The Benefice of Shillington, Gravenhurst and

PARISH PROFILE

April 2012

Page 1 Our mission is to provide a welcoming place of worship where, with open minds, we can live God’s love together within a supportive and listening community.

Page 2 THE BENEFICE OF SHILLINGTON, GRAVENHURST AND STONDON PARISH PROFILE

Contents

The villages of Shillington, Gravenhurst and Stondon 4

The churches 6

Church Services 8

Congregation and activities 10

Publicity and finances 12

Our vision for the future 13

The new incumbent 14

Church Support and local links 15

Click on the map to see where we are

Page 3 THE VILLAGES

Shillington and Gravenhurst Many local activities and groups thrive including, Toddlers, Playgroup, Cubs, Brownies, Guides, Scouts, WI and a Lunch Club run by the Congregational Church. Apart from agriculture, local enterprises in the form of plant nurseries, kennels/cattery and small service industries have developed within the community. Gravenhurst is a smaller settlement of some 500 souls, set on a hill over the valley to the north and just less than two miles distant by road. It is another picturesque Set in rural and surrounded by village and it and Shillington are blessed with hills and open farmland, Shillington is a as fine a network of footpaths and charming village with a population of some bridleways as one could find anywhere. Its 2000 inhabitants. own church, St. Giles, was declared Shillington originally comprised a number of redundant in 2007 and the former Parish of hamlets or “Ends” with tracks connecting Upper with Lower Gravenhurst was merged them. Now houses border the ‘figure of with that of Shillington, All Saints becoming eight’ road network of the village, with paths its Parish Church. Only a few villagers, and bridleways across the enclosed large however, make the journey. There is still areas of open meadowland. Housing some resentment in Gravenhurst about the consists of a mixture of old and new and a loss of its own village church. broad range of accommodation types. Schools Both Gravenhurst and Shillington have Lower Schools. Although neither of these is a Church School, the Vicar’s input into the schools is encouraged. School buses provide transport for children to nearby Middle and Upper Schools.

Many of the older houses are recognised by their distinctive creamy yellow brickwork. While the make-up of the population is becoming increasingly suburban, there remains a core of residents who have lived in Shillington all their lives. Shillington is served by two shops, one of which is a Post Office. There are three public houses, two of which also serve good food, and two garages/petrol filling stations.

Page 4 Stondon Council and just north of the border with . Stondon’s population has increased dramatically in recent years due to major housing developments on the eastern side of the village and there are now approximately 2000 residents. We are well served with various shops, hairdressers, a pub, an Indian restaurant,our own doctors’ surgery and a village hall. There is a group of small business units at Manor Farm and Rectory Farm near the church.

Stondon is a thriving village situated in mid Bedfordshire, three miles from Shillington. The village includes areas known as & . The name "Stondon" derives from the Saxon word meaning Stone Hill. The A600, which links & , runs along the Eastern edge of the village. Station Road connects us to RAF The Mount Pleasant Golf Club is a very camp and Shillington and runs through the attractive 9 hole golf course, with 18 different middle of the village crossing the A600. tees, covering approximately 70 acres and The village is about 6 miles from the A1 (M) the Fairway Bar and Bistro is open to road which provides a direct route from everyone. London to Edinburgh and approximately 11 Stondon Motor Museum has over 350 miles from the M1 motorway which connects examples of vintage vehicles and an London to Leeds. Lower Stondon is impressive collection of model aircraft. approximately 10 minutes from Hitchin Local activities include regular church and Railway Station and approximately 5 minutes chapel coffee mornings, WI, Stondon from Arlesey Station. Recreational Association, Mothers and Both Hitchin & Arlesley stations provide fast Toddlers group and Rainbows. rail links to Stevenage, London, Cambridge Schools We have a thriving pre-school and and Peterborough. Stondon lies 5 miles to a Lower School which has strong links to the the North of Hitchin just within the church. administrative area of

Page 5 THE CHURCHES

All Saints, Shillington

A fairly recent project, successfully All Saints Church sits high on a hill within the completed, was the installation of a new village Conservation Area, providing kitchen and toilet on the ground floor of the the focal point of the village and visible for bell tower. miles around, particularly impressive when flood-lit at night.

Described as the ’Cathedral of the Chilterns’ by John Betjeman, the imposing Church building (Grade 1 Listed) dominates the village. There has been worship on the site since the eighth century and the oldest parts of the present church date back to the eleventh century. Such a large and beautiful old building inevitably needs a great deal of “TLC” and the community has done and continues to do exceedingly well in raising funds to finance necessary works of restoration and improvement. Most of these There are a wealth of treasures in the fabric works are co-ordinated by the very active of the church in the form of brasses, stained Friends of All Saints Church whose purpose glass windows, the peal of five bells and an is to ensure that the fabric can survive into extensive collection of graffiti. the next century and beyond. We are particularly proud of our churchyard which is extensive and which is tended by a large team of volunteers. It is designated as a County Wildlife Site and one particular area is set aside as a “wilderness” where the growth of wild flowers is especially encouraged.

Page 6 All Saints, Stondon building are the font – a stone Altar Slab – a granite Piscina – and an Image Bracket.

There are some fine stain-glass windows – all memorials to the Long and Lines families. The brass Lectern was presented in 1910 in memory of the Revd Hull and the brass Candelabra and Altar Pieces were presented by past Rectors.

Much restoration work has been done to the church over the years, firstly in 1971-72- made possible by the generosity of Miss Hull (daughter of Revd Hull Rector from 1844 - 1890). More work was carried out in 1993-94 to extend the Vestry and last year extensive work was carried out including installing opening windows and ventilation drains to try to resolve a damp issue.

There is a war memorial in the churchyard commemorating those villagers who died in the two world wars. Burials take place in the churchyard and there is ¼ acre of newly consecrated ground available. The churchyard is well maintained by local A congregation has worshipped on this site contractors and is financially supported by since at least the twelfth century – the the parish council. present church building was consecrated on March 19 1857, replacing the Norman Building of c1150. The church building is grade II listed and is under the patronage of the Bishop. Much of the old materials were incorporated into the new structure – the inner doorway of the tower dates from about 1250. Other remains from the Norman

Page 7 CHURCH SERVICES

Our Congregation and Worship: All Saints, Shillington Services

The Electoral Roll currently numbers 66. First Sunday 9.30 am Family Service The Eucharist service is held every Sunday (with communion) morning at 9.30am. 6.00pm Choral Evensong The service on the first Sunday of the month takes the form of a Family Communion Second Sunday Service, usually led by certain members of 9.30am Holy Communion the congregation, and the hymn-book, Hymns Old & New, is used for that service. Third Sunday On other Sundays the Holy Communion 9.30am Holy Communion service is conducted using “bespoke” (and very easy to follow) service books with purple, green or gold covers according to the Fourth Sunday season and The New English Hymnal hymn- 9.30am Holy Communion book is preferred.

Sunday School (aka “Sunday Club”) is held Fifth Sunday (elsewhere in the village) concurrently with 9.30am* Holy Communion the Eucharist service and the children join towards the end of the service to receive a blessing. Also on the first Sunday of the For a number of years, Revd. Jane Wheatley month, at 6.00pm., Choral Evensong (Book conducted a weekly (term-time) Bible Study of Common Prayer) is held in the Chancel. (also performing the function of Confirmation All Saints Church is fortunate to have a very Classes) and members of the Congregational able and committed Choir, competent to lead Church have joined in with this. Choral Evensong when so required. * During this Interregnum, the congregation of We have become used to special services All Saints Church is joining with that of the being held on Saints’ and certain other High Congregational Church for a United Service Days, especially in Holy Week. These tend whenever there is a fifth Sunday in the month. to be shared with Stondon, with one or other We hope that this can continue. church providing the venue.

As for ecumenical links, there is a Methodist Chapel in whose congregation is, sadly, dwindling. Shillington’s last remaining Methodist Chapel closed just a few years ago and has recently been converted into a dwelling house, with the old “schoolroom” now housing the Village Store and Post Office.

The Congregational Church (situated lower down Church Street), however, remains active. Shillington Congregational Church

Page 8 All Saints’ Stondon Services Our congregation and worship:

First Sunday At present there are 37 on the Electoral Roll. 11.00 am Family Service There is a weekly Holy Communion service (with communion) at 11am every Sunday, the first of the month being a Family Service. Home communions are offered as required. Second Sunday 11.00am Holy Communion Special services are held on Saints’ Days and Remembrance Day and there is an Third Sunday Evensong on the Wednesday of Holy Week. 11.00am Holy Communion There is a weekly Sunday School held in the vestry during the service. On any fifth Fourth Sunday Sunday and on Good Friday we have a joint 11.00am Holy Communion service with the Baptist church.

Fifth Sunday At present we do not have an organist and 11.00am United Service with the only one chorister so we depend on the use Baptist Chapel of CDs. We are able to access the services of an organist for weddings, funerals and special services.

Page 9 CONGREGATION AND ACTIVITIES

Shillington

The congregation at All Saints Church tends to lean towards the “traditional” rather than the “evangelical”. It is, nevertheless, a lively and active church community. In the past 5 years, 8 parishioners have been Confirmed. Quite apart from the fund-raising events put on by The Friends, the church’s own Events Committee runs a number of very enjoyable events throughout the year, among which is the Summer Fete. These have enabled us, consistently, to pay the whole of our portion of the Parish Share. Rarely does a month go by without some Shillington’s Village Fete is held every year church-based social activity going on in the village. The building and the surrounding churchyard are in much better shape than previously and there are more restoration projects on the way. More than that, we have a church community that is vibrant, confident, solvent and in good heart. We are working hard to continue to develop the importance of church music as a key element of worship. About 30-40 people attend the service on an average Sunday, probably better than the national average having regard to the size of the local population. And the Scarecrows visit every two years! However, there are many others who, while not, themselves, church-goers, have a great affection and affinity for All Saints Church. They support the Church by joining the grass- cutting team, helping with conservation work, attending Friends of All Saints activities, Bell- Ringing and spending their money at Church fund-raising events. Of necessity, fund-raising does tend to focus on the needs of our own church. Nevertheless, we do try to reach out to support others in need. Last year (2011) we managed to donate a total of £973, shared between the Bishop’s Appeal for the Hungry and Keech Hospice Care. All Saints’ annual Carol Service

Page 10 Stondon

We hold regular monthly coffee mornings, annual barbecue, concerts, Harvest Supper and a Father Christmas float. Coffee and biscuits are provided after each Sunday service to encourage further fellowship and social interaction. There are rotas for flower arranging, coffee provision, readings and cleaning. An Events Committee plan fundraising activities on a monthly basis and last year we raised £4465. Our Mission and Ministry: There are strong links with the local Lower School where the previous Incumbent and Stondon Christmas float one of the churchwardens regularly lead Assemblies. Pupils and staff take part in our Carol Service, Harvest Festival and Mothering Sunday service. They also use the church and the services of the vicar for delivering part of the RE curriculum. Our Sunday School is growing and at present stands at eighteen 1-10 year olds. There is a weekly Bible Study class and Confirmation classes as required. Members respond to the Bishop’s Lent Challenge and his ‘Living God’s Love’ initiative. We support a number of charities but on a regular basis we support the education of a child in Africa, Keech Cottage Hospice, the British Legion and the Bishop’s Harvest for the Hungry Appeal. The ‘Open Churches’ weekend last year. Members of our congregation are involved in various village activities.

Page 11 PUBLICITY AND FINANCES

Shillington Stondon

Both Shillington (Parish News) and At present we have no village magazine Gravenhurst (The Grapevine) have their own and we therefore rely on our website which village magazines, delivered bi-monthly and is linked to the village website and that of free of charge to all the houses in the the Parish Council. respective villages. Both magazines allow Every year we deliver Christmas cards ample space for church matters. containing greetings, times of Christmas services and times and route of the Float to Click the link to visit Shillington every one of the 1,017 houses in the shillington.org.uk village.

We also deliver Gift Day envelopes to every house asking for financial support and giving details of our church and its life.

Click the link to visit Stondon stondon.net

Our Finances: Every year, it is a considerable challenge to bring in all the money we need to keep our church going. Thankfully, to date, we have always managed to do it. Although last year our collections, planned giving and Gift Aid were down on the previous year (a total of £16,678), our various Our Finances: fund-raising efforts brought in a record £15,632. The PCC, church members and friends have We were able to pay all our bills and our worked hard in 2011-12 to provide the level Parish Share was paid in full. of income required. The Friends are generous in their support for A total of £4465 resulted from fundraising. All our renovation projects and have been quite our financial obligations were met and we adept in winning funds from grant-making paid our parish share in full. We successfully trusts. bid for grants to enable us to continue with our restoration work and were in receipt of a legacy of £3000.

Page 12 A VISION FOR THE FUTURE

Our two churches have a similar vision for the future and we look to our Priest to provide leadership to help us towards achieving it, using a lightness of touch and a talent for bringing the best out of people. While wishing to keep alive the good things that we do, a fresh approach might lead to a little more diversity (say) in our forms of Service? In Stondon our church is geographically in a very difficult position standing on a hill almost out of the village. We need to work hard to make our presence felt in a village which has rapidly expanded in recent years. All Saints, Shillington, also on a hill, is central to the village and cannot be missed. Even so, there is a large number of villagers untouched by it. Currently, in Stondon, members of the church come from the older more established houses in the village so there is a need to get ourselves known on the new estates, some of which unfortunately are furthest away from the church. As in many areas, there are plans for more housing and we see it as a priority to meet their needs in the future. The population of Shillington and Gravenhurst is likely to remain more static, with only infill developments anticipated. We want to encourage more young people and their families to join our church family by example, encouraging church members to be present at all village events. We would love to welcome many more to our congregations.. In Stondon, we are about to embark on the second phase of building work to remedy a serious damp problem so we look forward to the completion of that work. We have no toilet facility at present so this is high on our list of aims. In Shillington, an ongoing programme of repairs and maintenance looks far ahead. At present we have lay people assisting at Eucharist, serving, reading, taking Family Services and leading intercessions and we look for increasing involvement in these activities.

The strengths and weaknesses in the benefice

There is a core of dedicated and active Facilities for children are undeveloped. supporters both in and outwith the Although the population in the villages is congregation. increasing and the average age decreasing, The church buildings are of historical interest. fewer younger people are attending services. The Parish magazine, websites and door to The choir is getting smaller. door drops give excellent communication There is no organist in Stondon. throughout the villages. Parking is limited in Shillington and some In recent years the links between Stondon people find the church difficult to get to. and Shillington have strengthened and we look forward to even closer links in the future. Friendship between the Parish and Free churches within the villages continues to grow in recent years. Page 13 OUR NEW INCUMBENT

We wish to appoint a person who will build on the strengths and address the weaknesses within the Benefice.

1 Leading the congregations in prayer and worship involving and bringing new people into lay ministry (reading lessons, leading intercessions and acting as Eucharistic Assistants etc) where practicable, but maintaining a high profile in church activities. 2 Providing a breadth of Biblical teaching for existing church members and newcomers through Sunday worship (with short, punchy and relevant sermons) and home/study groups that equip them for sharing their faith. 3 Reaching out to the community in pastoral care (including wedding and baptism preparation, bereavement support, links with the Local Authority Lower Schools, local traders, and local mobile home parks); building on existing practices and encouraging new ventures, especially that of our growing involvement with children and young people. 4 Supporting and working as a team member along with others involved in church activity; organising the administration of the Benefice in a competent manner. 5 Strengthening all links between the 2 churches of the Benefice and actively engaging in ecumenical co-operation and sharing. We wish to appoint a person who is: 1 passionate about their faith in Jesus Christ. 2 one in whom work, commitment and pleasure come together. 3 approachable to people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds regardless of whether they attend church or not. Someone who is at ease playing with the toddler, chatting with people about their concerns, and offering comfort to the sick and dying. 4 a good team leader, with a sense of humour, friendly disposition, who is able to inspire and challenge us and has a clear vision for our Church. 5 able to engage with Gravenhurst and bring its community more into the All Saints’ fold. 6 interested in (and,if so qualified, able to lead) Shillington’s Choir and the development of our Church music Characteristics that would be of benefit are: (a) A broad experience of life and a sound understanding of modern day issues. (b) Computer literacy and competence in managing the basic administration, as required (c) Understanding and appreciation of life in the countryside.

Page 14 CHURCH SUPPORT AND LOCAL LINKS

Shillington The position is a full stipendiary post with provision of accommodation in the Vicarage Our Churchwardens are Liz Allan and Peter in Vicarage Close, Shillington. Farmer. Members of the PCC: Tim Watson (Secretary), Fiona Howarth (Treasurer), Dick Brewer, Maggie Lambert, Shirley McGrath, Emma Stevenson, Tim Theaker.

Stondon

Our churchwardens are Sandra Weedon and Diana Thomas. Members of the PCC: Ruth Simkins (Vice Chair) Tracey Reilly (Secretary) Tracy Scott (Treasurer) June Boyer, Linda Davies, Angela Cook

Local links (click to open)

Shillington shillington.org.uk The Vicarage Stondon .stondon.net The Vicarage is a 4 bedroom detached Schools house in a large corner plot at the very top of Stondon Lower .stondonls.beds.sch.uk Vicarage Close, Shillington. The garden is Shillington Lower .shillington.beds.sch.uk mostly laid to lawn and backs on to the “Twitchell”, a footpath providing a shortcut to Gravenhurst Lower .gravenhurstlower.co.uk the church. Robert Bloomfield Middle .robertbloomfield.beds.sch.uk The kitchen and bathroom are to be refurbished at the expense of the Diocese. Henlow Middle .henlowacademy.co.uk There are three reception rooms on the Samuel Whitbread Community College ground floor, plus the kitchen, entrance lobby .swcc.beds.sch.uk and cloakroom. There is a detached single garage and additional parking space. Local area information .upmystreet.com/sg5.html

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