Tas Valley Team Ministry Committed to Growth www.dioceseofnorwich.org The Tas Valley Team Ministry Nature of post A stipendiary title post for a deacon who expects to be ordained priest Context and location The benefice is part of the Depwade Deanery of the Diocese of Norwich, comprises the six parishes of Newton Flotman, Saxlingham Nethergate, Shotesham, Swainsthorpe, Tasburgh and Tharston. The villages are rural in nature and surrounded by farmland – all are mentioned in the Domesday Book. The main A140 runs through the benefice and connects us to the vibrant City of Norwich, with international airport, 8 miles north of here. We are within easy reach of the North Norfolk coast and the Norfolk Broads, areas of outstanding natural beauty. Theological emphasis People in the Tas Valley are not overly conscious of churchmanship labels. We aim to make worship both reverent and accessible, using mainly Common Worship, with other services taken from the Book of Common Prayer. We include all age worship, contemplative worship (drawing on the Celtic/Taizé styles) informal praise and others. In joint benefice services we often invite an outside speaker to represent an overseas charity or mission agency thus giving us a greater appreciation of the worldwide church. Teaching is orthodox/evangelical and includes teaching on the person and work of the Holy Spirit. The Cell Church meets in members’ homes and comprises smaller groups (Cells) which tend to develop their own character in accordance with the personalities and gifting of their members. In this profile you will get a flavour of the diversity of this benefice as each church introduces itself, telling you about who’s who, worship and prayer, mission and service, and something of the building itself. Incumbent Rev’d Dawn Davidson The Rectory The Street Saxlingham Nethergate Norwich NR15 1AJ 01508 498924 [email protected] Ordained 2009 Appointed 2018 Website: tasvalley.org Facebook: Tas Valley Families NEWTON FLOTMAN (pop c1200) – St Mary’s Church Warden: Kirsten Remer Lay Ministry: Authorised Worship Assistants William Ball and Kirsten Remer; Trainee Reader Lesley Cox PCC: A committed and effective group of established members who meet once a month, as church building issues continue to be a priority. WORSHIP AND PRAYER Our Sunday service pattern is varied: It includes Café Church with breakfast held on the first Sunday of the month in the primary school. The informal service is prepared by a small team from one of the cells, led by a trainee Reader. Invitations are sent out through the school. The aim is to encourage families to attend and it is a ‘seeker’ service. Other services include Family Communion, BCP and All Age. We also host the monthly benefice Evening Praise service. Morning Prayer is held in the church on Friday mornings. We have two Authorised Worship Assistants who are licensed across the benefice and a trainee Reader. We are very grateful to our pianist, guitarist and vocalist who accompany the worship. Attendance on a normal Sunday averages about 20 adults and children, with more attending Café Church on the first Sunday of the month or special seasonal services, such as the Crib Service on Christmas Eve. Special Agents (children’s church) often meet in the Church Room for activities, joining the main congregation towards the end of the service. Numbers fluctuate, but there is always a small core group. Special Services include the annual benefice “Remembering Loved Ones”. We have also hosted 24‐7 Prayer events. BUILDING St Mary’s church was first built in the perpendicular and decorated styles in the early 14th century. The restoration of 1890 introduced a new roof, new pews (some with medieval poppy heads), a pulpit and a reredos. The church was extended in 2009 to provide a meeting room, kitchen and toilet; these facilities are used for community groups such as “Church Mice” (parent and toddlers), “Coffee Stop” (weekly Saturday morning coffee and cakes), “Special Agents” (children’s work) and some regular bookings from local groups. A monthly community lunch is hosted here, providing a social opportunity for 20‐25 local residents, with lunch cooked at the school and served by a team of helpers. Currently, after a period of consultation with the local community, a major re‐ordering and refurbishment project has been approved, pending further successful funding appeals, to adapt the church environment for wider community use and make it a warm and flexible space for all year round. The plans include a village vending machine to supply everyday groceries and products, which will be useful to many residents since the closure of the village shop. MISSION AND SERVICE Local Community Outreach Worker: For the past two and a half years, the church has employed an outreach worker, Andy Cox, for one day per week, funded jointly by Rural Ministries and The Laing Trust. Andy coordinates the monthly Community Lunch, special events at Church Mice and Care Home Friends, which supports residents of Olive House. He also facilitates outings for residents and provides pastoral care and visiting throughout the village. Olive House: A small team holds monthly communion services in Olive House. Residents are enabled to attend Sunday services and other events, and the home has hosted an Alpha course. Church Mice: This parent and toddler group, which has been running for ten years, meets on Friday mornings in the church room. In recent months, Church Mice has sometimes met in the local home for the elderly, Olive House, with great benefits felt by residents, staff, parents and the children themselves. This is coordinated by the Local Community Outreach Worker. Newton Flotman (CofE) Primary School: There are exceptionally close links between school and church through foundation governors, staff members, parents and children. Assemblies are taken weekly by the Open the Book team. The school holds end of term services at St. Mary’s and a small team, led by the incumbent, leads workshops in the school prior to this to prepare for the service. Café Church, held in the school, holds special services such as Operation Christmas Child and Christingle. Coffee Stop: Fantastic home‐baking with fair‐trade tea and coffee and good conversation every Saturday morning from 10‐12. On an average week 20 people drop in for refreshments and a chat. People’s contributions have also raised funds towards practical needs of the Church, such as Christmas Tree and blinds, as well as fabric repairs. Social Events: In past years, we have hosted an Angel Festival, display of wedding and christening gowns as well as two Easter concerts from ARTS. Most recently, the church hosted a local history day, and hosts a village craft market two or three times a year. Coffee Stop, based in the church room, continues to offer village hospitality on Saturday mornings. We work with the Village Centre by having a representative on their Committee, taking an active role in the Annual Village Fete. Charity Support: In recent years, we have hosted a “cake crawl” in support of Christian Aid Week. There have been special collections for the Children's Society and British Legion and Harvest gifts were gratefully received at Norwich Food Bank. The Carol Service and village carol‐singing raise money for local charities. Regular donations are made by the church family in support of Norwich Food Bank. Partnership: The monthly newsletter for Newton and Swainsthorpe is sponsored by the PCC edited by a church member and distributed by volunteers. AIMS FOR THE FUTURE • A deeper life of prayer and worship as we seek to experience God together • To grow the congregation in both numbers and discipleship • The refurbishment and reordering of the church building to include the wider community in the life of the church SAXLINGHAM NETHERGATE (pop c700) – St Mary’s Warden: Cindy Brookes PCC: There are 11 lay members on the Parochial Church Council. It meets on average once a quarter. Lay Ministry: There are rotas for sidespeople, flower arranging, cleaning of the church and church room and the daily opening of the church, all overseen by different people. WORSHIP AND PRAYER The church is open in daylight hours so that parishioners and visitors can have easy access to it for prayer. The PCC is delighted that support from the whole village enables this to happen and comments in the Visitors’ Book show that this is appreciated by visitors. The communion services at 9.30am on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month involve our robed choir and are more popular than the 11 o’clock services. Sunday services are followed by coffee and biscuits, which encourages fellowship. Special services include Evensong in the ruins of the old church of St Mary Magdalene, held close to her feast day. Remembrance Sunday is attended by the local scouts and guides and they take an active role in the service. On Mothering Sunday children are provided with flowers for their mothers, and a Christingle service is held to support the work of the Children’s Society. The crib service on Christmas Eve is very popular. The congregation on a communion Sunday is between 20‐25 people, including a small choir. The majority of people who attend are middle aged or older and there has been no Sunday school for several years. However, the church has an excellent relationship with the local school and provides regular collective worship and occasional classroom teaching on Christian topics. There is also a Cell Group which meets weekly in the village. The Church’s predominantly female robed Choir sings at the Communion Services and at other special services. Kate Smith, the enthusiastic choir mistress, leads them. They practice fortnightly on a Friday either in the Church in the summer or in one of the choir member’s homes in the winter.