THE WORCESTERSHIRE SEVERN PARISHEScofeworcester.contentfiles.net/media/assets/file/... · A PRAYER...

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THE WORCESTERSHIRE SEVERN PARISHES Profile for the Benefice of Elmley Lovett with Hampton Lovett and Elmbridge with Rushock and Hartlebury and Ombersley with Doverdale

Transcript of THE WORCESTERSHIRE SEVERN PARISHEScofeworcester.contentfiles.net/media/assets/file/... · A PRAYER...

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A PRAYER FOR OUR PARISHES

Generous and faithful God,

you invite us and send us

to share the living water of Christ:

draw us ever deeper into your love

and into our common life as your holy people,

that your grace may flow through us

to bring joy, hope and peace

to the communities you call us to serve;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

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KEY

Benefice Boundary -

Parish Boundary -

OUR BENEFICE

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OUR NEW PRIEST We know that our new Rector will inspire us through their spiritual leadership, as well as lead us in mission

and ministry as we reach out to serve our communities and as we seek to help our churches grow.

In particular we are praying for someone who;

Is passionate about sharing their love of Jesus Christ

Enjoys being with people, including during difficult times in their lives, and wants to be accessible and visible

Understands the joys, opportunities and challenges of rural life

Is enthusiastic about ministering to all age groups, from oldest to youngest

Is committed to developing people’s gifts and furthering lay involvement in ministry, especially in leadership and pastoral care

Is an engaging preacher and teacher, sensitive in leading worship and able to adapt to a variety of settings and contexts

Is approachable and empathetic, with excellent pastoral skills and a sense of humour

Appreciates the importance of caring for themselves as well as for others

We also hope that our new Rector might

Have positive previous experience of rural and/or multi-church ministry

Possess good organisational, communication and IT skills

Have the ability to play to their own strengths and help others play to theirs

Be creative and flexible about helping people respond to change

WHAT WE CAN OFFER

A commitment to serve our local communities

A desire to see congregations grow in depth as well as numbers

Supportive and dedicated churchwardens and colleagues in ministry

A willingness to explore more about clergy and laity working together

Enthusiastic lay people involved in many different aspects of ministry

Hard-working, resourceful PCCs

Prayerful and practical support and friendship

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OUR STORY The Worcestershire Severn Parishes are set in a glorious rural area north of Worcester between Droitwich

Spa and Kidderminster, close to excellent facilities and with easy access to the West Midlands motorway

network and regional centres such as Birmingham and Bristol. For the past few years the churches of three

former Benefices have been working together to form a new group of parishes, becoming a single Benefice

in 2016.

In each of our seven parishes the church has a central place in the community it serves. We all want to

continue to develop ways of reaching out to people with the love of God, whether through pastoral contacts,

baptisms, weddings and funerals,

community occasions or special events,

as well as by offering sacred space,

welcome and hospitality in our beautiful

church buildings. The population and

the congregations tend to reflect the

Worcestershire demographic, with a

larger number of older people than the

regional and national average, but it is

important to us that our ministry

encompasses all age groups. Amid the

delights and challenges of rural life

there is a wealth of goodwill towards the

church, even if people do not attend

services, and those who participate in

church life are often very involved in

other areas of village life. We see this

as a significant part of our outreach, but we also want to help ensure people are not overstretched.

This period has been a time of significant change for everyone, but a real sense of growing together as a

family of churches is emerging and we are looking ahead with optimism. We are considering new ways of

working together and supporting each other across the different parishes, as well as building on the links we

have from the different strands of our shared histories. We hope that our new priest will inspire, nurture and

encourage us as we move forward with this ministry in all its prayerful and practical aspects, as we engage

with the people around us and try to grow as followers of Christ.

LOOKING AHEAD We know that we are still discovering

how to grow as a group of parishes,

but we also believe we have made

much positive progress, characterised

by a greater openness to each other,

improved communication between

churches and a better understanding of

what we have in common, as well as of

how we are distinctive. We would

welcome help to continue with this in a

way that affirms the individuality of

each community and the different

church traditions, yet encourages us in

engaging more fully as people of God’s

kingdom by helping us explore new

possibilities locally and across the

Benefice.

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We are currently working with an Interim Rector who is helping us reflect on our experience of becoming a

Benefice and consolidate what we have been doing, as well as develop our life and ministry further. We held

vision days in 2016 and 2017 to take stock and think ahead: here are some of the observations made by the

churches in 2017, which together give a good picture of our collective prayers, hopes and aspirations;

“Our vision is to make the church the centre of the community, with community

support for each other.”

Rushock

“We are proud of the growth of the monthly family service, our friendly welcome,

pastoral care among whole church community, appreciation of biblical teaching,

an active PCC and good social events.”

Elmbridge

“We should like to broaden our appeal for people to use the building other than

for services, to be connected to the community, to share God’s love, to reach

out as well as inviting in, and to cherish, celebrate and promote our BCP

tradition.”

Elmley Lovett

“We are proud of the continued success of lay-led services with support from

the congregation, Open the Book and strong links with school, and informal

events and services in the narthex.”

Ombersley

“We would like to encourage more people to come to our church, from our own

parish and the Benefice, and complete the building programme so the church

can be an omni-purpose building for the wider community.”

Hampton Lovett

“We would like to maintain links with our local school, try to encourage younger

people, which would mean a greater variety of services, and build on links with

families, newly married couples and those baptised.”

Doverdale

“We are proud of having vibrant, dedicated members of the church community

and a home group, open to all across the Benefice, and still developing.”

Hartlebury

OUR TOP PRIORITIES FOR THE FUTURE

To grow closer together as a Benefice, spiritually and practically

To continue to develop pastoral care for the whole community in each place

To minister effectively to people in all age groups, older as well as younger

To deepen the faith of our congregations

To reach out to people who are not connected with church.

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MINISTRY LEADERSHIP Ministry is led by the Rector working closely with two Licensed Lay Ministers (Readers) and a large number

of lay people, two of whom are Authorised Lay Ministers, having trained in pastoral work on the diocesan

course. One Reader is authorised to take funeral services

and the other is training for this role. Currently, we have

regular assistance from one retired priest as part of the

ministry team. In addition, a number of other retired or

self-supporting clergy and other Readers, from the

deanery and beyond, can be called on for assistance

when required.

A significant proportion of Sunday services are led by

teams of dedicated lay people, supported wherever

possible by the Readers and the Rector, and a number of

people act as Eucharistic Ministers or intercessors, as well

as supporting worship and community life in many other

practical ways. The churchwardens of all the parishes

meet regularly with the Rector and the Benefice

administrator for discussion, planning and reflection.

There is potential for a half-time House for Duty post

based in Elmley Lovett, made possible by funding from the

Elmley Lovett Church, School and Community Trust. The

new Rector would be closely involved in continuing

discussions about the shape and focus of this role.

PASTORAL CARE

The gifts and commitment of everyone who contributes to ministry are greatly valued and we want to foster

and expand this involvement. We are looking at the different ways in which we can work together more

collaboratively in the parishes and also in sharing ministry between lay and ordained people. Our aim is to

support the individual churches in what is best done locally as part of their involvement in each community,

but also see where we can best share resources or encourage each other by pooling our experience or

expertise.

A cross-benefice pastoral team is being developed to help provide a clear point of church contact in each

community, as well as to provide support for the many people who offer pastoral care informally to friends

and neighbours. As part of this, each congregation is being encouraged to nominate ‘baptism buddies’ to

support families who come for christenings. We have been inspired by the ‘Baptism Matters’ initiative and are

thinking about ways to extend our baptism welcome. From amongst our Eucharistic Ministers we are

identifying a group of people to take out home communions in any of the parishes as required. We offer

baptism and marriage preparation on a central basis, led by the Rector and supported by members of the

churches, and we are applying for a Bishop’s Order to allow marriages to take place in any of the seven

churches regardless of a couple’s parish of residence or connection.

SCHOOLS, FAMILIES AND CHILDREN We have excellent relationships with all four of the maintained schools in the Benefice and are actively

looking for further ways to strengthen and enhance these links. At Cutnall Green CofE (VA) Primary School,

Ombersley Endowed First School and Hartlebury CofE (VC) Primary School teams from the churches take

Open the Book into school on a regular basis. At Sytchampton Endowed Primary School one of the Readers

is involved in leading collective worship. Clergy, Readers and other church members are also involved in

governing bodies, leading worship and informal pastoral care in each of the schools. All the schools also visit

the parish churches for special occasions such as Christmas, Harvest and end of term services.

Additionally, there are two independent schools: The Cambian New Elizabethan School in Hartlebury and

King’s Hawford in the parish of Ombersley. We do not currently have any specific links with the Cambian

New Elizabethan school, which serves children with special educational needs, but King’s Hawford, the pre-

prep department for The King’s School, Worcester, visit Ombersley parish church for their Christmas carol

service. We would welcome the opportunity to extend links with these schools further.

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A particular partnership has grown up between the school in Cutnall Green, which takes pupils from several

of the parishes, and Elmbridge church where children from the school participate in the monthly family

service in church when breakfast is provided beforehand. Other examples of ministry with families in mind

include a new Sunday activity session being planned in the village hall at Rushock, a café-style Breakfast

Church held once a term at Ombersley, the ‘Sunday First’ service at Hartlebury and plans for a pet service at

Doverdale. All the churches endeavour to be ‘family-friendly’ and occasions such as Rogation, the Palm

Sunday procession with a donkey and Christingle services are always well-attended.

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

Each church seeks to relate to its local

community in different ways: examples

from different parishes include a ‘Big Paint’

Saturday morning which attracted people

of all ages to create a mega-masterpiece,

many of whom came to the family service

the following day to see it unveiled; a

Saturday ‘Tea @ Three’ in a village hall to

offer hospitality and friendship to the local

community; church people being

instrumental in organising a bi-annual

Bank Holiday Produce Show using both

church and village hall, resulting in a great

community event; and a ‘Joy and

Thanksgiving Service’ to celebrate and

thank people for their contribution to their local community .

Harvest meals and other church social

events are popular and attract a wide

range of people from the parishes.

Some churches support the food banks

in Droitwich and Kidderminster, the

Maggs Day Centre for homeless people

in Worcester or the Worcestershire

women’s refuge service. Some are also

involved in dementia awareness, with

the village of Ombersley being one of

Worcestershire’s first recognised

dementia-friendly communities. We

should like to continue to think

creatively about these varied connections and also consider how we might be more connected as a Benefice

with the world-wide church.

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WORSHIP Worship in all the churches is central in style, with the priest usually wearing alb and stole for the Eucharist.

The Book of Common Prayer and Common Worship are both in use, with two churches always using BCP,

and there is a mixture of Eucharistic and non-Eucharistic services each month. The latter includes a variety

of informal ‘family-friendly’ occasions as well as more structured services. Musical traditions are similarly

varied, including the use of piano and instruments as well as the organ, and there are always opportunities to

try new possibilities. Every church has the services of an organist, with two people playing regularly at more

than one church in the Benefice which is in itself a helpful contribution to our shared life and communication

between parishes. Two churches have regular choirs and a ‘scratch’ choir can often be gathered for special

occasions. One church has a ‘plumbed-in’ data projector and screen, used particularly in all-age worship.

On 5th Sundays the congregations meet for a united service and some festivals and special occasions are

also celebrated jointly or shared between churches. We hold special services for occasions such as Palm

Sunday, Rogation, Harvest, Remembrance and All Souls, when people who have been bereaved are

especially invited to remember their loved ones. We offer a variety of formal and informal opportunities

across the parishes for worship during Holy Week, Easter and at Christmas. Morning Prayer is said on

Wednesdays at 9.15am in each church in turn and supported by a small congregation every week, when as

well as joining with the daily worship of the whole Church we pray especially for the host parish and for the

Benefice.

We would welcome our new priest helping us review the pattern of Sunday services, to ensure that we are

both serving the needs of existing congregations and making our worship as accessible as possible for

people in the community, including those who come for baptisms, weddings and funerals. We want our

worship to reflect our varied and rich traditions and be sustainable, but we also want to be open to new ideas

and possibilities.

CURRENT PATTERN OF SERVICES

SUNDAY TIME ELMBRIDGE ELMLEY LOVETT

HAMPTON LOVETT

RUSHOCK DOVERDALE HARTLEBURY OMBERSLEY

1st

9.00 am

9.30 am HC-CW MP-BCP FS

10.30 am FS

11.00 am HC-CW

2nd

9.00 am HC-CW

9.30 am FS

10.30 am MP-BCP

11.00 am MP-BCP HC-CW

3rd

9.00 am HC-CW

9.30 am MP-CW MP-CW

10.30 am

11.00 am HC-BCP

6.30 pm ES-BCP

4th

9.00 am HC-BCP

9.30 am

10.30 am HC-CW

11.00 am HC-CW (joint, in turn)

Key

HC - Holy Communion BCP - Book of Common Prayer

MP - Morning Prayer CW - Common Worship

ES – Evensong

FS – Family Service

A service is also held once a quarter at St Mary’s, Bishop’s Wood, a Victorian mission church in the parish of

Hartlebury.

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FINANCE, PLANNED GIVING AND STEWARDSHIP Each parish is responsible for its own finances and more information can be found in the individual parish

sections. There is a Benefice fund to which all the churches contribute and out of which the office and other

shared costs are paid. Clergy expenses, which are met in full, are also paid from this fund.

ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT Our part-time, paid administrator, who works from an office in Ombersley church, is a valued and vital

member of the Benefice team. The office is open for two mornings each week for personal callers and

available via email or mobile at other times. Administration for baptisms, weddings and funerals is all

managed centrally through the office. Both centrally and via the local churches we work hard to keep in

touch with people in each community by email, individual parish websites and in print, including Sunday

newsletters and parish magazines. Some churches are engaging with social media and we are exploring a

benefice website.

SOME FACTS AND FIGURES

FACTS & FIGURES ELMBRIDGE ELMLEY LOVETT

HAMPTON LOVETT

RUSHOCK DOVERDALE HARTLEBURY OMBERSLEY

Population 502 310 306 119 65 2612 2282

Electoral Roll ( 2017) 35 21 76 25 37 64 83

ASA (2016) FS 30 / HC 14 18 14 20 15 25-30 30-35

Usual Liturgy CW BCP CW + BCP CW BCP CW CW

Baptisms (2016) 3 1 3 2 2 15 4

Weddings (2016) 0 0 1 0 2 3 7

Funerals (2016) 2 4 3 3 4 6 7

Burial of Ashes (2016) 1 0 1 1 0 10 17

Seating Capacity 75 180 150 85 80 300 450

Sound System Planned

Change Ringing

Regular Choir

Church Listing Grade II* Grade II* Grade I Grade II Grade II Grade II* Grade II*

Toilet Planned

Kitchen

Parking In lane In drive,

field + lane In lane

Small car park+lane

Small car park In chuchyard

and road In chuchyard

Church Open Daily Daily By

arrangement Daily

By arrangement

Daily Daily

Churchyard Open

Other local facilities Village hall

nearby

Village hall in Cutnall

Green

Village hall nearby

Village hall nearby

Village hall at

Sytchampton

First floor meeting room

Meeting room in narthex

Several churches are able to arrange additional parking for special occasions

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ELMLEY LOVETT St Michael’s Church Although the majority of the parish comprises farmland, Hartlebury Industrial estate forms the north-western

boundary.

The church of St Michael itself is isolated, the original settlement having been destroyed in a medieval

plague. The tower dates back to around 1200 with the rest of the church being rebuilt in 1840. There is a fine

Bird organ and a ring of 8 bells restored in 1990, the 6 originals having been cast in 1696. The church is in

good repair and can comfortably seat 180. We plan to add toilet facilities in 2018.

We value our rich cultural heritage and enjoy the traditional liturgy of the BCP, the King James Bible and the

music from Hymns Ancient and Modern, all of which we embrace without undue formality, aiming to provide

a welcoming traditional resource, adding diversity to the Benefice.

Our services are well attended, considering the population, and are drawn from the neighbouring villages.

Our regular epistle readers come from several of these local parishes. The bells are rung before each

service and there are refreshments

afterwards.

The church hosts several group services,

in particular the Nine Lessons and

Carols at Christmas (2016 congregation:

180) and both the Remembrance (2016

congregation: 60) and All Souls’ (2016

congregation: 80) services in November.

Our Harvest Festival is also a highlight of

the year with a barbecue following the

service. The Carol service musters an

enthusiastic informal choir from around

the parishes and we aim to include

children in special services where

possible, in particular reading lessons.

St Michael’s is fortunate to be one of the beneficiaries of the Elmley Lovett Church, School and Community

Trust. The Parish Share is being paid in full and a planned giving scheme exists.

The PCC are loyal and supportive both of the church and to each other. It has a camaraderie which spills

over into our services. There are also two strong and enthusiastic churchwardens. In the future we wish to

maintain and broaden the appeal of our traditional approach, to encourage a wider awareness and

understanding of the Book of Common Prayer, and to increase the number of events to be held in the church,

such as concerts, recitals and special services.

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HAMPTON LOVETT St Mary and All Saints Church We are a small semi-rural parish with a history dating back to at least 817, including a reference in the

Domesday Book, and a long association with the Pakington family. The parish comprises a residential home

park, scattered individual or small groups of houses and farms, and a large industrial estate, all located close

to the main Droitwich to Kidderminster road (A442). Most residents are aged over 55.

The church building, which is Grade 1

listed, dates from the 12th century, with

significant later additions and alterations.

It is at the end of a residential lane and is

on the route of the long distance footpath,

the Monarch’s Way. The late Victorian

parish rooms, which are separately

managed, are located nearby.

Our church is friendly and welcoming.

Every month we have a morning

Communion service and an Evensong

service. We use old and new traditions

and lay leadership plays an important

part in our worship. Special services at

Christmas, harvest and 5th Sundays are

well attended.

We offer hospitality, ranging from coffee and biscuits after morning services to more elaborate catering at

special events. We encourage music such as the hand bell ringers and members of the congregation are

part of a scratch Christmas choir.

We are proud of the support we offer to members of the community who are facing difficulties. Some

parishioners receive home communion, and a member of the PCC supports families preparing for baptism.

We value our many links with the school in Cutnall Green, including hosting their services at Christmas and

some leavers’ services.

There is a small hardworking PCC.

We aim to pay our Parish Share in

full and promote planned giving,

including Gift Aid. The PCC has

access to funds from a bequest

through the Hampton Lovett Trust,

without which we would struggle to

meet our financial commitments.

We want to attract more people to

come to the church to worship and

to enjoy its history and unique

features. We are embarking on a

significant building and development

programme to preserve the building

and extend its use. This includes

repairing the 14th century tower,

including a priest’s room, and opening up part of the nave to create a more social space. We are installing

sound systems, a hearing loop and interpretative materials to bring worship and the church’s heritage more

alive to all. The PCC is applying for Heritage Lottery Funding for some of this and other work.

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ELMBRIDGE St Mary’s Church St Mary’s Church is a happy, positive, welcoming, inclusive church dedicated to spreading the good news of

Jesus. The church has been a place of worship since the 12th century. Always open, people can be seen

sitting on its benches, taking in the peacefulness of the surrounding farmland and hills.

This contrasts with how active a church

we are. The church and village hall are

the centre of the community. We have

three services a month, including a

successful Family Service for 20-40

children and from the local primary

school at which breakfast is served

beforehand. Special services at

Christmas, Easter, Mothering Sunday

and Harvest are packed; a sit down hot

Harvest luncheon for 100 is served in

village hall which is close by, followed by

a produce auction in aid of charities. The

new AV system enhances our hymn

singing accompanied by our organist,

and handbell ringers provide music for

special events. The church has fresh

flowers each week, provided by 28 people on a rota and every ‘mum’ receives a bouquet of fresh flowers on

Mothering Sunday.

In 2016 Elmbridge paid its Parish Share in full, though with some difficulty.

In addition, an incredibly active PCC raised over £40,000 to pay for a new boiler and cupboards, to

sand/varnish wooden floors, buy

new chairs, repair chimney and

build a much needed WC. Our

vestry was fitted with kitchen

facilities so drinks and light food

can be served with services. The

church building is in excellent

repair.

The church community is also

extremely energetic. Among other

things, they deliver the Christmas

post around the village with

donations in lieu of stamps being

to charity. They serve mulled

wine and mince pies before

leading parishioners Christmas

Caroling to the elderly and housebound. They provide pastoral visits to the sick and newcomers along with

‘Friends of Elmbridge’. Currently they are cleaning up the churchyard and plan to beautify it by planting

flowers and bulbs.

The main goal of the PCC is to attract young families to church. This began with the Family Service and its

breakfast. Following that we launched a website and a Facebook page is planned.

More information about the church is at, stmaryselmbridge.org

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RUSHOCK St Michael and All Angels Church Rushock is a small parish, located between the A448 (Kidderminster to Bromsgrove) and A442 (Droitwich to

Kidderminster). Visitors tell us they are ‘blown away by the warmth of the welcome at Rushock’.

Of the almost 120 people living in the village, approximately one in 6 are on our Electoral Roll. The

congregation for our monthly communion service averages over 20, drawn from Rushock and some of the

surrounding villages as well – Rushock parishioners also travel for services, principally to Elmbridge, Elmley

Lovett and Hampton Lovett. The church attracts a lot of visitors because the musician John Bonham (of Led

Zepplin) is buried in the churchyard, though not many of them participate in our services.

As with many small villages,

our PCC depends on the

services of people who have

many other commitments to

village life – for example,

through membership of the

Parish Council or involvement

in the running of our Village

Hall committee. Many of them

have been playing these

multiple roles for many years

so the church is very much

part of the DNA of village life

– we should like to engage

more of our neighbours in the

life of the church, and have

an interest in doing this in different ways, encouraging families and young people while still serving those

who might prefer a more established way of engaging with the church. We are looking for leadership and

support from our new priest in doing this.

As a small church in a small

hamlet, we have had to be

innovative in seeking ways to

raise funds to support the work

of the church and maintain our

Grade 2 building. We run a

biennial Produce Show, have

used the church building for

concerts and lectures and

organise special services such

as an extremely well attended

Crib service and a Harvest

Lunch. Our PCC is committed

to seeking to support our

community with the limited

resources, in particular of time,

that we have and will look to

our new priest for help in this

area. Over recent years, we

have invested in the fabric of the building to deal with issues raised at the Quinquennial Review and to make

the building a more attractive place for worshippers. This year, we will be replacing the church tower roof.

We make the best contribution we can to the Parish Share, but have not been able to pay in full for some

years.

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HARTLEBURY St James’ Church Our parish church provides an opportunity for spiritual growth and the coming together of our community.

The parish is made up of Hartlebury village and several hamlets. A new housing development will provide an

additional 92 houses. It is a mainly agricultural area, with a brick works and a trading estate. The village is

served chiefly by the A449, and has a limited bus service and small railway station approximately half a mile

from the village centre. Hartlebury Castle (Grade 1 listed) is also close: this was the official residence of the

bishops of Worcester, from the 13th Century until 2007, when the then bishop moved to Worcester. The

castle is now owned by a Trust, and open to the public, along with the adjacent County Museum. Nearby is

Hartlebury Common, an area of Special Scientific Interest.

There are two schools in the village,

a CofE primary school and an

independent school, The Cambian

Elizabethan School. Other facilities

include a combined post office and

general store, and a village pub.

The Parish Hall provides a venue for

the many societies, classes and

functions in the village, including a

Community Cafe, which is open

weekly and is well supported by

many villagers and the church

community.

The church building, although mostly Victorian Gothic, dates back to at least 1269 and is Grade II* listed.

The Friends of St. James was formed in

2012 to raise funds for on-going repairs,

which has recently enabled the roof to be

replaced. Located in the centre of the village,

the churchyard holds five bishops' tombs,

whilst the small mission church of St. Mary's

at Bishop's Wood, has the grave of Bishop

Philpott who commissioned the building in

1882.

The church community comprises a loyal, committed, and somewhat mature (!) congregation who still feel

strongly about our church, worship, and living our Christian faith. Our church is open daily (9am-5pm) and

our members are very much involved with the day-to-day running of the church.

We have bellringers, a choir, and a music group. Members of our congregation are actively involved as

Eucharistic Ministers, reading the lessons, leading worship and preparing intercessions. We produce a

monthly parish magazine, and have organised door-to-door collections for Christian Aid for almost forty years.

We have strong links with the primary school, where two of our members are Foundation Governors and a

team of 11 take part in Open the Book there. We hold special services with the school community at the end

of each term, and also on Mothering Sunday, Harvest and Remembrance Day. A Christingle service, in

support of the Children's Society, is held annually on Christmas Eve. We have a home group which meets

regularly for Bible study, and we have identified Pastoral Care as an area of our Christian witness which

needs to be more ‘visible’. We organise well-supported fairs at Advent and in the Spring. We have a small

kitchen which enables us to provide light refreshments, and, on occasion, we hold BBQs in the churchyard

and concerts in the church. In the past we have always paid our Parish Share in full, but found this difficult in

2016. We hope to pay our full share in 2017.

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OMBERSLEY St Andrew’s Church The church plays a major role in the life of the village – for example, our involvement in Open the Book at the

local school is said by the staff to be 'a lovely link with the village and church.' There is considerable goodwill

in the local community towards the church. This means that significant services in the year are well attended

and that fundraising for building projects is usually well supported. The summer Church Fête is a highlight of

the village year, involving many of the wider community. Links between the church and other groups in the

village – particularly the Memorial Hall, Parish Council and the Ombersley Endowed First School - are strong.

The church supports the Alzheimer’s Society (the regional HQ is based in the village) and is working towards

creating a ‘Dementia Friendly’ environment.

The website documents the history of this ‘Estate’ church, ombersleyparishchurch.org.uk

The building dates from 1829 and is generally in good repair, but the sandstone from which it is constructed

results in ongoing maintenance needs. The beautiful and architecturally significant East Window is in need of

quite urgent repair for which a grant is being sought. Being of a considerable size the building lends itself to

events, such as concerts, debates etc. To improve the facilities, including ensuring all windows are in good

repair, the PCC is launching the ‘Towards 200’ project to make the building fit for purpose for its next 100

years. We aim to involve the wider community in this project.

The congregation (mostly older people who include a number of retired professionals) has been stable

during the last few years. The PCC aims to pay the Parish Share in full, although this is increasingly difficult.

Planned giving is in place, including Gift Aid. There is a commitment to supporting charities, particularly local

ones, including donating 10% of regular church income.

All services have a high degree of lay involvement with parishioners leading

intercessions and reading the lessons. Family Services and Morning Prayer

are lay-led and there is much sharing of thoughts, ideas and reflections in

these two services. Family services are relaxed and make use of a variety

of instruments, music and styles of worship, including ‘Breakfast Church’.

The village first school celebrates Harvest, Christmas and Easter in the

church and uses the building as a historical and geographical resource. The

older children visit the church before Easter to experience the Easter story

through drama and activities and also to climb the tower on Ascension Day

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DOVERDALE St Mary’s Church Doverdale is an ancient settlement, mentioned in the Domesday Book, and is geographically the smallest in

the Benefice. This delightful district, popular with walkers and others who enjoy outdoor pursuits, lies in a

network of country lanes and whilst the parish itself has no local facilities, good transport links and services

can be found in nearby towns and villages. Agriculture still provides some employment, but a significant

proportion of the working population are commuters.

The church of St Mary has Norman origins, but was totally rebuilt in 1860. We maintain the building in good

order and have invested heavily over the past years, financed through active fund-raising and with the help

of a generous benefactor. This has involved a new roof, heating and electricity, the provision of an outside

toilet and the stabilisation and repair of the east wall and windows. We plan to bring water to the building

when we can. We have won the best kept small churchyard award for several years.

The Friends of St Mary’s has a very active committee and organises an annual outing as well as a number of

fund raising events. Our special services are well supported – we organise posies on Mothering Sunday, and

host a Christingle service with Sytchampton School. Christmas, Easter and Remembrance Sunday are well

attended. We have 11 flower arrangers and 12 ‘holy dusters’ (cleaners). Following our well received pet

service, we plan to organise another. We make coffee after the services and use Sytchampton Hall for larger

events.

Our use of the Book of Common Prayer attracts a committed congregation weekly who come from all around,

though we are open to the use of other hymn books and style for special services. We intend to be more pro-

active with those who are married, baptised or hold funerals in our beautiful church.

We give donations to Christian Aid, St John’s Eye Hospital in Jerusalem and St Luke’s Hospital for the clergy

though we regret we have not been able to pay our Parish Share in full.

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THE RECTORY Main Road, Ombersley WR9 0EW The Rectory is a modern,

centrally heated two storey

house set back from the road in

the centre of Ombersley village.

The ground floor comprises a

study and visitors’ cloakroom just

inside the front door, a large

kitchen with separate utility room,

a dining room and a lounge.

Upstairs there are four bedrooms

and two bathrooms. There is an

attached, generously-sized

garage and additional parking for

two cars. There is garden to the

front and rear of the house.

Ombersley is a beautiful village

with a long history. Today it has a

mixed housing stock, which

includes a small housing estate

with middle-range and affordable

homes, together with a small block

of flats. There is also sheltered

accommodation for the elderly.

The village benefits from its close

connections with the Ombersley

Conservation Trust (formerly the

Sandys Estate).

As well as the central core of the

village, there are numerous

outlying hamlets, country lanes

and surrounding farmland.

Ombersley is well-served as regards amenities. Unlike many comparable villages, it still possesses a popular

and well-used shop; this contains a delicatessen, newsagent, off-licence and butcher (the last of which has a

national reputation). The Medical Centre, in the heart of the village, is rated ‘Outstanding’ by the CQC; there

are also facilities for physiotherapy and a local dentist, chiropractor, hairdressers and garage. There are a

number of sports facilities, including for tennis, cricket and golf; village clubs and similar activities including

Pilates, handbell ringing, amateur dramatics, crafts and book groups. Ombersley is famous in the

neighbourhood for its wealth of pubs and restaurants; one being listed in the Good Food Guide.

There is more information about the village of Ombersley at;

ombersleyparishchurch.org.uk/ombersley-village

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THE DIOCESE OF WORCESTER The vacancy is within Droitwich Deanery in the Archdeaconry of Dudley in the diocese of Worcester. The

Bishop looks to appoint applicants who will work collaboratively with clergy and lay people in the deanery to

encourage and sustain the wider mission and ministry of the church.

The Diocese of Worcester covers an area of 671 square miles and includes parishes in Worcestershire, the

Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, and a few parishes in northern Gloucestershire, south-east Wolverhampton

and Sandwell. It has around 170 parishes, 280 churches, around 120 stipendiary and 30 non-stipendiary

clergy and 170 Licensed Lay Ministers (Readers). There are 100 church schools, 97 primary and 3

secondary. The diocese is divided into the Archdeaconry of Worcester, with six deaneries, and the

Archdeaconry of Dudley, with seven deaneries.

Kingdom People We are committed to mission, seeking to bring the good news of God’s love in Jesus to all who live in our

cities, towns and villages and to show how the gospel is relevant today. We are developing new patterns of

ministry for changing times. Growing numbers of people from across traditions are offering themselves for

ordination or for licensed and authorised lay ministry, and the diocese has a genuine ‘family feel’.

Our Diocesan Synod has adopted an imaginative ‘Kingdom People’ vision. This is a vision for a Church

which enables its people to be:

Deeply rooted in prayer and study of the scriptures

Renewed and transformed by regular worship

Equipped to witness to the gospel of love, compassion, justice and freedom

Dedicated to helping children, young people and young adults to belong and be nurtured in faith

Devoted to growing deeply in discipleship, offering our time and talents and money to God

Resourced and released to minister to others

Ready to engage with and serve our community

Committed to making our buildings fit for purpose as a spiritual and community resource.

Kingdom People aims to be a gift to the parishes and not an additional burden. It aims to provide a

framework in which churches might flourish and grow, rather than impose a blueprint of how every church

should look.

Within our Kingdom People vision, we have identified four main priority areas which shape our strategic plan

to engage with children and young people, strengthen stewardship, deepen discipleship and develop

buildings for mission.

Droitwich Deanery The deanery covers an attractive area set between Worcester, Bromsgrove, Stourport and Redditch. Largely

rural in character, it comprises small village communities and the ancient salt town of Droitwich Spa, which

has a population of about 28,000 and is at the geographical centre of the diocese. It offers a range of

facilities for shopping, banking and recreation. There is a station on the Hereford – Worcester – Birmingham

line and good road connections via the motorway network.

There are four groups of parishes in the deanery, with six full time stipendiary clergy in the deanery, one of

whom currently serves as full time rural dean with a brief for developing collaborative ministry and enabling

mission through the nurture of training and vocations. There are two stipendiary curates, seven Licensed Lay

Ministers (Readers), plus one in training, and a large number of lay people involved in ministry of many kinds.

These include several who have trained on the diocesan Authorised Lay Ministry (ALM) scheme. We greatly

value the support of retired clergy in many of the parishes.

The deanery clergy meet together regularly and also once a term with lay colleagues in ministry for mutual

support, reflection and planning. Deanery Synod meets three times a year and is an important forum for

matters to do with mission and ministry and for sharing good practice. There is an annual service of

Celebration of Lay Ministry and an annual confirmation in the deanery.