Parish Profile ShottesbrookeOctober 2015

Parish Profile

Waltham St Lawrence

Parish Website www.walthamstlawrence.info

Contents

WALTHAM ST. LAWRENCE

PARISH PROFILE IN PICTURES1

MISSION STATEMENT3

MISSION ACTION PLAN3

FUTURE CHALLENGES4

SERVICES5

SERVICE CALENDAR SEPTEMBER 20156

ACTIVITIES6

ATTENDANCE9

CHURCH MANAGEMENT10

CHURCH BUILDINGS10

LOCAL CONTEXT11

DEANERY PERSPECTIVE12

SHOTTESBROOKE

INTRODUCTION14

The Locality14

Recent History14

The Wider Church14

PARISH OF SHOTTESBROOKE14

Vision14

The Church Building14

Services15

ASPECTS OF CHURCH LIFE15

Other Events and Activities of the Benefice16

DEANERY PERSPECTIVE16

Parish Profiles Waltham St. Lawrence & ShottesbrookeOctober 2015

Page i

PARISH PROFILE IN PICTURES

The Church

Neville Hall

The Bell

Shurlock Row

Primary School

Parsonage

Baptism

Church Chancel waiting for the bride

Church guests waiting for the bride

Lych Gate after the wedding

3G

Messy Church

Junior Choir

Choir

Screen for All Age Service

Father Willis Organ

MISSION STATEMENT

Our church is at the heart of a thriving lively and friendly community in a beautiful part of rural East Berkshire. It is a place where many people and groups find a place to belong; from within our parish and beyond, including the primary school and village organisations.

We want our church to become a place that reaches out to whole families, and where every generation and every individual is welcomed and has a part to play, and which offers a range of worship styles.

Building on our existing relationships, we want to increase links with everyone in our local community, for instance by promoting the use of the church for a wide range of purposes.

We want to be known for the quality of our worship, prayer, discipleship and pastoral care provided by both the lay people and clergy. We want to be confident in sharing our faith with others, led and equipped to face the future as a team, while developing a broader vision, taking a global view of our Christian mission.

In our Priest-in-Charge, we seek a friendly, approachable and effective communicator of the Christian message, who will give a high priority to pastoral care, be a compassionate listener, and become involved with village life: visible at local events and staying in close contact with other community leaders.

He or she will be supportive of our musical tradition and will encourage activities for children and young people, creating an atmosphere in which they are involved and nurtured.

MISSION ACTION PLAN

Waltham St Lawrence is a prosperous rural parish, grouped round three centres: Waltham St. Lawrence, Shurlock Row and West End. It has a significant share of retired people along with commuters to work. There is a small thriving Junior School, though not C of E. The current priest is a governor and takes assembly regularly. Despite the closure of the last shop there is a strong sense of community with regular village events which are well supported.

For a variety of reasons, the church went through a bad patch over some 5-6 years, characterised by a reduced and ageing congregation, declining giving and the loss of virtually all youth. This period concluded with a protracted interregnum. When eventually a priest in charge was appointed in February 2013 the Archdeacon indicated that the parish needs a lot of healing and that the appointee would probably be the last priest in charge.

Over the last couple of years there have been indications of Gods blessing in the church: growing numbers, especially children; increased giving, allowing recovery of the parish share contribution (10k in 2012 to 30k in 2015) and growing financial reserves; the establishment of home groups for deepening discipleship; and, practical improvements such as the replacement of the heating system and the recently approved and funded installation of an audio-visual system. The relationship with the local primary school has become very fruitful with the priest now one of the governors. Overall, the outlook for the church is much brighter and it is now agreed that the priest in charge will be replaced when he retires in February 2016, by a House for duty priest (the usual Sunday plus more than two days. The PCC is prepared to offer an honorarium for extra days.

This appointment is initially for a Priest-in-Charge, pending the outcome of the Pastoral Scheme for the linking to Shottesbrooke (see Future Challenges on page 4 and pages 13 to 16).

MISSION INITIATIVES

Children: A coordinator of our work with children was appointed in 2013. There is now a strong emphasis on children and families. The weekly 3G(Generation) group is now well established (in old speak mothers and toddlers but now with grandparents and other carers). A crche and Sunday Club now functions every Sunday. A Messy Church was started in March 2015, meeting monthly. The Bishop has granted permission for Communion for Baptized Children.

Music: The church has a strong musical tradition. This has been continued with the appointment of a new music director. The Junior Choir remains active and sings at the monthly All Age service as well as special events, notably the annual nativity performance. The Middle Choir of 9+ year olds has recently been re-established.

Bell ringing: The plentiful supply of bell ringers will be complemented by the recently established Young Bell Ringers.

Pastoral Care: The team, made up by church members and others, is functioning in a low key way with some very effective interventions.

School: Things are much improved, as evidenced by a full church for the school Harvest and Christmas services and access to school assemblies. The whole school visited the church before Easter as part of their curriculum for Holy Week 2015.

St Lawrence Caf: The very successful free breakfast, one Sunday per month, run by both church and non-church people, continues to attract folks of all ages from the parish.

Community Involvement: Church people are actively involved in running a wide variety of events for the village e.g. the fete, the harvest barn dance and supper, concerts (e.g. WSL Silver Band and Elvis), August afternoon teas in the churchyard, the monthly Wednesday Club etc. An Alpha course was started in September 2015 with the aim of involving non-church goers in discussion of Christianity.

FUTURE CHALLENGES

Children/Youth/Families: Numerous initiatives are underway which need to be followed through.

Shottesbrooke: Heads of Agreement have been agreed for the combination of Waltham St Lawrence and Shottesbrooke. Consultation is underway which should lead to the establishment of the benefice of Waltham St. Lawrence with Shottesbrooke during 2016.

Succession: An extension of the licence for the current priest-in-charge has been granted by the Bishop until February 2016 and it is hoped that the succession can be achieved without another debilitating interregnum.

SERVICESEvery Sunday8.45am Holy Communion

Said service from the Book of Common Prayer (BCP)

1st Sunday in the Month10.00am All-age Service

Emphasis on the young and family participation. Junior choir normally makes a contribution. Often includes baptism(s). Starting to use the new audio-visual system.

6.00pm Choral Evensong

From BCP. Hymns from AMNS, Psalm to Anglican chant. Canticles sung to settings (occasionally to chants). Choir sings an anthem.

2nd & 4th Sundays in the Month10.00am Parish Communion

Sung service from Common Worship with locally produced Service Book. Church choir attends - one of three settings is sung for the communion responses, as well as an anthem.

3rd Sunday in Month9.30am St Lawrence Caf followed by10.30am Parish Communion (shorter form)

From Common Worship with church choir.

5th Sunday in the Month10.00 am Sung Matins

According to BCP with church choir. Canticles are chanted, an anthem is sung. For major festivals then CW Communion is used or, for example a service of wholeness and healing.

Other Services

Remembrance Day Service - in church, following the recommended pattern, followed by procession to Village War Memorial for a short service there. Waltham St Lawrence Silver Band takes part.

Sunday before Christmas - 10.00am service is replaced by a Nativity Play presented by the Sunday Club and Junior Choir. At 6pm a candle-lit service of 6 Lessons and Carols. When Christmas Day falls on a Monday these services are brought forward by a week.

Christmas Eve - Midnight candle-lit Holy Communion with a sung setting.

Christmas Day 8.45am BCP Holy Communion. 10am. Family Service.

Ash Wednesday - evening sung service of Holy Communion with choir and imposition of ashes.

Maundy Thursday - evening sung service of Holy Communion with choir.

Good Friday 10am-12am Children prepare Easter Garden; 2pm-3pm Final Hour devotional service of meditation with hymns (no choir).

Easter Day - 8.45am BCP communion, 10.00am Parish Communion with additional festival elements in the service.

Ascension Day - evening sung service of Holy Communion with choir.

Baptisms About 10 baptisms per year take place during the All Age Service.

Weddings / Blessings Of Civil Marriages - About 8 per year concentrated in the summer season. Choir attends if requested (in the majority of cases). Bell