St. John the Evangelist Churt and Rushmoor stjohnchurt.org.uk 1
St John s is a friendly, strong and growing church situated in the village of Churt in Surrey, near the Hampshire and West Sussex border. The parish also includes the neighbouring village of Rushmoor. We are part of a joint benefice with our sister church St Alban s, Hindhead. St John s has always been at the heart of its community, and although it sits within the open evangelical tradition of the Anglican Church, we are a diverse family where all are welcome and in which worshippers of all ages and backgrounds can find a spiritual home. Introduction Area The Parish of Churt is situated in attractive countryside with fine walking and riding on commons and National Trust land. The Parish is within the Surrey Hills area of outstanding natural beauty. The Parish has a good social mix and a balanced age profile with a growing younger population. There are a number of commuting families working in nearby towns or in London, as well as an indigenous traditional village community. The area includes small estates, large country properties and a range of both private and social housing. Overall the parish is prosperous and rural with virtually no industry or office employment but several agricultural employers. The parish population is about 2200. 2
Travelling The nearest towns are Farnham and Haslemere (both about 6 miles) and Guildford is 13 miles away. We are 3 miles from the A3 and the new A3 tunnel and 13 miles from the M3. By train, Waterloo can be reached in 54 minutes from Farnham and 47 minutes from Haslemere. The local countryside and the fact that it is easy to reach London and Guildford to the north and Portsmouth and the coast to the south make it a very appealing area. We are an hour away from Heathrow and Gatwick airports. Community Churt and Rushmoor are vibrant places with a true sense of community. In Churt village there is a convenience store and a small number of specialist shops. There is a restaurant and garage, one pub, the Churt Club, village hall, sports pavilion, and a Scout Hut. Nearby Rushmoor, which is part of the parish, also has a pet supply store, a garage and a pub. There are many groups and societies, including: amateur dramatics, horticultural society, cubs, scouts and beavers, literary society, bridge club and a thriving WI. The Community Centre provides activities and lunches for the elderly on Monday and Thursday. The village fete, pantomime, flower shows and other village events are well attended. There is a large sports ground with a pavilion and playground, and there are well supported tennis and cricket clubs for all ages and a very active football club for youngsters. The village hall is well maintained and in constant use. Nearby activities include sailing at Frensham Pond, golf at Hindhead and Hankley Common and swimming in Farnham, Bordon and Haslemere. 3
Church Building St John s is situated on the village green and was consecrated in 1868. It is the only place of Christian worship in the parish and seats about 150 people. The building is very well maintained and has a new Audio Visual system which includes a projector and screens as well as a good sound system. Concerts sometimes take place in the church. Major work has recently been completed on the organ which is now in very good condition. There is a modern, integral church room with a kitchen and disabled toilet. Next to the church are The Stables which provide an additional meeting space and also have their own kitchen and toilet facilities. The churchyard is still open and has plenty of space. The grounds are maintained by a group of volunteers who mow during the summer and sweep leaves in the winter. The Garden of Remembrance has recently been redesigned, creating a beautiful and tranquil environment. The church has its own internet access. 4
The Vicarage This is a large, five bedroom house situated next to the churchyard on a quiet road. There is a study downstairs as well as two reception rooms a toilet and a new kitchen. The house is double glazed and centrally heated. There is plenty of room for parking as well as a garage. The back garden is large and bordered by the Stables, the churchyard, and a neighbour. The house will be inspected by the Diocese during the vacancy and any necessary work will be done. The house will be decorated in consultation with the new minister. The Benefice The parish is geographically amongst the largest in Guildford Diocese. Churt was a separate parish with its own incumbent but under the revision of parishes which took place in 2003 the parish became part of the United Benefice of Churt with Hindhead, under the leadership of the vicar of St Alban s, Hindhead. The post became house for duty but this was then developed into a half stipend post with the title of Resident Minister. St John s retains a fully functional PCC with two churchwardens, parish treasurer, and it controls its own finances. The PCC also has several sub-committees including a Standing Committee, Mission Support Group and Buildings Committee. St John s and St Alban s work closely together wherever possible, for example each offering a different style of service on Good Friday. In addition to the Deanery, the Benefice is also linked with the Haslemere ministers Network. This brings together churches of all denominations from the local area. 5
The Deanery The parish is part of the Deanery of Farnham which is in the southwest of the Diocese of Guildford and consists of 13 parishes. The deanery extends from just north of Farnham down almost to Haslemere in the south, and borders the dioceses of Winchester and Portsmouth. Deanery Synod meets 3 times each year. The Clergy Chapter, which includes all licensed clergy in the deanery, meets most months over lunch, and also for occasional quiet days or other events. Chapter is generally valued by the clergy as a source of encouragement and mutual support. Team Many people devote a great deal of time to St John s. There are rotas for readings, prayers, communion assistance, flower arranging etc. In addition to our active wardens, verger, organist and others, we also have a Licensed Lay Minister (Reader) and employ a part time parish administrator who works from the building next to the church known as The Stables. The clergy team consists of Revd Richard Bodle, who came to be Vicar in 2008 and who is based at St Alban s. In recent years the Vicar and Resident Minister have met together regularly. Services At the 2015 APCM the electoral roll was 132. On Easter Day 2015 we welcomed 180 adults and 25 children. The Sunday service pattern, together with average attendance is as follows: Time Frequency Service Adults Children 8.00am 1 st 3 rd 5 th BCP Communion 22 0 9.45am 1 st All age 71 15 2 nd Communion 3 rd Morning worship 4 th Communion 5 th Communion 6.00pm 2 nd Lay led Evensong 15 0 Occasional offices These continue to increase each year. Averages for 2012 2014 were: Baptisms 7 Weddings 6 Funerals 13 6
General We offer different types of services, and have a mixture of worship and musical styles. A particular challenge is the question of how we can broaden our appeal without losing existing worshipers. Other services We sometimes have other services shared across the benefice, such as an All Soul s Service for the bereaved, Ascension Day and Ash Wednesday. We also gather for a weekly prayer meeting and have a prayer ministry team available on Sundays and whenever appropriate. There are monthly Communion services at Tilford Park residential home and at Quinnettes Barn for the residents and others. A carol service is held at Melbreck home and carol singing in the Churt Club. This year our harvest festival service was held in the village hall as part of outreach. 7
Residential Homes There are two homes in the area. The church has ministered to the residents at Melbreck House, a home for young people with severe learning difficulties. We also give Communion at Tilford Park Nursing Home, which caters for the elderly and mentally infirm. We also seek to take Communion to those who are housebound. Children and Young People St John s encourages work with children and young families. The average age of the congregation is becoming lower. On the first Sunday of the month we welcome many children to the All Age service. On other Sundays a large team of volunteers with two new leaders runs a dynamic playchurch for the under fives which meets in the church room, and Junior Church for school age children who gather in the Stables. There is a long running, expanding and very popular weekly toddler group. There is an exciting new initiative, Lets Thank God it s Friday held bi-weekly for children aged 5-9 at St John s. There are youth groups for the Benefice held on Fridays and Sundays at St Albans. In addition to these groups children are invited to the Benefice summer holiday club which attracts over 100 children. 8
St. John s School St John s Church of England Infant School (Voluntary Aided) is in the centre of the village and has about 90 pupils. According to Ofsted it is an outstanding infants school. The church enjoys close links with the school and with the Head Teacher, Mrs Angela Harper. Pupils come to the church for major festivals such as Easter, Christmas, Harvest, and the Leavers Service. They also come at other times as part of their studies. The previous minister led regular assemblies and other activities when appropriate, and has been part of the governing body. Their website is stjohnsinfantschurt.ik.org. An Independent nursery school meets in the village hall and had its carol service in the church. Older People There is a Lunch Club in the community centre serving lunches Mondays and Thursdays. There is voluntary car service operating within the parish to take patients to medical appointments. Pastoral Care As a church we put a strong emphasis on visiting and on pastoral care. This is an area which has developed, including visiting the Monday lunch club and the Royal Surrey County hospital and Haslemere Hospital whenever possible. Alpha, Other Courses and Home Groups We have run a number of courses including Alpha, the Marriage Course, the Parenting Course and regular Lent courses. We encourage people to join a home group and it is hoped that these will continue to develop. For the last two years the younger members of the congregation have run a well-supported Lent lunch bringing in members of the wider community. 9
Mission We have a Mission Support Group which ensures that we are focused in our prayers and financial giving. We currently give 10% of our voluntary income in 5ths to the following: Crosslinks, Whitechapel Mission, CMS, and Tear Fund with remaining 5 th divided between providing bibles for those children leaving St Johns School, the Churt Community Centre, Acorn Christian healing Foundation and Crossways Counselling. Finance Our finances are managed by our new treasurer who has computerised our accounts, an assistant treasurer who looks after gift aid and a stewardship officer. In late 2014 we embarked on a Stewardship Review encouraging church members to consider the Christian approach to regular giving. As a result, more people are now making regular donations by Standing Order, while others have increased the amounts of their regular donations. The net result has been an annual increase in the level of giving of around 13 000 so far. Figures for 2014. These include all funds together e.g. General, Fabric and Restricted: INCOME Planned Giving 48,888 Collections 4,899 Other Giving and Appeals 16,194 Gift Aid Tax Recovered 12,578 Legacies 500 Magazine Sales and Advertising 6,022 Other 6,533 Total 95,614 EXPENDITURE Parish Share 49,362 Clergy 575 Salaries/Admin 8,206 Church/Property Running Expenses 7,028 Building/Fabric/Maintenance 3,822 Magazine 2,651 Mission Support 6,810 Vicarage Rent 6,000 Other 3,123 Total 87,577 10
Friends of St. John s The church is also supported by the Friends of St Johns which raises money for the upkeep and general repairs of the fabric of the buildings. The financial picture is greatly helped by this work. Through events which include concerts, and safari suppers, they raise money specifically for the building and fabric and thus enable people who might not have strong links with St John s to nevertheless support their village church. In 2014 the Friends raised just over 900 and over the last ten years have raised around 100,000. Communication The church has a website and this can be found at stjohnchurt.org.uk. Managed currently by the Resident Minister this enables us to share news, pictures and general information. The church also has a Facebook page and a Twitter feed. The Parish also has a vibrant and popular magazine with a monthly circulation of about 300. The editor ensures that all aspects of village life are covered, and at Christmas a free magazine is taken to every home in the parish. Policies Baptism: We offer baptism to all living in the Parish or on the Electoral Roll after suitable preparation. We occasionally have requests from those outside of the parish but with strong links through a family or the school. Any such baptisms only take place with the knowledge of their parish priest. Baptism preparation lies at the heart of our strategy to reach young families. Confirmation usually follows after a period of preparation. Marriage: this is offered to all who are legally entitled. Occasionally we receive requests for marriage following divorce. It has been the custom to consider each request individually and if appropriate to offer such services following the House of Bishops guidelines and after careful preparation. The Role of the Resident Minister This is an Associate Minister s position, but the person is known as the Resident Minister. The Minister will take local responsibility for St John s, leading the church, chairing the PCC and working alongside the Vicar of the Benefice. It is a half time post which involves working on Sundays and on three other days, although the exact structure of the week will depend on individual circumstances and is open to negotiation e.g. this could be three days in a row, or spread across the week. The PCC is supportive of both men and women in ordained ministry. 11
S.W.O.T Strengths 1. Large number of volunteers 2. Church school, families and active children s ministry 3. Well equipped church buildings and grounds Weaknesses 1. Danger of general complacency 2. Challenge of ongoing and deeper discipleship 3. Lack of trained Pastoral Assistants Opportunities 1. Openness to try new things and services 2. Working as a Benefice, especially with young people 3. Further engagement in a village which sees us as their church Threats 1. Church finance; maintaining and expanding a culture of regular giving 2. Increasing busyness and pressure on time 3. Challenge of replacing existing volunteers Person Profile This is an exciting post in a growing church. We are praying for a leader who will work with us and who is Passionate about God and building His Church Open to the work of the Holy Spirit A team player Enthusiastic about encouraging and developing lay involvement Willing to explore creative and fresh ways of doing church Able to continue building our work with families, children and young people Good at ministering to all ages, including the elderly and infirm Willing to get involved in local life and keen to develop our outreach Sensitive to the needs of a small community and a village church Well organised and flexible as they manage a half time post Could God be calling YOU to St John s? 12
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