THE PARISH of STAVELEY and BARROW HILL a Forward in Faith Parish Under the Care of the Bishop of Ebbsfleet
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THE PARISH OF STAVELEY AND BARROW HILL A Forward in Faith parish under the care of the Bishop of Ebbsfleet Awaiting the priest God has called to be our Team Vicar St John the Baptist, Staveley St Andrew, Barrow Hill St Columba, Inkersall Where we are Staveley is a small market town, which in the nineteenth century became a centre for coal mining and the production of iron, steel and chemicals. Heavy industry has very largely closed during the last 25 years, and employment is now much more varied. We have our own motorway junction on the M1 (29a), around which a thriving trading estate has grown up on old colliery sites. The town offers a full range of local services. The area is well-served by G.P. surgeries and clinics and the Chesterfield and North East Derbyshire Royal Hospital is less than four miles away. A state of the art Healthy Living centre has recently been built in the centre of Staveley. There are a number of both council and private nursing homes in the parish and eight elderly citizens' rest rooms. The Parish serves the town of Staveley and the neighbouring communities (or 'villages') of Barrow Hill Inkersall Poolsbrook Mastin Moor Woodthorpe and Hollingwood. There are two church primary schools, seven community primary schools, and two large secondary schools. Woodthorpe Primary School is a C.of E. (V.C.) School with a key aim to uphold a Christian ethos throughout; and St Joseph’s is a joint Catholic and C. of E. (V.A.) Primary School, where there is new ecumenical ground being broken in collaboration with the local Catholic priest. We are very pleased with the response to our School Masses in the Church schools. This picture show the children helping to offer the Holy Sacrifice for St John the Baptist's day last year. Springwell Community College is a mixed, non-denominational secondary school for pupils aged 11-16 housed in a brand new purpose-built complex. Netherthorpe School was founded in 1572 and caters for pupils aged 11-18. It has Science and Mathematics College status. (See http://www.staveleytowncouncil.gov.uk for more information) The Parish Community centre (formerly Staveley Church school) adjoins the Church of St John the Baptist. Half of the centre is leased to Derbyshire County Council for use as a Sure Start children’s centre. The other large room is used regularly the church and by community groups. Introducing the Churches Staveley There has been a church on the site of St John's, Staveley, since Saxon times; Saxon gravestones survive as window-sills. The post-Conquest church survives in the south aisle and the base of the tower; a 15th century chantry chapel holds rare 17th century heraldic glass; and in the middle of the 19th century Scott transformed the church into the building we see today. Other treasures include tombs of the Musard and Frecheville families; mediaeval brasses; a niche thought to be an Easter sepulchre; wonderful 20th century statues in wood, carved by Ludwig Kuzniarz; and a mediaeval stone altar mensa, one of the largest to survive the Reformation intact. Sunday Mass is usually attended by 60-65 worshippers, with choir, full team of servers, and Sunday School.. Sung Evensong is attended by about 25 people, and there are three midweek said masses. The Catholic tradition of the Church of England has been firmly established here for generations. Coffee mornings, garden parties and bazaars, a Victorian Christmas market, harvest and mid-lent teas are well established as part of our social scene; and fresh ideas are always welcome, such as our murder mystery evenings! Barrow Hill Barrow Hill is a very distinct part of our parish. The village was built by a Victorian entrepreneur, Richard Barrow, to provide housing for his colliery and ironworks. The church and school initially occupied the same building, which is still the village school. The organ now in the church was originally in the school hall. This is a regeneration priority area, and a large housing development is planned. In 1895 the congregation moved to a purpose built church. St Andrews is a simple little Victorian building with furnishings in the arts and crafts style. It was the first architectural commission of Sir Raymond Unwin and his first collaboration with Richard Barry Parker who designed the fixtures and fittings. It contains stained glass windows by Shrigley and Hunt and a fully restored 1856 Holt pipe organ. St Andrews became a Parish Church in its own right in 1928, when the village of Hollingwood was built, before becoming one of the two Parish Churches in the Staveley and Barrow Hill team ministry in 1973. The church has suffered, in the past, from corrosive pollution, mining subsidence and some neglect. During the past few years, the small congregation have worked hard to carry out extensive repairs and ensure that the building is safe, dry and watertight. Access has been improved, a car park provided and toilet/baby changing facilities installed. Gas heaters and electrical systems have been updated and further restoration is in hand, supported by a fabric fund. There is much social need in the village, and we must address the need for Christian outreach and evangelism if the church is to grow. The present congregation numbers around a dozen on a Sunday morning. Community Use has included Heritage Open Days , the Christmas Tree festival (seen in the picture above), community sing-a-longs, coffee mornings, Harvest teas, and concerts. For more information: http://www.facebook.com/pages/St-Andrews-Parish-Church-Barrow-Hill-and- Hollingwood/162440053784001 or twitter @unwinchurch Inkersall “We are all one family in God, trying to bring people into Christian fellowship to help find a greater understanding of the good news of Jesus Christ.” Built 30 years ago as a multi-purpose building, the church is of a modern, triangular design and is equipped with good kitchen facilities, a disabled toilet and ramps to the doors. The main church is used daily as a community hall by groups such as the Mothers' Union, Pensioners’ bingo, art group, childrens’ karate, whist group, slimming classes, a baby sensory group and Knit and Natter. The room is used by the local community for birthday parties, funeral teas and other events. The church is a collection point for the local food bank. We have a lively social life within the church and hold regular coffee mornings to raise funds for a variety of charities. Other events include a Summer Fair, Harvest supper, beetle drive, BBQ, Candlemas supper, Carols on the Green (jointly with the Methodists), and the Christingle service. Sunday Mass attracts around 30 people. There is also a Wednesday morning Mass with around 15-20 communicants. Who we are We are a Team Ministry which was established in 1973 and which is formed of two parish churches, St John the Baptist, Staveley and St Andrew’s, Barrow Hill; with a daughter church, St Columba’s, Inkersall. There are 126 parishioners on the combined electoral roll. A Forward in Faith register parish, we are under the extended episcopal care of Jonathan, Bishop of Ebbsfleet. The average Sunday attendance across the team is 114; last year there were around fifteen baptisms, six weddings, and twelve funerals. We have good relations with another nearby petitioning parish, Hasland and Temple Normanton in the neighbouring Chesterfield Deanery. The Staveley and Barrow Hill Team Ministry is actively involved in the life of Staveley and Bolsover Deanery, and the Diocese of Derby. The Team comprises of the Team Rector and Team Vicar, currently assisted by a very active retired priest. Team-wide activities include stalls at the Canal Festival and the local Armed Forces Day. Fr Stephen Jones was appointed as Team Rector is April 2013. After reading Law at Oxford, and working in public administration for five years, he studied at Lincoln Theological College and was ordained in 1984. After a curacy in the Black Country, he was a Minor Canon at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle for seven years. After three years in a country team ministry in the East Riding, while studying for an MA in Mediaeval Studies at Leeds, he served for five years as Chaplain at St Elphin's School, Darley Dale. He was for a short while an associate priest at Worksop Priory, and then for ten years Rector of St James', Longton, in Stoke on Trent. He is interested in cathedral music, and enjoys singing and country walking. In recent years he has progressed to mountain walking, is a qualified Mountain Leader, and has recently taken up rock climbing. What we do Our Worship Our roots lie within the Catholic tradition of the Church of England. There is a full set of vestments in every church, and the sacrament is reserved in all three churches along with the holy oils. The Sunday Sung Mass has the same pattern across the team, usually with incense, using the ACS booklet following the pattern of Common Worship Order 1. Propers are those of the western rite, and our worship is enriched from the wider Catholic tradition throughout the world. The laity is actively involved within the liturgy; reading the lessons and, more recently, leading the intercessions. There is a committed team of dedicated robed servers, and licensed chalice assistants to assist the Priest. There are extra masses provided for great festivals. Confession is available on request. Choral evensong is sung every Sunday evening in St John’s. The sacrament is taken to the sick and housebound on a regular basis by the clergy, and there are good relations with the local hospital chaplain.