The Cowtons Parish Profile

This form is designed to give an overview of a parish to be used in a vacancy for the appointment of a new parish priest. It will be accepted as the "statement describing the conditions, needs and traditions of the parish" required by the Patronage (Benefices) Measure 1986. Additional information may be given by way of printed documents or written submissions.

Please write in black ink

I. Parish Information

1(a) Name of parish(es) to which this information Parish of The Cowtons relates:

(b) Name(s) of parish church(es): All Saints’

2. Name(s) of other C of E church(es)/centres for St Mary’s, South Cowton; redundant church, public worship in the parish: for occasional use, Churches Conservation Trust. 3. Cluster or group of parishes within which you Benefice of the Wiske. work (formally or) informally:

4. Deanery: Richmond.

5. Population: 1033 across North Cowton and East Cowton. May have increased a little. The 2011 census information gives the following figures. Please indicate how this might have changed since then.

6(a) Number on Electoral Roll: 35

(b) Date of APM when this number was declared: 7 April 2019

7. Attendance at worship in each church

Please provide details of average attendance at Sunday and weekday services

Church/Service Time No. of Adult Under 16 communicants attendance C W Holy Communion 9.30 or 11.00 13.5 14 <1

Morning Prayer 11.00 12 0

Service of the Word 11.00 12 0

8. Occasional offices

Number for last 12 months in each church

Funerals Funerals taken Church Baptisms Confirmees Weddings in church by clergy not in church All Saints 1 - 1 6 2

9. Communications

Names, Addresses & Telephone Numbers for each church

Church Clergy Readers Lay staff Churchwardens eg Youth worker, Administrator All Saints Christine Johnson 11 Boynton Road East Cowton Northallerton DL7 OEA 01325 378481

II. Parish/Community Information

1(a) Briefly describe the population mix of the(se) Farming and related jobs parish(es) in terms of its employment, cultural, Commuters to nearby towns, employed in ethnic, age and housing mix. local industry and local government etc. Self employed builders, plumbers, odd jobs etc. High number of retired, 65 +. Mainly white population Mainly owner occupiers Some housing association.

(b) Are there any special social problems (eg high No unemployment)?

2. Please list for each East Cowton C of E Primary (VC) • Local Schools: North Cowton Community Primary School Secondary Schools in nearby towns; including SFX at Richmond; part Roman Catholic, part C of E. • Youth centres: Church annex used by Youth group and Mothers and Toddlers.

• Hospitals: Friarage hospital, Northallerton Darlington Memorial hospital, both 8 miles away.

• Nursing/elderly persons' homes: None in villages

None in villages. • Places of worship of other faiths

Farming, Agricultural Engineers, Self • Local Businesses: employed Tradesmen, Pubs, Community

shop, Service station and garage,

Gardening.

• Neighbourhood initiatives: Pop up café, Local shop, Village Halls. C A T S. Cowtons Art and Theatre Society.

• Associations eg tourist group: Rural branch of U3A, WI, Dominoes, Pilates etc Sports clubs, - Cricket, Football, Cycling

• Describe any civic responsibilities which Church School Governor. the clergy have:

III. Church Information

Please give details for each church

1(a) What percentage of the congregation lives < 3% outside the parish?

(b) Describe the mix of the congregation in terms of Mainly over 65 age, employment, cultural, ethnicity, age and White gender. Congregation 0-18 0 18-69 3 70+ 10

2(a) How would you describe the churchmanship We use Common Worship for Holy tradition of each church and give details of Communion, Morning Prayer and Evening robes and vestments worn by officiants? Prayer. We use Service of the word for Lay led services. Clergy bring own vestments, cassocks and stoles. Organist for some Sunday services. (b) What is the regular average weekly giving of £10 -£12 those 16 years & over and what proportion of 85% the giving is gift aided?

3. How does each Church supplement its direct Programme of fund-raising events plus giving in order to meets its financial needs? hiring out of the annex to village groups, and others further afield.

4(a) What amount of working expenses were paid to £600 the clergy in the last financial year?

(b) Were these met in full? Yes

(c) Is there an annual discussion about level of No; but the treasurer reports any issues at expenses as part of the PCC’s budgeting every PCC meeting. process?

5(a) What amount of Share has (a) been requested; Share requested Share Paid and (b) been paid from the parish in: • last year? 18666 15000

• current year? 17733 <10000 to date

• next year? 16846

(b) Will this year’s be met? No; Due to closing of St Luke’s at North Cowton and the loss of their financial support; and also, the loss of Church members (deaths etc) 6(a) Is there any capital project in hand at the No moment?

(b) Please give brief details with costs and state _ how they are to be met.

7. Please attach a copy of the last PCC accounts. Sent by treasurer Dec 2019

8(a) What is the general state of repair of: No issues raised in 2019 Quinquennial the Church(es) - please list requiring urgent action. General maintenance only. Leaves cleared from gutters and paths. Gates painted. Organ serviced annually.

(b) Please give details of major maintenance None needed following the last quinquennial.

IV. Outreach and Mission

1(a) What are the regular mission and outreach Magazine goes free to every house activities of the parish? Special service for All Souls Contacts with schools Fundraising events involving social activity Refreshments served after services Youth group meetings (b) What are you doing to help people find out Bible study about Jesus? Lent and Advent groups Youth group Priests letter in magazine

(c) What are you doing to help grow people in Encourage discussion after services discipleship? Bible study School links Youth group, a former member is now a priest

(d) What are you doing to grow people in Support lay led services leadership? Send lay worship leader on course Get laity to read and prepare intercessions

2(a) Please give details of the support of the Church Encourage support for Embrace overseas: Help to organise Samaritans Purse shoebox appeal

(b) How much is given annually? Not possible to say; much is given in kind.

3(a) Give details of the support for home missions Items/gifts given to Darlington family and charities: refuge. Foodbank boxes always present in Church and Annex. Items also collected for Seamans mission on Sea Sunday The Youth group support the advent challenge.

(b) How much is given annually? Mostly given in kind

3(a) Does the parish have an overseas link? No

(b) If so, please state where/who?

4(a) Is there an organised system of outreach and No; magazine distributors try to meet and welcome to new families? welcome new people.

(b) If so, please describe:

5. What part does the church play in community No organised system, but individual care? members provide help and support as needed. In a small community it is usually obvious if someone is in need of help.

6(a) Are there any Lay Eucharistic Assistants who No. take communion to the sick?

(b) If so, who are they?

7. What work does the church undertake with Member of church is a regular visitor/helper young people, other than in church-based in school. organisations (eg open youth work)?

V. Ecumenical Relations

1(a) State involvement in local Council of Churches: None to be involved with now; unless you include the local Benefice meetings. In the past members were involved with Churches Together in the Cowtons, but this no longer exists.

(b) Is there a formal covenant with any other No denomination?

2. What informal ecumenical contacts are there? We welcome members of other churches/denominations to our services, and to take communion.

VI. Church Education and Social Provision

1(a) Name of Church School(s) if applicable: East Cowton C of E Primary school (VC) North Cowton has a Community Primary school (b) • Aided?

• Controlled? East Cowton Voluntary Controlled • Foundation?

(d) If aided, does the PCC support the school? Not financially, but contact is positively encouraged. The Church is always warm and sidesmen are provided for all end-of- term and special services. 7

VII. Lay Education and Participation

1. What education and training work takes place in the Church for the following (give approx. numbers):

• Children Toddlers 4

• Young People Youth group 16

• Adults Bible study 12 2(a) Give details of house/prayer groups: None – other than bible study

(b) Are the leaders clergy or lay? Lay; with input from retired priest

3(a) How do you rate the strength of lay leadership? Improving; after initial reluctance.

(b) To what do you credit this strength, or lack of As priest has less time, laity has stepped up it? to do more in services and also in study groups. We have always organised fundraising ourselves.

VIII. Mission

1. List areas of Church life which you consider in Develop worship to offer more to those need of development. outside the church. Get involved in village life; so connecting with people. Work with young people and their families- we have made a start on this Challenge existing congregation

2. What are the main areas of mission that you Be seen in the community think the new priest should prioritise in their Develop initiatives where church people ministry? can support pastoral work and worship Make Christianity more relevant in this secular age for those outside church at present. Inspire and teach the congregation

3. In summary, what are the top three challenges Help us to connect with the missing with which you and the new priest need to generation. engage? Develop a vision for our rural churches Help us to work better together in the Benefice – we have made a start.

IX. Additional Information

Please add here, or on another sheet, anything else which you would like the Patron and the Bishop to know about the conditions, needs and traditions of the parish.

We are a small hardworking and committed congregation. We are aware that whilst we have looked after our buildings, we have not developed our mission in the local community as well as we might. We are facing difficulties in paying our share, due partly to being over assessed in the past. The Diocese are reducing our share each year. Also the closure of Saint Luke’s in North Cowton has not helped, as we find that the congregation there have not come to worship regularly at All Saints. We tried to support them in the past, but now find that the loss of their congregation means a loss of income to the parish. We did manage to pay our full share 3 years ago, when a number of large funerals increased our funds. The villages look to the church on these occasions, but offer little support otherwise on a planned giving basis. We pray that this might change with a new priest who becomes well known in the community. We are planning to discuss with the other parishes in the Benefice, the possibility of employing a part-time administrator to assist our priest.

X. The New Priest

List the qualities and skills you would like to see in the new priest.

• Someone with a deep spiritual and prayerful calling. • With the ability to inspire those both within the Church and the wider community. • Able to develop the worship and spiritual life of the congregation through good preaching and teaching. • Someone who can help us to reach out to the missing generation, and make Jesus Christ relevant in their lives. • A person who gets on well with people from a variety of backgrounds; from rural agriculture to industry executives; from young to old. • Good organisational skills. • Approachable, with a good sense of humour, and the ability to listen, and to become known in our villages. • Kind and caring, able to reach out to those in distress. • Able to manage people; with firmness when necessary. • I T skills. • Driving licence!

Agreed by the PCC of

The Cowtons

on 18 December 2019

Signed: …………………......

Print Name: ...... Christine Johnson ......

Office Held: ……………………. Church Warden ......

This form, duly completed, should be sent to:

The Administrator for the Designated Officer Deborah Thorley Diocese of Leeds, Church House 17-19 York Place, Leeds, LS1 2EX [email protected]

She will circulate copies to the Patron, Bishop and Archdeacon

Please keep copies of this form and ensure that all PCC members have a signed copy.