St Timothy's Crookes, Parish Profile 2017 - The Diocese of ... · PDF fileParish Profile for St Timothy’s Crookes, Sheffield 3 Who we are and what we are like St Timothy’s is a

St Timothy’s, Crookes, Sheffield

Parish Profile

Parish Profile for St Timothy’s Crookes, Sheffield

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St Timothy’s, Crookes, Sheffield Parish Profile

Contents Who we are and what we are like 3

Mission Partnership 5

Where we are – our parish and surrounding area 5

Who we are – our church building 8

St Timothy’s Leadership Overview 9

Worship at St Timothy’s 10

Outreach Ministries 12

Strengths 16

Challenges 17

The sort of person we are looking for 19


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Who we are and what we are like St Timothy’s is a church family of approximately 240 people (around 185 over 18s and 55 under 18s) with an average Sunday worship attendance in 2016 of 143. There are 122 people on the electoral roll. St Tim’s is one of the larger churches in the diocese and one that has seen some of the most significant growth in recent years. Our patrons are the Sheffield Church Burgesses.

The church family is diverse in terms of social background, life circumstances and church traditions, but whilst we celebrate our lack of uniformity, we rejoice in our unity! People with all needs and abilities are valued and included within the church family and church activities.

Our logo is a harbour lighthouse: God has helped us to find a safe harbour which is welcoming, renewing and equipping. We hope that we can be that harbour for others. From one of our twice-annual Mission Action Planning Conferences our ‘2020 Vision’ for St Tim’s has emerged. This is summarised in the words: “Burning Brighter & Deeper. Doubling People & Passion.” The whole-church Alpha Course this autumn (see later) is just one of the whole church family activities we are doing to work towards this Vision.

St Tim’s is an active church with daytime and evening activities throughout each week around the parish. The building is in use for at least part of nearly every day. We often host concerts, sometimes by our own music group and talented musicians, sometimes by visiting choirs or churches. We have also hosted drama, conferences (e.g. Alpha course spiritual days) and


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training days (e.g. fire awareness, first aid, and puppet training). Some of our annual events give a good sense of the strength of community life at St Tim’s and make use of the wonderful range of gifts and talents present in the church family. These events include:

x The Pantomime – this happens every January and is written, choreographed, rehearsed and performed to sell-out audiences all within the month. A testament to God’s grace and provision each year! The panto has included people from the local community as well as St Tim’s family members and is an opportunity to share fun and fellowship with non-Christians.

x The Church Weekend Away – this wonderful weekend takes place each autumn and 60-80 people travel to North Yorkshire to enjoy fellowship, teaching, God’s Creation and to compete for the famous St Tim’s Cup!

x Christmas Tree Festival and Bazaar – in early December the church is transformed for a weekend by church and local community groups into a beautiful space of quirkily decorated trees, a café, Father Christmas’ grotto, craft and food stalls.

x A busy programme of events in Holy Week and Easter (see ‘Worship at St Tim’s’)

As well as an active church family we have an active and thoughtful PCC that reflects the diversity of St Tim’s. The PCC consists of 12 elected members, 1 clergy, 2 wardens, 2 deanery synod reps and a Lay Reader. There is a high level of trust and collaboration between church leaders and this is something we want to continue to build on through open debate and allowing people to develop their gifts and talents. St Tim’s currently funds the following posts (in some cases more than one post is held by the same person):

x 14 hrs per week Administrator x 10 hrs per week Tuesday Social Club Coordinator x 16 hrs per week Youth & Children’s Minister x 10 hrs per week Young Families Worker x 8 hrs per week Children & Families’ worker x 5 hrs per week cleaner


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x 6 hrs per week Lunch Club Cook x 4 hrs per week Hall Manager x 2 hrs per week buildings coordinator

In the last 12 months we have held:

x 12 baptisms x 6 weddings x 9 funerals

In terms of buildings the St Tim’s estate comprises the church, community hall (used for outreach ministries, the annual pantomime, the bazaar, and by a range of external community members), scout hut (used by all uniformed organisations of which St Tim’s is patron) and the executive suite (an ironically named building used by the Tuesday Social Club and men’s group activities).

Mission Partnership St Tim’s is part of an emerging Mission Partnership of five local churches within Hallam Deanery, consisting of St Mark’s Broomhill, St John’s Ranmoor, St Mary’s Walkley, and The Vine (St Stephen’s with St Bartholomew’s). The new priest in charge is expected to have a role in providing leadership and encouragement as this Mission Partnership develops. The new priest in charge will play a key role in the future shape of the partnership and clergy roles within it. The deanery mission plan has allocated four, incumbent-status stipendiary posts to be shared across the five benefices by 2019. There has been an initial meeting of representatives from the churches within this fledgling Mission Partnership, at which parties expressed a desire to explore ways in which the deanery mission plan could be realised. In addition to this, the PCC at St Tim’s feel that there is scope for St Tim’s to be a church that collaborates with and supports other churches in the partnership. More information about this aspect of the post can be found in the statement by the Archdeacon.

Where we are – our parish and surrounding area St. Timothy’s parish church is on Slinn Street in a neighbourhood called Crookes. With Broomhill to the south, Walkley and Crookesmoor to the east and open countryside around the River Rivelin to the north, Crookes is a suburb of the City of Sheffield about 1.5 miles west of the city centre. It is said to derive its name from the Old Norse ‘Krkor’ which means a nook or corner of land.

The area developed during the mid-19th Century as stone-built terraced houses arose for the workers of the steel barons - some of whom lived in the bigger detached stone houses in between. Another spike of development was when the old trams came to Crookes, making the centre easily accessible for employment and leisure in the city. There are a few more


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modern houses and flat complexes, filling in spaces made by bombs during the Second World War or in the gardens of the larger properties.

The demographic profile of the parish reflects that of Crookes Ward, an area of 419 hectares, which is a total population of 17,700 (2011 census) in 7,266 households with an average size of 2.4 people. 14.7% are over 65 years old and 14.5% are under 18. There is easy access on foot to Sheffield University and five hospitals, so it is popular with the professionals and students who work in these places. There is a stable population of elderly people born and brought up in Crookes whose families tend to remain here or return to the area, giving the area village-like qualities. Sheffield has a very high retention rate of graduates from the two universities partly due to the friendliness of the city and partly due to its proximity to the beautiful Peak District about two miles from the parish.

About 60.7% of those on the current church contact list live outside the parish but most are within Crookes Ward.

The centre of Crookes is focused on the main road, also named Crookes, which runs through the suburb before becoming Northfield Road at the north end. Crookes is a busy shopping centre with several small supermarkets, a large variety

of shops and small businesses, hairdressers, a post office, many cafes and restaurants. There is a petrol station.

St Timothy’s has links with the other churches in addition to those that make up the Mission Partnership. These include Wesley Hall Methodist Church in Crookes, with whom we have run holiday clubs for children and St Vincent’s Roman Catholic Church, who join us for our Passion Play in Holy Week.

Within walking distance of the church is a highly rated primary school, with which our Children’s Ministry has recently forged some links. Three reputable secondary schools and a range of private schools within the ward can be accessed on foot or by bus.

There are at least seven pubs in Crookes including ‘The Princess Royal’ situated at the bottom of Slinn Street. From the church there is easy access to at least four GP practices, two dental practices and two veterinary practices. Bingham’s, the meat paste manufacturer operates from Western Road just outside the Parish.

There is a large cemetery on the borders of Crookes and Crosspool and there are several working allotment patches in Crookes ward. Crookes Working Men’s Club on Mulehouse Road


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was established in 1926 and was a venue for Def Leppard who played there in 1979. Other famous people from Crookes include Joe Cocker, Joe Elliot, Rick Savage and Paul Carrack.

Within the parish and overlooking the Rivelin Valley is an historical site called ‘The Bole Hills.’ This was the site of open air smelting, and Bronze Age (about 1500BC) funerary remains similar to those of contemporary tribes sometimes called the Urn people were found near the site in 1887. Today this area is a popular place for children to play, for dog-walking and for the elderly to stroll or sit and admire the amazing view. There is a bowling green, tennis court, football pitch, an enclosed well-equipped playground and an area for youngsters to learn rugby.

From Crookes it is easy to walk to at least four public parks and to take a short bus ride to many more. Close to the hospitals there is a museum with displays of past Sheffield life and industry.

Next door to the church is the vicarage, a large stone-built five-bedroomed house with large gardens and car-parking space. This is where the previous incumbent and his family lived.

Crookes has an excellent bus service to the centre of Sheffield via Broomhill, passing the hospitals and university and in the opposite direction to Hillsborough, home of Sheffield Wednesday Football Club and a busy, comprehensive shopping centre.

Sheffield centre has all the attractions of a thriving city. There are theatres, cinemas, shopping malls, a library and art galleries. The Emergency Service Museum, Kelham Island, and the Winter Gardens are some other places of interest. Meadowhall Shopping Mall is near the MI Motorway and can be reached on the Supertram or bus from the centre. Supertram also goes to Hillsborough and Crystal Peaks, other suburbs of the city.


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Where we are – our church building St Timothy’s congregation first worshipped in a tin building at the north edge of the parish. The present building was begun in November 1910 and was greatly modified in 2007 to become the open family friendly church it is today. There is a large welcome area, easily seen from the street, leading to the main worship area. This has seating which can be arranged to suit the type of service or event taking place and which, in its usual arrangement, has a maximum capacity of 196.

There is a small creche (the St Nicholas Room), church office, well-equipped kitchen, toilets and a small prayer/meeting room (the Cherith Room) off the welcome area. At the far end of the church are the vicar’s vestry and choir vestry, which are sometimes used as office and meeting room spaces. There is a mezzanine floor which is mostly used for storage.


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St Timothy’s Church Leadership Overview

The diagram above shows broadly how leadership is structured at St Tim’s. The key teams are as follows:

x Clergy – Responsible for providing overall leadership and vision for the Church. At the time of writing St Tim’s has a Self-Supporting Minister, Revd. John Marsh, who generously gives 1 day per week.

x Wardens – Elected as officers of the bishop, representatives of the people, support for the clergy, and stewards of the Church, maintaining accountability of senior leaders. The current wardens are Jane Anderson and Di Rogers, supported by Deputy Wardens Dave Sweetman and Graham Cavill.

x Readers – Licensed by the Bishop to preach, teach, lead worship and assist the church in pastoral, evangelistic and liturgical work. Roger Makin is our Reader.


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x Parochial Church Council – The elected governing body of the Church. All major decisions go through the PCC, though much of the planning and implementing is devolved to the Ministry Planning Team and Operations Team. The PCC is well supported by the Secretary Pauline Cope who is also our Church Administrator.

x Ministry Planning Team – The ‘engine room’ of the Church leadership. This team contains the Clergy and Senior Ministry Leaders and is responsible for overseeing the vision, strategy and day to day running of ministries and outreach events.

x Operations Team – This team is chaired by the administrator and contains the two wardens, two deputy wardens and the estates coordinator. Responsible for heading up all operations, logistics and administration at St Tim’s.

Worship at St Tim’s Coming together for worship, fellowship and teaching is a key part of our church life, and is a source of enormous encouragement in seeking to live as Christians. We celebrate diversity in many aspects of church life and, with a variety of styles of music and liturgy, most people find expressions of worship which they find helpful. Depending on the style of service we use several instruments in worship including guitars, viola, keyboard, drums, and cherished church organ. We are hugely assisted in our worship by a highly talented team of choir and band, including authorised worship leaders Jackie Thiselton, Matt Johnson and our organist, Dr Martin Thiselton. Our senior worship leader is Ellen Makin.

As a response to clearly expressed need, worship in a broad range of styles has evolved over time. This includes:

OUR REGULAR SUNDAY PROGRAMME 9.30 am (Traditional) A one-hour liturgical service aiming to be peaceful and reverent, yet still achieving a relaxed atmosphere! Holy Communion & Morning Prayer take place on alternate Sundays. Robes are usually worn.


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11.00 am (Informal) An informal and relatively lively family service includes a section where younger people have separate teaching and worship. Music and liturgy reflect modern as well as more traditional styles. Words are projected on a screen. Holy Communion is on alternate Sundays. On the second Sunday of the month the two

morning service congregations gather together in All Age Worship. The worship is even less formal, more inclusive throughout, and younger people do not leave for their own teaching. Refreshments after the 11.00 service provide a lively opportunity for fellowship, during which prayer for healing and for other individual needs is a regular and much accessed provision. 6.30 pm (‘The Harbour’) A service providing a space for quality time with God, combining extended times of sung worship with space for individual response to that worship. There is quiet prayer and the service may also feature a thought for the day, a meditation or a Bible based talk. Following the service there is time for community building. Refreshments are served and prayer needs are met. In addition to Sunday services we also have midweek services, the details of which follow. MIDWEEK SERVICES Wednesday communion: a midweek opportunity for a short, informal Service at 12.00 pm in the Memorial Chapel, along with a Lunch Club for Over-60s, which takes place after the service in the Community Hall. Space 4 Faith: A weekly part of the Tuesday Social Club. A relaxed time of exploring our faith and asking questions about life, the universe and everything. We study God’s word, sing his praise, and pray to him.

Under 5s’ Service: a monthly chance for parents to spend quality time with their little ones and meeting other parents. There are crafts, singing and bible stories, concluding with a snack, and tea or coffee for adults.


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ANNUAL WORSHIP EVENTS

These include an Ascension service, a Remembrance Sunday service with laying of a wreath, a Christingle service, a Toy Service (gathering toys and gifts for a women’s refuge) and a Carol service which usually (but not always) follows a ‘Nine Lessons and Carols’ pattern.

For the past couple of years we have had a children’s Nativity play in one of the morning services, and an informal ‘Carols round the trees’ on Sunday afternoon at the Christmas Tree Festival. On Christmas Eve we have a much loved Crib Service, an event which evolved from simply telling stories to children as they helped to put the porcelain figures in the Nativity scene. This is followed by a service of Midnight Communion, and a Christmas morning service.

We normally hold an Ash Wednesday service, and a meditation or Night Prayer each evening of Holy Week. On Maundy Thursday we celebrate a Passover Meal together. Good Friday has for many years featured an hour long Quiet Time at 2.00 pm and 7.00 pm, containing music, readings and short addresses punctuated by periods of silence. Recently we have established a new tradition: every four years we perform ‘The Crookes Miracle Play’ which last year (2016) involved two neighbouring churches (St. Vincent’s RC church and Wesley Hall Methodists) in both performing and hosting the performances. We also hope that the ‘Mark Drama’ (presented in 2014 and booked again for 2018) will become a tradition.

Outreach Ministries At St Tim’s we are passionate about sharing the Gospel, helping others to discover the love of God for themselves. Our outreach ministries are at the core of what we do as a Church and we invest significant time and resources into making them as effective as we can. Each ministry team leader is responsible for overseeing a ‘Mission Action Plan’ for their ministry, which gives the teams a chance to review and reflect on how things are going in their ministry and make changes in order to reach people more effectively. All outreach ministry teams meet together twice a year for a MAP Conference to review their Mission Action Plans, ensuring the right ‘stepping stones’ are in place to allow someone from outside our Church family to be drawn into our community, come to know Jesus and grow to become an enthusiastic and committed disciple.


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Youth Ministry We have a thriving youth ministry at St Tim’s, which is overseen by our Youth & Children’s Minister and dedicated team of youth leaders. We have six different youth groups that run throughout the week for young people aged 10-18, as well as a 1:1 mentoring programme. Some of our groups focus on outreach and are aimed at non-Christians, whilst other groups are aimed at our Christian young people and focus on discipling them and helping them to grow in their faith. We have about 30 regular members across our different groups, many of whom are not Christians. We put on lots of events to reach youth from outside our community such as day trips and weekends away; and are committed to investing heavily in youth ministry in the hope that by God’s grace our young people will encounter Jesus. Children’s Ministry Our provision for children has grown rapidly over the past year with the appointment of a Children and Families worker, and we now have a weekly midweek club that caters for children aged 5-11. We have a lively Junior Church provision on a Sunday morning and run monthly family socials aimed at drawing in families from outside our community. Our children’s ministry has been developing deeper links with Wesley Hall Methodist Church and this year we have jointly run two Crookes holiday clubs, attracting over 30 children, many of whom do not regularly attend Church. Young Families’ Ministry We have a large number of Under 5s at our Church and run a monthly service just for them, as well as weekly groups for babies and toddlers. The parents are well supported by our Young Families Worker, as well as our Young Families Missional Communities. We have several families who are not members of our Church who attend some of our events and we aim to continue to develop our outreach further to draw in more young families from outside our Church family and enable them to experience God’s love for them.


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Tuesday Social Club Our Tuesday Social Club is run by the TSC Co-ordinator, who is on the staff team at St Tim’s and is supported by several committed volunteers. The purpose of the club is to reach adults who may be out of work, or have mental health problems or learning difficulties, or who are on the fringes of society. On Tuesday we run a drop in club where members can enjoy time to socialise and

have a meal together. We run volunteering projects and seek to integrate our members into the community. Space 4 Faith is our weekly service for our members and gives them opportunity to hear the Gospel and discover God’s amazing and unconditional love for them.

Elders’ Ministry We have an active elder’s ministry at St Tim's with an increasingly busy Wednesday lunch club and cafe attracting an average of 33 members per week. We offer

home visiting for our members and seek to draw them into our community at St Tim's. Our Wednesday midday communion service is an important spiritual input for some of the members, about one third of whom attend regularly. This provides a gentle and accessible way for them to hear a Gospel message. Men’s Group Our men’s group meets weekly to provide Bible Study, socials and activities for men from all different walks of life. We meet monthly for breakfasts on a Saturday morning, and have a team called ‘Men at Work’ who carry out various DIY projects. Through our events we support the Christian men in our community but we also place a major emphasis in drawing in men who are not Christians and sharing God’s love with them in the hope that they will one day come to know Jesus themselves.


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Women’s Group Our women’s group meets regularly for socials and is open to women of all ages. Whilst many women who come are members of our Church, we encourage people to bring friends and would love to draw in more women who are not Christians. We run events that range from tea parties and wine evenings to testimony nights and discussions. Friday Café We have a weekly café that runs in our Welcome Area and is mostly attended by people from outside our Church family. We aim to provide a warm, friendly and inviting environment that welcomes people from all walks of life and facilitates building relationships and sharing God’s love with the wide range of different people who drop in on a Friday afternoon. St Tim’s Stage Hands (Puppet Ministry) Meeting most weeks on Monday Evening, our puppet team plan and rehearse performances mainly for illustrating the message in the Sunday services, either by a song or a by sketch. Our most ambitious project to date was a performance at the Christingle service of ‘Bethlehemian Rhapsody’ available for viewing on Youtube! The following year we delivered a quieter and more poignant message. We have also been invited to perform at other churches and a school.

Alpha Evangelism is very important to us at St Tim’s and we have used Alpha on numerous occasions to introduce people to Christianity and help them to begin to develop a personal relationship with Jesus. We aim to run an Alpha course every year, through which we have seen many people come to faith over the years. This Autumn, partly as a strategy towards our ‘2020 Vision,’ we are running a whole Church Alpha course using the new film series. We hope that this will be invigorating for most, an introduction to the Good News for many, and helpful for all of us to be more confident in sharing faith with people who don’t yet know Jesus.

Other Ministries In addition to our core outreach ministries, we also run a number of other groups and ministries that do not have a major outreach focus but still are an important part of our Church community. Many members of our Church are involved in home groups, which meet


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weekly to further ‘unpack’ the sermon and study the Bible together. These groups are a significant source of fellowship and pastoral support for Church members. The home group leaders meet together monthly to support each other and plan and reflect on how the home groups are going. We also have a monthly knitting group and book group. Our Uniformed Organisations, which include Brownies, Guides, Beavers, Cubs and Scouts, meet weekly in the Scout Hut behind our Church building. Whilst these groups are not explicitly Christian, some of our Church members are involved with running the groups, and the children from these groups attend our family services from time to time. We are currently working to develop stronger links between the Uniformed Organisations and our youth and children’s ministry.

Strengths This section was written following a PCC parish profile workshop and church family survey and consultation.

A strong sense of community and family – in all the engagement methods used to prepare for this Parish Profile the themes of ‘community’ and ‘family’ consistently came out strongly. In particular, St Tim’s is a place where people feel that they can be ‘honest and real’ and many members commented on the practical, as well as spiritual, support they experience in the church family. People have connections to each other outside Sunday worship through small groups and the various ministries that operate throughout the week. The annual events such as the church weekend away and the pantomime are evidence of how much people enjoy each other’s company and working together. Both laughing and crying together are part of church family life! People are keen to see further growth at St Tim’s, sharing God’s love and community with more people, but keen also to keep the family feel and personal touch.

Inclusivity – this includes areas of ability, theology and social position. As one of our young people put it, “St Tim’s is never boring and there are loads of activities … to keep everyone occupied.” We are proud to have a varied church family in terms of age, background, ability and churchmanship. Due to the varied nature of the church family, discussing important issues together and finding ways forward collectively is crucial: “[St Tim’s] creates an inclusive

family where all are accepted, and openly accepting our differences and accepting that each and every one of us has out own vulnerabilities and weaknesses.”

Variety of ways for people to explore faith – the range of worship styles from traditional liturgy to singing puppets and a range of music is one of the ways that St Tim’s not only reflects the variety in the church family but also tries to help people connect with God and deepen their faith. People have the chance to explore faith through Alpha, small groups and special events. We have used such methods as labyrinth meditation, quiet times, and 24-hour prayer room on an irregular but fairly frequent basis.


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People that contribute and work together – we are blessed with a range of leaders who are committed people that work well together to build up the kingdom. We have people with a variety of gifts and talents that sustain the range of ministries as well as keeping the lights on and elements out! We have a thoughtful and mature PCC that reflects the make-up of the church family and are comfortable with constructive challenge and discussion to reach sensible decisions. We also have leaders who are open to reflection and doing things differently to achieve our 2020 vision. In addition to a trained reader, we also have one member exploring ordained ministry and one member considering lay reader training.

Eagerness to build on an existing culture of prayer – in the past decade, especially through the astonishingly successful building project and the development of a healing ministry, we have learned a lot about the importance of prayer and the power it brings. We know that prayer and worship need to be foundation stones of all we do ... and we are keen to learn more.

Financial giving – another strength is generosity amongst the church family. St Tim’s is up to date with its Parish Share / Common Fund, has no debts and is currently in a ‘breakeven’ financial position.

Challenges This section was written following a PCC parish profile workshop and church family survey and consultation.

Growth was the strongest theme in terms of aspirations and where we saw challenges. We have broken this theme into the paragraphs below.

Spiritual Growth – St Tim’s is a very active church with capable people. Therefore, it is important that we continue to see growth not only as numerical but also as spiritual. There is much to build on in terms of prayer, bible study and worship helping all adult members of the church family to develop further spiritual depth. There also is a challenge in ensuring that people who may be on the fringes and not linked to a mid-week group or activity don’t get lost and drift away.

Supporting and growing leaders – In order to grow and share the work of the Kingdom, we recognise that we need to be more proactive with developing lay leadership in the church. We currently have existing leader support through some one-to-one mentoring and, more commonly, group mentoring known as ‘huddle’. We are not entirely wedded to the huddle as a model, but the need to raise up new leaders and equip existing leaders is recognised to be a crucial area for development as the church grows.

Growing the church family – there is a challenge here about reaching out and being increasingly knitted into the local community as well as maintaining the culture of nurture and support as more people join St Tim’s. Whilst people want the church to grow there is a concern that the personal touch and sense of close community could be lost. Part of having


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a stronger external presence would include developing our webpages and social media presence. The church cannot be seen from the main road and therefore we need to be present in the community in other ways.

Maintaining sound stewardship of resources and practical running of the church – as we grow we don’t want to lose sight of the practical things that help create the foundations for a safe and welcoming church. Indeed things such as good practice in safeguarding, and health and safety policies and procedures, and the continuation of a capable and dedicated operations and ministry planning team will be vital to ensure that growth is sustainable. We’ve recently updated all our finance procedures after a period of difficulty and now have a clear picture of where we are financially. Maintaining and building on our spiritual and practical foundations should help to ensure that St Tim’s truly lives up to its lighthouse logo and is a welcoming and safe beacon for all people.


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The sort of person we are looking for

The church leaders of St Tim’s are committed to supporting the successful applicant to constructively challenge and encourage us in evangelism; and support the successful applicant in having a healthy, spirit led work-life balance.

We expect that the successful candidate will be in agreement with, and willing to lead us in, our 2020 Vision: “Burning Brighter & Deeper. Doubling People & Passion.” We are seeking someone who will help us to build on what we have already, leading us in a both encouraging and challenging way towards the 2020 Vision.

Criteria Essential Desirable Qualifications / Training Ordained Priest in the Church

of England.

Spirituality and Prayer Life A heart for God and compassion people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds. A person of spiritual maturity with a desire to be led by the Holy Spirit. A passion for prayer and desire to encourage the development of the church’s prayer life.

Knowledge Understanding of the different qualities and leadership styles needed to lead a church of our size into becoming a larger church. A commitment to Biblical scholarship and its application in a way that is relevant to St Tim’s and to the issues of today’s world.

Experience Someone who is comfortable in their own gifts and recognises when they need to use those of other leaders. Experience of working within a Mission Partnership or similar collaborative context.

Proven record of working in and leading teams. Working within an Open Evangelical church. Experience of working with and ministering to people with complex needs and social and economic vulnerabilities.

Skills and Abilities A strategic leader who is prepared to be open to different models of church and mission.

Demonstrable ability to communicate well with young people (particularly teenagers) and children.


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An engaging and sincere preacher and Bible teacher. Ability to lead collaboratively and build consensus. Develop existing leaders and talent spot new ones, thus using laity gifts and talents for the common good and building up the Kingdom. A confident communicator with a track record of effectively communicating within a diversity of people and contexts.

An ability to help mature Christians move into areas of spiritual responsibility within the church.

Personal Attributes Inclusive approach and willingness to work with a diverse church family. St Tim’s is an ‘open evangelical’ church and includes people with a range of experience, spirituality and backgrounds. A good sense of humour – this was stated by all generations within the church family as important!

Role Description

Details of Post

RoleTitle: InterimPriestinCharge

NameofBenefice: CrookesStTimothy

Deanery: Hallam

Archdeaconry: Sheffield&Rotherham

Role Purpose 1. Toexercisethecureofsoulsincollaborationwiththebishop

2. TogrowChrist-like,livelyanddiverseChristiancommunitiesinthisplacewhichareeffectivein

makingdisciplesandinseekingtotransformoursocietyandGod'sworld

3. TorepresenttheChurchofEnglandinthewidercommunity

4. Tosupport,encourageandresourcecolleaguesinthedeaneryanddiocese,astogetherwe

seektorealiseourdiocesanvision

General Responsibilities 1. TofulfilltheresponsibilitiesofclergyasdescribedintheCanons,theOrdinal,theGuidelinesfor

theProfessionalConductfortheClergyandotherrelevantlegislation.

2. Towatchoveryourself.

3. Toensurethatahighstandardofworship,preachingandpastoralcareisoffered.

4. Todeveloptheministryofthelaitysuchthatallareusingtheirgiftsforthecommongoodand

todevelopaministryteam.

5. Toofferthegospelinalivelyandengagingwaytothosewhoareoutsidethechurch

6. ToofferawayforpeopletoexploretheChristiangospelforthefirsttimeleadingtobaptism

andconfirmation.

7. ToofferclearpathwaysforyoungChristianstogrowtomaturityasChristiandisciples.

8. Toleadthechurchinrespondingtohumanneedbylovingservice.

9. Toparticipateindiocesan,nationalandinternationalinitiativestotransformunjuststructures

ofsociety.

10. Toseekatalltimestosafeguardtheintegrityofcreationandsustainandrenewthelifeofthe

earth.

11. ToencourageChristianstewardshipofpeople’stime,moneyandabilities.

12. TocollaboratewithChurchwardenstoensurethechurchbuilding(s)servethechurch’swider

missioninthecommunity.

13. Toseekecumenicalcooperationwhereverappropriateandpossible.

14. Tocollaboratewiththedeaneryinmissionandministryandcooperateintheimplementation

ofthedeaneryplan.

15. ToensurefullcomplianceatalltimeswiththeDiocesanSafeguardingPolicy.

16. Toexploreopportunitiesforpioneerexpressionsofmissionandministrywhereverappropriate

andpossible.

17. Tofulfilthebishops’requirementoffullengagementwithcontinuingprofessional

developmentthroughLeadingWell,ContinuingMinisterialDevelopmentanddiocesanevents

thataimtoinspireandequiplayandordainedleaders.

Specific Responsibilities 1. Toprovidestrategicleadershipasthe‘2020Vision’isworkedoutinthelifeofthechurch,and

todiscern,withthechurchleadershipandPCC,thechurch’svisionbeyondthis.

2. Toprovideeffectiveoversight,mentoringanddevelopmentofthestaffteam,andtofurther

encourageandequipthevariousworship,pastoralandoutreachministryteams.

3. Toproactivelyworkwithclergyandlayleadersacrossthemissionpartnershiptodevelop

closerlinksinmissionandministrybetweenthechurches,andshapeanoverallstrategyfor

futuredeploymentofstipendiaryclergyacrossthefivebenefices.

4. Todiscernandmodelnewwaysofengaginginmissionandministryacrossalargercombined

missionarea(themissionpartnership)inordertodeliverlocalmissioneffectivelywithfewer

stipendiaryresources.

Key colleagues within the church (local, deanery, diocese and ecumenical)

• TheBishopofSheffieldandtheBishopofDoncaster

• TheArchdeaconofSheffieldandRotherham

• TheAreaDeanandLayChairofHallamDeanery

• TheClergyChapter,DeanerySynodandDiocesanSynod

• ClergyandLayLeadersfromthechurchesintheMissionPartnership

• Churchwardens

• TheStaffTeam,MinistryPlanningTeamandOperationsTeam

• Leadersofthevariousworship,pastoralandoutreachministryteams

Key partners in the wider community (individuals and organisations)

• TheSheffieldChurchBurgesses

• UniformedOrganizations

• WesleyHallMethodistChurch,Crookes

• VoluntaryActionSheffield

Statement by the Archdeacon on behalf of the Diocese: StTimothy’sisastrongandactivechurchcommunity,successfullymeetingcommunityneedsand

communicatingtheGospelevangelisticallyinbothwordandaction.ItispartofHallamDeanery,

whichisauniquedeanerywithseverallargechurchesincloseproximitytooneanother.Tothecredit

ofthechurch’sleadershipandgovernance,StTimothy’shasbeenabletodiscernanddevelopitsown

uniquecontributiontothemissionofGodinsuchawell-servedpartofSheffield,withastrongvision

andcommitmenttobe‘goodnews’toarangeofpeoplegroupsintheparishandbeyond.Asaresult,

StTimothy’shasexperiencedyear-on-yeargrowthinitsworshippingcommunitysince2014,andisina

healthyplaceasitlooksforanewPriestinChargetoleadthenextchapterofthechurch’slifeaspart

ofanewMissionPartnershipinSouth-WestSheffield.

TheSheffieldDiocesanstrategyfordevelopingMissionPartnershipsisaresponsetotheChurch’sneed

tore-imagineministryforeffectivemissioninthe21stCentury,recognisingtherealityofchanging

resourcesandcontextswhilstremainingcommittedtolocalpresencemissionandministry.Inshort,it

isastrategyforgrowingthechurch.ThebelowdiagramistakenfromthestrategybookletRe-Imagining Ministry for Mission,publishedin20121.Itdepictsthemodelasonewhereagroupof

churcheswillpartnertogetherinmissionandministrytoalargercombinedmissionarea(represented

bytheellipse),sharingresourcesandvision.Thebelowexamplehasfourchurches,eachwithitsown

ministryteamoflicensedandauthorisedministers,aswellasafreshexpressionofchurch(thetree!)

resourcedbytwoofthechurchesworkinginpartnership.Themissionpartnershipisservedbytwo

stipendiaryclergyworkingtogetheracrossthewholearea,resourcingthemissionandministryofall

thechurchesandenablingtheteamstoleadandministereffectivelyintheirlocalcontexts.

1 seehttp://www.sheffield.anglican.org/UserFiles/File/Strategy_documents/BOOKLETS_Re_imagining.pdf

StTimothy’sispartofafledglingMissionPartnership,encompassingStMark’sBroomhill,StJohnthe

EvangelistRanmoor,TheVine(StStephen’sandStBartholomew’sNetherthorpe)andStMary’s

Walkley.IntheexistingDeaneryMissionPlanfor2019,thispartnershipoffivebeneficesistobe

servedbyfourstipendiaryclergy,workingalongsideself-supportingclergyandlayleadershipteams.

Thistarget,inresponsetotheDiocesan2019targetsforclergyallocation,gaverisetosomedoubt

overthepossibilityofmakinganewappointmentatStTimothy’sduetotheexistinglevelof

stipendiaryprovisionintheotherchurchesoftheMissionPartnership.However,theBishop’sStaff

recognisedtherecenttrajectoryofgrowthatStTimothy’sandthefactthattheMissionPartnershipis

notyetsufficientlydevelopedtohaveaclearstrategyforsharingordainedministry.Assuch,itwas

decidedtocommitadditionalshort-termresourcestoenabletheappointmentofanInterim(initially

three-years)PriestinChargeofStTimothy’swhowouldcontinuethedevelopmentofthechurch’s

visionandthegrowthoflayleadershipteams,aswellasprovideaproactiveleadershiptothe

necessarydevelopmentoftheMissionPartnership,workingwiththeclergyandlayleadersacrossthe

fiveparishes.

Sincethispostwasenvisaged,twooftheotherbeneficesintheMissionPartnershiphavegoneinto(or

aresoontogointo)vacancy,meaningthatthestrategicsignificanceofthisparticularappointmentis

furtherheightenedasweworktowardsshapingadditionalposts.Thisparticularpositionprovidesan

excitingopportunityforanexperiencedpriesttobothleadanddevelopmissionandministryina

vibrantandgrowingmid-sizedchurch,andtoofferstrategicvisionandleadershiptoalargermission

partnership.Comeandjoinusasweseektodiscernnewwaysofworkingtogethertobetterservethe

missionofGodandtransformourcommunitieswiththegoodnewsofChrist’slove.

Review Date: Signature of Office Holder: Date: Signature of Archdeacon: Date:

Documents

St Timothy's Crookes, Parish Profile 2017 - The Diocese of ... · PDF fileParish Profile for St Timothy’s Crookes, Sheffield 3 Who we are and what we are like St Timothy’s is a