Parish Profile To know Christ and Contents make Christ known

Preface from Bishop Christopher...... 3 A Message from our Churchwardens 4

Parish Life...... 5 Values...... 6 Vision...... 7 Input Received from Parishioners...... 8 The Vicar We Are Looking For...... 10 What We Offer...... 11

The Parish...... 12 Prayer and Worship...... 15 Children and Families...... 17 Youth...... 18 Pastoral Care...... 19 Parish Leadership...... 20 Buildings...... 22 The Parish in the Community...... 24 Wider Church Community...... 25 Finances...... 26 Further Information...... 28

The photographs on the front cover show St. Edmund's on the left and Holy Rood on the right. The boxed comments and Bible verses used throughout the profile are from parishioners' suggestions. The profile is best viewed using Adobe Acrobat Reader. Preface from To know Christ and Bishop Christopher make Christ known

Crofton Parish consists of two churches equally committed to making Christ known in the community. Holy Rood is large and lively, encompassing a full spread of ages while St Edmund is of a more traditional character. Crofton is a very significant parish in the deanery and diocese, with Holy Rood being one of our largest churches, with the potential to be a resourcing/planting church for the deanery and beyond. As such, I anticipate that the new Vicar will be a gifted individual who has a lot to contribute to our wider life.

Thanks to the previous incumbent's enabling approach to ministry and the eager­ ness of the people to serve, the parish enjoys strong lay leadership and engages well with the local community. Located within the evangelical tradition of the Church of England, the parish is well integrated into the wider life of the diocese. As such it represents all that is best in the evangelical tradition: good quality wor­ ship, intelligent Bible based teaching, and open heartedness in outreach and diocesan and deanery engagement.

The priest will take their place in a diverse and collegial deanery. Indeed, one of the many blessings of belonging within a small diocese is the rapidity and ease with which friendships form between people of very different churchmanship, styles of ministering and personal backgrounds. I look forward to licensing a priest of calibre to this very special congregation, community and diocese.

+ Christopher A Message from our To know Christ and Churchwardens make Christ known

Thank you for taking the time to download and read this Parish Profile.

Within the limited space available we’ve attempted to paint a picture of the Parish as it is at the start of 2016. We hope that as you read it, you may be excited enough to test whether God is calling you to serve alongside us and lead us forward into a new season of discipleship and mission – knowing Christ, and making Christ known.

We feel blessed to live in this lovely coastal parish of around 16,000 people, covering the communities of Stubbington and Hill Head in the borough of Fareham, with Portsmouth to the east, and Southampton to the west.

Discipleship and mission are priorities for our ministry; what we want now is to go further, deeper, wider, taking seriously our parish motto and living up to it. Our congregations are made up of people of all ages; our churchmanship is evangelical with our styles of worship varying from relaxed traditional to very informal; but more importantly, our desire is to recognise what God is doing in this parish and be ministers in His mission, that through the gifts and the fruit of the Holy Spirit we might see lives transformed for God’s glory. Do read on. You will see that although we have been blessed by God And so ­ if you would relish the challenges and the rewards of ministering there is still much to do. We pray that it will inspire you to take that next in a large, multi­generational parish, to congregations of varying worship step of testing whether you are called to serve here in Crofton. And we styles; if you are Spirit­led, evangelical, willing to lead by example; if you pray too that if you feel it is right, you may respond like Samuel and say, are gifted in leading, in inspiring others and communicating God’s word, “Here I am, Lord, send me”. then we would love to hear from you. Yours in Christ, For our part, we will offer you our genuine love, our encouragement and l and our support through the highs and the inevitable lows of parish life. In a spirit of unity, humility and love we would strive to listen to God and to Churchwardens, on behalf of those in Crofton each other as we work together to bring in His Kingdom in this place. who know Christ, and of those who do not – yet. To know Christ and Parish Life make Christ known

Worship in the parish takes place in two churches, Holy Rood and numbers and depth of discipleship. St. Edmund's also known as Crofton Old Church. The electoral roll for the parish is currently 365; while there are another 350 people on the parish There are either three or four services contacts list. held in the parish on a Sunday, with a number of smaller congregations Holy Rood, the larger of the churches, is located centrally and has the meeting mid­week. There are also parish centre attached to it; the majority of services and other meetings twenty small groups that meet for take place in the Holy Rood complex. study and prayer during the week.

St. Edmund's church dates from the 12th century. It has been substantially The pastoral care of members and renovated over the last twenty years and has seen an increase In both those linked to the parish is import­ ant. There is a high proportion of re­ tired people in the parish and this is reflected in the parish activities.

However our ministry to youth, children and families also has a high priority. There is a full range of children’s and youth activities on a Sunday. During the week other groups aimed at drawing families and youth into faith meet, including a well­established Messy Church. Three lay people are employed to facilitate the work amongst youth, children and families.

The staff team has increased to 13 in recent years. It is the LORD your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him. Deuteronomy 13 v 4 A service at Holy Rood on the left, and St. Edmunds on the right. To know Christ and OurValues make Christ known

Crofton Parish has a well­established evangelical tradition going back A Kingdom­Focused Life because… more than 50 years. The expression of these core beliefs has been We are subject to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and are fully committed to constantly developing as the members of the parish seek to know Christ actively seeking, respectfully proclaiming and joyfully celebrating the better and to make Christ known to the ever changing local community. growth of His Kingdom in each and every aspect of life.

With the belief that having shared values is an important aspect of parish A Spirit­Empowered Life because… life which will help in the fulfilment of our vision, a set of core values was We are active in seeking the presence, pleasure and purposes of God for developed in 2007. Since then our members have regularly confirmed all people and thus eagerly desire the fullness of the Holy Spirit in the life their aim to live: of the parish so that we may clearly and maturely display the glory of Christ. A Word­Centred Life because… We are confident in the living authority and trustworthiness of the Bible as A Fully­Consecrated Life because… God’s written word in all matters of faith and lifestyle and, consequently, We are dedicated to being and to making disciples of Jesus Christ whose we believe that Jesus Christ himself is the complete and eternal Word of daily lives are marked by ongoing and intentional growth in Christian God to humanity. maturity.

A Compassion­Motivated Life because… We are motivated by the love of God and by the example of Jesus Christ For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one to work for local, national and global justice both in human society and died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that with respect to the environment, which is God’s creation. those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him A Prayer­Filled Life because… who died for them and was raised again. We are committed to personal and corporate prayer and worship 2 Corinthians 5 v 14-15 (including the sacraments of baptism and Holy Communion) as a vital means of living intimacy with God and the wellspring of all ministry, mission and maturity in Christ. To know Christ and Our Vision make Christ known

In 2009 the PCC approved a 5 year Vision statement which had three In February 2015 this vision was reviewed and refreshed. The three strands main strands:­ were still thought to be very relevant for the parish and three particular areas for development were discerned by the PCC:­ To be a resourcing parish This has been worked out in many ways including Men’s days, hosting Communications Worship Central courses, small group leader training days, preaching It was recognised that good internal, as well as external, communications training and Acorn listening courses. The 10% Mission ‘tithe’ provides are required in larger churches. There has been a review of most forms financial support to groups and individuals. of communications and the website has been redeveloped.

To be intentional disciples Discipleship Parish members have been encouraged to be accountable for their The PCC added two new discipleship emphases. These are to develop spiritual growth, rather than just attending on a Sunday. This has been relationships with those on the fringe and those with whom we have enabled by encouraging mentoring and small group ‘accountability’, occasional contact and to develop ‘hospitality’ as distinct from growing small groups including those for young people, supporting welcome. sermon follow­up and teaching a whole life focus including time spent at work. There is recognition of people’s different learning styles reflected in Partnership the congregations. The final priority was to increase the part we play in the wider church by developing stronger partnerships with other churches and organisations. To do church in different ways We have developed a multiple congregational approach. A congre­ Over the last six years these statements have helped shape the direction gation is associated with a particular Sunday or mid­week service, and is of the parish activities in many ways. We recognise though that although led by a congregational team that includes licensed and lay members. God's message remains the same its presentation continues to develop Each congregation has its distinctive style, but is still very much part of the to be relevant and understandable in the current setting. We are parish family. As well as leading the worship service the congregational therefore looking forward to working with our new vicar in developing our team seeks to encourage mission, discipleship and pastoral care. This vision for the next phase in the life of Crofton parish. development of this model is continuing; some areas have worked better than others. It is expected that there will be reviews and changes when the new incumbent is in place. "I think Holy Rood is a really lovely, lively church and I pray that we can build on the foundations we have inherited without becoming complacent and comfortable." A lady member of more than 35 years Input Received from To know Christ and Parishioners ... make Christ known

To help create the Parish Profile, Crofton Parish congregations were For the first question far more people gave positive aspects of the church asked to express their views by completing a questionnaire. They than gave negatives. The positives covered a wide range of areas; provided answers to three questions – however the welcoming friendly nature of the parish, the variety of styles • Think about Crofton Parish as it is now. Can you identify a positive a of worship and the combined total of the areas that make up the local negative or both? mission of the parish stood out. The range of the positives mentioned can • Consider how Holy Rood and St. Edmund's churches may look in the be seen in this word cloud of the results. future and the direction you hope they will take. Please summarise The positive aspects of Crofton Parish are: your thoughts. • What should we look for in our new vicar? What are your top three priorities? The questionnaire also gave the chance for people to comment or sug­ gest a Bible passage they thought relevant. Some of these have been include in the profile.

We were pleased to receive over 140 responses with significant numbers from both Holy Rood and St. Edmund's churches.

Crofton Parish should focus on spreading the good news, creating positive relations, being accessible to the community and focus on and encourage the youth! There was a range of negatives suggested; however most were mentioned by only a handful of people or less. Those that did have a A teenage girl more significant number of mentions were that the parish could experience more of God’s Holy Spirit at work, that there could be more Biblical teaching and that there could be more 16 to 40 year olds in the parish. ... Input Received from To know Christ and Parishioners make Christ known

The second question asked people to say what they hoped for in the In Crofton Parish in the future I would like to see ... future for the parish. Here the responses could be distilled down to a more narrow range of areas.

Not surprisingly there was a hope for the parish to continue in the areas that had already been mentioned in the previous question as good aspects of the parish. The largest desire by far, with over 40% of the responses, was to see growth through the parish’s missional work in the local community. This word cloud illustrates what people wanted to see in the future.

The feedback received from question 3 ­ What we should look for in our next vicar ­ is covered in the chapter which describes the vicar we are looking for.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3 v 20 – 21 May our churches seek God’s will and continue to follow our vision to be resourcing churches, intentional disciples and Please note that the word clouds in this section indicate the frequency of the response by reaching out into the community with God’s love. the size of the phrase; however a log scale is used so that the less frequent responses are not lost, but this does mean the more frequent responses are not as proportionately large as A male member in his 70s they would be if an arithmetic scale were used. The Vicar We Are To know Christ and Looking For make Christ known

We have formed our views on the qualities we should be seeking in our should be comfortable and experienced in leading traditional next vicar through asking for opinions from the congregations and services as well as modern, informal services where people are considering these both by the group working on the Parish Profile and at encouraged to participate using all the gifts of the Holy Spirit. a special PCC morning of prayer and deliberation. We were thankful 5. Someone who demonstrates that they aspire to live according to that the opinions expressed throughout this process showed agreement values that match those of Crofton Parish as described on page 6; on the qualities listed below. and by their example encourages others to do the same.

We are very aware that, because we are a large, busy parish that is It is desirable that our next vicar either is or could grow to be: involved in many diverse activities, it would be easy to ask for too much in 6. Someone with proven managerial and administrative abilities and our next vicar. We have therefore separated the qualities we are looking good personal organisational skills who will be able to flourish in a for into those that we believe are essential when appointed and others large parish with lots happening. that would be very useful to have when appointed but that could be 7. Someone with good pastoral and listening skills and able to develop developed during their time in the parish. pastoral teams. Although the vicar of Crofton Parish will not have the time to cover all pastoral needs. Our next vicar must be: 8. Someone who is able to participate in the formal and informal areas 1. Someone with proven visionary and inspirational leadership skills, of the village community, bringing the love of God into each who recognises God’s leading and can communicate it to the situation. parish in a manner that gains their support and involvement. 9. Someone who is able to relate to the 15 to 40 year old age groups 2. Someone who is secure in their own calling and gifting from God and has the gifts to grow our ministry in this area themselves and / or and able to encourage, enable and rejoice in the full use of the through the deployment of others. gifts and talents of the staff team and church members as partners in ministry. They should be willing to learn from others and delegate We are a Bible based, evangelical, church who wish to reach out responsibilities as appropriate. to the community. We have believed and trusted in the past 3. Someone who has shown the ability to communicate the biblical and God has provided the right vicar for the time. We believe message in appropriate, challenging ways ­ particularly in preach­ and trust that he will do so again. ing, but also to small groups, in conversation and using a variety of A lady in her 80s different media – enabling the parish to know Christ and make Christ known. 4. Someone with the breadth of experience to be willing to invest prayer, energy and time to all sections of the parish’s worshipping community, sensitively encouraging all to grow. In particular they To know Christ and What We Offer make Christ known

Personal support The Vicarage

The new incumbent of Crofton Parish can expect to be supported by an The vicarage was built in 1983 in the grounds of an older vicarage. It is enthusiastic staff team (including a full time administrator and part time set at the end of a cul­de­sac in a plot of about one third of an acre. The assistant) and by a parish that believes in every member ministry. Vicarage is well situated, being about a five minutes walk from Stubbington Village Centre and Holy Rood Church. The members of the parish value their incumbent and understand that training, reading and personal development will result in the parish being The vicarage has a lounge, dining room, kitchen, utility room and study enriched. Leading a large parish such as Crofton can be demanding, so plus four bedrooms. The garden is mainly laid to lawn with mature shrubs we believe it is important for our incumbent to take time for prayer and and trees. The vicarage has been well maintained having had new study as well as protecting the time set aside for family, days off and double glazing, new kitchen and new bathroom fitted in the last five holidays. years. To know Christ and The Parish ... make Christ known

Both Stubbington and Hill Head are still classified as villages; although the Figures obtained from the 2011 census indicate an approximate total extensive housing developments since the 1960s means they now have population for the parish of 16,000. the appearance of suburbs. The local population is proud of its village status though, and there is a strong desire to maintain the village com­ Stubbington and Crofton were both mentioned in the Domesday Book. munity lifestyle. Stubbington gradually dominated Crofton and Hill Head, which was once a small fishing village, but the name of Crofton remains in use locally in connection with schools and other community resources, and, of course, the parish. To know Christ and ... The Parish ... make Christ known

Stubbington has a shopping centre built around a small green and a wooden War Memorial which was built in 1922 in memory of locals who died in the Great War. There are a range of individual and chain shops, including two supermarkets. Other facilities include a doctors’ surgery and a dental practice. Good state and private schools, a library and a well­used community centre and an attractive park are to be found nearby.

Hill Head borders Stubbington. It has a shingle beach which was one of the loading zones for D­Day invasions during the Second World War. Un­ like Stubbington, it does not have a village centre. Nowadays it is a pop­ ular area for sailing, windsurfing and kite surfing and is the home of two sailing clubs. Part of Titchfield Haven National Nature Reserve lies within Hill Head.

Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’ Matthew 28 v 18 – 20 To know Christ and ... The Parish make Christ known

In the North­East corner of the parish there is part of the naval training establishment HMS Collingwood and part of an extensive retail park, in­ cluding an ASDA superstore. This is the only area of significant employ­ ment in the parish. Most people commute to large business parks in Fareham and Whiteley or slightly further afield to Portsmouth and Southampton.

The former Royal Navy Airstation, HMS Daedalus, (Lee­on­the­Solent Air­ field), which falls within the Eastern edge of the parish, has recently been made an enterprise zone and extensive industrial and business develop­ ment is planned.

There are provisional plans to build a Stubbington bypass across the North and East areas of the parish; new housing could come with this, resulting in the parish population further expanding, bringing new opportunities for the parish. To know Christ and Prayer and Worship ... make Christ known

Crofton Parish is a lively community of God with This has been a key way of introducing people around two thirds of the church members living in outside the church to the Christian faith. It has been the parish. Members come from a wide variety of enormously successful. We have also successfully denominational backgrounds. used Christianity Explored and a home­grown sequel called Beta. It is expected that the new incumbent Our values have already been described in a would be fully supportive of continuing to run these, previous section (see page 6); this section describes or similar, programmes that explain to, and some of the ways these values are being lived out challenge people with, the good news of the in the ongoing life of the parish. Gospel.

Worship in the Parish occurs in two church buildings: Holy Rood has a number of congregations of all Holy Rood and St Edmund’s (Crofton Old Church). Services range from ages who meet both on Sundays and mid­week. Refreshments are the informal and charismatic to the traditional and liturgical, with music served at all Sunday services. being provided by a music group or organ. Prayer ministry is available after most of the services.

Over the years we have enjoyed a high standard of Biblical preaching with the Gospel and the claims that Jesus makes upon our lives presented in a practical and challenging manner, and with an emphasis on whole­ life discipleship. We were strongly influenced by the charismatic renewal movement and continue to receive teaching on the need to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Members of the congregation regularly attend a variety of larger gatherings, such as New Wine and Spring Harvest and there are good links with the other churches in Stubbington.

We have run an annual Alpha course for more than twenty years. To know Christ and ... Prayer and Worship make Christ known

St Edmund’s has a largely traditional and church. During the summer months there is a monthly discussion group. committed congregation, though some members of the congregation also In addition to the above, there are a number of special services worship at Holy Rood. throughout the year in the parish including adult baptism or the renewal of baptism vows either in the sea or in church, confirmation, Christingle, Over the past twenty years there has carol services, a Thanksgiving and Remembrance service for the been significant renewal and spiritual bereaved and Remembrance Day Service at the Village Memorial. We growth and for some years there has also have a regular monthly Messy Church Service. been a service every Sunday. There are now around 100 people on the worship­ We are generally relaxed about ceremonial and robes are not worn at per list. either the 9.30 am or 6.30 pm services at Holy Rood. At other services choir dress is typically worn. Whilst the Friends of Crofton Old Church (FOCOC) maintain the building, a well­established congregational team looks after the spiritual life of the

Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3 v 16-17

The St. Edmund the Martyr window in St. Edmunds church. To know Christ and Children and Families make Christ known

The parish puts significant emphasis on the work with families and children as well as with the work with young people. The parish employs a part time families and children worker and a part time assistant to facilitate this work.

Sunday morning groups for children are run at Holy Rood and are based around the CPAS CYPECS system, with Creche, Scramblers, Climbers and Explorers running during the 9.30 service. There are approximately 40 children on the registers.

Little Fish is a thriving mother (or other carer) and toddler group run on Wednesday and Thursday mornings. There are currently around 60 famil­ ies attending these groups, which are supplemented by a monthly Who Let the Dads Out group on a Saturday morning.

For the past 5 years the parish has been running a monthly Messy Church, which has been very successful and is regularly attended by around 100 people, including around 20 helpers. This year we held our first Messy Church baptism.

For around two thirds of the families who attend Little Fish and Messy Church, it is their only contact with the parish churches. There is a con­ cern that although a good number of families are attending Little Fish and Messy Church we are not seeing many coming to faith. To know Christ and Youth make Christ known

The youth work in the parish is based at Holy Rood and is branded as the Two weekends away are run annually for the young people and a group Ignite Ministry. It is overseen by a full­time lay youth worker. is taken to Soul Survivor.

Pyros (11­14) and CYFA (14­18) meet on Sunday mornings. Once a month the youth organise a Saturday evening youth service which is attended by the young people from a number of churches in the area.

The young people who attend appreciate the activities and ministry provided. Many also participate in the life of the church by playing in worship groups, helping with sound and visuals for services or by assisting as sidespeople. There is concern however that numbers have been dropping throughout the age range.

Flame is a weekly after­school club aimed at local school children with games and a low­key Christian message. We really appreciate the excellent youth work that our son has There is a weekly drop in centre called Beacon, this is a group aimed at experienced over the last 10 years, in particular the great the unchurched young people of the village which meets in the Parish Centre on a Thursday evening. Here we aim to provide a safe place relationships that he has with the adults that are involved in where they can play games and enjoy refreshments and there are youth work. They have given him a solid grounding which will activities to express the love of Jesus. be with him for life. Mother in her 40s We run an annual Youth Alpha course, and there are weekly small groups for the young people, mirroring the adult home groups. To know Christ and Pastoral Care make Christ known

Small Groups and appreciated by bereaved families. There is also a monthly support There are currently 20 small groups, meeting in homes and other locat­ group called ‘Cup of Tea and Company’. ions. Around 200 people meet each week with another 150 linked pastorally. These groups play an essential part in the nurture, care and Work amongst the elderly spiritual growth of church members. Among the activities that offer care for the elderly are a monthly ‘Good Companions Club’, a twice monthly Sunday lunch club, a weekly coffee Baptism morning and a midweek service. groups take services in several of the Infant baptisms usually take place during the Holy Rood 9.30am service. old peoples’ homes, while another team take home communion around We also offer services of Thanksgiving and Dedication. the parish.

Adult baptisms can be by sprinkling, by immersion in a baptism tank or in The ASK Team the sea. People can also renew their baptism vows. The Acts of Support and Kindness (ASK) team provide practical help for people in the parish. The help provided includes visiting, providing trans­ In all cases preparation has been conducted by the clergy. port to hospital appointments, shopping, help with form filling, DIY and gardening. Confirmation Confirmation services are shared by all churches in the Deanery. A short Men’s Ministry preparation course is run by the clergy. To encourage men in their faith there are discussion and social meetings. We hold regular outsider friendly men’s breakfasts, to which men are Marriage Preparation encouraged to bring non­Christian friends and neighbours. Along with other local churches we support the ‘Love and Cherish’ marriage preparation course which is run by Fareham Community Mothers’ Union Church. Our MU branch was set up 123 years ago by Mary Sumner. There are currently 30 members who meet for a MU meeting and for a communion For those wishing to remarry following a divorce, we offer an interview service each month. procedure involving two staff members. This has been very successful in offering good pastoral care and support.

Care for the Bereaved After initial contact by the clergy and Readers, there is a bereavement team who visit those recently bereaved. Each year there is a Thanksgiving and Remembrance Service which is always well attended To know Christ and Parish Leadership ... make Christ known

With a wide­ranging ministry, a collaborative style of leadership between fixed term contract. We expect the long term staffing of the Children ordained and lay members has been found to be the most appropriate and Families work to be decided when the new incumbent is in place.] for Crofton Parish. The format and composition of the leadership struct­ ure has developed over the years as the ministry of the parish has Congregational Teams changed. The following reflect the current situation after changes made in early 2015. Congregations have a leadership team that consists of one staff team member and several lay members. Their aim is to:­ The Staff Team • Maintain the distinctive nature of the congregation whilst being part of the whole parish. Staff members who attend the weekly staff meeting: • Oversee collective prayer and worship and teaching • Vicar (now vacant) • Encourage relationships and learning together as a congregation • Assistant Curate serving his title and in smaller groups. • SSM Assistant Curate • Encourage Christian gifts and service within the congregation and • Reader with permission to officiate (who is also sub­warden of across the congregations (eg Alpha, Youth groups) St. Edmund's and largely serves there) • Oversee welcome and pastoral care of existing and new members • Administrator (salaried, full time) • Foster ways of growing numerically and encourage transitions to new • Lay Youth Worker (salaried, full time) congregations. • Children and Families Worker (salaried, 21 hours p/w)

Other staff members: • Reader with permission to officiate You did not choose me, but I chose you and • An active retired priest with permission to officiate appointed you so that you might go and bear • Treasurer’s Assistant (salaried, 12 hours p/w) fruit – fruit that will last – and so that whatever • Administrative Assistant (salaried, 17.5 hours p/w) you ask in my name the Father will give you. • Children and Families Support Worker (salaried, 7 hours p/w) John 15 v 16 • Caretaker for Holy Rood Church and Parish Centre (salaried, 10 hours p/w)

[Until the start of the vacancy there were two Children and Family workers, however after one left the PCC decided not to appoint a replacement immediately, but rather to appoint a support worker on a To know Christ and ... Parish Leadership make Christ known

Lay ‘Parish Wide’ area lead roles PCC

These roles oversee areas that span wider than any one congregational The PCC is the policy making body of the parish; it meets ten times a team or do not directly come under any of the staff team responsibilities year. • Small Group Coordinator – This role provides a link between the clergy and small group leaders and members. • Mission Coordinator – This role covers both regular mission activities such as Alpha and also one off events. • Pastoral Coordinator – This role oversees such activities as visiting residential homes, bereavement care, and social events for single/ older people. • Communications Manager – A new role that is looking into how Crofton currently makes use of communications both internally and externally and how we can do this well.

The church of Holy Rood is the people, we have been blessed over many years with gifted people who love the Lord … A lady in her 60's

The PCC at an "away day". To know Christ and Buildings ... make Christ known

Holy Rood St Edmund’s

Holy Rood, the larger of the two churches, was built during 1878 in typical Mentioned in the Domesday Book, this small church building is in Victorian style. Since a fire in 1968 it has undergone a variety of changes excellent repair and is cared for by the Friends of Crofton Old Church internally, and in 1996 was completely re­ordered to allow for greater (FOCOC). There has been considerable flexibility, with a warm friendly interior. In its current form the church can renovation in recent years, including a seat 300, with room for about 50 extra seats when required. £250,000 new roof, a new heating system, and a small extension, containing kitchen Seating within the church is a facilities and a toilet. Recently, several mixture of pews in the centre significant legacies have been gifted to St and chairs in the side aisles. Edmund’s. These should cover all required The pews can be moved, renovation for the next 10 to 20 years at allowing the church to be used least. for social events for the whole church membership. The Quinquennial inspection is due in September 2015, but is not expected to In the last few months, a sub­ require significant works. St Edmund’s has committee of the PCC has its own churchyard. St Edmund’s is very been formed to develop a new popular for weddings and funerals due to vision for the interior of the church. This is intended to result in an its picturesque setting, and FOCOC often affordable multi­year plan. There is an opportunity for the new incumbent arrange extra activities that make use of to shape the process and outcome. the church. In 2014 there were 9 wed­ dings and 18 funerals held in the church. The exterior of the church is generally in good condition and although a Quinquennial inspection is due in 2016, few surprises are expected. There is no burial ground.

In 2014 there were 10 weddings and 20 funerals conducted in the church. At festival times the building is frequently used by schools and uniformed organisations. It is also used by community groups for charity concerts. To know Christ and ... Buildings make Christ known

Parish Centre enlarged, commercial standard kitchen has been installed and some decoration of the most used areas is underway. The Parish Centre, built in 1991, is attached to the East end of Holy Rood church and is used extensively by parish and community organisations. Contract cleaners are employed to clean the Centre.

The Centre comprises a large main hall, a number of smaller meeting Regular users of the Parish Centre include a pre­school, parent and rooms, kitchen and toilet facilities. The Parish Administrator's office and toddler groups and youth groups plus other church and community reception area is located off the main vestibule which is shared between groups. The centre is also often used for one off events, such as children's the church and centre. Externally the centre is in good condition. parties and community action meetings.

Due to its heavy use, the Centre is subject to wear and tear internally. In In 2014 the income from centre room hire amounted to £13,000. the last two years the heating system has been replaced, a new, Foster Charity buildings

The incumbent and churchwardens of the parish are the trustees of the Foster Charity. The charity (set up in 1913) owns a small suite of buildings next to Holy Rood church. Rent from the buildings is used for the benefit of the poor and needy of Stubbington.

PCC Owned House

The PCC owns a nearby house which is often occupied by a training curate. The current curate lives in a local diocesan house so the PCC house is let at present. The Parish in the To know Christ and Community make Christ known

In the past five years we have worked hard to reach out into the local Community events organised by the parish include Christmas Live Nativity community and have established good links with the local organisations, and St. Edmund's two Christmas Eve children’s services which are attend­ such as schools, village traders and nursing homes. We hope to continue ed by around 400 people. to develop this further in the future. The parish takes stalls at village fetes and there are occasional parish Areas where the parish is involved in the local community, which have fetes. not been mentioned elsewhere, are:

Cubs and scouts – Holy Rood has attached Beavers, Cubs and Scouts packs who attend key services several times a year. There are also links with the local Brownies and Guides.

Schools ­ In the parish there are two infant schools, two junior schools, a comprehensive school, an independent (3­16) school and a secondary school for young people who experience learning difficulties and autism; none of the schools are church affiliated. The comprehensive school runs a Christian Union which is now a joint venture with the parish and attended regularly by one of the staff team. Over the years there has been parish involvement in all these schools with assemblies and lessons taken by clergy or staff.

Acorn pre­school is a self­financing organisation with a Christian heritage which meets in the Parish Centre

Stubbington Green traders – the traders regularly contribute to the Christmas lunch. With help from the parish they organise a village carol service on the Green which attracts over 1000 people. Wider Church To know Christ and Community make Christ known

Diocesan activities The Deanery is currently considering how best to implement collaborative working between parishes. Portsmouth Diocese operates a link scheme with Anglican Province of Ghana in West Africa (IDWAL). As part of this link, Crofton Parish has an Ecumenical activities active link with a church in Ghana. Over the last few years a number of parish members have visited this church and supported Ghanaian The parish is active in ecumenical activities with the other churches in ministers and church members visiting the UK. Last year a group of Stubbington. There are regular fraternal meetings attended by Crofton teenagers went to help with various practical jobs which they representatives of the Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist and found to be a very educational experience. independent churches. Regular events include an open air service on Good Friday in the village centre, the week of prayer for Christian Unity Crofton Parish is a supporter of the Diocesan Mission Opportunities Fund and a Lent Course. and has both contributed to and benefited from this.

Several Crofton Parish members serve on Diocesan Synod and its committees. He says, Deanery activities ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, Members of Crofton Parish are active in deanery matters with a full take I will be exalted in the earth.' up of places on Deanery Synod. Each year parishes of Fareham Deanery Psalm 46 v 10 sign a covenant. The focus of this document is reviewed each year.

The new incumbent will be expected to offer two days a month in the support of the aims of the Deanery Plan. The actual area of support is to be agreed with the Area Dean and can be matched to a passion of the incumbent.

Fareham Deanery Synod approved a Ministry Deployment Plan in February 2014. It should be noted that although this plan proposes some reorganisation of clergy over the coming years, it is planned that Crofton Parish will still have a full time incumbent in 2030. To know Christ and Parish Finances ... make Christ known

Crofton parish is in a good position financially with cash reserves of around £240,000 as well as owning a house. However there are chal­ lenges as expenditure exceeded unrestricted income last year.

Some generous legacies and the kitchen refurbishment mask the underlying trends in the accounts. Congregational giving has been dropping slightly each year, although in 2014 the giving to the kitchen refubishment made up for this drop. The increase in staff is the notable increase in expenditure. The mission and outreach spend may appear to be low, but most of the increase in staffing has been directed to improving the parish's outreach.

If the legacies received in 2014 were removed, the accounts would show that expenditure was higher than income. This was largely due to several capital projects occurring in the same year, although these were offset in part by specific giving and grants. Since 2014 legacies have been placed in a designated account to allow how they are spent to be tracked. A considerable drop in unrestricted cash was therefore seen in 2014.

There are no large projects planned for 2015. To know Christ and ... Parish Finances make Christ known

Finance Committee This committee consists of the vicar, treasurer, wardens, administrator and treasurer’s assistant. It meets 4 times a year and typically spends its time doing preparation work which results in proposals to the PCC.

"We are so thankful that we found Crofton Parish. Our lives have been made much happier through the welcome and love of friends we have made."

Retired couple who have recently moved to Stubbington

Each year the parish gives 10% of its income to missionary organisations Your word, LORD, is eternal; and individuals following or testing a calling. Approximately one half of this giving is to local or national individuals or organisations and the rest it stands firm in the heavens. international work. We like all of the charities to which we give money to Your faithfulness continues through all generations; have a ‘champion’ among the parish members. you established the earth, and it endures.

The Friends of Crofton Old Church (FOCOC) has raised many hundreds of Psalm 119 v 89 – 90 thousands of pounds to pay for the new roof and other extensive maintenance work that has taken place at St. Edmund's. The FOCOC fund is part of the parish finances and represents almost half of the value of the restricted funds held by the parish. To know Christ and Further Information make Christ known

Parish Details Community Organisation Websites

Holy Rood Church and Parish Office Fareham Borough Council: www.fareham.gov.uk Holy Rood, Stubbington Green Community: www.facebook.com/StubbingtonGreen Gosport Road, Crofton Lions: www.croftonlions.org.uk Stubbington, Hampshire Crofton School Websites PO14 2AS tel: 01329 661154 Infant Schools email: [email protected] Crofton Anne Dale: www.croftonannedale%2Dinf.hants.sch.uk Crofton Hammond: www.croftonhammond%2Dinf.hants.sch.uk St. Edmund's Church Lychgate Green, Junior Schools Stubbington, Crofton Anne Dale: www.croftonannedale%2Djun.hants.sch.uk Hampshire Crofton Hammond: www.croftonhjs.co.uk PO14 3HA Senior Schools Website: www.croftonparish.org.uk Crofton: www.croftonschool.co.uk Facebook: www.facebook.com/holyroodchurch Baycroft (special needs): www.baycroftschool.co.uk

Friends of Crofton Old Church Private Schools Website: www.fococ.co.uk Meoncross: www.meoncross.co.uk Diocese of Portsmouth Copyright Website: www.portsmouth.anglican.org The road maps reproduced are Copyright of OpenStreetMap Facebook: www.facebook.com/CofEPortsmouth contributors. All other material is Copyright of Crofton Parish 2015. Fareham Deanery Website: www.farehamdeanery.org.uk Facebook: www.facebook.com/farehamdeanery Issued July 2015, updated December 2015