PARISH PROFILES

Page 1

Contents

Bishop’s Introduction 3 Deanery Summary 4

Background to Post 6 Person Specification 7 Appendices About the parishes – at a glance 8 1. 8 Essential Quality Surveys More about our parishes 2. Services and Activities Harbury 9 3. Finance and Stewardship Ladbroke 12 4. Location Map Ufton 14

Further Details 8 Essential Qualities 15 Rectory 16 Ministry Team 16 Administration 16 School Links 17

Page 2

Bishop’s Introduction

The Diocese of Coventry is a great place to be. Set in the centre of the country we seek to be in the centre of God’s purposes. The villages of Harbury, Ladbroke and Ufton nestle in the heart of beautiful Warwickshire countryside. This new ‘family for mission partnership’ which now includes Ufton, are seeking to grow in worship and working together in new ways. With growth of the population around Harbury, and a vibrant Church of England school in Harbury, new opportunities are present for mission and growth to build upon the firm foundations laid by previous incumbents.

As you can see from this group of parishes, there’s a strong commitment across the Diocese to our mission purpose of ‘worshipping God, making new disciples, transforming communities’. We believe that the way we can fulfil that purpose is by becoming more fully and faithfully the Church, the body and bride of Christ. That’s why we invest significantly in the healthy church principles identified by Natural Church Development which you will read about in the profile.

We know that we are called to be Christ’s people together, so we have a strategy for the Whole Diocese including church schools, the Cathedral and chaplaincies as well as churches themselves as they gather around the Bishop to share in the apostolic ministry and mission given to us by Jesus as “partners together in the message and ministry of reconciliation”.

If you feel called to partner with us then I commend this post to you.

Page 3

Deanery Summary

The Southam Deanery is the smallest Deanery in the Coventry diocese, currently made up of 15 parishes within a six-mile radius of the market town of Southam.

Recent structural discussions for our Deanery Plan have resulted in the creation of the new Offchurch Group which combines four of our small rural parishes into one single entity – apparently quite a pioneering model.

As a Deanery we have a strong focus on mission together:  We have a Deanery mission team that organizes evangelistic events under the national Hope banner, providing high-quality occasions and low-ticket prices, so that people can be confident to bring non-Christian friends.  We have a monthly Deanery informal service, lay-led to help feed the clergy, incorporating what was a separate prayer meeting, and annually run two combined massive Messy church mornings where the various parish teams work together in one bigger event.  This year we are running a Deanery Lent+ course either side of Easter, and engaging with the Hope 2020 prayer initiative, opening a different church each month for people to gather to pray for the work of God in our parishes and Deanery, as well as an opportunity to offer prayer ministry.  There are also several Deanery Christian exploration and nurture courses that continue to be run, which have included Just Looking, Alpha, Discipleship Explored, Lost for Words, and Table Talk. We also run a Marriage Preparation day based around the HTB course.  We have streamed lectures from the School of Theology based at St Mellitus college in London, which have been both well-received and stretching! In the last couple of years, we have invited specialist speakers to come and lead evenings of training and encouragement based on the Diocesan vision statement “Worshiping God, making new disciples, and transforming communities.” We use one of our local pubs for many of these courses.

With only a small number of clergy in the Deanery, we try to work together, especially with mission and training, and new clergy appointments to the Deanery are encouraged to add their gifts to this creative mix. As a clergy team, we would not be able to function without strong lay teams around us, and we are always looking for ways to develop and strengthen these teams both within individual parishes and Deanery-wide. We are currently beginning to explore a new Deanery plan.

As you will read in the parish profile that follows, plans for HS2 will have a significant effect on the Deanery as a whole, as we lie directly in the path of the planned route. We are also experiencing huge changes with new housing developments in a number of villages and Southam town itself, so working together and supporting each other, as well as developing new leaders and exciting new ideas for growth will become

Page 4

even more important. As a Deanery, we have often come up with forward-thinking plans, as the plans for the new Offchurch Group show - it's a creative and stimulating Deanery to be a part of.

On behalf of myself and Barry Parker, the Deanery lay-chair, we look forward to a new appointment at Harbury, Ladbroke and Ufton – a new Benefice grouping – who will be able to bring their gifts to our small, outward-looking Deanery.

Rev Martin Green (Area Dean)

There is a Deanery video snapshot on the Coventry Diocese website or at this link : https://vimeo.com/330960454

Page 5

Background to Post

The parishes and villages of Ladbroke, Harbury and Ufton are in South Warwickshire – see map in appendix 4. Harbury, with a population of 3,000 is the largest; Ladbroke and Ufton have a population less than 300 each.

The Parishes of Harbury and Ladbroke have shared a Priest in Charge since the 1970’s and for the last 11 years have thrived and grown under the leadership of its most recent incumbent. However, he has now moved on to a fresh challenge within the Diocese.

During this period Ufton ceased to have an attached priest, but the Harbury and Ladbroke ministry team has provided informal support to the Parish for the last five years, with services normally being held monthly. It has now been agreed that this arrangement be formalised by Ufton joining Harbury and Ladbroke “in plurality”.

We anticipate that among the priorities for the new Incumbent will be:

At Harbury At Ladbroke At Ufton

Outreach, especially:  Building on and broadening our tradition  Providing pastoral ministry to those in the  getting us to go out into and engage of sacramental worship, leading us to a community who are sick or otherwise in with the wider community rather deeper love of Christ. need. than being inwardly ‘church’ focused  Maintaining and deepening our love for  Leading growth in the church, particularly  attracting families and younger each other, so that “they may know we in outreach and encouraging those who people to worship are Christians by our love”. are on the periphery of the congregation  working with residents on the new  Supporting our “All Saints for All in their faith. housing estates in Harbury Generations” Project, and at the same  Working with the PCC to move the work  encouraging more of us to actively time keeping us focused on our mission of the church forward within Ufton and engage in being witnesses for Christ – purpose better support our community the harvest is plentiful, but the  Providing visibility of the church following workers few. a period of uncertainty around the future of the church in Ufton.

Page 6

Person Specification

As Churches that are the only recognised denomination in each of our villages, we welcome a candidate who is led by the Spirit and has a vision for:

we seek someone who will lead us in fresh expressions of worship that are inclusive and welcoming to all, whatever their preferred tradition, whilst respecting our current tradition of formal Eucharistic worship and the sacraments.

we seek someone who will share and demonstrate the love of God to all, especially the sick and needy, the young and children, providing pastoral support and being a visible presence to everyone in our communities, whether or not they acknowledge Christ.

we seek someone who will encourage us to reach out to our wider communities, helping to develop deeper relationships with other churches, charities and the villagers, taking into account changing lifestyles in this busy and digital age.

we seek someone with a passion for preaching and discipleship who will celebrate the gifts and skills of our lay members, encouraging, empowering and developing people of all ages to build on our desire to find new and creative ways to nurture our spiritual growth and engage in corporate prayer. They will also help us to be outward looking beyond our own parish boundaries.

We seek someone who will share our vision for strengthening our structures, both spiritual and physical, for this and future generations. In Ladbroke, this will involve supporting our “All Saints for All Generations” project and helping us to maintain our Mission Purpose at the same time.

Page 7

About Our Parishes – at a Glance

Harbury Ladbroke Ufton  There are now approximately 3,000  Core congregation of 20 - 30 with one  Average congregation of around 20 with inhabitants in the village. The electoral service each Sunday one service per month. role of Harbury Church is currently 117  Worship is traditional eucharistic (one BCP  Worship is traditional, but scope to  Average attendance on a Sunday is per month) but within the congregation broaden. around 100 there is a broad range of both  Number of church-run events for the village churchmanship and denominational each year both for outreach and fundraising  We have shops and businesses, school background. (charity and church building) including and “early years” activities, sports and  We value this diversity and being accepting pancake race, lent lunch, village fete, recreation facilities and inclusive of these different traditions is harvest supper, Christmas punch party.  The church building is the only place important to us – “unity not uniformity” Many villagers engage with these and they of worship in the village  “Pause and Pray” and Home Group are provide a great opportunity to spend time  There are a number of house groups helping spirituality to deepen, and we want with those who don’t necessarily come to and a New-Monastic community to go further. services.  Parish includes the hamlet of Deppers  Since 2015, the Church and the Community  Support from non-churchgoers to sustain Bridge between Harbury & Ladbroke, has raised £270k towards Church repairs building – new building group and village and outlying farms and dwellings. (primarily for the tower and stained glass fete. windows). We are currently waiting to hear  Certainty on the future of the church only  Twinned with Samois-sur-Seine – the outcome of a £340k National Heritage recently becoming clear – been without a annual visits with activities in between Lottery Fund application – if successful this minister since 2015 and not formally will enable us to complete the repairs attached to another parish. The PCC currently necessary. welcome the opportunity to work with a  As part of the NHLF application we have priest to help us breathe life into the work designed a programme of community of the church in Ufton. activities which are not directly evangelistic but we pray will give us new opportunities to share the love of Christ.

Page 8

More About Our Parishes

Harbury It is thought that there has been a settlement in Harbury for 3000 years, and we still have many stone and brick houses of the 17th and 18th centuries, and a few timber-framed with thatched roofs. In the middle of the village is a large circular 18th-century windmill. Former landowners include Earls of Leicester and Knights Templar, whose presence is recorded by road/farm names. The parish historically has had a largely farming tradition, although it has increasingly become a residential middle England community. With the recent addition of some 130 new builds, and the proximity to larger towns, the population is now more diverse in terms of occupations and age ranges.

Originally mainly agricultural (there is still an active dairy farm in the middle of Harbury) most people work in the locality – Jaguar Land Rover and Aston Martin are two of the larger employers in the area – although some commute to Birmingham, Coventry and London. An increasing number are retired and have chosen to stay because of the community spirit which forms the basis of their support group.

Within Harbury are 2 supermarkets (one incorporating the post office), pharmacy, doctors’ surgery, garage, hairdressers, 3 pubs, a Village Club and Village Hall and a small industrial estate. There is a community library (open 5.5 days, with café 4 mornings), 3 “early years” groups and a CofE primary school.

A wide range of sporting activities exist for all ages – Harbury has its own Rugby, Football. Netball and Tennis clubs - and there are around 40 other activities and societies in the village; here are some to give a flavour of the range (but see www.hlnews.co.uk and download Harbury Directory for more detail):

Scouts/Guides etc Annual Village Show Annual Carnival - Theatre Group Village cinema (monthly in winter) Connections – Dementia Café Horticultural Society Local produce market Harbury Energy Initiative Folk Club Ukulele Group Morris, Appalachian and other dance groups Walking group Yoga, Zumba & Tai-Chi Harbury Society – heritage and talks on local interests

Page 9

The church is at the centre of the community; it is truly regarded as the village church, our church. This is evident in the support (moral, practical and financial) that we receive from those who are not regular attenders. Indeed many members of the community contributed to knitting thousands of poppies for our WW1 100 year tribute. This sympathetic backing has come about as the result of having incumbents who have been a presence in the village, with time to talk and to attend meetings and social events outside church life.

Activities organised or supported by the church for the benefit of the wider community include: Bumps and Bundles – for expectant and new parents and their children Saturday Coffee mornings –led by different charitable organisations each week ‘Pleasant Pastimes’ (monthly) and ‘Holiday at Home’ (annual). Mainly for the lonely & elderly. Pastoral visiting –by both clergy and lay teams ‘MeetingPoint’ –for bereaved or loss of any kind (numbers have doubled in last 2 years) Tom Hauley Room lunches –for anyone, but especially those who often eat alone E-Wheels (electric car) – providing a service to run food bank supplies around and take people to hospital etc

Our stone church, built in the 13th century, has some Victorian elements, and a new room added about 30 years ago - The Tom Hauley Room (THR); this has a large meeting room that can be divided into two smaller rooms, a kitchen and toilets. The THR is well used by church and community throughout the week. For instance, every Saturday morning a café, run by local charities to raise funds, has become a vital social gathering for many who come on a regular basis.

Our church tower houses eight magnificent bells. Practice on Fridays by a dedicated team of ringers ensures they are rung for our 10.30 a.m. service and other special services. The bells often attract visiting teams of ringers from various parts of the country.

There has been much discussion at PCC about the church interior, there being strong views in the congregation, as in many other Churches, amongst other things, about the merits of pews versus chairs, which may need to be addressed in the future. We have recently revamped our Children’s Corner and have included an Information Centre at the back of the church.

Page 10

Plans are being considered for rectifying the electrical system and replacing the terminally broken heating system and lighting, incorporating an AV system in both the church and the Tom Hauley Room. In addition, there are some leaks and areas of crumbling brick/stonework. Once we have proposals for these works, our very ably led Fabric Committee will seek grants to cover all or part of the cost. Fund raising has begun.

The church graveyard is now full, but in 2018 a new memorial garden was dedicated for the interment of ashes. However, we do now need to provide better disabled access to this part of the church yard.

At Harbury, our “Green” status is acknowledged by a Bronze award as an Eco-Church under the A Rocha scheme. We are seeking to become even greener as we undertake the changes described in this section.

Page 11

Ladbroke Mention is made in the Domesday Book of the village of Lodbroc, with a population of 252, in 1086. Over 900 years later, the village has grown – but only to 268 (2011 census) and it is one of the smallest parishes in Warwickshire. The village is two miles south of the town of Southam and three miles east of Harbury.

Ladbroke has been officially designated an area of special architectural or historic interest and part of it is a declared Conservation Area. As a consequence, there is little new housing, but these restrictions have not prevented the route of HS2 passing through the parish half a mile from the village, for which preparatory work has already started.

Apart from the village, the parish principally comprises agricultural land. Within the village there is no retail outlet other than the Bell Inn, but there is a strong community spirit fostered by Ladbroke Matters, a team of villagers who look after the Village Hall, which hosts popular Film Nights, Quiz Nights and a range of clubs and one-off events, and the Millennium Green. The population comprises predominantly older owner- occupiers as the lack of new housing and limited public transport makes it difficult for young families to stay or move in.

Within this context the Church plays an important role in the Village community. The average Sunday congregation of 26 represents 10% of the population and can rise to near 100 for services at Easter, Christmas and Remembrance Sunday.

Reflecting the village demographic, the regular congregation is predominantly white, from an agricultural or professional background and over 50. As the only Church in the Village, we see ourselves as having a particular responsibility to embrace all Christians, recognising that theological views and tradition are secondary to demonstrating the love of Christ. So even though the majority of our congregation could be described as traditional and favouring sacramental worship, we embrace those from evangelical and nonconformist backgrounds and we value learning from each other.

All Saints’ Church and our All Saints for All Generations Project The Church is Grade I listed and dates from the thirteenth century but was largely rebuilt during the early fourteenth century. Additions were made in the fifteenth century and it was extensively restored in 1876 by Sir Gilbert Scott. A pantry and WC were added in 2004. Some of the windows also date back to the thirteenth century, but the 12 stained glass windows date mostly from the nineteenth century. The bell tower has a ring of five bells, all cast in the nineteenth century and still rung regularly, for family services, marriages and other special occasions.

Page 12

The stewardship of such a beautiful building is both a blessing and a burden. The 2014 quinquennial inspection identified the need for some major building repairs, including tower, buttresses and other stonework, clerestory window glazing, porch repairs and new surface water drainage. The latest cost estimate of all the works is approximately £800,000.

In response and under the leadership of one of our church members as Project Manager, we launched the “All Saints for All Generations” Project in 2015 which to date has raised £269,000 including an initial development grant of £23,500 from the Heritage Lottery Fund. So far, £143,000 has already been spent; further works are estimated at £608,000 with £126,000 already raised. We have recently applied for a further grant of £339,000, which if successful will enable us to proceed with the project. We expect to be able to share the outcome of this application with candidates.

Obtaining such grants has not been easy. In order to qualify, it is necessary to show ongoing benefits to the wider community, so what started as a fund raising appeal has now become a wide ranging project of activities involving both the Church and the wider village community. If the grant application is successful, we shall, over the next three years, be holding workshops and events for local people and visitors, school and family sessions and regular drop-in events for the elderly, people living with dementia and their carers. Whilst deliberately not directly evangelistic, we believe that these activities are helping us to fulfil our stewardship responsibilities and at the same giving us fresh opportunities to share the love of Christ.

The Church has an open graveyard; burials are restricted to those with a connection to the parish. There have been 4 burials and 14 internments of ashes in the last 5 years.

Page 13

Ufton

Ufton sits on an escarpment overlooking nearby Leamington Spa and Warwick. The church is situated at the highest point in the village and is visible from the Fosse Way. There has been a church on the site of Ufton since at least 1043, and the oldest part of the church today is from the 13th century. In the most part the church as it is today dates back to the 14th and 15th centuries. Looking ahead, the church building has been a subject of much debate in the village, and the building group established in 2019 consists of both church and non-churchgoers. In terms of village amenities there is a village hall, a pub, and a few specialist shops (non-grocery) such as cake-makers and car garage. There is also a nature reserve within easy walking distance.

Being a small community, many villagers are actively involved in village life and the church is viewed as a central hub for the community and community events. We host the annual pancake race, a lent lunch, harvest supper and Christmas punch party and the village fete is focused on raising funds for the maintenance of the church building. As a result, whilst regular attendance at the church may be only be for 10-20 people, this number swells to around 50 people for services at Christmas and Remembrance Sunday.

Ufton was previously “in plurality” with Southam church until 2015 (and as such includes Justin Welby as a previous incumbent). In 2015 it was decided that a different focus would be taken for Southam which left Ufton in an uncertain status until recent discussions with the vacant parishes of Harbury and Ladbroke. We have worked hard as a PCC to maintain momentum for the church during this uncertain period and are grateful for the support we have had from our neighbours and readers in Harbury to be able to continue worship on a monthly basis. Whilst a small congregation, this has sustained (and slightly grown) in the previous 4 ½ years of interregnum. This has not been an easy period and we are hopeful that a new priest will work with us to build on the momentum we have tried to continue in showing the love of God to the village.

Page 14

The Diocesan Mission Purpose & 8 Essential Qualities of Healthy Churches

The Mission Purpose of the Diocese of Coventry is:  Worshipping God  Making New Disciples  Transforming Communities.

Our churches are fully committed to fulfilling these three aspects. Harbury has completed four Essential Quality surveys and Ladbroke two. A summary of our progress is shown below, and a more detailed analysis of our most recent surveys is attached in Appendix 1. Ufton has not as yet completed a survey, but its PCC has recently carried out a self-appraisal against the eight Qualities and this is also included in Appendix 1.

HARBURY LADBROKE

Our highest rated Qualities are Holistic Small Groups and Gift-Based According to our most recent survey, we are close to “average” for seven Ministry, but we realise that we must not be complacent about these out of the eight qualities. For a small village church, this is apparently as we concentrate on weaker areas. quite good! Gift-based Ministry is our highest ranked quality, followed closely by Loving Relationships, Need Orientated Evangelism and Holistic Qualities which require more attention are Effective Structures and Small Groups. All these qualities are above the average line. Inspiring Worship, although, from the detailed analysis you will see that we are aware of this and working hard to strengthen these The survey clearly suggests that our Spirituality is not very “Passionate”! aspects We believe that this is linked to our Worship being less than Inspiring and have begun to look at ways of refreshing our services and so deepening our In summary: “of faith, fellowship and service… service comes less expressions of our love for Christ. naturally to us”.

Page 15

Rectory This is in Harbury, about 80 yards from the church door. Built in the 1970s, it is a detached house with 4 bed-rooms, and 3 reception rooms (including a study – there is no church office). Significant refurbishment has been carried out over the years, with routine maintenance in between.

Ministry team The previous incumbent was supported by a retired priest who is licensed as an Assistant Minister and three licensed lay readers. There are two further retired priests who live in the parish, one of whom has provided substantial support during the interregnum. In addition, there are a number of others who take leadership parts in lay-led services/activities.

Administration There is a part-time paid parish secretary 1.5 days per week who supports the clergy, including production of the Pew Sheet on a weekly basis. Each parish has its own Safeguarding Officer. In addition, there is the support of one volunteer who organises all the paperwork for weddings and baptisms.

Page 16

School Links The only school in the parishes is Harbury C of E (VC) Primary School. It has 201 pupils on the roll, most of whom live in Harbury or Ufton parishes. The School’s stated Christian Values are Love, Collaboration, Perseverance, Thankfulness and Trust which feed into the strap line of the school: ‘Love, learn and grow together’.

The School was inspected by Ofsted and the Diocese in 2018. Ofsted confirmed that the school ‘continues to be good … The school is welcoming. Pupils are friendly and well behaved. They feel secure and safe’ The Diocese report concluded that ‘All members of the school community own the embellished Christian values. Mutually supportive links with the parish and wider community enrich the distinctive Christian character of the school. Good’.

The impact of collective worship on the school community is good, and the daily act of worship having a place of major importance in the life of the school is valued by staff and pupils alike; the church takes the lead weekly. The school attends church to celebrate the major Christian festivals and classes make informal visits to the church to learn about the building and the significance of various features. However, the Head teacher told us that the most impactful church presence is through Open the Book; a small lay-led team plus musicians going to the school once a fortnight. The children are really enthusiastic about this outreach initiative and eagerly await the team’s visits. We also have outreach visits to the pre-school and nursery.

There is a Foundation Governor and the local incumbent is always an ex-officio member of the Governors who have always valued the input of the incumbent at meetings, and also in supporting and challenging staff and pupils. We believe that developing the mutually supportive links between the school, the diocese and the local church should be a key objective for our new incumbent.

The C of E primary school in Ladbroke was closed in the 1970’s and village children now feed in to one of the schools in Southam. Ladbroke Church continues to appoint a foundation governor to Southam St James C of E Academy; our appointee is the current Chair of Governors.

To maintain our links with the Academy our previous Priest in Charge led assemblies at the school (normally twice a term) and the Church gives Bibles to all Year 6 leavers at a special assembly each year. We wish these connections to continue. It is planned to link with other schools as part of the repairs and heritage project.

A page summarising the work of the Diocesan Board of Education with schools can be found here: http://www.dioceseofcoventry.org/images/document_library/UDR01414.pdf.

Page 17

Further Details

For further details and an application form please contact: Matt Robinson, Assistant to the Archdeacons By email to [email protected] or 024 76 521 342

For informal conversations, please contact: Archdeacon Missioner, Barry Dugmore, on tel: 07487 578311 ([email protected]) Area Dean, Rev Martin Green on tel: 01926 613466 ([email protected] ) Closing date for applications: Friday, June 5th 2020 Interviews: To be held on Wednesday June 24th 2020

An application form can be downloaded from the Diocesan Website: http://www.dioceseofcoventry.org/vacancies/current_vacancies

Enhanced DBS disclosure is required for this post.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND SOURCE INFORMATION

Thanks to Fliss Harris, Verger, for work done on previous profiles which remains relevant today. All Saints Church Harbury – John Stringer, 2012. Ladbroke Quinquennial Report

Page 18

Appendix 1

The 8 Essential Qualities of Healthy Churches (or Natural Church Development)

We set out below comments on the two recent surveys:

HARBURY LADBROKE

Our fourth survey was completed in August 2019 and the results very Ladbroke completed its first NCD survey in 2017 and repeated the much follow the overall shape of the first three, but perhaps with the exercise in 2019. The second survey was consistent with the first and impact of a vacancy added in. The relative strengths across the 8 showed improvement in seven out of the eight areas as summarised in qualities suggest we have been fairly balanced and consistent over this chart: time.

Page 19

Loving Relationships

The general view is that, although this Quality was in the middle range, This is the quality that is most precious to us. In a community where we are a welcoming church to newcomers and very supportive and everyone knows each other, loving one another is our greatest witness, caring to those who need our help (where known to us), especially so even though we come from different backgrounds we respect each during times of bereavement and illness. A strong point in our recent other and seek to learn from our differences. survey was how we support people by giving praise when we think that they are doing well – people know that they can rely on their church friends. And we love a good celebration and excuse to eat and drink together, breaking the barriers down, building and strengthening relationships and having fun as a family!

We don’t have a large ethnic community, but we support a diverse social group at Messy Church and Little Saints. However, we really need to focus on how we can support and encourage the children (and their parents) to stay within the Church to continue their spiritual development, especially as the children get older.

Our communications are improving and there is a noticeable willingness to increasingly work together and appreciate, tolerate, understand and love each other. There are early signs that we are pulling and working well together during the interregnum.

Page 20

Inspiring Worship This result was rather surprising (one of our lower Qualities) as we offer Our current pattern is of a Family Communion on the First Sunday, BCP a diverse range of services, with different worship styles, that should Communion on the third Sunday, with a sung Eucharist on the second and appeal to most of the varying preferences expressed by our church fourth Sundays. Music at all of these services is led by our organist using family. The types of service offered have developed over the last few “Anglican Hymns Old & New”. We are currently very reliant on our years to recognise the diversity of people in the congregations, and are organist and the fifth Sundays are a said service, partly to give her a rest! also reflected in the diversity of those who lead these services. Past Members of the congregation read lessons and sometimes lead the consensus has been to have communion every Sunday, but we are intercessions. open to making changes to the rota Baptisms are usually and preferably performed in the context of the No one can say that we are not willing to try new things – some work Family Service and can lead to significant increases in congregation on the well and others less – and sometimes we think we are trying to do too day. Other than these, there is not a significant difference in attendances much. In summary, our worship is varied in content, but clearly not as at the different services. ‘inspiring’ as some would like it to be. This movement towards more diverse forms of worship goes hand in hand with encouraging the We rarely have children except at the Family Service, where there maybe church family to be more open to embracing change – at least being 1 – 4. We would welcome more, but children rarely come unaccompanied supportive of giving new things a try and supporting each other in our by their parents or grandparents so how we approach this challenge endeavours to grow spiritually. needs some fresh thinking.

We are blessed to have a number of retired clergy and Readers. The We have a Worship and Nurture Group that, following the first survey, Readers, who are licensed to the Diocese, live in Harbury but minister has suggested some small changes to freshen up the services including in several churches. Their teaching styles are very different but with new service booklets for the Family Service and for Ordinary Time. Also the common theme that the teaching is engaging and challenging. we have just begun to introduce a fourth hymn as an alternative to the However, what we don’t seem able to do is inspire newcomers to walk Psalm (which is normally said) once a month. through the door of the church to worship with us. We recognise that more can be done in this area, perhaps by introducing Regarding music, we are currently seeking a new organist, but we also some new hymns or songs and occasionally experimenting with have a number of musicians playing a variety of instruments at the alternative forms of service. informal services. There are two choirs – one for formal services on 2nd and 4th Sunday mornings and another for the 3rd Sunday morning, We value the quality of preaching that we have been receiving and we although some sing in both. shall be looking for this to continue.

Page 21

Need-Oriented Outreach Harbury may appear a comfortable, middle class community, but there are hidden social, emotional and material needs and we could do with Our village-centred parish is small enough for “everybody to know having our eyes opened more to these. As a church, we do not visibly everybody”. Certainly, everyone who lives in the parish is known to a act together (apart from having a box to collect donations to the Food member of the Church, and if a need becomes known we will visit and Bank and the annual Christmas Fayre) to alleviate poverty. As a PCC and support as friends who happen to be Christian. There is a prayer list and church we are not very good at supporting poor areas in our world. tree in the Church which is regularly used.

Nevertheless, quite a number of church members are involved as active Some newer members of our congregation began participants in Mothers’ Union and other local, national and attending for wedding, baptism or confirmation international charitable work. However, as much is done privately, in preparations or for a funeral and having found a accordance with Scripture, we cannot be certain of the details; this is welcome are continuing to worship with us. We probably where the most positive difference is currently being made in view these occasional offices as valuable the community. opportunities. Inevitably, some drift away over time but there are opportunities here for follow up Some examples of work in the community (some started by individuals, by our new Priest and, with encouragement and but most now under auspices of the church or other charitable training, others in the congregation. organisations) are mentioned in the parish details above, but the Tom Hauley Room is available for other organisations to use for their own Other regular outreach events include Lent lunches, organised by church functions and fundraising e.g. Dementia café. members and open to all, and “beer and carols” in the Bell Inn in the run up to Christmas. As a church, we are also poor at meeting people’s faith needs when they begin to explore Christianity or wish to progress further with discipleship. However, there are some individuals who do invest time with enquirers and those wanting to progress, when they come across such need.

Page 22

Holistic Small Groups This is our highest Quality. There are currently 5 house groups that meet The Church has had a Home Group for about five years. This used to regularly. Each has its own particular meet fortnightly but is now monthly since we introduced “Pause and style according to the needs of its Pray”, which is on the first Monday evening of each month in the Church. members. These groups are largely Both of these are lay led and have a core attendance of around 10 – 12. self-sufficient and self-managing.

No formal training has been given in recent years, the encouragement coming from within the groups themselves. Mostly, the members take it in turns to prepare and lead the sessions. Probably less than 25% of the congregations are involved with the above groups – allowing for the fact that some people attend more than one.

There is also a monthly Powerhouse prayer group that meets in a The bell ringers (some of whom also attend services) practice weekly and house to pray specifically for the church and community ring the bells at Family Services and on special occasions. We have an occasional choir, led by Church members but which draws on other local singers to swell its numbers, which leads our Remembrance Day and Whilst not strictly a small group, nor a house group, two years ago a Carol Services and also performs a Good Friday choral work and anthems New-Monastic Community (Cairn) was set up and is based in the on special occasions. village. So far, this is largely made up by members of All Saints Harbury. This is a self-led group that desires to make God more central to their daily lives by establishing a personal rhythm of prayer and meditation along Celtic lines. It comes together about 4 times a year to share experiences and encouragement – and of course to enjoy shared food and wine!

Page 23

Effective Structures The current membership of the HPCC (12 members and 8 ex-officio members) is probably more diverse in views, styles and skillsets now The PCC currently comprises 2 wardens and 1 deanery synod rep ex than it has been in the past – and that has its advantages and officio and six elected members. The normal pattern has been to meet drawbacks. The atmosphere is fairly lively with open and frank views six times a year and we are continuing with this during the interregnum; being exchanged – but, more often than not, ends with accepted and it may be that the number of meetings can be reduced once our vacancy agreed outcomes. On the real plus side, the various strengths of the has been filled. membership mean that most matters can be led by someone with a solid understanding of the issue. Where they cannot, we usually know Our repair and heritage project is led by a volunteer project manager and someone who can. overseen by a steering team, which currently includes the Church Wardens, and reports regularly to PCC. This is likely to continue for the Inevitably the PCC finds it easier to discuss and agree on matters next three years and the support of our new Priest will be valued. involving Finance and Fabric, but we do have various subgroups whose mission it is to focus on the health and growth of the church. Naturally, We maintain a website presence on “A Church Near You”. the 8EQs have been an active topic over the past few years and various decisions related to Effective Structures have been made: Information We also contribute to Harbury & Ladbroke News Centre, Welcome Pack, changes to the way we communicate information, the Children’s Corner, changes in the structure of the Eucharist Service and the introduction of more contemporary services.

Effective Structures has always been at the bottom end of the pecking order, so we have worked hard at trying to raise the profile and understanding of the organisational and leadership structures we have in place e.g. Worship Group, Fabric Committee. Planning and execution is definitely stronger than the communication of what the ‘structures’ are doing – so we can safely say this is ‘still a work in progress’.

Prayer requests are channelled to the Verger who manages the prayer lists on behalf of the clergy.

We have worked hard to improve communication within the church

Page 24

over the past couple of years and have introduced a couple of initiatives that have gone some way to helping relevant information get to more people more quickly. We have a Communications Co-ordinator who ensures all important notices and the Pew Sheet are circulated to those who elect to be on the email distribution list. Another recent innovation is the Information Centre which provides a comfortable light space for parishioners and visitors to find out about what’s going on in the life of All Saints, Deanery and general activities.

However, one area that we have recognised is in need of reviewing is our website and we are now in the process of redesign (not an overnight fix) and reviewing how we will manage ongoing content. Information on services, activities and events is also regularly posted on Twitter and Facebook. We also have a regular spot in the monthly Harbury and Ladbroke News which is delivered by subscription to households or available in the Library - go to www.hlnews.co.uk to see archive copies

Page 25

Empowering Leadership

This is one of our lower EQs. However, through inspired recognition by According to our survey, this is one of our weaker areas, but there is no the previous incumbent of people’s gifts, strengths and passions, their suggestion of leadership feeling disempowered. Three factors that willingness to use those gifts, and the trust that he was willing to place possibly explain the lower ranking are: in them, the lay-led support has substantially increased. Consequently, The ministry team of associate clergy and lay readers who have and also as a result of adopting the 8 EQs, we have progressed supported our Priest in Charge and are supporting us during the spiritually and in faith. We are keen to continue this momentum. interregnum are entirely Harbury based. In our small church, many practical things such as cleaning, flowers and In recent years we have developed more contemporary services which rotas happen informally and collaboratively. The bell ringers, choir and are now led by either the Readers and/or lay members. We are the All Saints for All Generations Project are all effectively led by church extremely fortunate to have several church family members who are members. Some of these organisers may not even regard themselves as gifted in spiritual development, nurturing and pastoral care. However, leaders. we do little, well actually nothing recently, in terms of more formal There is little tradition of spiritual leadership training within the Church. training for those either in, or aspiring to, leadership roles, and this is The leaders of our Home Group and Pause and Pray have moved to the an area that we have identified needs to be addressed. village and brought their training and experience with them.

Page 26

Gift-Oriented Ministry Gift Oriented Ministry has been a real strength This quality has shown the second largest improvement between surveys throughout the life of the survey – just dropping to and is now deemed to be our greatest strength. It is interesting that our 2nd place. Many of our church family give their time survey responses recognise ministry more strongly than leadership; the and talents to serve both Christ and the wider Church congregation has a strong team spirit and will join in and support community in diverse ways from leading services to when things need to be done. ensuring the church looks beautiful to making cakes!

As a church family we are sufficiently aware of each other’s skills and gifts, in most cases, to know who to ask to be involved in various activities. However, there is no formal process for identifying or developing gifts, and this is an area that we could develop, both for the current congregation and any newcomers, so that we don’t miss out on the gifts new arrivals can bring. Passionate Spirituality This is our third highest Quality, but one that seems to produce the Seemingly in common with most Churches in our Diocese, this quality has most diverse opinions and reaction. There is a significant number who scored the lowest in both our surveys. Most of our congregation have have expressed a thirst to actively develop their spiritual life/closeness been churchgoers all their lives and to some the idea of being to God 24/7 and who will embrace changes and desire to try new “passionate” is perhaps slightly scary! We have a Home Group and more experiences to that end, whilst on the other hand there are those who recently a monthly “Pause and Pray” meeting in Church, which have given prefer to continue in their spiritual journey more privately. people an opportunity to share and to participate in open prayer, some Nevertheless, the love of Christ keeps us united. for the first time.

The former seek to develop their spirituality via Home Groups, the There is a recognition that we need to go deeper, but coupled with a Cairn Community, Quiet Days, and attending the diverse forms of hope that new ways will not disrespect the old. service and worship styles. In recent years, we have organised pilgrimages to Iona and Israel, and a retreat at Ffald y Brenin, all of which have inspired us and led to renewal of the Spirit in the church.

Page 27

We expect that, with the help of God, our relationship with Him will be closer with each passing year, but do not always acknowledge that we are part of this process. However, we are a church that is learning to lean on and depend upon God’s plan prayerfully – but this is still an area that we know we need to strengthen and develop. Whilst small prayer groups exist, they are not well attended. In summary there is room for significant improvement!

And finally, in terms of giving, we have a fairly generous congregation and our books balance – but there is little financial support encouraged across the wider church in respect of helping those in need in the locality – or indeed wider afield, including abroad although more recently, this has been an item for the PCC agenda – so we remain hopeful!

Page 28

The 8 Essential Qualities and Ufton Ufton has not carried out any 8EQ surveys. The parish has been in interregnum since 2015, and the PCC (all who have joined the group from 2016 onwards) have not had the capacity to carry out such developmental work. However, below are some thoughts from the current PCC around each quality in relation to Ufton.

Inspiring worship The focus of our worship is traditional. When we have tried new things the congregation have appeared open to this.

Effective structures We have a small PCC (currently made up of 2 church wardens and 1 member, with 4 further members expected to join in April).

In addition to this we receive support with our finances from the previous PCC treasurer and a building group, which is slowly moving to seek out potential future uses for the building beyond a monthly church service.

We also contribute to the monthly Ufton news and the Ufton website.

Empowering leadership Since mid-2015 we have been heavily reliant on support from our neighbours in Harbury to provide pastoral leadership in the way of leading services.

However, as churchwardens we have struggled to sustain leadership through this long period of interregnum and believe we and the PCC would serve better in our roles with support of an active priest to encourage growth in our church leadership capability.

Passionate spirituality We would love to have this as a strong quality, but feel there is far for us to go here.

Holistic small groups There are no holistic small groups in Ufton. Due to the size and scope of the work of the church in Ufton, a number of our congregation are members of small groups in neighbouring parishes.

Needs -oriented evangelism The majority of the work of the church in the village is around village events such as the Pancake race, lent lunch, village fete, harvest supper and Christmas punch party. This

Page 29

offers a wealth of opportunity to meet the community “where they are” and share the love of God in a more informal setting.

We have a tradition of charitable giving within the church. We collect for a number of causes both during services and in the community each year such as the Children’s Society, the Royal British Legion and the Leamington Night Shelter. However, there is more we could do to offer practical help, much of our charitable focus is around financial rather than practical giving or outreach focus.

Loving relationships We are a small community, of which many villagers have been a part for a long period of time. As a church congregation we respect each other and care for each other. In recent years we have instituted refreshments at the end of services to allow us to spend more time with each other as people within the church.

Gift-based ministry We believe there is great opportunity to grow people’s confidence in their own gifts and use these to further God’s work in our community and beyond.

Page 30

Appendix 2 Sunday Services

1st Sunday 2nd Sunday 3rd Sunday 4th Sunday 5th Sunday HARBURY: 8 00am Said Communion Said Communion Said Communion Usually as 2nd 9.00 am Said Communion Sunday without with sermon Messy church 10.30 am Little Saints* Sung communion Saints Alive* Sung Communion & children’s church & children’s church 3 – 5 pm Messy Church 6 pm Various styles: e.g. Evensong Informal worship BCP, Celtic, Taize, with Bible teaching Healing. Some lay-led LADBROKE: 9.00 am Sung Communion BCP Communion Sung Communion Said Communion 10.30 am Family communion UFTON: 10.30 am Monthly service currently co-ordinated around ministry availability and major Christian events

*Saints Alive – all-age communion, partly lay-led; informal and largely contemporary; not robed; Little Saints – for families with toddlers and youngsters (includes breakfast). Lay-led

Generally, all morning services (apart from 3rd Sunday 10.30) and Tuesday evening are robed. There are teams of servers at Harbury who robe according to the service, but numbers are dwindling and those who would join do not wish to robe.

ICON – the youth group, meets 2 or 3 times a month in the Tom Hauley Room (behind the church in Harbury) on Sunday evenings as a get-together for teenagers for food, games and ‘discussion of big questions’.

Page 31

Average Attendance Actual numbers at Harbury can fluctuate over 3 years – 2017-19 inc. significantly 8 am 20 ) excluding Christmas and Easter services; 9am 57 ) Harbury Carol Service averages 440 Harbury 10.30 am 69 ) 6 pm 17 ) Messy Church – 35-40 and growing Ladbroke 9 & 10.30 am 26 Ufton 21 Can reach 50 for special services

Other services and activities

There are special services and events such as Beer & Carols in the local pub, Advent and Lent courses, etc

Harbury Ladbroke Ufton Baptisms Weddings Funerals Baptisms Weddings Funerals Baptisms Weddings Funerals 2017 9 2 8 6 1 6 2 2 2 2018 15 5 17 4 1 5 2 1 3 2019 12 3 13 3 3 1 0 0 2

Harbury has church Godmothers who prepare the font, welcome the baptism party on arrival and assist in the service. A lay-led team also carry out home visits when a baptism is requested.

At Harbury: Morning office is said in the Lady Chapel, 8.30 daily during the week. Apart from Intercessions on Sunday mornings (led on a rota by clergy and congregation members), as stated above, there seems to be a reluctance to meet as a church for prayer. Tuesday, 7.30 pm – said communion – average attendance: 12 Thursday, 9.45 am – said communion in the THR followed by coffee - average attendance 15 (and growing)

At Ladbroke: First Monday of the month: “Pause and Pray” 7.00 – 8.00 p.m. (in Church) Third Monday of the month: Home Group Page 32

Appendix 3 Finance & Stewardship

The table below summarises our financial positions. Full sets of accounts are available for the last three years. All clergy expenses are met.

From 2019 accounts Harbury Ladbroke Ladbroke Ufton (unless otherwise stated) Excluding AS4AG AS4AG (2018)

£ £ £ General Income 21,890 16,435 25,000 2,689 Planned Giving 55,439 14,326 3,597 7,725 Gift-Aid 14,595 2,789 6,150 Fundraising (eg fetes) 1,303 541 1,552 2,984 Grants 243 TOTAL INCOME 93,227 34,091 36,542 13,398 General Expenditure 41,350 28,967 28,641 4,419 Parish Share Contribution 51,335 11,278 TOTAL EXPENDITURE 92,685 40,245 28,641 Unrestricted Reserves 15,055 37,149 28,328 Restricted Reserves 20,009 5,911 126,834 20,537 Any special considerations, future See buildings section expenditure etc?

Further notes overleaf:

Page 33

Harbury and Ladbroke have been jointly paying a full parish share, plus an additional £5,500 to Southam Deanery as a contribution to other churches. We recognise that other churches are unable to pay their way and we are willing and happy to help fund their mission.

Harbury figures above exclude any income or expenditure that has gone through the restricted funds. 2019: £6,940 spent on children’s corner and Information centre and refurbishment of weather vane.

Harbury has an annual Christmas Fair, the proceeds on the day go towards Church expenses but the raffle, which last year raised £2,356, goes to causes such as the local hospice or the air ambulance.

As detailed elsewhere in the profile, Ladbroke’s All Saints for All Generations Project is raising very significant restricted funds. In view of their size these have been separated out in the table above. Ladbroke’s general expenditure in 2019 includes £10,000 for the purchase of a PA system, most of which was funded by special donations.

Ufton has been in interregnum since 2015 and Ufton parish has not formally paid a parish share since 2018 but has continued to make a donation to Southam deanery (just over £1,000 in 2019).

In a period of continued uncertainty Ufton PCC has maintained a prudent approach to finances undertaking only essential works to the church building. We anticipate the building group formed in 2019 will be progressing more forward looking developments in the near future.

Page 34

Appendix 4

Page 35