St Barnabas Bromborough

St Barnabas Bromborough The Rake, Bromborough, Wirral CH62 7AA stbarnabas.church@btinternet.com Parish Office 0151 334 4155

Priorities for our Parish To connect with the wider local community in order to increase engagement and participation, particularly with young families, with worship, mission and other church activities. To develop all age worship opportunities whilst recognising the Eucharistic focus enjoyed by our current congregations. To facilitate the development of new opportunities for people to learn about their faith and discipleship. To explore ways of engaging with people who come forward for the occasional offices of Baptism and Marriage, including follow-up opportunities to enable further contact with church life. To facilitate the expansion and development of our outreach into the local community and schools, through more effective use of our church building, the St. Barnabas Village Centre and other associated buildings. To maintain opportunities for fellowship within our church family and the wider local community, including our ecumenical partners. Our next Rector A True Disciple of Christ A person of Faith who is warm, self-aware, personable, confident and enthusiastic. A priest with a strong faith rooted in prayer. An effective communicator A strategic thinker A priest who will build/lead a motivated team to enthuse the whole church to enable its development. A priest who is a good public communicator able to present the Gospel clearly and enthusiastically, and who would be the public face of St. Barnabas in Bromborough. Someone with the vision and insight who can lead us to pastures new. Someone who can encourage and enthuse children, young people and families. Someone who can build on the strengths of our members and inspire people to use their gifts. A leader Someone who has a sense of humour. Someone who is compassionate. Someone able to delegate. Someone able to lead change. Someone who is an encourager, diplomatic and sensitive. Someone who is friendly and approachable. Someone who is a supportive listener. Our church is a friendly, warm and welcoming family, but we are at a crossroads. We need to grow and encourage people to join us, especially families and young people. Do you have the faith and the vision, the vitality and enthusiasm to help us move forward?

Our Parish and its Surroundings Situated on the East side of the Wirral on the banks of the River Mersey, Bromborough is a suburban area with a large retail and leisure park adjoining a large light industrial estate. The retail park is the home to a large supermarket as well as many other High Street outlets, there is also a leisure complex with restaurants, private gyms one of which has a swimming pool and multi screen cinema. On the industrial estate there is also a bowling alley and indoor football venue. The public swimming pool is near by at the Oval Sports centre in Bebington. Bromborough is also home to parts of Wirral Country Park and Brotherton Country Park with access to the Wirral Cycleway and many pleasant walks. The centre of the Village still contains a shopping area with a library and civic centre, St Barnabas Village Centre, Bromborough Church Institute and the Church itself. The majority of homes in the area are owner occupied and properties range from places built in the 17th Century to new builds. The population is around 11,000 with residents working locally, in Liverpool and Chester and further a field as the area is within easy reach of the M53 motorway and is well served with buses and is on the Wirral line of Merseyrail with two stations in the Parish. Trains run to and from Liverpool and to Chester and Ellesmere Port. There are four LEA primary schools in the parish and one Roman Catholic Primary school. Secondary education is at the neighbouring South Wirral High school and the two Grammar Schools in Bebington. For the under 5 s there is a council run Children s centre and three private nurseries. There are several purpose built estates and apartments for the over 55 s including one offering 24 hour care, and a care home. Life in our Church The present Church is the third on the site, the original church being built a thousand years ago, this was replaced in the early 19th Century. The replacement didn t last long and the present building was erected in 1864 being designed by George Gilbert Scott, the tower and bells being added to mark Queen Victoria s golden jubilee. The Rector has overall responsibility for the parish and is assisted by the Associate NSM minister the Revd Elaine Bisson. The work is shared with the two lay readers and the Parish evangelist. All take turns in leading services and preaching. The laity are involved in reading and leading intercessions. There is an active PCC which currently meets on a monthly basis to conduct the business of the Parish and to support the Clergy. The PCC also operates through a system of ad hoc sub-committees appointed as issues arise. The Mission Committee is a permanent sub-committee working throughout the year to organise and support the mission activities of the Parish. We have two part time parish administrators, Mrs Dawn Buckley and Mrs Elizabeth Bartlett who work from the Parish Office in the St Barnabas Village Centre. There are 119 members on the Electoral Roll, 19 of those being non resident in the Parish. Worship and teaching. There are two services on a Sunday, one at 8.00am which is a said Holy Communion using Common Worship and once a month the 1662 rite and the other at 10.30, this is a sung Eucharist using Common Worship on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Sundays in the month. Holy Baptism takes place on the fourth Sunday and is followed by a said Communion at 11.45 am. At the 10.30 am Sunday service the singing is led by a small robed choir. The main hymn book is Anglican Hymns old and New but Mission Praise is also used.

After this service refreshments are served and there is a time of fellowship. On the first and third Sundays Sunday Club for 0 to 11 year olds meets in the Children s Corner at the back of Church. The teaching and related craft activities are based on the lectionary readings for the day. The children and helpers adjourn to the Choir vestry during the sermon for their own story time. The Leader and helpers are members of the congregation with an interest in children s ministry and are all fully CRB checked and have undertaken safeguarding children training. Mid week services are held on a Wednesday. At 10.00 am there is a time of bible study and teaching led by the Clergy and one of the Readers, this is followed immediately by a said Holy Communion with hymns. On 1st, 2nd, & 3rd Wednesday evening at 7.00pm there is a said service of Holy Communion with a Healing Service and Holy Communion on the 4th Wednesday. Special services are held in Holy Week and a Christingle service on Christmas Eve. There is also an All Souls service and quarterly Taize services. Parade services with the uniformed organisations are held five times a year, on Mothering Sunday, St Barnabas day, Harvest, Remembrance Sunday and an Advent Gift Service. Kids Church Is held in Church fortnightly on a Thursday morning at 10 am this is for children aged 0-5 and their carers. This is a lively service with suitable music and music making and the ever popular bubble time which follows the Sharing of the Peace, Bible story time with a snack for the little ones is followed by craft activities and the service ends with prayer. Many of the congregation then transfer to the Village Centre for a further time of friendship together. The Service is led by Reader Julie assisted by a team whose ages go up to 91 years young. The Mothers Union provide the refreshments at this service. Home Communion The Clergy and Lay Readers take communion to parishioners too sick or disabled to leave their home. A short service is also held once a month at Benham Nursing Home. Baptisms. Baptismal families are visited before hand by the Baptism Visiting teams, these consist of two people who visit the families in their own homes talking about the Baptism service and showing a short DVD about baptism. At present there is no formal follow up with these families but this is an area of ministry it is hoped will be developed in the very near future. We believe that it is very important that baptisms take place when the whole church family is present so that those being baptised do so in a service where their new Church family are present so that they and their families can be welcomed and supported. Activities for visiting children are laid on in the Children s corner during the baptism services. Weddings. These take place throughout the year, couples are prepared for their marriage by the Clergy. It is possible to have the organ and a choir at a marriage service and the bells can be rung before and after the service. Funerals. These are conducted by the Clergy and are held in Church or at Landican. The Churchyard is closed but graves can be re-opened. There is a Garden of Remembrance where ashes can be buried. Quinquennial Inspection. This took place in 2008 and there is no urgent outstanding work. A further inspection is due in the current year (2013)

GROWTH, ACTION, PLANNING (GAP) The Parish has been actively involved in the Diocesan GAP initiative where we have listened and tried to discern God s will for our parish, its growth, the action we need to carry out and the planning to help us succeed. Our aim is to promote the word of God and his teachings to the people of this parish through Prayer, Action, Inclusion, and Faith. Each year an away day is held when all the congregation are invited to take part. From the first one it was decided that the two areas needing attention are work with young families and with those who have been bereaved or are facing major life changes. The New Beginnings Group was started to support people through the pain of bereavement, divorce or other life changing events. This has slowly built up with regular afternoon meetings, featuring speakers, entertainment, fellowship and friendship. A major spur to the development of the group has been working in partnership with Age UK. Three children's groups have been started. A fortnightly weekday Kids Church, engaging with pre-school children and parents, this is well supported and growing. Sunday Club, engaging with young children up to secondary age and their parents and grandparents. The latest addition is Barney s Buddies, a reasonably new group operating during school holidays for primary aged children and their siblings. The wider community is being supported through donations of goods to Wirral Foodbank and Besom. Church Groups Prayer Groups there are two prayers groups who meet monthly, one is Clergy led and the other lay led, this group focuses on praying for the sick. Bible Study Groups There is a regular Bible study session in Church on a Wednesday morning which is led by a member of the Clergy or one of the Readers. There is also a house group which meets regularly and each Lent we join with local churches to follow one of the York Lent Courses. These are usually house groups and are led by members of the laity. A larger group meets in Bromborough Methodist Church with guest speakers. Mothers Union Mothers Union was started at St Barnabas in 1927 and has remained active ever since. Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of the month at 2pm in St Barnabas Village Centre, there are currently about 20 members. Members are actively involved in all aspects of Church life and in particular provide support at Kids Church. Meetings begin with a short act of worship led by one of the Branch Leaders. This is followed either by a speaker or some other activity with special meetings to celebrate Christmas and the Branch birthday in March. The branch provide and make the bunches of flowers presented at the Mothering Sunday service. The Branch joins in with Chester Diocesan activities especially the Wave of Prayer in March and the Women s World Day of Prayer. Wives Group is open to all Ladies and meets monthly on the first Tuesday at 7.30pm in St Barnabas Village Centre. Activities include talks, quizzes, outings and meals out. Men s Breakfast men from the congregation attend the regular interdenominational Men s Breakfast held in a local hotel on a Saturday morning. Sunday Lunch Club meets at the Royal Oak on the first Sunday in the month after the morning service

New Beginnings New Beginnings is an initiative that arose from year 1 of the GAP process when a need was identified for something for the bereaved, divorced, lonely and housebound. This group is run in conjunction with AGE UK and meets monthly in St Barnabas Village Centre on the third Thursday afternoon. For many of its members this is the only time in the month they are able to get out from their home. Volunteer drivers bring them to the meeting and take them home afterwards. There is no charge for the group which is self funded from the monthly raffle. Entertainment takes the form of talks, musical interludes, bingo and many others. Refreshments are served at each meeting. Uniformed Groups.Within the Church all sections of Girlguiding are represented. There is a church sponsored Scout Group which consists of Beavers, Cubs and Scouts. Nearly 200 children are involved in these organisations. Parade services are held several times a year at which members lead the intercessions. The Scout Group meets in its own purpose built Scout HQ opened in 2001 and most Girlguiding units meet in Bromborough Church Institute except the Rainbows who meet in the Scout HQ. The Rector and PCC are the sponsors for the Scout Group which is known as 13th Bebington (St Barnabas) Scout Group. Bellringing St Barnabas Church has a ring of 8 bells which are the heaviest on the Wirral. We are currently recruiting and teaching a new band of ringers, after several years when the bells have not been rung regularly. It is hoped to resume Sunday Service ringing in due course, once sufficient people have been trained. The tower is associated with the Wirral Branch of the Chester Diocesan Guild of Church Bellringers who frequently meet at St Barnabas and regularly ring peals in our tower. At some point in the future the bells will require a major overhaul at significant cost, probably as part of a wider tower appeal, when it is hoped to augment the existing ring to a ring of 10 bells, in order to provide more teaching opportunities and an easier ring of bells. St Barnabas Village Centre St Barnabas Village Centre (SBVC) is housed in the former Church School which closed in 1983. It is used for Church activities and groups and is hired out to other community groups including craft groups, U3A, Slimming World and the NHS. It is also available for hire for parties. A drop in café lounge operates Monday to Friday 10.00am to 2 pm and Saturdays 10 am 12 noon. Drinks and light snacks are served daily. The Centre is staffed entirely by volunteers and is rated 5 under Food Standards Agency Safe Food Handling Scheme. The drop in centre is used by all ages and is widely used by the clients of Wirral Autistic Centre. SBVC also houses the Parish Office which is open all day Tuesday and for telephone enquiries on a Thursday morning. The management of SBVC is the responsibility of the PCC who have appointed an Executive Management Committee to run the Centre on its behalf. In the last couple of years extensive refurbishment of the Centre has taken place with new floor coverings and carpets throughout, new lounge style furniture in the small lounge and new fridges and freezers in the kitchen. Further improvements will take place as funds become available. Plans include refurbishment of the ladies toilets and decorating throughout. Bromborough Church Institute The Bromborough Church Institute is a village hall given to the local community in 1908, and is a charity separate from the church. The Rector and Churchwarden s however, are expected to serve as Trustees under the Trust Deed, with the Rector acting as Chair. Under the Trust Deed the building is to be used in connection with the Parish Church for the Spiritual improvement, benefit, amusement and instruction of the inhabitants of the parish.

The Trustees have appointed the PCC to act as the Management Committee of the Institute, the PCC has appointed a sub-committee to manage the Institute on its behalf. The Institute is home to the Guide section and hosts several outside hirers; it is also used for many Parish social activities. Since 2008 the building has undergone a renaissance in that the Management Group has invested in new tables and chairs, a new heating system and new lighting in the main hall. A disabled access ramp has also been constructed allowing greater access to the building. Later this year, we will begin major internal alterations which will provide new wheelchair accessible toilet facilities, additional meeting space, and eventually a new kitchen. This will leave the replacement of the floor in the main hall as the only major internal work remaining to be done. Social Activities During the year the Parish has various social activities some of which are used to raise funds for our support of others and some for our own funds. These activities frequently involve food and homespun entertainment! We have held BBQ s, harvest suppers, quizzes, themed evenings and the ever popular pantomimes. There is usually a special celebration in June to mark the Patronal Festival and every other year this involves a major event. BBQ These have included Flower Festivals, a Victorian Wedding and Wedding Breakfast and a Mediaeval Fair. The service for the Patronal Festival is held in the open air, weather permitting and is usually followed by a celebratory lunch. Posh Nosh Harvest Supper Christmas Bake Off Behind the Scenes at the Pantomime Ecumenical Activities The Parish is a member of Churches Together in Bromborough and Eastham (CTBE), working with St Mary s Eastham (C of E), Bromborough Methodist Church, St David s United Reformed Church, Eastham and Christ the King (RC) Bromborough. A monthly evening service on the 4 th Sunday in the month rotates around the member Churches. Lent Groups are organised by CTBE and held in various homes as well as one large group hosted by the Methodist Church. At Christmas and Easter members from all Churches sing in Bromborough Village, to heighten awareness of the season. A very successful Knit and Natter Group is held in St Barnabas Village Centre every Monday afternoon, this has attracted members from all the Churches and many non-church goers too. Since its formation in November 2008 over 7000 garments, toys and blankets have been knitted and crochet. These are distributed to many organisations or sold in the Centre and the money sent to charities. The main organisations supported are Operation Christmas Child Shoe Boxes, Arrowe Park and Liverpool Women s Hospital Special Baby Care Units, Asylum Seekers, Street Pastors, various charities looking after babies and orphans in Africa, and the local hospices.

Our Support for others A new commandment I give unto you, love one another as I love you. As well as our Church family we try hard to support others throughout the year. Our support is given to those in both physical and spiritual need in many and varied ways. The Clergy especially support those suffering from a bereavement and those seeking the Lord. Day to day support is given to our local community through St Barnabas Village Centre drop in café, the Knit and Natter Group, New Beginnings and our uniformed organisations. During the year we support various national charities with Christian Aid week in May, MacMillan (The World s Greatest Coffee Morning) in September and the Children s Society with our Christingle Service on Christmas Eve a service which is growing in popularity with many families attending. Several of the local primary schools hold their annual carol services in Church. There is also a gift service on the second Sunday in December. In 2012 we filled the sanctuary with goods to be used for Besom for families who are being rehoused, probably the first time the sanctuary has been home to mops, buckets, washing up liquid, rubber gloves and the 1001 other things needed for a new home when you have nothing. Each year the Wives Group collect toiletries and gifts for the Wirral Women & Children s Refuge. In these difficult times of financial hardship we have decided that in 2013 we will concentrate on providing support for those here on Wirral who are suffering from the recession by making on going collections for Wirral Food Bank and Besom. Collecting boxes are located in the Church and Village Centre The Second Church The Present Church before the Tower was added. 2013 A new dawn for St Barnabas? April 2013