The Benefice of Walton and Trimley Benefice Profile 2019

Welcome and Introduction

Welcome to the Benefice of Walton and Trimley and our profile.

The Benefice is situated near the end of a peninsula bordered by the river Deben to the north, the river Orwell to the south and the to the east. Walton originally spanned a large area adjacent to a small fishing hamlet known as , with the Trimleys being slightly further inland. Today Walton and Trimley are considered to be on the outskirts of the town of Felixstowe. The Benefice was formed in 2014 from the parishes of St Mary’s Walton and St Martin’s and St Mary’s Trimley.

Each church is happy and active but with its own identity. Both churches are central parts of the community around them and have church families with a heart and a desire for bringing Jesus to the people of their parish and sharing His love for them.

The two parishes work closely together, they have equal and separate PCCs but do come together as a Benefice PCC three times a year.

Each PCC contributes towards the Parish Share so that as a Benefice this is paid in full.

The Benefice churches belong to and support Churches Together in Felixstowe which links the Christian witness in the town and provides joint ventures in which many members of the church families participate. These includes events during Unity Week, a procession of witness from St Mary’s church to the town centre on Good Friday where a united service is held and a ‘Son Rise’ service on Easter Sunday morning at the beach.

Links to the associated websites and Facebook pages of the churches in the Benefice can be found by clicking on these images.

2

Our

Location

3

Trimley Walton

We can offer…

• Persistent ongoing prayer and support from those involved in the life of the churches.

• Church families that are friendly, enthusiastic and willing, and who are actively involved in their communities.

• Administrative support from a salaried Office Manager.

• An active group of ministerial colleagues that will work alongside our new incumbent across the Benefice. These include three retired clergy, a Lay Pastor, an Associate Priest, three Readers, eight Lay Elders, music coordinators and many others in the fellowships who read lessons, lead intercessions and visit the sick and housebound.

• A clergy house. The previous clergy house has been transferred to a neighbouring parish. The Diocese is actively seeking a new clergy house which will be located on or near the High Road between the two Benefice churches.

4

Areas for Development

• We want to continue growing our churches for the future, especially by encouraging younger families to our services. We would like to see stronger links between our churches and the schools within our Benefice.

• Both Walton and Trimley are experiencing growth by new large housing developments and we see this as an opportunity to expand our outreach.

• We recognise the need to develop our worship through music.

• In both parishes there are areas of social housing and deprivation and our concern is the challenge of meeting their associated social needs.

Our new Priest will…

• Have a pastoral heart and be a person who loves and deeply cares for people.

• Preach the Gospel and apply God’s word to today’s issues.

• Continue our vision to be Christ-centred and sharing our love of Jesus with the community.

• Understand the importance of IT and social media in the modern church.

• Possess good time management skills, being able to balance all requirements of the role.

• Be a team worker and able to lead the Benefice ministry teams.

• Have responsibility for overseeing the Office Manager.

• Continue to welcome all those who wish to explore marriage or baptism in the Benefice churches. (We are in the habit in accepting individuals for further marriage.)

5

Worship in the Benefice

Central to our church life is the worship of our Lord at our services.

Sunday

Sunday is when each church comes together as a family, to meet with God and each other. These services encompass a wide range of worship styles and should be the very best that we can offer.

8:00AM A traditional quiet service of Holy “Who is Jesus (St Mary’s) Communion. to you?”

10:00AM Morning Worship services which offer (St Mary’s) opportunities for creative worship

& 10:30AM including Holy Communion and All Age (St Martin’s) Worship services. Junior Churches meet during these services and we see the young people as an integral and “How can we valuable part of each church family. All make Jesus services are followed by coffee and visible?” fellowship and an opportunity to discuss the weekly coffee question (see

examples). “What do you care about?” 6:30PM These services tend to be quieter and (St Mary’s) more reflective and include a monthly Holy Communion and an occasional Taizé service.

Messy Church

Messy Church services are held regularly at two different locations throughout the Benefice, one weekly, one monthly.

“If we received a

Midweek Worship letter from Jesus, what

Morning prayer is held every Monday and Wednesday at St might it say?” Mary’s, with a Holy Communion on the first Wednesday of “How do we each month. love those that are hard to A weekly Holy Communion service is held at St Martin’s every love?” Wednesday. 6

Special Services through the Church Year

Ice Cream Sunday

7

Growing in God in the Benefice

• Sunday Services • Messy Church • Morning Prayer (Mon & Wed) • Junior Church • Clergy • • Midweek Communion Exodus Youth Group • Lay Pastor • Home Groups • Coffee Questions • Readers and Lay Elders • Prayer Cell/Group • Encouraging Discernment

• School Experiences • Mothers’ Union • Pop-up Shop and Community Café • Men’s Fellowships • St. Philip’s Church and Hall

• Churches Together in Felixstowe • Men’s Breakfast • Church Hall • Christians Against Poverty (CAP) • Bowls Club • Victoria Cottage • Walton Parish Nursing • Trimley Book Club • Salaried Office Manager

• Hope Trust • Choirs • Book Keeper • Tower Fund • Boost (Felixstowe Academy Chaplain) • Café 10 • Town Pastors • Christmas Sales • On the Level Project • 123 and Trimley Tots (Toddler Groups) • Community Carol Service • The Churches are open during • Craft2gether • Concerts the week • Spring Fairs • Links with retirement/care homes • Open Gardens • Walton Business Community 8

Association

Our Mission Partners

Supporting older people

Lay Chaplaincy for Felixstowe Academy

Business and service in Christ

Whole person healthcare in the community

Logos are hyperlinked for ease of access. 9

St Mary’s, Walton

Our Vision

“To share God’s love and deepen our relationship with Jesus.”

We are a loving and Open Evangelical Church that welcomes everyone and has a passion for bringing Jesus to our local community. We love to worship, proclaim the Gospel and praise God together. We are an active church and there are numerous activities throughout the week which help us ‘grow in God’.

The church is an interesting medieval building dating back to the mid-1300s. A new tower was added in 1899 after the old tower was struck by lightning. The building has been loved and cared for and is in very good order.

Within our church building we have a flexible worship space with moveable chairs for 180. We are developing this in order to make our church more accessible to everyone, our On the Level Project started in early 2019 and Phase 1 has recently been completed. This has improved access to the church, levelled the floor throughout the building and upgraded several of our existing facilities. The surrounding church yard is closed and managed by East Council. There is a car park at the rear of the church.

10

The parish population is approximately 6,000 but the new housing development at Walton Gate will increase this to nearer 7,000.

We have links with the three schools in our parish. These are two primary schools, Maidstone Road Infants and Causton Junior, and the town’s secondary school Felixstowe Academy. This school has a Christian ethos with its own Chaplain, Josh Hunt (Boost), which is funded by local churches. Assemblies are taken at these schools on a regular basis and our incumbent has previously been a governor of the Maidstone & Causton Federation. As part of our growing relationship we have been able to welcome the children of the primary schools into church for various school experiences.

Each school experience has a theme, such as Christmas, Easter, Creation and through this we have been able to welcome 250-400 children (and staff) into church twice a year.

We work closely with the Methodist and Baptist Churches in Walton and join with them for Advent and Lent courses. All three churches support Walton Parish Nursing (WPN), a pioneering service which is much valued in the parish. The Benefice incumbent is one of the trustees of Walton Parish Nursing.

Each year we commit to give 5% of our church giving income to chosen charities, currently Walton Parish Nursing, Boost, CPAS and the Bishop’s Lent Appeal for Kagera. We are also fundraising for our ongoing On the Level Project.

Other buildings in our care

• St Philip’s Church and Hall – This is a small twin building comprising a church and hall, but no longer functions as a church. St Philip’s hosts our popular and much needed weekly pop-up shop and community café every Tuesday morning. BASIC Life Charity is our partner in this. All are welcome to come to the pop-up shop, whether on a regular or occasional basis. There are no requirements to be met to be able to use it. Up to two bags can be filled with food for the cost of £2 per bag and the money raised is donated to WPN and CAP who visit regularly to offer their services to those that attend. Working with the Walton Methodist Church, we host a weekly Messy Church at St Philip’s. The building is also let out to a local play group and various other organisations.

11

• The Church Hall – The hall, situated directly opposite the church, was built in the early 20th century. It is well maintained and consists of a main hall with a stage, a committee room and a kitchen. It is well used by the church and other local organisations. Our 123 toddler group meets here every Wednesday. The Hall facilities were recently upgraded, adding extra storage, accessible toilets and a new kitchen.

• Victoria Cottage – Adjacent to the Hall, this cottage was originally built for the Hall caretaker. It is currently rented out to a couple who are actively involved in church life.

‘St Mary's is a very prayerful, caring church and, despite the distance and ‘St Mary's is a warm, friendly and time length between visits, I know it welcoming church family, who truly will still feel like home when I come show and model the love and grace back to worship and be with them of Jesus to all who enter the doors, all, and I feel supported by their showing their investment to serving prayers and encouragement.’ all members of the local community.’

‘St Mary’s is the friendliest church I have ever been to.’

12

Some of our activities and outreach

Preparation for a school experience Craft2gether

Community lunch Inside the Shed weekend

Afternoon tea for Walton Parish Nursing

Community Christmas tree

100th anniversary of WWI 13

St Martin’s & St Mary’s, Trimley

Worship and parish life Our style of worship is characterised as being Open Evangelical and we offer a warm welcome to all who come into the church. We are committed to enabling as many people as possible to worship at St Martin’s Church and to become part of our parish community. Our services and worship put faith into practice through prayer and scripture, music and sacrament. We also make a point of reaching into the community as part of our fellowship/outreach, the latest particular success being our WW1 commemoration. Many people outside the Church community knitted poppies to hang down the tower of St Martin’s and Trimley St Mary School made clay poppies to be laid on the five war graves in the churchyard and attended a special service in St Martin’s. We have a stall at the Trimley Carnival and have St Martin’s open for refreshments and toilet stops as the carnival procession passes by. We currently run a bi-annual ‘Open Gardens’ event throughout both Trimley parishes which is very well supported/attended. Our Social & Fundraising committee run several well attended events throughout the year and are always looking to expand their portfolio, thereby widening our outreach into the communities.

About our Churches St Martin’s Church

There have been two churches at and Trimley St Mary for at least a thousand years, both having been mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. These were probably simple Saxon structures. The present buildings date from the fourteenth century and have been so drastically restored and extended since this time that little of the original work can be seen today. The Parish of St Martin & St Mary Trimley has, since 2014, been part of the new benefice of Walton and Trimley in the charge of a Rector. St Martin’s Church is the Parish Church for both parishes and used for worship as well as concerts, exhibitions and as a venue for church meetings. It was re-ordered in 2007 to include a toilet (with access for the disabled) in the tower and a kitchen area at the back of the church for coffee/tea making after the service on Sundays and for our weekly Café 10 & mid-week Communion service. Half of the nave area had the pews replaced by

14

chairs to give a more flexible use of the area. There is also an area at the back of the church set aside for young children with plenty to keep them entertained and the outer vestry has been refurnished for the use of Junior Church. Regrettably, we can no longer afford the upkeep of two medieval buildings, so we St Mary’s Church have handed back responsibility for St Mary’s to the Diocese. Repairs have been undertaken and it is due to open at the end of April 2019 as The Two Sisters Arts Centre (mainly drama and music) which will breathe new life into the building. Both churches have their own churchyards (now closed and managed by Council) joined together as one large churchyard and each church has its own memorial garden at either end of the churchyard. At the moment, we are fundraising for the repair to St Martin’s tower and are engaged in a feasibility study for a new church hall attached to St Martin’s. We do not commit a percentage of our income to giving but we do put on a number of special events for specific charities.

The two villages have an approximate total population of 5,700. They are both rural and suburban, looking to Felixstowe for most of their facilities and having excellent links to and beyond, both by road A14/A12 and rail. There is a station in Trimley St Mary and regular public transport connections to immediate and surrounding areas. There are great changes ahead in the next 5-10 years for our villages as a substantial increase in housing (approx. 1200 new mixed housing together with a new container/logistics park) which are now going through the Local Area Planning stages.

Other churches within the parish

There is a Free Church in Trimley St Mary and a Methodist Church in Trimley St Martin.

15

Some of our activities and outreach

Easter experience with schools

Café 10

Plants ‘n’ Stuff sale

Sandcastle competition followed by fish and chip supper

Willow weaving day

Twice yearly quiz

Messy Church

Artwork by Trimley Tots

Flower festival contribution by pre-school at Trimley St Mary

WWI community and school commemoration

16

Village activities and facilities

• A child and parent drop-in centre – Trimley Tots (Welcome Hall) affiliated to St Martin’s. • Two children’s nurseries (Tiddleywinks - Trimley St Mary & Twinkletoes - Trimley St Martin). • A pre-school – First Stop (next to St Mary’s Primary). • Two Primary Schools (St Martin’s & St Mary’s). • An annual carnival. • Rainbow and Brownie packs meet. • Women’s Institute. • Trimley Saints Players put on two productions a year. • Sports and Social Club – Trimley St Martin. • Bowls club. • Tennis club. • Thriving youth football teams for 5-17 year olds. • Trout lake for fishing. • Royal Society for the Protection of Birds reserve (alongside the River Orwell). • A comprehensive network of public footpaths/bridleways covering the surrounding area. • Two residential care homes (Reeve Lodge in Trimley St Martin & Brierfield in Trimley St Mary). • An Eastern European workers’ hostel (behind St Martin’s Church). • Whitworth Veterinary Practice – Trimley St Mary. • Two village halls (Welcome Hall - Trimley St Mary & Memorial Hall - Trimley St Martin). • Various small shops, including a post office, two public houses and two small farm shops/garden centres situated around the villages.

Needs and wishes of the Parish of Trimley St Martin & St Mary from the Benefice team leader

We are seeking a Benefice team leader who will be committed to leading services at Trimley Church at least twice a month, together with a strong pastoral commitment to the Trimley communities and through that enable the two Benefice parishes to work more closely together wherever practical and desirable.

17

Our Town

Felixstowe with the adjacent villages of Walton and the Trimleys lies on the Suffolk Coast twelve miles southeast of Ipswich. Felixstowe and the villages have a population of about 30,000.

Once a fashionable Edwardian , Felixstowe continues to prosper today:

• The Port of Felixstowe: The largest container port in the UK handles 42% of the ’s container imports on over fifty ship arrivals each week from every corner of the globe. The port is a significant source of employment in ship handling, cargo logistics and support industries, and regularly hosts some of the world’s largest container ships. • Tourism: Felixstowe’s Edwardian royal connections have created a legacy of many fine buildings and classic seaside amenities which continue to attract both day-trippers and holiday-makers. Substantial recent investment along the seafront continues to make Felixstowe an attractive destination with regular weekend events like the annual Carnival, Armed Forces Weekend, Vintage Car Rally and Art on the Prom. The quaint hamlet of Felixstowe Ferry is home to a Sailing Club and thriving boating community as well as a links golf course. • Residential: Mixed good quality housing stock of all sizes, styles and age provide homes for the many who work in Felixstowe and for those who commute to the BT Adastral Park Research Centre in nearby and to Suffolk’s county town of Ipswich. The seaside ambience and ease of getting around makes Felixstowe a popular retirement destination too.

Felixstowe town centre has a healthy mix of national chain and local independent shops. Other amenities include a cinema, theatre, two sport/leisure centres, a links golf course and a small hospital. It is served by one High School (Felixstowe Academy) and nine feeder Primary schools. Felixstowe is at the eastern end of the A14 trunk road giving access to Midlands and the North and to via the A12. Frequent buses link Felixstowe to Ipswich and provide local town services to all areas at the start and finish of their journeys. The town is also the terminus to an hourly branch railway line service to Ipswich which feeds into mainline and regional rail services. Stansted, and Southend Airports are all within about an hour’s drive.

18

Our Deanery

Colneys Deanery lies in the southeast part of Suffolk and has seven benefices: a mixture of towns at , Felixstowe and Martlesham and a benefice encompassing villages. There are plans to build many more dwellings around the town locations.

The Deanery plays an important part in the life of its benefices. Clergy meet monthly in chapter for discussion of ministry within the deanery. The wide range of matters aired is greatly valued by all clergy who find that sharing topics of common interest and the fellowship and mutual support of their colleagues strengthens both them and their work in their parishes.

The Deanery is currently writing its plan that will be underpinned by the four areas of the Growing in God programme – growing in: depth; number; influence and younger. At chapter meetings and deanery synods, each benefice shares its expertise and part in activities, and all gifts of ministry within both the clergy and laity are valued and encouraged.

There is a training hub in the Deanery, and curates are shared amongst benefices as part of their education and are able to gain experience of rural and town parishes.

The Deanery meets at three synods, during the year, to which all church members are encouraged to attend to hear and discuss matters of general church interest, and share fellowship across parish boundaries.

Our Diocese

The Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich was founded in 1914 and includes the county of Suffolk, except for an area of North East Suffolk around , and one parish in the county of Essex. It serves about 631,000 people living in a geographical area of more than 1,400 square miles.

Out of this population, around 20,000 identify themselves with the Church of by being members of the church electoral roll. An average of over 14,000 attend Anglican church activities weekly (20,000 including other denominations). Over 12,000 attend an Anglican service of worship each Sunday (18,000 including all denominations).

19

A wide range of communities exists in the diocese – from small rural villages to urban centres such as Ipswich, , , Haverhill, Sudbury and . The region has many sites of historic interest among which are Sutton Hoo, the Saxon village at West Stow and the ruins of the old Abbey at Bury St Edmunds – famously where, in 1214, the barons of England met and swore to force King John to accept the Charter of Liberties, later known as the Magna Carta. The whole county, together with its Heritage coastline, is also a haven of delight for lovers of natural history.

The diocese is overseen by the Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, the Right Revd Martin Seeley supported by the Bishop of , the Right Revd Dr Mike Harrison. The Cathedral Church of St James and St Edmund, the mother church of the diocese, has been a place of pilgrimage and tourism for centuries and remains today a focal point for the Christian faith in Suffolk.

The communities of the diocese are served by 454 parishes with 125 benefices and 18 deaneries. There are 478 church buildings of which 457 are listed. There are around 118 stipendiary clergy and 44 self-supporting ministers, some 180 Lay Licensed Ministers, including 172 Readers and a few Licensed Lay Pastors and Local Evangelists and 570 commissioned lay assistants (Elders) in the parishes. There are 87 Church of England Controlled and Aided schools in the diocese. The Anglican churches across the diocese seek to develop close links with other Christian denominations and to build understanding with members of other faiths.

The diocese also has close ties with churches across the world, most especially with the Diocese of Kagera in West Tanzania.

The diocese works through the synodical structures and is served by a small team of diocesan office staff led by the Diocesan Secretary and Chief Executive Officer, most of whom are based in modern offices in the centre of Ipswich.

Further details of the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich can be found on its website, which can be accessed by clicking the logo on the previous page.

20

Appendix – Benefice Statistics

Sunday Services – Average Weekly Attendance 2018

Time Location Average Attendance Average Attendance (adults) (under 16s) 8:00AM St Mary’s, Walton 14 0 10:00AM St Mary’s, Walton 73 5 10:30AM St Martin’s, Trimley 35 3 6:30PM St Mary’s Walton 14 0

Occasional Offices 2018

St Mary’s, Walton St Martin’s, Trimley Benefice Total Baptisms 14 1 15 Weddings 8 1 9 Funerals 9 5 14 Crematorium Services 8 3 11 Confirmation candidates at the last Deanery Confirmation Service 6

Church Electoral Rolls as at 2018 AGMs

Parish Church Electoral Roll St Mary’s, Walton 103 St Martin’s, Trimley 58

Further information can be found at the following links:

• Walton Parish Spotlight • Trimley Parish Spotlight • Walton Parish Dashboard • Trimley Parish Dashboard

21

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Matthew 22: 37-40

The Benefice of Walton and Trimley Benefice Profile 2019

22