We’re looking for a new Vicar………. and we’re a lively bunch ...characteristics of...
Transcript of We’re looking for a new Vicar………. and we’re a lively bunch ...characteristics of...
We’re looking for a new Vicar……….
...and we’re a lively bunch, so why not come and join us?
So, where exactly are we?
In the heart of rural Herefordshire
… but not too far off the beaten track
Between Hereford and Leominster
- each with railway connections
An hour from Worcester and Gloucester
An hour and a half from Birmingham,
Bristol and Cardiff
- all with international airports
Herefordshire is well known for hosting the Three Choirs festival, for the Hay festival, HArt festival, as
well as cider, strawberries, cows, black and white buildings, the Mappa Mundi, tight knit communities and
so much more!!
Our Mission in this corner of Herefordshire
Can you help us to achieve our aims?
There are six Churches in our Group, sharing one common goal
– to reach out to everyone in our communities with the hand
of friendship led by the Christian faith that compels us.
The Parishes of Birley, Canon Pyon, King’s Pyon and Wellington
all lie within the lovely Herefordshire countryside but have the
city of Hereford and market town of Leominster both within
easy reach for shopping and higher education as well as
employment. Whilst each Parish includes some isolated
properties , the Group is not in an isolated area - the villages
of Wellington and Canon Pyon having thriving facilities
including village shops and Post Offices as well as primary
schools. We may be disparate in our choice of worship style
and indeed in the historic buildings in which we worship, but we
strive to maintain a close bond which we trust will be
strengthened still further by this appointment. We are proud
of our traditional values but eager to embrace new ideas to
help to develop our mission.
Each of our Churches has identified the clear need to address
the issues which arise from an ageing population (one of the
characteristics of Herefordshire) – as well as influencing the
number of regular worshippers. This brings additional pastoral
responsibilities, something that as a Group we take very
seriously in our support for our Vicar. We are fortunate that
in both main villages, new housing development has the
potential to provide the opportunity for growth of the
worshipping community and bring in a more mixed
demographic. Just to clarify the four parishes/six churches
scenario, Canon Pyon also encompasses Westhope Church
with its hugely popular ‘Messy Church’ for youngsters and
within King’s Pyon there is a mission chapel at Ledgemoor.
Fundraising is of course a continual (sometimes uphill!)
struggle but by using our Church buildings creatively, we seek
not only to encourage fund raising but also to increase our
income and strengthen our ties with the local communities.
The big advantage of such projects is that they bring many
people into our buildings who might not otherwise come
through our doors – and when they do we want them to feel
the warmth of the welcome and embrace the spirituality
within.
On a practical note, our vicarage is close to the village
amenities of Canon Pyon which places it central to all six
Churches; purpose-built in 1990, it is a four-bedroom family
home set in a large garden with the advantage of a study
which can be approached directly from the outer hall, without
impinging on the remainder of the house.
The Parish of St Peter, Birley
St Peter’s serves a community stretching from Stretford to
Bush Bank, east to Aulden and includes Knapton and Birley
itself.
The Church has a reputation for welcoming Christian
worshippers of all denominations. There are regular services in
the church, supplemented by special services. Each year a
Carols by Candlelight service is traditionally held, which
always attracts a ‘full house’, as does the annual Christmas
morning Holy Communion service. Easter Day is always well
attended, as are the occasional fifth Sunday Group
Communion services.
The liturgical tradition of St Peter’s has been to use Book of
Common Prayer, which is preferred by the congregation.
St Peter’s is a beautiful Grade I listed Church; people have
worshipped in this place for 800 years. It is in a very peaceful
location in the centre of Birley village.
.
The Churchyard is well maintained and kept mown by a local
resident. A contribution is
received from the Parish Council towards maintenance.
The Church is working with Birley and Upper Hill Parish Council
to establish a parish website. This site will carry Church news
and information about forthcoming services and special
events. This information is also published in the Pyonear, the
local monthly magazine covering the wider Pyons area.
St Peter’s has always paid its parish share in full, and plans to
continue to meet its obligations. It is hoped that future
attendance, donations and fundraising activities will support
the continued financial viability of the parish.
Our warm and welcoming congregation encourages new
members and it is expected that the church will be loved and
used by generations to
come
An introduction to the Parish of St Lawrence, Canon
Pyon
We have two places of worship, the parish church of St
Lawrence in Canon Pyon, and the chapel of ease of St Francis
in Westhope. They are quite different, but complement each
other.
This is an engaged and inclusive community, and whilst many
parishioners may only be in church on high days and holidays,
they feel strongly about their churches and view the vicar as
a valued member of the community. Many families still want
to come to their home church for weddings and baptisms, and
choose it as their final resting place.
The church community tries to be accessible and relevant,
proclaiming the Gospel through actions as much as words.
Regular worship is liberal catholic in liturgical terms, with both
BCP and CW being used with friendly informality. Easter,
Christmas, Harvest and Remembrance are always celebrated
by a much wider circle. In Lent study groups, services of
Compline and a Eucharist with of Imposition ashes take place.
During Holy Week there are dramatic readings of the Passion
and an Agape Passover meal on Maundy Thursday – though we
don’t necessarily manage the four glasses of wine specified!
Over Easter weekend a (16 miles!) walk is held, taking in all
the churches in the Group and remembering the Stations of
the Cross en route.,
As a rural community
Plough Sunday,
Rogation Sunday
(including beating the
bounds) Lammas and
Harvest Festival all lend
themselves to special
worship and celebrations.
The wider community is
engaged through events like Ride and Stride, a much enjoyed
progressive supper, the St Lawrence Friendship Club, which
supports the older members of the villages, church concerts
deploying local talent – and of course, the fete. St Francis in
Westhope doubles as a community hub, providing warm space
and useful facilities for everything from coffee mornings to
quizzes.
Members of the congregation offer a wide range of lay
support to the parish, acting as leaders of worship, serving at
the altar, leaders of intercession, and sacristans – as well as
all the organ playing, flower arranging, cleaning and other
essentials. The PCC is active and supportive of both
maintenance of the parish assets and growing the mission of
the Church.
The community is a caring one – the sick and elderly are well
supported and people would surely be identified as practising
their faith through support for their neighbours.
Canon Pyon is a growing village. There are currently some 65
new homes being built, with more planned and the Church
community will extend a warm welcome to newcomers. It is
encouraging to see growth in the population, particularly as a
good number of young families are expected, which will help
sustain our school.
Our parish is closely engaged with the
village Church of England primary
academy. The Vicar has regularly led
weekly school assemblies in the school,
and conducted school services in Church
for Easter and Christmas. The PCC
appoints a Foundation Governor and the
Vicar is an ex officio Governor. The
children are engaged in the ‘Open the
Book’ programme under the leadership of
lay members of the congregation and
parents.
Messy Church has become a
popular and well-attended feature
of Church life over the past18
months, with up to 20 children
plus parents attending monthly
gatherings in St Francis’ Church.
The parish of Canon Pyon is about 6.5 miles north of the city
of Hereford on the A4110. The parish consists of the village
of Canon Pyon and the hamlet of Westhope, which lies about 1
mile east of the A4110 and north of Canon Pyon. There are
regular, if infrequent, buses to both Hereford and Leominster
from Canon Pyon.
In Canon Pyon the majority of the population live within the
village “hub”, close to the village amenities. There are a number
of farms and cottages around the minor roads. In Westhope
there is a core of dwellings within the village itself and a large
number of renovated cottages scattered along the numerous
tracks which lead up the steep hillside to an area of open
common land of some 120 acres.
There are good facilities in Canon Pyon, including a thriving
Post Office and Stores, Parish Hall, Playing Fields and a public
house, with tea room. There is also a public house and
restaurant at Bush Bank, a mile away. The parish hall is well
used and hosts many local activities. The playing fields have a
small children’s play area and zip wire, full-sized football pitch,
cricket pitch, and a hard surface area for tennis, basketball
and five-a–side football.
The closest secondary school is at Weobley, some 5 miles
away, served by a school bus. There are also good secondary
schools in Hereford, including two church schools and, in the
private sector, Hereford Cathedral School takes children
from 3 to 18 years.
St Lawrence’s Church
The Grade I listed parish
church is about half a mile
out of the village. It is an
ancient building, dating in
parts from the mid 13th
century. It is in excellent
condition, having been
extensively restored and
repaired. It has a small
kitchen area but currently no
toilet facilities. It is well
heated! The sturdy tower contains a peal of 6 bells, all in good
order, having been re-cast in 1981. The bells are rung
periodically according to the availability of ringers. New
ringers are currently being trainedThe organ is also in good
order and is used regularly for services and practices. The
church is open during daylight hours to encourage visitors and
private prayer. The churchyard is well maintained.
St Francis, Westhope
This is a small corrugated
iron building – a tin tabernacle
- lined with wood, built in
1888. The church is in the
middle of the hamlet and is
also used as a meeting room
by the PCC and as a
community facility. The
building is in a good state of
repair and has a modern
electric heating system, a
small kitchen and a loo.
The Parish of St Mary the Virgin, King’s Pyon
The quiet and peaceful parish of King’s Pyon lies in a rolling and
partly wooded landscape. The parish also includes the hamlet
of Ledgemoor, which has a mission
chapel. Although King's Pyon used to
have its own Village Hall this was
demolished some years ago, and
thus the church itself is now the
focus of community activities, in
addition to the scheduled
services. There is no shop or school
within the parish and no buses serve
the community. Local farms are engaged in producing cider
apples and soft fruit crops, and rearing sheep and
cattle. King’s Pyon was the home of the Tomkins family,
internationally known for breeding the original Hereford cattle
and there is a herd in the area. The parish is served by the
Pyons Parish Council which includes Canon Pyon.
The population of the parish is about 250, some of whom are
employed in agriculture and associated rural
industries. Others travel locally to work or work at
home. There are
families with preschool
aged children, single
people, working couples
and those who have
retired. All newcomers to
the area are made most
welcome by the church
and local community
Our Grade 1 listed
church dates back before
the Norman era, and is
listed in the Domesday Book of 1086. The inside of roof of
the nave and south transept date from the 14th century
and have a magnificent two-tiered structure of black
trefoiled headed wind-braces to each slope, in sharp contrast
to the limewashed ceiling. The Victorian addition of the north
transept displays our Norman font. Significantly, this space
has now been refurbished to serve as our communal area. The
church completed its recent restoration project at the end
of 2017, to address the needs of the last Quinquennial
Report, and which was principally funded by the Heritage
Lottery Fund. This followed
other restoration PCC
projects to restore the
Tower, and Save the Nave and
roof of the church. The tower
dates from the 14th
century, in which hang five
bells from the early 17th
century, and are rung
frequently by enthusiastic
campanologists. The tower
clock, which chimes the hour, was installed in 1872.
Our PCC is small but stable
and energetic, promoting a
wide range of activities to
attract community
involvement and raise
funds for the church. The
parish is both solvent and
financially independent and
able to pay its Parish
Share. Weekly collections,
the Summer Fete, Baking
Competitions, St Nicholas
Fairs, Pudding Quizzes, and concerts and recitals assist. The
parish monthly Bingo also provides a social and financial
benefit, and has been running for about twenty years. Linking
the Pyons group of parishes is the Pyonear magazine which
adds to a sense of cohesion and identity within the area.
Other communal activities
include churchyard
maintenance developing the
balance between a neatly kept
garden and a sanctuary for
wildlife, especially bats and
swifts. The newly
refurbished North Transept
houses a second-hand
community book shop, and is
essential for community
gatherings after services and,
in the absence of a village hall,
for our bring- and-buy sales,
talks, concerts exhibitions,
and entertainment. It is
perfect for christenings
around the Norman font. Ride
and Stride is a regular event in the church calendar.
There are 28 people on our
Electoral Roll with an
approximate average
attendance of about 18 people
for a Communion Service and 11
for Matins. The church has an
enthusiastic and well-
supported choir and organists
at all its services. There are lay
members of the church keen to
lead services when required.
Saint Margaret of Antioch, Wellington
Warm, welcoming Wellington
That was the message we received from parishioners at the
initial consultation meeting which began the process of
finding our new Vicar. Warm in our welcome to everyone who
lives in our Parish, whether they are regular worshippers or
not and warm in every sense of the word as the Church has a
modern heating system which works well! There is a huge
sense of community pride; we all care for one another and look
out for our neighbours and those in need of support at
difficult times.
An exciting opportunity
This vacancy provides us with new impetus to grow our
congregation and spread the work of God to all corners of the
Parish, which by its very
nature is widespread with
some isolated pockets.
The arrival in the Autumn
of a new Head at the
County Primary School
opposite the Church
should enable us to form
new relationships there,
building on the work that
has already been done. We
see outreach as being a
fundamental role for us all,
supporting our new Vicar in his or her pastoral care.
We describe our worshipping tradition as ‘modern Catholic’,
with vestments worn for Holy Communion and we maintain
the tradition of the Reserved Sacrament for the sick. Details
of our service pattern are on the accompanying ‘fact sheet’;
we have a team of 11 enthusiastic lesson readers and some
members of the congregation are licensed administrators of
the Chalice.
About the Parish
St Margaret’s, a Grade I listed building,
stands in a prominent position at the
heart of the village. Despite our
proximity to the A49 trunk road (which
provides excellent transport links),
Wellington is fiercely protective of its
village status. We have an adopted
Neighbourhood Development Plan which
provides for modest, controlled housing
growth over the next 15 years. In the
last five years, over 30 homes have
been built on two new developments
bringing fresh faces and new opportunities to our community.
One historic claim to fame is that Benjamin Tomkins the Elder
lived at Wellington Court. The family were instrumental in
changing the characteristics of plough oxen through breeding
into what we know today as the white-faced Hereford
domestic cattle. There are any number of historical facts we
could recount but this document is about our future!
Getting on with things
We are especially good at organising special events and know
how to put the FUN into FUND raising. Tickets usually sell out
quickly when there is an excuse to get together, such as a
Parish lunch or Pate and Plonk evening. Our parishioners are
hugely supportive of our fund-raising efforts – an appeal to
restore the bells a few years ago resulted in a heart-warming
response! We are embarking on the first phases of an
ambitious project to re-order the West End to provide more
useable space for village activities, so opening our doors to an
audience we may not have had before. We believe that once
we can get people to make an effort to cross the threshold,
there is more likelihood that they may join us in worship! Our
Church is open during daylight hours for those who want to
take a quiet moment of prayer or reflection or who simply
want to look around.
We are ready to meet the challenges that this change of
Vicar will bring - to explore ways of working closer with our
sister Churches in the Group for joint activities, to
investigate how social media might help us reach out to
younger members of our Parish, and to expand the lay
leadership of worship.
More about the community
Wellington is an active, accessible and inclusive community as
the website will show you – www.wellingtoncommunity.co.uk.
There are volunteers active in many
areas of village life with much going on –
we are fortunate to have excellent
community halls opposite St Margaret’s
with sports fields beyond hosting
football, tennis, archery and bowls.
Myriad clubs and associations use the
community halls which is where many of
our Church events are also held. We’re
fortunate in having a newly refurbished
pub/restaurant and a thriving shop and
Post Office. Volunteers also run a
community library. There is an independent evangelical Chapel
in the centre of the village. Newcomers to the village are
always welcomed by the churchwardens with a welcome
letter, a service plan, a little of the history of the
surroundings and a Parish Magazine.
The Statistics
† No Weddings in King’s Pyon due to major works project
* Includes a ‘one-off’ donation for a spoecific purpose
All stats give only a snapshot, and don’t reflect recent changes—legacies, wedding bookings etc. Be sure to ask!
2017 financial statements are being audited as we prepare this document.
Community Birley Canon Pyon King’s Pyon Ledgemoor Wellington Westhope
Population 250 275 125 125 1100 260
Electoral Roll 17 43 28 In KP 56 In CP
Average Church
Attendance
13 17 12 - 18 10 25 15
Easter Service
Attendance
19 68 30 N/A 41 N/A
Christmas Service
Attendance
28 89 46 N/A 28 16
2017 Baptisms 0 2 2 0 8 0
2017 Confirmations 0 0 0 0 0 0
2017 Weddings 2 1 2 0 1 0
2017 Funerals 0 1 0† 0 4 0
Income 2016 £6.9k £34.3k £25.6k In KP £51k* In CP
Expenditure 2016 £7.9k £36.4k £26.9k In KP £37k In CP
Nett Assets 2016 £12.8k £70.5k £29.2k In KP £23k In CP
Parish Share in full ? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
The Worship Pattern
A typical worship programme of ‘routine’ services for a month is shown
A combined Group Eucharist takes place at 10.30 am in months where there is a fifth Sunday—in rotation
There is a said Eucharist in Wellington each Friday morning at 9.30am
Messy Church takes place in Westhope once a month in term-time
Special or additional services are announced separately
First Sunday Second Sunday
Third Sunday Fourth Sunday
Canon Pyon 11:00 Family
Eucharist
CW
11:00 Matins
BCP
Lay led
8:30 Holy
Communion
BCP
6:30 Evensong
BCP
King’s Pyon 9:45 Holy
Communion
BCP
9:45 Matins
BCP
Lay led
9:45 Holy
Communion
BCP
9:45 Matins
BCP
Lay led
Birley 3:30 Evensong
BCP
11:00 Holy
Communion
BCP
Westhope 9:45 Family
Eucharist
CW
9:45 Family
Eucharist
CW
Ledgemoor 6:30 Evensong
BCP
Wellington 11:00 Morning
Praise
CW
Lay led
11:00 Eucharist
CW
11:00 Family
Service
CW
11:00 Eucharist
CW