Parish Profile 2019 for the Benefice of Burton Joyce Lowdham with Bulcote and with Caythorpe Stoke Bardolph and Gunthorpe Contents Welcome ....................................................................................................... 1 Gedling Deanery ........................................................................................... 3 Worship ........................................................................................................ 4 Who are we? ................................................................................................. 5 Our Next Vicar .............................................................................................. 5 Ministry Team ............................................................................................... 6 Our Location ................................................................................................. 6 Vision: Wider, Younger, Deeper .................................................................... 7 Schools and Junior Church ............................................................................ 7 Our Churches .............................................................................................. 11 Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats .................................... 15 Our Communities ........................................................................................ 19 Current Service Patterns ............................................................................. 20 Parish Attendance Statistics 2018 ............................................................... 20 Policies ........................................................................................................ 21 Clubs and Societies in the Benefice ............................................................. 21 Financial Information .................................................................................. 23 Parish Age Profiles (from 2011 Census) ....................................................... 24 Welcome Forging a new Benefice out of six different churches can present a challenge, but over the past year or so there has been a real coming together of the congregations of Burton Joyce with Bulcote and Stoke Bardolph, and Lowdham with Caythorpe and Gunthorpe. Therefore, a new incumbent will be heartened to find that there is already a strong desire among people to grow and develop the congregations into a cohesive and forward-looking Benefice, reaching out into the various communities and reflecting Bishop Paul’s vision of “Wider, Younger, Deeper”. What will a new incumbent bring to the table? Energy and enthusiasm coupled with a deep faith in our loving Heavenly Father, and the desire to develop the faith not just of the existing congregations but also to engage with the wider village communities to show that the Church is not an anachronism in the 21st century. Someone coming to the Benefice will need to have a sense of humour (essential!) be kind and empathetic, but be able to deal sympathetically but firmly with those who have strong minds of their own. It would be helpful to have had experience of the world outside the Church, to be able to take a measured view, and to be able to manage different personalities with patience and maturity. We would love our new incumbent to focus some of their attention on bringing back families and young people to worship, particularly developing strong links with the Primary Schools across the Benefice. Of course, one essential skill will be the ability to build teams, to harness the gifts and knowledge of congregations and PCC members, and to be an excellent communicator and organiser. It would be helpful for a new incumbent to have a flexible attitude to worship patterns and matters of evangelism, to take a wide view of people management, and to listen to people’s hopes and fears. Whilst it is realistically impossible to please all of the people all of the time, someone coming to the Benefice must be able to adapt, to listen, and above all to show the love of Christ through all that they undertake. It’s a great place to live and work, and there is an enormous opportunity for the right person to develop their ministry among people who are longing for leadership and growth. Recent new benefice-wide events have included a ‘Happiness Lab’ course, (which is intended to be run again as outreach), a Passover Supper, Good Friday meditation, Easter dawn service and mini-series on giving. Jo Foster, Warden (BJBSB). May 2019 stmaryschurchlowdham churchburtonjoyce BJBSB and LCG Parish Profile 2019 16/06/2019 1 | P a g e THE DIOCESE OF SOUTHWELL & NOTTINGHAM GROWING DISCIPLES WIDER, YOUNGER AND DEEPER A statement from the Bishop of Southwell & Nottingham, the Rt Revd Paul Williams and the Archdeacon of Nottingham-designate Revd Canon Phil Williams The Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham incorporates the City of Nottingham, the whole County of Nottinghamshire and five parishes in South Yorkshire. The population is 1.15 million – 51% live in the greater Nottingham conurbation, 31% in ex-mining areas and 18% in rural. There are 305 churches (252 parishes), served by 142 stipendiary clergy and licensed lay workers. In 2016 a refreshed diocesan vision was embraced across the diocese, recognising the imperative for ‘Growing Disciples: wider, younger, deeper’. • ‘Wider’ in that we will seek to grow disciples in every part of the diocese, with no retreat from any community: urban centre; outer estates; rural villages; or market towns. • ‘Younger’ in that we will seek fresh ways to harness the boldness and creativity of children, students and young people across the diocese, not least in Nottingham which is the 4th youngest city outside London. • ‘Deeper’ as we grow in knowing Christ, so that as his disciples we can be an increasing blessing to the people among whom we live and serve in the workplace, family and community. The Bishops Senior Staff, Bishop’s Council and Diocesan Synod have demonstrated their clear commitment to sharing in all aspects of this vision and strategy. In autumn 2016 more than 1 000 PCC members attended 5 vision evenings around the diocese. We have discerned a series of emerging priorities that will facilitate growing new disciples in every parish across the diocese. Compelled by the love of Christ by 2023 we will seek to: • Welcome 7000 new disciples into the fellowship of Christ and his church • Commission 1000 younger leaders (especially 15-30 year olds) equipped and inspired to serve the purposes of God in the Church and society. • Plant or graft 75 New Worshipping Communities (NWCs) across the diocese to increase our reach in telling the story of Jesus to all. • Grow 25 larger Resource Churches with clear commitment to develop leaders, plant New Worshipping Communities, and disciple the young. • Serve and pray together as 1 Church contending for the gospel in every community and sphere of public life in our city, county and region. In this new chapter every parish has an opportunity to review its role within the diocesan mission, so that it can play a significant part in the strategic commitment to ‘Growing Disciples wider, younger and deeper.’ The Archdeacon-designate writes ‘It has been my privilege to work closely with the churchwardens, readers and the curate, Revd Simon Jones, over the last year. I have seen a significant increase in the level of confidence that has been created in each parish and in working together across the benefice. There are already proven examples of trying new things, which have been very well-received. There are many mission opportunities which, I believe, a period of committed and sustained leadership will unlock.’ BJBSB and LCG Parish Profile 2019 16/06/2019 2 | P a g e Bishop Paul has said: “It is my hope that each worshipping community will develop a compelling picture of its own future in God’s purposes with an expectation of growing numerically and in the scope of its mission. It is my prayer that the new vicar will have the creative leadership and imagination to develop discipleship, plan for growth and reach out to the unchurched of all ages in its locality.” June 2019 Gedling Deanery The Area Dean writes: I am delighted to introduce the Benefice of Lowdham, Caythorpe, and Gunthorpe, with Burton Joyce, Stoke Bardolph and Bulcote. As Area Dean I have been impressed by the commitment and enthusiasm from the Benefice; it’s Office Holders, and the PCC and the staff team. There is much to commend to you and a great deal of potential going forwards. Building upon the hard work undertaken through the Vacancy a new incumbent would find a church eager to grow wider, younger and deeper and to witness God at work in both the hoped for, and in the surprises unimagined. The Benefice comprises of two equal parishes: Lowdham with Caythorpe and Gunthorpe (LCG), and Burton Joyce with Stoke Bardolph and Bulcote (BJBSB) and sits within the Gedling Deanery. The new Incumbent will join other clergy in the ‘villages partnership’ within the deanery (see blue boundary of map). There is a genuine desire to act collegially and think collaboratively on issues that are common across the group. As a deanery we look forward to a new colleague joining us in a very varied deanery covering 104,000 people and 22 churches, 14 full time clergy including curates, 11 active retired clergy and over 30 active readers. The deanery has four partnerships that are a priority in both mission and shared vision. There is a villages partnership (blue),