Knowing God, Following Jesus, Loving Others, Inviting All

Knowing God, Following Jesus, Loving Others, Inviting All 2

Our Vision is to see God grow His Church in Stoke Poges: numerically as we reach out in evangelism, and spiritually as the members grow in faith as part of God’s kingdom.

Our Values are to be a Bible based community committed to:

Knowing God, Following Jesus, Loving Others, Inviting All.

Stoke Poges Parish Churches

The Deanery of Burnham and Slough

The Diocese of Oxford

St Giles’ Church

Church Lane Stoke Poges, SL2 4NZ

St Andrew’s Centre

Rogers Lane Stoke Poges SL2 4LN

Contents Welcome 3 Community Outreach 13

Our Vision & Values 4 Our Buildings 15

Sharing the Gospel through Action 5 Our Community 20

Our new Vicar 6 Our Finances 21

Ministry Support Teams 7 Diocese & Deanery 22

Our Church 8 Role Description & Person Specification 24


Welcome to Stoke Poges Parish

Thank you for looking at our Parish Profile.

We hope that this will help you to discern whether God

is calling you to help serve in our Parish.

We have two locations, but one church community,

looking for a welcoming, prayerful, vicar who can fuse

the traditional with the contemporary and who can

expect the support of the whole congregation.

Our Parish is in the large village of Stoke Poges, in

Buckinghamshire, just 20 miles from London. A

Domesday Book village, it saw rapid growth in the 20th

Century as nearby Slough expanded. The recently

restored ancient parish church of St Giles’ still lies

surrounded by fields and the village retains a good

community feel, centred on the St Andrew’s Church

Centre, the local primary school and the Village Hall,

all in the heart of the village.

St Andrew’s and St Giles’ represent the changing face

of Stoke Poges over those years. At St Giles’, a centre

of worship for over 1000 years, we hold traditional,

robed services with a choir, organ and sung evensong.

At St Andrew’s, converted in the 1960s, we have a

contemporary service, with guitars, piano, drums and

the order of a service is projected on a screen.

Following our Mission week in March 2017, we feel our

new vicar should be energetic, looking to build on

growing Christ’s word in the hearts of those in the

village who have yet to hear it and supportive to those

already in our church community.

Our door is open – will you enter?

Yours in Christ

Church wardens and lay representatives On behalf of the Parish of Stoke Poges

Paul Elderfield Simon McDowell


Our Vision is to see God grow His Church in Stoke Poges: numerically as we reach out in

evangelism, and spiritually as the members grow in faith as part of God’s kingdom.

Our Values are to be a Bible based community committed to: Knowing God, Following Jesus,

Loving Others, Inviting All.

We seek to achieve this through:

Encompassing all we do in Prayer

Continuing to grow a worshipping family of all ages

Reaching out into the local community in Christian service

Developing, enabling and encouraging our teams and volunteers as part of a recognised

local ministry

Mission Action Plan (MAP)

We developed our MAP a few years ago and revisit it annually to check that it is still current. It

remains the foundation of what we are trying to do in our Church and our Community.

We seek to live and share the Gospel through worshipping, growing in faith, serving the community

and engaging people across the generations.

By doing this, we aim to transform our local community.

Our Vision & Values


Sharing the Gospel through Action

Our MAP is underpinned by a range of

activities. There is a strong volunteer and lay

ministry core, which organises and supports

many of these activities and which is

passionate about growing activity and

engagement. Many of these activities are

well established and successful. Some would

benefit from renewal and there is opportunity

to generate new initiatives.

Our priorities for development are:

Building a worship team and increasing numbers in the Church.

Growing lay engagement.

Building links within our local community.


Our new Vicar In preparing this profile, we have taken the opportunity to reflect on our strengths; where we need

more help; and to think carefully about our vision for the future.

We sought input from groups across the Parish to consider the qualities we would most value in our

new vicar and how we will work together to build on our strong foundations to achieve growth.

Our new vicar has these key attributes - he or she:

values and encourages both our traditional and contemporary forms of worship

is a skilled bible teacher

shares our vision for growth and renewal in the parish, guided by our MAP

is alive in the Holy Spirit and passionate about growing and maturing disciples

leads the spiritual direction for our mission, pastoral care and outreach

engages proactively with our village community and grows our engagement

leads prayerfully, boldly and decisively

We would like our new vicar to help us develop:

We will offer you:

a welcoming and friendly culture with a strong sense of Church family

a desire for growth and renewal

a capable and committed PCC

an active ministry team, supported by a team who are licensed to preach

a core of skilled and active volunteers

growing numbers in the 17-30 age group and the congregation at St Giles’

sustaining and developing St Andrew’s contemporary worship

refreshing the youth ministry

enhancing pastoral care in the Parish

empowering members of the congregation to use their gifts and grow their Christian vocation

leading new development plans to support the Mission Action Plan

We will provide core support to ensure a sustainable ministry, including:

appropriate work/life balance

opportunities for retreats and ministerial development and financial support from us and our Patron, Christ Church, Oxford

shared commitment to meeting the challenges identified and achieving the Mission Action Plan

fully reimbursed expenses


Ministry Support Teams

During the vacancy, our Ministry is led by our Associate Minister Revd Andrew Parry, supported by our

Ministry Trainee and licenced preachers.

Our two Church Wardens, Paul Elderfield and Simon McDowell, lead the church day-to-day, with the

support of an active PCC, consisting of a combination of established and new members.

The Revd Andrew Parry, his wife and daughter have lived in Stoke Poges for

over 20 years. They have worshipped at St Giles’ and St Andrew’s and

Andrew served as Church Warden here. Andrew is an Occupational

Psychologist and was ordained in 2009 as a self-supporting Associate Minister.

Tracey Jones is our Ministry Trainee, having joined us

in 2014. She has helped to run the Youth Club, is a

talented musician and is undertaking Ministry training at Sarum College. She

is a licenced preacher and is another support to Andrew during the

Vacancy.

Thanks to the efforts of the ministry support team and lay leadership, we have

a small growth in congregation during 2017, including the vacancy period.

We hope our new vicar will help to build on this.

Nigel Lowe, a former Church Warden, and Paul Elderfield are also licenced to preach. We are

growing our team of Intercessors into a larger one at the moment and have readers and sidesmen on

a rota for our services.

The PCC has two sub-committees, for Property and Standing & Finance.

The Property Committee has co-opted two members of our congregation with building experience

onto the seven-strong team, led by Mark Wells.

The Standing & Finance Committee makes decisions in between PCC meetings.

We are supported in the Church Office by two Administrators: Kate Holliday and Heather McDowell.

Our PCC

Paul Elderfield (Church Warden & Deanery Synod Rep) Simon McDowell (Church Warden)

Andrew Parry (Associate Minister) Alicen Nickson (Hon Secretary)

Gaynor Houghton-Jones (Hon Treasurer) Mark Wells (Deanery Synod Rep)

John Wheatley (Deanery Synod Rep) Richard Beckingsale (Sacristan & Verger)

Tony Bunce Kate Holliday (Administrator)

Nigel Lowe Jennifer Pickering


Our Church Our Parish has an active community engaged in both traditional and contemporary worship across

two Churches. The more traditional weekly services are held in the historic St Giles’ Church. This

heritage is regularly celebrated and the Church has been a focal point for village life for many

years. It continues to host special events such as Christmas, Easter and Harvest.

Contemporary worship is held in St Andrew’s Church that sits in the heart of Stoke Poges. Built

around an existing chapel, St Andrew’s provides modern spaces for family and contemporary

services, as well as facilities for local community activities.

In Stoke Poges, 60% of adults identify as Christians and on

Christmas Eve the congregation is swelled by the local

community at our Nativity service for younger children and

our Candlelit Family Service, attended by 391 people in

2017.

Remembrance Sunday is well

supported and we enjoy

welcoming the Stoke Poges

Guides, Brownies and Cubs

to the service. The local

school gets involved with the

11-11-11 service by the

village flagpole.

The setting of St Giles’ means

it is a popular choice for weddings and we also have two

beautiful wedding reception venues in the Parish at Stoke Park and Stoke Place.

Many people travel to visit to St Giles’, due to its history, rural location next to the Memorial Gardens,

but also as the place of family weddings, baptisms and funerals over the centuries.


Children and Families

When held at St Giles’, all-age services are oriented to engage the whole family, and we actively

support children and families during our St Andrew’s worship.

We hold a crèche for children up to four

years of age, which combines play, songs

and story-telling in a safe and welcoming

environment.

Children aged four to ten years old attend

Junior Church. Those aged 11-14 meet in the

Coffee Shop for discussion based activities

exploring issues facing teenagers today.

On the first Sunday of every month, families

worship together at St Andrew’s in a highly

interactive service.

The Church has also run a Youth Club for over 15 years, averaging 25 attendees per night. The Club

has been suspended during the Vacancy because of declining numbers of helpers, however, we

intend to re-launch the Youth Club in 2018.

Tots’ Praise

During term time, the main hall at St Andrew’s on a Monday morning is the place to be if you are a

pre-schooler. We have a nice big hall with space for parents, grandparents and nannies to have a

coffee and chat and plenty of room for the children to play with a large selection of toys. There is a

supervised singing and story time. Our team of volunteers serve coffee, welcome and chat to the

parents as well as leading the singing and story time.

Home Groups

Three ‘Life Groups’ meet weekly during term time. Each group has a core providing leadership and

support for the wider group members. The groups have a distinct mission and make-up, but share in

the goal of helping members grow in their Christian vocation.


Regular Services

Communion is held each Sunday at one of the services. We currently use the same preacher from

our group of licenced preachers in all three services, with minor adjustments in the sermon for each

type of service.

Sunday

9.00 am St Giles’ Service (average 2017 congregation 20-25)

This is a robed, Cassock and Surplice service following

the Common Worship liturgy. Traditional hymns with a

service following the current series, accompanied by

organ and a robed choir. Communion is held on the 1st

and 2nd Sundays, with Morning Prayer on the 3rd and 4th

Sundays.

10.30 am St Andrew’s Service (60-80)

This is an informal, unrobed, service of Worship and the

Word also following Common Worship. Songs are from

New Wine and other contemporary worship music with

the occasional more traditional hymn, supported by the

Easy Worship software.

Communion services on the 3rd Sunday also incorporate

individual prayer and healing. At the beginning of each

month, we have ‘bacon sandwich’ Sunday,

incorporating a brunch with an inclusive and interactive

all-age service.

10.30 am Kids on Sunday @ St Andrew’s

A range of children’s groups meet on Sunday mornings, with targeted Christian teaching

for children from pre-school to young teens.

6.30 pm St Giles’ Evensong (20-25)

Book of Common Prayer (1662) Choral Evensong is held

most weeks, with BCP Communion and prayer for

healing on the 4th Sunday. We have a larger choir at this

service, made up from our and neighbouring parishes

without an evensong of their own. They help to lead this

service with sung anthems and Psalms, and traditional

hymns.

Wednesday

10.30 am St Andrew’s Service (15-20)

Holy Communion is celebrated in the Chapel at St

Andrew’s. The service follows the Common Worship

liturgy. This service often attracts people who live locally

to St Andrew’s and are unable to make it to St Giles’ on

a Sunday.


Prayer

During Communion Services at St Andrew’s, members of the congregation are able to ask for

prayer for healing. We participated in the Archbishop’s Pentecost week of prayer, including

interactive prayer stations at St Andrew’s Church, and we now provide a prayer link which anyone

can contact to request prayer from members of the Church.

The PCC has created a prayer for the vacancy period, which we use as part of the Intercessions in

each service.

Links with other Churches

Together with our churches of St Giles’ and St Andrew’s, the village also has a Free Church with

which we have strong ties, together with other local churches in the Deanery. We come together

as Christians in the Village on Good Friday when an Open-Air Service is held by the Village Flagpole

followed by a short, silent procession through the Village.

At other times through the year we join with the Free Church for joint services and as part of the

Northern Group in our Deanery, we take it in turns to host the Ascension Day service.

The patrons of the living of Stoke Poges are the Dean and Chapter of Christ Church, Oxford. Christ

Church is in the happy position of being able to support the incumbents of its ninety livings through

the revenues of the Dr South Trust, which is able to assist with grants for study, administration and

holidays, as well as offering a biennial conference and loans for the purchase of a car.

Vacancy prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank you for the service of Harry, our vicar, for the past 18 years

We give thanks for our continuing ministry team, led by Andrew during the vacancy

We pray that you may give strength, compassion and understanding to the ministry team, the

PCC, and the whole church community as we undertake our search for a new vicar

Please guide those who are seeking the right church for their ministry and that together, we may

discover your way for the future and see your kingdom grow

Help us welcome and support the new vicar as they take up their post

We pray this in Jesus’ Name. Amen

Parish Numbers*

108 on the Electoral Roll

10 weddings

10 baptisms

21 funerals

* weddings, baptisms & funerals taken as a 5 year average so to

reduce the disruptive effect of the 2016-17 St Giles’ restoration


Volunteers

The day-to-day running of the Church is supported by teams of volunteers, including:

Choir – a dedicated group, augmented by visiting singers from neighbouring churches at

Evensong, sing at both the 9.00 and 6.30 Sunday services at St Giles’.

Holy Dusters – clean and polish St Giles’.

Flower arrangers – decorate both Churches for services and special occasions.

Reapers – maintain the Churches’ grounds and gardens.

Bell Ringers – St Giles’ has a ring of eight bells and is regarded as one of the best rings in the

locality, with peals being rung every month by various visiting ringing groups. The core group

of regular ringers are always open to new joiners. Ringing takes place before the evening

service every Sunday.

Junior Church– a rota of committed and experienced Church members deliver activities and

teaching for children attending St Andrew’s services.

Coffee Shop – open Tuesdays - Saturdays during term time, the coffee shop is open to

members of the community for tea and conversation.


Community Outreach

Coffee Shop Our Coffee Shop is situated at St Andrew’s and has

come a long way from its humble beginnings of a

flask and an empty room.

This fantastic community facility continues to be an

oasis for busy villagers, a warm welcome for those

who come to ballet, a creative space for art and

craft and a test audience for local entrepreneurs’

new business ideas. Still run by volunteers, the

Coffee Shop is now in its own purpose-built room

and is open Tuesday to Saturday during term time.

Knit, Sew & Natter

On Tuesday mornings during term time you’ll find a

buzzing, friendly atmosphere in the Coffee Shop at

the ‘Knit Sew & Natter’ group meets. Many of the

items made are sold to raise money for charities. It is

also a social and learning time for those who attend.

Friday Morning Coffee Group

This weekly group is a refuge for many older residents in the village with much laughter and banter

being heard coming from the nicely crowded room. Each term, this group shares a meal together

and the companionship and fellowship is much appreciated.

Stoke Poges Men’s Group This welcoming group (provided you are a man!) is

for men of all faiths and none. It is affiliated to the

UK organisation Christian Vision for Men. There are

many events during the year including curry nights,

dinners, Saturday morning breakfasts, activity

evenings (skittles, Tanx, quizzes) and visits to

interesting venues.

Men’s breakfasts and dinners have a guest speaker

to share an inspirational story of how they found or

were sustained by God.

Some of the events are open to ‘lads and dads’ which is always popular and the group has an

excellent following across all events – most attract more than 40 men. At different stages Saturday

morning Christian Courses have been run with those attending coming from the Men’s Group.


The Supper Club

Started and run by members of the Church, the Supper Club is

a social club for the over-55s which has been operating for

over ten years. The Club meets every two months throughout

the year at St Andrew’s to share a meal and enjoy fellowship

together. The group is made up of church and non-church

members with friendships being fostered and invitations to

special services such as the ‘Supper Club Evensongs’ allowing

a gentle introduction into Church life and attendance.

Senior Citizens’ Christmas Lunch The more senior members of our community look forward with

anticipation to the Christmas Lunch, which we host at St

Andrew’s during December. In partnership with two local

charities (Stoke Poges Hastings Community Fund and the

Mobbs Memorial Trust) we welcome around 100 pensioners

each year with a roast turkey dinner followed by carol singing

and groups of the village school children coming to sing. The

event is always much enjoyed and is a highlight for many.

Out and about in our Village The Village Fete - Stoke Poges Village Fete is a day of fun with local groups and organisations

getting involved to give it a community-spirited feel. Held in

June at the village school, along with other groups in the

village, our Church gets involved with a stall, bouncy castle or

our skittles run.

The Horticultural Society Flower Show - The flower show, held

annually since 1884 (except in war years), is organised by the

Stoke Poges, Wexham & Fulmer Horticultural Society.

Also held at the village

school, this late July event is a highlight of the summer season,

and a pleasant and relaxing opportunity to socialise with our

community. Like the village fete, the church is involved with a

visible presence and a stall or activity.

The Events Committee – Chaired during the Vacancy by our

Associate Minister and involving members of the PCC, the

Parish Council and the wider community, this group works

together to organise joint events and to ensure that separate village and church events for the

community do not overlap and to co-ordinate those that do.

Examples include lectures organised by the Stoke Poges Society at either St Giles’ or St Andrew’s, co

-operating on the organisation of the Village Fete and Remembrance day activities.


Our Buildings

Our three parish buildings are the Grade 1 Listed historic church of St Giles’, the more modern St

Andrew’s Church Centre and the Vicarage, built about 30 years ago.

St Andrew’s Church Centre, Rogers Lane, Stoke Poges, SL2 4LN

St Andrew’s is located centrally in the village, near the Village Hall, Parish Council offices and the

Stoke Poges Primary School.

Our most heavily used building, it has been extended significantly. Built in the early 20th Century, the

original Methodist chapel was converted to our use in the 1960s, before being extended further in

1972, 1984 and 2010.

The Church Centre also contains our church office; main church hall, with seating for over 100 and is

used for services on Sundays; a youth hall; youth office; coffee shop and PCC meeting room, as well

as lots of storage space.

Our two large halls are let out to a variety of commercial and community groups as well as being

used for church activities on Sundays and during the week. There are also two 2-bedroom flats

above the youth hall, which are rented out to provide additional income for the church funds.


The Chapel is a space used for Wednesday morning Holy Communion and occasional parish

meetings – it has seating for about 40 and a permanent Communion Table. It’s the quiet space for

contemplation in the busy St Andrew’s complex.

Completed in 2010, our Youth Hall is slightly smaller than the main church hall and doesn’t usually

have seating in it, but is used for children’s activities, including our youth club.

Outside, there is a large car park and also a grass area, where we can put up the Church’s bouncy

castle for events (and have fun taking it down again too):


The Vicarage, Park Road, Stoke Poges, SL2 4PE

The vicarage, on Park Road, is mid-way between the two churches and is opposite the entrance to

the famous Stoke Park Club, which backs onto St Giles’. It is a 1980s four-bedroom detached house,

with a large east-facing garden at the rear, extending onto fields. At the front, a grassed area leads

onto a driveway and parking for several cars in front of the house and integrated double garage.

Inside, there is a large vicar’s study just inside the front door, followed by the living room and

downstairs toilet. The ground floor is completed by a dining room, modern kitchen with gas hob,

and utility room leading to the garage.

Upstairs, there are four double bedrooms, a family bathroom with bath and shower and a separate

shower room. Three of these bedrooms face over the garden, with great views of the fields beyond.


St Giles’ Parish Church, Church Lane, Stoke Poges, SL2 4NZ

The Parish church, and a centre for worship for

more than 1000 years, St Giles’ Church now lies

about ½ mile South-West of the village centre.

Small parts are Saxon and Norman, but the

majority was built in the early 12th Century, with

the addition of the brick Hastings Chapel in

1558.

This Grade 1 listed building is famous for its

location next to Stoke Park Club, and for its links

to Thomas Gray, buried here, and his most

famous poem ‘Elegy Written in a Country

Churchyard’ (1750). The churchyard is closed for

new burial plots, but the church remains popular for baptisms, weddings and funeral services.

The walk up to the church from the road is a reminder

of the long tradition of Christian worship in this place –

through the old lych gates and past the rows of

ancient headstones to the flint-stoned church, with

the brick-built Hastings Chapel alongside.

Parishioners with limited mobility can also drive

through the Memorial Gardens next door to enter

through the Chapter House.


Thanks to a significant legacy, a major restoration programme occurred during 2016-17 to both the

interior (Hastings Chapel, Tower and Chancel) and exterior of the church. Part of this restoration was

aimed at completing all the major items from the last

three Quinquennial Inspections. This has been

successfully achieved, as well as roof repairs that

were not noticed until works began and the

discovery of some 13th Century wall paintings in the

Tower, which are ‘of national significance’,

according to Historic England.

We have dedicated teams to do the day-to-day

maintenance – from our churchyard Reapers to the

Holy Dusters and the Flower Arrangers.

We join together the two congregations and hold an annual BBQ after a family service in

September each year – St Giles’ hosts our ‘special’ services of Christmas, Easter and Harvest, too.


Our Community

Stoke Poges lies in the south of

Buckinghamshire, 23 miles from the

centre of London. It is conveniently

located for London Heathrow, with rail

links in neighbouring Gerrards Cross

and Slough and easy access to the

M4, M25 and M40 motorways.

We are a green-buffered, scattered

village, home to just over 5,000 people and is a safe and attractive

place for families – with a choice of pre-schools, a highly regarded

primary school in the village and within the catchment area for two

of Buckinghamshire’s highly rated grammar schools and the Ofsted-

rated ‘outstanding’ Chalfonts Community College. The Khalsa

Secondary Academy, a Sikh faith school serving a wide area,

recently located in the village.

Stoke Poges has five shops serving the parish; on the eastern side a

general store and a farm shop and on Bells Hill, in the heart of the

village, a post office, a pharmacy and a small supermarket. There is

a doctors’ surgery in the village and the local NHS hospital, Wexham Park, sits on the parish border

and the private hospital, the Spire, sits within the parish.

We enjoy a rich spread of ages in the Parish with about 25% of residents being under 20 and 20% of

retirement age. Family is a strong characteristic of village life with a quarter of households

comprising of married couples with children.

We have good links with the local primary school and are involved in their Harvest, Christmas and

Easter celebrations. In addition, each year, Year 6 visits St Giles’ and finds out more about the

Church and its history.

Sitting within the Green Belt, Stoke Poges is well served with sports and outdoor leisure pursuits. There

are four golf courses in the parish and a choice of gyms, spas and tennis facilities.

Stoke Poges has a thriving local community with many varied activities including Photography,

Bridge, Bowls, Singers, Horticultural Society, Tennis, Table tennis, Women’s Institute, Badminton and

more. Many of these groups use either St Andrew’s hall or the Village Hall.


Our Finances

Our general fund income comes from three major areas: regular giving by parishioners, letting

income from the facilities and rental income from the two flats at St Andrew’s. Large donations in

2012 and 2013 allowed us to expand our mission giving programme and build reserves. Excluding

mission giving, the PCC maintained a surplus of income over expenditure until 2016.

The PCC has paid a proportion of our income as Mission Giving to specific charities in the UK and

abroad. One major beneficiary has been the Nepal Leprosy Trust, a Christian agency in southeast

Nepal. We were able to fund the set-up running of a self-care training facility for three years,

making a material difference in the quality of life to people affected by this disease.

The largest expense item is our Diocesan Share, which we have always paid in full. In 2018, this will

be around 60% of our total income before expenses to generate that income. This is providing a

strain on our reserves and our ability to maintain mission giving.

We are about to undertake a review of stewardship with our congregation as the regular giving

amount has fallen over recent years from several long-term donors moving away or dying. Young

families replacing them numerically are not able to be as generous.

Several people are paid directly by the PCC – our Ministry Trainee, two part-time posts in the Church

Office, a caretaker and cleaners at St Andrew’s and organists at St Giles’.


Diocese and Deanery

The Diocese of Oxford

The Diocese of Oxford serves the mission of the Church in Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and

Oxfordshire. The Diocese comprises more than 600 parishes, with over 800 churches, serving a

diverse population of more than 2 million people located in all types of settings.

Due to the size and complexity of the Diocese, we have three Area Bishops who exercise

considerable strategic & pastoral oversight for their Archdeaconries. The Bishop of Buckingham is

the Rt Revd Alan Wilson who has been the Area Bishop since 2003.

With the appointment of the new Bishop of Oxford, the Rt Revd Dr Steven Croft, a new common

vision is emerging for the Diocese of Oxford …

The vision addresses what kind of church we are called to be – A Christ-like Church.

What are the marks of a Christ-

like Church? To be the Church of

the Beatitudes:

Contemplative

Compassionate

Courageous

It also asks what we are therefore called to do together.

This is currently a work in progress, but is likely to cover some

of the following strategic priorities:

Make a difference in the world

Support and grow the local church

Establish new churches and congregations

Serve our schools

Renew discipleship and ministry

These priorities will be supported centrally by resources, training, conferences, workshops, and much

more. The diocese is inviting benefices and their priests to share a vision rather than demanding a

response. It wants all its priests to flourish in ministry and to deepen their enjoyment of God.

Alongside the emerging diocesan vision, the priorities and principles for the Buckingham

Archdeaconry are set out in our Buckingham Mission Action Plan (www.oxford.anglican.org/wp-

content/uploads/2013/01/Bucks-Archdeaconry-Plan-0515.pdf)

It is expected that all clergy appointed into the Archdeaconry of Buckingham will want to commit

themselves to the Diocesan vision and Archdeaconry MAP and their strategic directions.


Deanery of Burnham and Slough

The parish of Stoke Poges is located within the Northern Group of the Burnham & Slough deanery.

Since the implementation of synodical Government the deanery has developed a strong sense of

team working. Church tradition across the deanery is diverse and, like other deaneries of a similar size,

we are enriched by the variety of worship that takes place daily and weekly within our thirty places of

worship. The deanery is a mixture of rural, semi-rural and urban parishes with two formal LEP's working

together to build up the life of the church locally.

The Burnham & Slough deanery recognises the importance of outreach to the wider community and

many of our parishes are actively engaged in mission activity that brings them into regular contact

with the people of God in the wider community. For example, we have strong links to school activity.

We have a number of Church of England schools within parishes, some of which are unique in terms

of their student population. We have strong links with our statutory and community service providers,

both at the local level, and through our sector ministry team, Kingsway Connections. Being part of a

diverse community has given rise to some important inter-faith work, alongside some important

community development work resulting from engagement with the Local Strategic Partnerships in

Slough and South Bucks.

Like all deaneries we respond to the changes that the National Church is facing at this time. Our

recent deanery re-organisation has brought us into four groupings of churches - three formal group

ministries and one informal group of churches working together in the East of the deanery.

Our total ministerial resources serve to lead these groups in their ministry and mission activity. This

structure requires flexibility and for people to work much more collaboratively together. Needless to

say, anyone new to the deanery would be expected to work within this new structure and be part of

this way of working.

This table shows how our current ordained ministerial resources are deployed across the deanery.

This deanery is a good place to exercise ministry and mission. Those who work here tend to stay for a

number of years. The area covered by the deanery has a very diverse population. It has places of

affluence as well as having wards that are some of the most deprived in the Country.

Because of this the deanery is one that throws up many challenges. Our local churches rise to these

challenges, showing that they can respond to most things that come their way.

Jubilee River Group Ministry Southern Group Ministry Northern Group Ministry Eastern Group of Churches

4.4 Stipendiary Priests 0.3 Jubilee River Schools

Enabler

6 Stipendiary Priests 1 Retired Priest (with PTO)

4 Stipendiary Priests 3 Associate Priests (SSP)

1 Curate in Training

2 Stipendiary Priests 1 House for Duty Priest

Deanery Post(s) (Equivalent to 1 full-time post from our deanery compliment) 1 Full-time Area Dean 0.3 Mission Enabler (also Priest in Jubilee River Group)

Ecumenical/Inter-Faith Hospital Chaplaincy Team Appointed chaplains working out of our two main Hospitals of Wexham Park and Heatherwood (not part of the Deanery

stipendiary allocation)

8 Licensed Lay Ministers, who work in our parishes/benefices/teams .


Role Description &

Person Specification ROLE PURPOSE AND KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

General:

A. To exercise the cure of souls shared with the bishop in this benefice in collaboration with

colleagues including the praying of the Daily Office, the administration of the sacraments and

preaching.

B. To have regard to the calling and responsibilities of the clergy (as described in the Canons,

the Ordinal, the Code of Professional Conduct for the Clergy) and other relevant legislation

including:

bringing the grace and truth of Christ to this generation and making him known to those in your care

instructing the parishioners in the Christian faith

preparing candidates for confirmation

diligently visiting the parishioners of the benefice, particularly those who are sick and infirm

providing spiritual counsel and advice

consulting with the parochial church council on matters of general concern and importance to the benefice

bringing the needs of the world before God in intercession

calling your hearers to repentance and declaring in Christ's name the absolution and forgiveness of their sins

blessing people in God’s name

preparing people for their death

discerning and fostering the gifts of all God’s people

being faithful in prayer, expectant and watchful for the signs of God’s presence, as he reveals his kingdom among us

C. To share in the wider work of the deanery and diocese as appropriate, for the building up of

the whole Body of Christ


Key responsibilities:

Mission and Outreach (Making Disciples, Making a difference in the world)

Leadership and working collaboratively (Shaping confident, collaborative leadership)

Worship and preaching (Sustaining the sacred centre)

Pastoral Care (Developing vibrant Christian community)

Stewardship and benefice organization (Developing vibrant Christian community)

Personal development and spirituality

The key responsibilities listed above may be supported by long and short-term objectives to be

agreed between the post holder the Archdeacon and Church Wardens.

Other responsibilities:

Participate in the Bishop’s Ministerial Development Review scheme and engage in Continuing Ministerial Development

Carry out any other duties and responsibilities as required in line with the benefice needs.

Take care for their wellbeing including health and safety and building a good repertoire of spiritual and psychological strategies

KEY CONTACTS FOR THE ROLE

Generic and specific to the role

Groups & committees

The PCC

Deanery Chapter

Deanery Synod

Deanery Pastoral Committee

Village committees (eg Events Committee, Hastings Trust Charity)

In the benefice

Churchwardens

Support structures

Area Dean

Area Bishop

Archdeacon

Staff at The Diocesan Office with key responsibilities for various aspects of supporting parochial ministry

Christ Church Cathedral, our patron


OTHER

Relevant Documentation

This role description is issued alongside and should be read in conjunction with the following

documents:

The Ordinal

The Canons of the Church of England

Guidance for the Professional Conduct of Clergy

Bishop’s Licence

Statement of Particulars issued to the office‐holder on successful appointment

Diocesan Clergy Handbook

Parish Profile

Ministry Action Plans (MAPs)

Any objectives discussed and agreed between the post holder and the supervising minister

PERSON SPECIFICATION

QUALIFICATION/TRAINING

Essential

Ordained priest within the Church of England

Have satisfactorily completed Initial Ministerial Education

Willingness to engage in further training that enhances the skills of community leadership

EXPERIENCE

Essential

Priestly ministry involving vision setting and team development

Engagement with and pastoral support for people of all ages

Responsibility in a complex organisation with substantial resources to manage (such as people and buildings)

Leading and encouraging development of contemporary worship, complementary to continuing traditional forms

Desirable

Leading mature and thoughtful all age workshop

Initiating forms of church in creative, engaging and imaginative ways


Knowledge/Skills and Competencies

Essential

Ability to preach well in a variety of styles and formats to a broad range of listeners with varying outlooks, ages and understanding

The ability to identify and respond to opportunities for mission

An ability to make and build on links with individuals and community organisations whose involvement with the Church is limited

Leadership skills including the ability to motivate, inspire and effectively coordinate volunteers

Computer Literacy – Email, Word, Excel, use of internet

Desirable

Collaborative working especially with volunteers and other churches

Ability to organise resources effectively to meet a wide range of needs

General Attributes

Essential

Able to work in sympathy with the Eucharistic tradition of the Benefice

Empathy with the values of the diocese and those of the Benefice

The passion for growing a congregation

Evidence of a deep prayer life and ability to draw on a wide range of spiritual resources

Evidence of ability to engage local communities and develop links with those not actively involved with the Church

Desirable

An ecumenical outlook and willingness to work with local churches and faith groups

Ability to lead contemporary worship at St Andrew’s and with an appreciation of traditional music traditions

OTHER

A passion for learning and personal development

The ability to comply with Diocesan Child Protection policies


Thank you for reading our profile – we hope that it has been helpful

For more details about our parish:

www.stokepogeschurch.org

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