The Rutland Water Benefice in the Diocese of Peterborough

is seeking an Associate Priest to join our Ministry Team

House for Duty + 20% stipend

Welcome Thank you for looking at this Profile. Rutland is a lovely place in which to live and work: we are praying for a clergy colleague who will also enjoy and thrive while serving this place and its people. This is a House-for-Duty plus 20% stipend post with a 4 bedroomed house in Wing. The new priest will be joining the Rector, curate and two Readers, who look forward to working with a new colleague. Do you enjoy working collaboratively? Ministry here is manageable because we work together. The ministry team take services across the whole Benefice, but for pastoral care, the Associate Priest could focus in 4 villages. The ministry team runs services in every village every month, ably supplemented by churchwardens who lead morning or evening prayer. Here we trust each other, clergy and laity, to all play our part in taking forward church life. Will you enjoy rural life and pastoral ministry? Rutland is pretty, with some families who have been here generations, many residents with military connections, and newcomers too. Clergy become known to the whole community, churchgoers or not, so baptisms, weddings and funerals are important occasions. The challenges and delights of rural ministry found across the country are met here too. Beneath a fairly affluent veneer, you’ll find people of all sorts and the social problems found in most communities. Can you value the past but look forward too? Our church buildings are medieval gems, but we don’t want to be simply museum curators. The church communities find ways to use our buildings and are open to new initiatives, working with the schools and with older people too. Wherever possible we work ecumenically. Are you beginning to feel you might be called to join us here when our current Associate Priest retires in September 2020? Here there are ample opportunities to use your skills and interests to make Jesus known and build the church. You will be made most welcome. Please read on . . .

The Benefice in brief

Rutland is between Leicester and Peterborough and this rural Benefice in Rutland Deanery was created in 2007. Each parish has its own character and all run their own PCCs and look after their individual buildings and finances, so clergy can concentrate on ministry. Five churchwardens and the Rector meet as the Benefice Steering Group, to decide practical matters and make recommendations on strategy and developments to the whole set of churchwardens. The Benefice and parish treasurers also meet annually or as needed.

Worship and Outreach The service rota for each month can be found on the Benefice website: every church has at least one communion service each month, most also have morning/evening prayer led by the ministry team or Churchwardens. We use Common Worship unless specified otherwise. Every third and fifth Sunday there is a Benefice service, so we can worship in larger congregations. North Luffenham hosts a monthly Café church including breakfast and All Age worship service too.

Village carols 2019

in Empingham Methodist

Church

Every parish church has a Christmas service and in some villages, the numbers in church exceed the number of residents in that village. At Easter some years there has been a single Benefice service or the alternative of holding services in every parish. Harvest is also important and we work with the Methodists in Empingham at harvest, for village carols and a covenant service.

With the army at St George’s Barracks based here it is not surprising that Remembrance is important too, marked by the churches and schools, with former and current military personnel participating in services.

Pastoral services and care Clergy wherever possible take pastoral services for those with links to the parishes: in 2019 10 baptisms, 8 weddings and 17 funerals were taken. We work to build on these relationships. The majority of the pastoral care is provided by congregation members in each village. The Ministry team visit parishioners at home or in hospital and take communion to the housebound on request. A small lay team visits the Manton Hall residential home fortnightly, supported by the ministry team. Communion is taken to some housebound church members and to Dove Cottage Hospice in Ridlington parish.

Building community Many parishes organise events that are sociable, while also raising money for the church and other charities. These include safari suppers, Lent lunches, open gardens, concerts, theatre and other events. Current events are listed by village on the Benefice website https://www.rutlandwaterbenefice.info/ on the magazine pages. The Benefice produces a monthly magazine, distributed to every household in the Benefice. It contains details of many forthcoming events including church services and can be accessed from the Benefice website. Young people and Schools Developing links with children and families is a priority and the church congregations are willing to be adaptable to facilitate this. Several parishes host seasonal activities for children and the North Luffenham has a monthly All Age Café Church; Manton’s All Age service may develop similarly. We have good links with the 2 church schools and one community school in the Benefice. North Luffenham school comes to church weekly and clergy share the leadership of services with the Head. For the first time in 2020, 10 pupils are being prepared to receive communion before confirmation and about half of these will be baptised too. Edith Weston school have a Christingle service in church. Empingham church have hosted some successful village celebrations at harvest and Christingle for the church + school + village, run jointly with the Methodists. The current Associate Priest leads one assembly a fortnight in school.

Small groups In Manton, Preston and North Luffenham ecumenical study groups meet regularly. In addition, an annual Lent group runs with the Methodists in Empingham. ‘Afterthoughts’ has been developed as a 4 week course to explore the issued around death in a safe space and has run twice recently in different villages and has inspired a similar group beyond this Benefice.

Development at St Georges Barracks Rutland County Council and the MOD are in discussions about the development of this site between Edith Weston and North Luffenham after the army leave, possibly in 2022. Money from central government has been given for building infrastructure The Rector brought together church leaders from across Rutland to discuss our shared vision for the churches involvement. Working ecumenically seems important and will need our contribution.

Administrative matters Safeguarding of vulnerable children and adults is taken seriously and there is a Benefice Safeguarding Officer plus safeguarding contacts in each parish. GDPR policies have been approved in each parish in consultation with the Diocesan Data Protection Officer. Each parish meets its proportion of the Benefice share payments to the diocese in full. The parishes have reasonable finances, from giving, fundraising, legacies and gifts from village charities.

Accommodation A four bedroomed house in Westhorpe Close in the village of Wing is available and is 5 minutes’ walk from the church. It is in the process of being refurbished ready for the new priest, so please enquire about progress.

Our Parish Churches and their villages Edith Weston sits on the south shore of Rutland Water and much of the St. George’s Barracks lie within the Parish. The village has a store incorporating a sub post office, a primary school, a pub, a hotel licensed for civil weddings, a recreation field and a village hall. There is some light/cottage industry. Children can join Scout, Guide and youth groups at the village school, on the base or in North Luffenham. The village and surrounding area is visited by considerable numbers of tourists attracted by the leisure facilities provided by Rutland Water. Rutland Sailing Club, with approximately 1,000 members, is the UK's largest inland sailing club and regularly hosts major sailing events, including for disabled sailors. Overlooking Rutland Water is an 18 hole "pay and play" Golf Course. Rutland Water's fishing activities are centred on the Fishing Lodge, with a fleet of 50 boats, adjacent to the village. There is also an extremely popular and busy cycle hire business.

St Mary the Virgin is in the centre of the village and has one communion service monthly. An air-source heating system was installed recently. The Army regiment at the St George’s Barracks and the Edith Weston Academy use the church for special services. The churchyard is closed for burials, but there is a Churchyard Extension nearby.

St Mary the Virgin

St. Peter Empingham lies on the main road between Stamford and. There is a voluntary-controlled church primary school (roll 50-60). The village contains a good cross section of people and six farms. The village has a busy shop, hairdresser, pub and many village groups including a Bowls Club, Garden Club, the Men’s Shed and Girls Night Out, in all of which church members are active. There are allotments and the Cricket and Social Club, plus the Audit Hall (a village hall) that hosts a quarterly community breakfast.

The church, in a prominent central position, is one of the largest in Rutland and parts date from about 900 years ago. It is light and airy inside, with comfortable chairs and a raised platform at the Chancel step, together with a servery with toilet facilities, creating an adaptable space for services, concerts, and village events. Each month it has one morning prayer and one communion service. Joint services with the Methodist Church and School are held at Harvest, Remembrance and around Christmas, plus a covenant service in January. There are School services in church each term, and the current Associate Priest takes an assembly at school fortnightly. A Ring of 6 bells are regularly rung for services, especially at festivals. When there is no service in Empingham, people travel to Edith Weston on a Sunday morning. A major restoration of the church organ is in progress, funded by the National Lottery Heritage fund and local donations.

Lyndon is an estate village: most of the houses and the surrounding farmland have belonged to the Conant family since the 17th century. Ten houses are privately owned and most of the rest are let on shorthold tenancy arrangements. This means that there are continually new and interesting people coming into the village and the age range is usually very wide. Most of the small children attend the school in North Luffenham.

St Martin’s sits alongside Lyndon Hall and is a focus for the community. It is full at the Harvest and Christmas Eve services and stands in an attractive setting. Recently the East window and the brick guttering were replaced and new stone floor tiles and new heating were installed.

There is one communion service each month and a churchwarden leads morning prayer on another Sunday.

St. Martin of Tours

St. Mary, Manton

Manton is on the south shore of Rutland Water with an hourly bus service to Oakham and Uppingham. Many houses are built of local stone; most are owner-occupied, with a few rented and local authority properties too. There is a thriving pub and a village hall, plus very active Clubs in the village – Investment, Book, several Bridge Groups including a League. There are a few businesses within the parish but also many people working from home. Manton Hall is a residential home for 25 residents. The Rutland Water cycle route passes through the village, ensuring a constant flow of visitors throughout the year.

This church is a former chantry college chapel, with large chancel windows giving a light and airy feel inside. The Bible study group is supported by people from various denominations. Church coffee mornings are held monthly. Children’s workshops are held at Easter and Christmas and the annual Crib Service usually fills the Church. Very successful social events include a safari supper, summer and harvest events and an annual pudding competition. Many volunteers help the church; some ring bells in the other churches of the Benefice.

There are 2 services every month and coffee is served after every Sunday service, despite the church not having a water supply. Manton people are exemplary in attending Benefice events in other villages.

North Luffenham is the second largest in the Benefice, south of Rutland Water overlooking the Chater valley. Houses range from substantial old stone houses to newer modern developments, plus some affordable housing and rented accommodation. The central recreation field, The Oval, has a cricket square, sports pitch and play area. There are two working farms. The village has a voluntary controlled church school (roll 180). The Fox is an important part of village life, as is the Community Centre adjoining the school, the Little Saints pre-school, Scouts, Cubs and Beavers and many village societies like the Good Companions, a Garden Club, carpet bowls club, allotments and an outdoor Bowls club.

This large church has interesting historical features, including nave roof angels; the North Luffenham Village Trust (a charity) contributes to its upkeep. The church building is used for concerts and other fundraising events. Plans for a toilet and servery have been discussed.

There are 2 Sunday services each month here, one being a Café-style church serving breakfast, held in the community centre adjacent to the church. The whole school has a service in church weekly, usually led by the Head or clergy.

Special services mark the seasons of the church year including harvest, carols, Easter and the end of the school year. School communion services have been introduced and year 5 and 6 children can be prepared to receive communion.

St John the Baptist

St. Nicholas

Pilton is a small community of 16 houses: the last farm ceased to be worked nearly 20 years ago, there are no shops and no local industry. It is proud of having a church and post box.

The church stands in the centre of the village and it is in good condition. The church is well supported by most members of the community even if they don’t attend church regularly, particularly at Harvest and the St Nicholas Christmas Service. There is one regular service of Holy Communion (Book of Common Prayer) each month.

St Peter and St Paul

Preston is approximately 2 miles to the north of Uppingham on the A6003 to Oakham. Village children attend schools in Uppingham or Oakham. There is a strong sense of community in Preston: recent events include a quiz, beetle drive, pop up pub, cookery demonstrations and a Village Christmas Market, held in the village hall. The Preston Green Spaces Group manage the playing field and host social village events to fund facilities. A grant has recently enabled the refurbishment of the village pond. The village also has a book club and a history society.

The church is also a focus for village life. Recently the organ has been refurbished and the boiler has been replaced. The current campaign is to refurbish the bells, two of which date from the fifteenth century. The north aisle lead was stolen in 2017, but has been replaced with steel. The building is used for regular talks and plans are under discussion for re-ordering the church which will enhance its use.

The church has 3 monthly services, including Evening Prayer often lead by the churchwarden with some visiting preachers. PCC are open to exploring new ways to develop worship to appeal to a wider audience. A study group, of up to 20 people, began in 2018 and is open to everyone across the Benefice.

Ridlington lies some 2 miles north-west of Uppingham, and is an attractive village overlooking the Chater valley with five working farms. Most of the housing is owner-occupied, and the population of around 200 is therefore relatively stable. There are a few small independent businesses. The population is a diverse mix of ages and social groups.

Social activities are based on the traditional rural pursuits of horse riding, cricket, fishing, domestic social gatherings and activities arranged by the Church, the Village Hall Committee or various clubs including the Cricket Club, Garden Club and Book Club. There is a strong community spirit.

The church is structurally sound and the PCC would like to make the building easier to use, widening its ministry and appeal within the community. Virtually all households within the village contribute in some way to the ministry and wellbeing of the church, though not all attend services. For some regular contact is through cleaning, flower arranging, opening the church, maintenance of the grounds etc.

There are 2 services a month led by the ministry team and the churchwarden or others lead one service of morning prayer each month.

St. Mary Magdalene & St. Andrew

St. Michael and All Angels

Whitwell lies on the main road (A606) between Oakham and Stamford, just a couple of miles west of Empingham. The 21 properties are nearly all owner-occupied; it has a pub with an excellent reputation for good food. One of the Rutland Water car parks is situated less than ½ a mile from the village. The population includes a proportion of professional business people. All the school age children attend schools in Stamford or Oakham

The church is one of the smallest of Rutland’s churches and is generally in good condition. Sadly, the lead was stolen off the south aisle roof in the spring 2018 and has been replaced by steel. The building and churchyard are valued by the local community who help with maintenance and fundraising. There is one monthly service, plus special occasions. The carol service is always well supported, with villagers being joined by their family and friends.

Wing has a population of approximately 312 – with an excellent community spirit. The village hall adjacent to the church is well used throughout the week. The Kings Arms is integral to village life. There is a campsite at Wing Hall, with a small shop.

The church sits above the main street. It has a good organ and a ring of five bells; bell ringing practices are held regularly on Tuesday evenings. Members of the village assist generously in the care of the church and providing flowers. There is a strong loyalty to the church from succeeding generations of village families. Wing PCC regularly organises community events for both social and fundraising purposes and supports a range of charities at home and abroad. The churchyard is being managed with wildlife in mind, in line with guidance from ‘Caring for God’s Acre’.

The church has 3 services a month, one led by a churchwarden. It is keen to attract children and their families and ran a Christmas crafts event recently. Easter activities are being planned.

St. Peter and St Paul

About the Area Rutland is in the heart of England, roughly half way between London and York and between Leicester and Peterborough. It is a Unitary Authority, with Oakham as its county town. There are train services from Oakham or nearby Stamford to Peterborough, Leicester, Nottingham and beyond. London to Stamford is under 2 hours by car. Buses link Manton to Oakham and Uppingham, Empingham to Oakham and Stamford and North Luffenham and Edith Weston to Stamford and Uppingham.

The parishes, with a total population of around 3500, lie mainly along the southern sides of the Rutland Water reservoir, where the iconic osprey can be seen over the water. People work in a wide variety of employment situations. There are small businesses, with many being self-employed, others travel to the local towns or commute to Peterborough, Leicester and London. The main housing stock is largely private, with groups of social housing. Plans are under consideration for a large housing development on the St Georges Barracks site.

Normanton church (now deconsecrated) at Rutland Water

The individual parishes have different characters, which are celebrated and contribute to the strength, depth and breadth of the wider Benefice. All have been inhabited for centuries and some are mentioned in the Doomsday Book. Today this is a holiday area and the Benefice includes several campsites and some holiday accommodation.

Despite being the smallest county in England Rutland has a lot to offer, hence the county motto ‘Multum in Parvo’ meaning “much in little”.

The village amenities tend to reflect the size of the population. Six villages have pubs; two have shops plus many have mobile post offices, libraries etc. Supermarkets, weekly markets and farmer’s markets are held in Stamford, Oakham and Uppingham.

Outdoor sports and tourism are well catered for, with plenty of walking, cycling, fishing, golf and a wide choice of water sports that take place on Rutland Water. Barnsdale Gardens, made famous by the BBC’s Gardeners World TV programme, is a few miles from Empingham. There are theatres and galleries plus hotels and restaurants in Stamford, Oakham and Uppingham. Other facilities are found further afield in Corby, Peterborough and Leicester.

Within the Benefice Empingham, Edith Weston and North Luffenham have primary schools and all have received favourable OFSTED reports. The North Luffenham school was rated Outstanding in a 2019 SIAMS inspection. Additional

state and fee-paying primary schools are found outside the benefice. For secondary education there are many schools including:

State schools Fee-paying secondary schools Uppingham Community College Catmose College, Oakham Casterton College, Gt Casterton Harrington School, Oakham (Sixth Form College) King’s School, Peterborough (the Cathedral School)

Oakham School (day + boarding) Uppingham School (boarding) Stamford Endowed Schools (day + boarding)

Further Rutland information Rutland Water Benefice website - www.rutlandwaterbenefice.info Official Rutland Tourism website - www.discover-rutland.co.uk

Rutland Deanery

There are 48 active parish churches in the deanery, within nine benefices — all except three (Carlby in Lincolnshire and Harringworth and Duddington in Northamptonshire) are in the county of Rutland. Three parish churches are redundant, and one is now a chapel of ease. The deanery has a growth action plan and speakers at deanery synod frequently support actions in the plan.

The deanery, one of 12 in the diocese, has a proud record of paying in excess of 95% of its requested parish share, and is regularly in the top three contributors of all deaneries. Rutland Deanery Synod is active with 55 lay members and 15 clergy. There are four meetings each year plus an annual deanery Eucharist. All our meetings are ‘open’ and we have a full programme for 2020, set by a small Mission & Pastoral Committee.

The deanery also takes an active role at Diocesan Synod through elected members, the Rural Dean and Lay Chair. A quarterly newsletter is sent to all lay members of synod and all the deanery clergy and PCC secretaries updating on developments within the deanery, synod and the wider diocese.

There is an active Clergy Chapter which meets at least six times during the year

And finally, a letter from the Bishop:

Ministry in the Diocese of Peterborough, by the Rt Rev'd Donald Allister, Bishop of Peterborough

Warm greetings as you explore the possibility of ministry in Peterborough Diocese. Dioceses vary in their culture and their approach to ministry and mission. l hope it will help if I spell out some of our commitments, expectations and aspirations. You can find more on our website; this simply paints the picture in broad brush strokes.

Roughly speaking the diocese covers Northamptonshire and Rutland as well as the City of Peterborough (which used to be in Northants, is now in Cambridgeshire for ceremonial purposes, but is a unitary authority running its own affairs). The Archdeaconry of Northampton covers the boroughs of Northampton and Wellingborough, and the districts of Daventry and South Northants. The Archdeaconry of Oakham covers Peterborough, Rutland, the boroughs of Corby and Kettering, and the district of East Northants.

I came to the diocese in 2010 charged to reverse the serious decline in churchgoing and to instil a greater sense of diocesan identity and unity.

Clergy morale is important to us. I visit all licensed clergy in their homes every three years on a purely pastoral basis. We talk about “shared episcope" and l encourage rural deans and parish clergy to be leaders in mission, confidently getting on with ministry. We are increasing the number of ordinations and of parochial clergy.

We believe in church growth. All our senior staff saw growth in their earlier parish ministries, and it is our expectation for every healthy church. Rather than a detailed diocesan strategy we are working in terms of a vision for each parish or benefice to develop and own a growth action plan. Interdependency and a shared belonging and commitment to mission are important, but each local unit should have its own aspiration to being a growing, viable, missional, serving and worshipping community.

The Bishop and the Dean, Chris Dalliston, work closely together, and we present the Cathedral as the spiritual centre of diocesan life (even though geographically it is at one end of a long and narrow diocese). Most of our licensed clergy come to the Renewal of Ordination Vows and the Blessing of the Oils on Maundy Thursday morning, then move for a cooked lunch in the Bishop's Palace. The retired clergy come to the Cathedral for a summer Eucharist then lunch in the Palace. The licensed clergy return in the autumn for a day of worship, teaching and fellowship with another cooked lunch.

Ordinands come to two social events at the Palace each year, and deacons and priests are ordained in the Cathedral at Petertide.

As we look for and encourage clergy to join the diocese we are committed to providing them with good and well maintained housing, a decent stipend and appropriate training and support. In turn, we look for certain commitments:

to share with the Bishop in the cure of souls, and to work strategically for growth in numbers among the worshipping community

to teach Christian discipleship including the principles of giving

to take seriously the pastoral and missional opportunities of occasional offices, aiming for good working relationships with funeral directors and others

to enable the full participation of children and young people in the whole life of the church, and to develop mission among the younger generations

to be involved in both church and other local schools as far as possible, actively seeking opportunities for mission and preferably offering a chaplaincy role and leading collective worship, rather than chairing the governing body

to be involved in deanery and diocesan activities and in the life of the local community

to promote and enable lay ministry in both church and community

to take part in the diocesan ministry review process, which consists of a three year rolling programme: a pastoral visit by me to your home, a formal review by a member of my senior team, and a review of training needs with a member of the training team

to engage with the continuing ministerial development programme offered by the diocese and in personal study, nurturing your own spirituality

to hold a current DBS certificate, to undergo safeguarding training as required by the bishop, and to follow and promote the diocesan safeguarding policy.

We look forward to meeting and welcoming those who share our values and want to serve the Lord, the Church and the Gospel with us.

Person Specification for Associate Priest in the Rutland Water Benefice

We are praying for a priest who will:

flourish and thrive in rural ministry

work collaboratively

give priority to sustaining themselves in ministry

share in liturgical duties across the Benefice honouring the central churchmanship of the parishes valuing the bigger Christian festivals as well as regular Sunday worship preaching and leading worship imaginatively

maintain strong links to the schools

seek creative ways to engage those currently outside the churches

work with Empingham Methodists

perhaps in pastoral matters, focus on 4 villages, caring for people of all ages

take on some administrative tasks

share their strengths and enthusiasms here Our current Associate priest will retire in September 2020, when this post will become available. The Rector anticipates discussing strengths and interests with the new priest, to develop ways to share ministry here, so that this is an outward-looking and enjoyable place to live and work, making Christ known here.

A post for you? You are welcome to contact the Rector for an informal discussion: Rev’d Pippa Madgwick 01780 721286 rectorrwb@gmail.com If you feel that God is calling you to apply for this vacancy, please obtain an application form from:

The Venerable Gordon Steele, Archdeacon of Oakham Tel: 01733 887017 Email: Archdeacon.Oakham@peterborough-diocese.org.uk