Welcome [] · · 2017-04-26We have a public library and a community run cinema (The Plaza). There...
Transcript of Welcome [] · · 2017-04-26We have a public library and a community run cinema (The Plaza). There...
Welcome ...
... and thank you for your
interest in the vacancy
of Priest in Charge
of St Faith’s with St Mary’s.
St Mary’s Church
St Faith’s Church
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What we are looking for:
We want to find a Priest who can lead and support us, taking
us forward prayerfully and sensitively to:
grow our churches spiritually and numerically.
improve our mission to the local community, e.g. care
homes, Waterloo Primary School and, in the case of St
Mary’s, our neighbours in the Brook Vale Estate
disciple our network of occasional attenders through
existing e-mail, website and visits to the house bound
(we are in regular contact with many people who are part
of our churches but attend once a month or less).
continue to develop our ministry to children and
especially teenagers, perhaps by exploring Fresh
Expressions of Church.
discern the future ministry of St Mary’s as we complete
the redundancy process for the church building in 2017.
steer the development of the area at the back of St
Faith’s to provide much needed facilities for all church
users, developing our church into an exciting and vibrant,
broadly based community “fit for mission” with buildings
that are “fit for purpose”.
uphold St Mary’s commitment to Inclusive Church.
Over the past two years, the four Anglican churches in Waterloo (Christ Church, St Faith’s, St John’s
and St Mary’s) have been working more closely with each other in order to discern the best way to
minister to and serve the needs of Waterloo. An active Group Council has been set up, which meets
regularly as part of this process.
Each church holds a unique position in terms of churchmanship and outlook. Working closely as part
of the Group Council has allowed us to respect and value these differences, while also enabling us to
recognise our many points of similarity.
As a result of this collaboration, the PCCs of the four churches have resolved to move towards
becoming a United Parish.
The successful candidate will be appointed as Priest-in-Charge to the United Benefice of St Faith’s
with St Mary’s and it is expected that the role will become Associate Priest for the new United Parish.
Deanery Service and
Barbecue
Our local schools:
Waterloo Primary School is developing strong links with St Mary’s,
which has provided both Experience Christmas and Easter events for
the school for the past two years.
It is hoped that our new incumbent will take up the vacant governor position at the nearby church
primary school of St John’s, Waterloo.
There are several privately run pre-schools in the area.
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Waterloo Primary School
About our area
Waterloo is situated about five miles north of Liverpool city centre although our parishes
also encompass parts of Crosby.
We have around two miles of sandy beach which includes Antony Gormley’s Another Place.
Waterloo has good transport connections to both Liverpool and the seaside resort of
Southport which lies further along the coast to the north.
St Mary’s is situated in the Waterloo Park Conservation Area.
Housing:
There is a mix of housing, including
some terraced houses, semi detached
properties, flats and social housing.
Some housing is owner occupied,
some are privately rented
accommodation.
We have several care homes in our
parishes which provide residential and
day care services.
Antony Gormley’s Another Place
Merchant Taylors’ Boys’ School is an independent school
which has historical links with St Faith’s. St Faith’s hosts
their annual carol service as well as events for other schools.
Merchant Taylors’
We belong to the ecumenical
group, Churches Together in
Waterloo.
Waterloo in the 2011 census:
66% of residents are of working age, 17.5% are children and 17% are aged 65 or over, of which
2% are aged 85 or over
90% people are White British or Irish
23% of households contain only pensioners, of which 14% comprise a single pensioner living
alone
80% of households are owner occupiers
69% of working age residents are in employment
84% of residents are in “very good” or “good” health
72% of residents described their religion as Christian
28% have a degree level (or higher) qualification
Leisure facilities:
We have a Marina with a boating lake
The Crosby Lakeside Adventure Centre is
situated by the waterfront and contains a
gymnasium, bar and restaurant and also
provides conference facilities and overnight
accommodation.
Waterloo has a wide range of local shops.
There are many pubs, bars, cafes and
restaurants.
We have a public library and a community
run cinema (The Plaza).
There are several high standard amateur
music groups in the area.
There is a large recreational area called
Rimrose Valley next to St. Mary’s church
which is popular for dog walking. The
“Friends of Rimrose Valley” committee hold
their meetings at St. Mary’s.
View from the Marina
South Road – local shopping centre
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The Parish Church of St Faith, Great Crosby
St Faith’s was consecrated in 1900 from the benefaction of our founder,
Douglas Horsfall. It stands in the liberal Anglo-Catholic tradition, and we look
for a priest who will, with the grace of God, sustain this vision as we continue
our journey in and with the local community and our fellow churches. We seek
to maintain our tradition of weekday Eucharists and daily offices and to build
on these both spiritually and pastorally.
Our church has nurtured over 30 vocations to the
priesthood, including Bishops and an Archbishop of
Canterbury, and we have both a priest and a reader currently in training,
together with a very active ministry team, including two retired priests, two
readers and an emeritus reader. With their help and that of other members of
our congregation we are able to maintain a committed programme of visiting
the housebound and the sick. There are 85 on the electoral roll, 45 of whom live
in the parish, and attendance at the 11.00 am Sunday Sung Eucharist currently
averages 55. There are some 5,000 people living in the parish: the area is largely
residential with many small shops and businesses.
We produce a regular church magazine, Newslink, and a busy and comprehensive website
www.stfaithsgreatcrosby.org.uk, which contains extensive records of our history and traditions, as
well as regularly-updated details of current activities. We also maintain an independent Facebook
presence, the Friends of St Faith’s.
Our large Grade II listed church building is well
maintained and supports several community and civic
initiatives. These include a well-established programme of
free summer Saturday lunchtime recitals by a wide range
of musicians, the Crosby Symphony Orchestra’s concerts,
and our highly regarded free Christmas Tree Festival,
showcasing local and national charities and welcoming
the parish, schools and the wider local community. Local
schools also visit us for services and concerts, and we
have strong links with local state and independent
secondary schools. We seek to strengthen and build on
these connections, making use of our prominent and
centrally situated landmark building.
We have a fine organ and four-part choir under our energetic musical director, maintaining the rich
musical traditions of our distinctive style of worship. Our vicarage and garden are within the
grounds and are in excellent condition. 5
THIS CHURCH OF SAINT FAITH IS DEDICATED TO THE GLORY
OF GOD AS A THANKOFFERING FOR THE REVIVAL OF
CATHOLIC FAITH AND DOCTRINE IN THE CHURCH OF
ENGLAND DURING THE SIXTY YEARS REIGN OF HER MOST
GRACIOUS MAJESTY QUEEN VICTORIA
Our well-maintained parish hall is adjacent to the church and is in constant use for church and
community activities, including our uniformed organisations, table sales, regular parish lunches,
community groups, children’s parties and receptions.
We are proud of our well-run and enthusiastic
uniformed organisations, who provide a youth
programme for the parish, and take leading roles in our
Sunday church parades. Our newly established Teddy
Bear Trail involved all groups of the congregation and is
proving popular with our younger visitors.
We have always been very aware of those outside the
church and parish who need our prayerful and practical
help. We actively support Christian Aid through
collections and events, likewise the Children’s Society,
as well as two overseas charities, Medic Malawi and the Waterloo Partnership, Sierra Leone, the
latter of which we were instrumental in setting up. Our Service Families Support Group, unique in
the North West, meets monthly for worship, fellowship and to welcome visiting speakers, and has
strong links with the local British Legion. We are also involved with community programmes
through such organisations as Traidcraft, the Fairtrade movement and Mission groups.
Financially we are able to meet our responsibilities but
are overdue a stewardship campaign. After meeting
the expense of two major lead thefts in 2014, we are
planning to create a kitchen, toilets and crèche at the
back of the church to enhance our facilities for
community use.
Over past years, St Faith’s has embraced liturgical
changes with dignity and grace – liturgy that has
furthered our growth and spirituality. We recognize
that to flourish we must continue that movement. We
see these challenges as exciting prospects and commit
ourselves to supporting mission and outreach both
locally and further afield.
Inscription on the chancel wall of St Faith’s
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We are a multigenerational church family. We
enjoy each other’s company, support one
another, and we like to laugh together.
We are a local church. Half of our Electoral
Roll of 59 live in the parish or just outside it.
We have a strong Ministry Team of one
retired priest, two licensed Readers, and a
Reader in training.
We are proud to be members of Inclusive
Church.
We are a well-run church, with a strong PCC
and active Standing Committee, but we prefer
informal ways of tackling problems, face to
face.
We like to be generous when we can,
supporting local charities, Bootle Foodbank
and Fairtrade as well as charities further afield,
e.g. Sierra Leone and a kindergarten in
Malawi.
We have been through a lot in the last few
years. Some things have been positive
(spiritual growth, new people). Some things
have been difficult (uncertainty, loss of church
building). But we know we have grown in
confidence, and generally we are positive and
up-beat.
Financially we are able to meet our liabilities
although no reserves are currently held. We
are up to date with our Parish Share
payments.
As a PCC, we own an Annexe building which
fronts onto the Brook Vale estate.
Our facilities are well-used by both church
and community groups, e.g. our formation
group “We Believe”, our Tuesday Club and
the local Residents’ Association.
We had to close our lovely Victorian church
building in September 2015 because of dry
rot. We miss it, but have adapted well to
worshipping in the hall.
Baptism during the Sunday service
Maundy Thursday
Christingle
Our children’s work was recognised by the Diocese
in 2015, and includes:
A special approach Baptism ministry (reviewed
September 2015)
A weekly Sunday School, crèche space and
church-run toddler group.
A very successful church-run Holiday Club.
A close relationship with the Guiding
organisations that meet in the hall.
Experience Christmas and Easter.
Supporting St. John’s, a neighbouring church in
Waterloo with their Messy Church.
Holiday Club
Central worship style which is
flexible/creative
Main Sunday service is the Parish
Communion with occasional family and
parade services. Average Sunday
Attendance, excluding special services, is 30.
Café-style communion service, ‘The Parish
Brunch’ replaces the Parish Eucharist four
times a year.
Wednesday morning
Eucharist
Wednesday morning Meeting Room Eucharist with
discussion/Bible Study. Average attendance of 17.
For some who attend, this is their main or only act
of worship.
Celtic-style alternative worship service ‘The Brook’
held monthly on a Sunday evening.
Well attended one-off services – All Souls’ service,
Christingle and a Pets’ Service.
Pet Service
Visit us online at
http://www.stmaryswaterloopark.co.uk
or via our Facebook group
St Mary's, Waterloo Park 8
What the United Benefice can offer you:
A warm welcome
Friendship and support
Our prayers
Enthusiasm and willingness to try new ideas
A strong Ministry team comprising Priests and Readers of both genders
Strong and supportive lay teams
An established Group Council, consisting of the four Waterloo Anglican
Churches, which allows us to work more closely together whilst still
retaining our unique characteristics
Two churches with differing worship styles and traditions.
An expectation that you will take your weekly day off, your holiday
entitlement and also take opportunities for further reading, training and
personal development
A large, modern vicarage with pleasant gardens adjacent to St. Faith’s
church on Milton Road, Waterloo.
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