St John the Evangelist

Carlton

Parish Profile 2018

The Parish

The Parish of St John’s is situated between Royston in the north and Monk Bretton to the south, with Athersley to the west on the B6132, it is 4 miles from the local town of Barnsley and 7 miles south of the city of Wakefield. It is an urban area. It was originally a farming community, but the farms have made way for private housing estates. There were also 2 collieries one to the east (Wharncliffe Woodmoor 4 & 5) and one to the west (Wharncliffe Woodmoor 1, 2 & 3). Both now closed, replaced by large industrial estates.

The village is made up of about 3O% social and rented housing. The population of Carlton as a whole is older than the national average.

There are 2 schools, a Primary School and Outwood Academy. The children from the Primary school come and sing Carols around the outside Christmas tree every year in December organised by the Secretary of the local T.A.R.A.

The largest place of employment is Manor Bakeries situated on Fish Dam Lane.

There is a resource centre with Sheltered Accommodation, in spring lane which caters for the physically disable/disadvantaged people.

There are no Public Houses, but there is a local Working Men’s Club.

There is one local shop and a petrol filling station with a Cooperative shop. There are both shops and Post Offices nearby in Athersley and Royston.

Carlton Park is in the centre of the village offering a number of community facilities including football pitches, bowling green, children's play area and gym.

DENOMINATIONS IN THE PARISH - St John's is the only church in the parish after the Methodist church closed recently. There is a Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses which serves both Carlton and Athersley.

THE CHURCH

We are a United Benefice with St Helen’s. We are a member of the Parishes of the Society of St Wilfrid and St Hilda and part of the Mission Parishes of Christ the King. We have excellent links with St Helen's Athersley and have joint services. We are a small congregation of mainly elderly people. The P.C.C consists of Churchwarden, Secretary, Treasurer and five members of the congregation. We are financially sound because of legacies and selling of land.

The Church was built for the Village of Carlton in 1878/9 to a design by G E Street for the Earl of Wharncliffe who owned the local coal mines. Pevsner describes it as Street's 'Grittiest Church'. It stands in well maintained grounds with a lych-gate entrance to grounds, which features many species of Daffodil in the spring, there is a fine War Memorial in Portland stone and lists all those from the village who gave their lives in the two great Wars, and the local T.A.R.A group is applying for funding to restore it and on street parking.

The church is a Grade 2 listed building and is in good repair and had its Quinquennial Inspection this year. There have been major repairs and restorations in the past 20 years. The latest work includes the re-building of the fine Grade II* JJ Binns Organ on a new gallery and the provision of Community Facilities, with a kitchen and toilets, under the Gallery.

Lady Chapel

Parish Hall

We have a well-used Parish Hall opposite the church which has a large hall kitchen and toilets and some off street parking to the rear. It is used for church events and hire to village groups. There is mother & toddler group run by 2 Church members, other users include, Yoga Group, Karate, Slimming World, Boxersize, Ladies Socials, Rugrats Rugby, Pilates and Ping-Pong.

The Front Altar was made from redundant Pews by a local craftsman.

OUR PARISH NEEDS

Like St Helen's, we offer a warm welcome to a priest who will be committed to helping us grow both spiritually and numerically, as well as engage with the local community and schools. We would like someone with energy, and a sense of humour and committed to outreach and with experience of growing a church or congregation, and who has new ideas but has an awareness that change has to be handled sensitively.

We would like a priest who is prayerful, who will continue the traditions of the Church. Someone who is a good teacher, prepared to arrange and lead discussion groups and courses and to encourage the congregation to develop and extend their ministry.

We hope that a new priest will enjoy working and encouraging young people and young adults to get involved with the church and worship. We would like him to have a keen interest in the wider community.

We are looking for a man who is an experienced and confident team leader but who would delegate and not always lead from the front, good communicator and with good people skills. We would like a priest who will lead by example and act in a way which can teach, inspire, and to develop and make the best use of the skills, strengths and talents of the congregation.

We would like a priest who is a committed to the parish, a keen visitor of parishioners, the hospital, schools, local institutions and who would take an interest in church groups.

We would like a man who is committed to the Church Of England and it's catholic traditions, who would value being part of this deanery and diocese and build up relationships with the other congregations and their priests as well as the wider church.

We would like someone with the necessary experience to be able to take an Assistant Curate. Although not essential we would like him to have some musical skills.