good comprehensive and private schools in West Bridgford and Nottingham. There are two large supermarkets within 3 miles of the church and another is planned in the near future. 1

3. The Church St Peter s Church is in the older part of the village on Tollerton Lane. The building dates back to 12 th century and is mentioned in the Domesday Book. Architecturally it reflects a number of different styles, in particular the major restoration works in 1812 and 1909. The building comprises a square tower housing the bells (not operational); a brick built porch and nave with small vestry rooms on each side and a stone walled chancel. The console for the pipe organ is in the gallery at the rear of the building. The organ is in good condition although over 100 years old and we celebrated its centenary in 2009 by giving it a full clean and refurbishment. The church can seat 130 worshippers when additional chairs are put in the side aisles. The church underwent a complete renovation around eight years ago when the roof, rainwater goods and drainage facilities were replaced or repaired. In addition the interior lighting was replaced, the interior refurbished and redecorated and new boilers were fitted. The choir robing room was replaced by a kitchenette, a wheelchair accessible toilet and ramps and a public address and loop system were installed. The church and parish raised 133,000 to complete the task. The last quinquennial inspection was in 2012 and a programme of repairs has been drawn up to address outstanding deficiencies. The graveyard has also undergone improvements over the past five years and has more than adequate space for future burials and interment of ashes. The Church Centre is a converted brick barn used for PCC meetings and social gatherings including Lunch Bunch and Knit and Natter. The Scout Group has a lease from the Diocese for a prefabricated building next to the Church Centre, which is regularly used by the uniformed groups.. The Rectory is a modern detached house with gas central heating and double-glazing. It is separated from the Church only by the old Rectory now in private hands. The accommodation includes an entrance hall, lounge, fitted kitchen, separate dining room, a study and a downstairs toilet. Upstairs are four good sized bedrooms and a bathroom. There is a single garage and lawned gardens to the front and rear. The Rectory 2

4. Worship St Peter s has an evangelical tradition with an emphasis on building up the body of the church and reaching out to the community.the style of worship is informal and relaxed within the Anglican tradition. We are fortunate to have a regular organist. Clergy are expected to robe for services. Tollerton has 2 churches; St Peter s and the Methodist Church. We hold one shared service each month alternating locations. The congregation values the preaching of the bible as the authoritative Word of God. It believes in faithful prayer and the welcoming of the Holy Spirit and His gifts Our Mission statement is To know Christ and make him known Our Vision statement is A united fellowship, wholeheartedly committed to Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord, baptised and regular at Communion, doers of the word as well as hearers, experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit, living by faith, seeking holiness before God, involved in intercession with God, offering wholehearted worship to God, discerning one another s gifts and practising every member ministry, committed to each other in unity and love and involved in evangelism and social concern. 5. Our pattern of worship 1 st Sunday Morning Worship. 2 nd Sunday Holy Communion. 3 rd Sunday Family Service 4 th Sunday Holy Communion 5 th Sunday Morning Worship. Normally services start at 10.00am and are followed by refreshments in the church. 3

We have a number of special services such as Mothers Day, Christingle, Carols by Candlelight, Remembrance Sunday, Women s World Day of Prayer and a Good Friday reflection. We also have a joint Walk of Witness with the Methodist Church through the village on Good Friday. 6. Community activities Tollerton is well provided with community groups. These include a babysitting circle, a toddler and baby group, a youth group, a full set of uniformed groups for boys and girls, and an Air Training Corps based at the airport. There are gardening and photographic clubs and a walking group. For the over 60s there is a Luncheon Club meeting every fortnight. A Neighbourhood Watch scheme operates throughout the village. A mobile library comes every alternate week. There is also an excellent monthly Village Newsletter, which is delivered to every house in the village. A recreation ground provides a five a side football court; children s play area and the venue for the annual Village Event at which we provide a primary catering facility jointly with the Methodist Church 4

7. Church activities Messy Church held on the third Friday of each month during term time is a collaborative project with the Methodist Church and welcomes everyone especially families. It includes a time of worship, craft activities and a hot meal afterwards. Lunch Bunch is a Thursday lunch gathering during term time for carers with 0-5 years age children and includes bible stories and activities. Knit and Natter is a group meeting in the Church Centre for anyone in the village wanting social contact and to use their craft skills to produce items for charity. A weekly house group attended by up to ten members provides opportunities for worship, bible study and prayer in a relaxed setting. The leading of each activity is shared on a rota basis. Two prayer cells meet weekly to seek wisdom on particular concerns facing the local and worldwide church. Church members organize a monthly coffee morning with a book swap for people in the village on the first Saturday of the month. Regular social events open to all in the community are held. The Church hosts a two day Art and Photographic Exhibition at which villagers and others are able to display and sell their works. Quizzes and themed dinner evenings are also popular fund raisers. The Church website www.stpeters-tollerton.org.uk keeps the community and other interested parties abreast of current events at St Peter s. Greek Evening in Church Centre 5

8. Finance Up to last year St Peter s has contributed its Parish Share in full for 25 years. In 2013, because of rising costs and reduced giving, our contribution to the Diocesan funds was reduced. In 2014 the Share will be 26780 and meeting this target will again be challenging. Regular giving since a parish funding campaign in 2005 has enabled the Church and Church Centre fabric to be maintained to an acceptable standard.. Since 1994 the PCC has donated an eighth of all regular giving and income tax refunds to four major church related charities operating overseas and a number of local charitable bodies. A statement of financial accounts and our last annual report are available on request. 9. For the future We are aware of the increasing age of our congregation and the difficulty of attracting families to our Sunday Services. We hope that our Lunch Bunch and Messy Church activities will keep us in touch with families in the village. We will continue to encourage baptisms to be held during family services so that parents and friends can see they are welcomed in our congregation. We look forward to three weddings planned for the forthcoming months. 6