The Parish Profile of St John the Evangelist Walmley

I have learnt such a lot through St John's has a attending my group, which has given positive atmosphere me great thought and also and sense of encouraged me to read more and fellowship. gain more understanding of Jesus' life and what he has done for all of us. The group has certainly brought me closer to God and to St John's.

There is good sound Biblical teaching with teaching and preaching There is great at a variety of services community spirit that cater for different within the needs. congregation

There is very positive children's Very few churches have the same number of and young people's young people as St John's work.

A prayerful church of Consistent faithful people. A good team of gospel-based experienced leaders preaching and a history of excellent teaching

Welcome to our Parish Profile

Thank you for expressing an interest in the post of Vicar at St John the Evangelist, Walmley. As a church family we are excited and expectant as we enter this new chapter as a church and in our local community.

We pray that this Profile will give you a taste of the life of the church community and encourage you to seek God's will as you consider applying for the position. We will be

working with Church Pastoral Aid Society, our WELCOME patrons, as well as Church of England Birmingham in the appointment process - but above all we seek the person God is leading to us. Maybe you are that person!

AND Contents Page

Welcome and Contents 1 About our Church 2 CONTENTS Our Values and Vision 3 What is Working Well 4 What Needs Improving 5 Our New Vicar 6 Our Leadership and Staff 7 Church Gathering 10 Children and Young People 15

Community Engagement and Outreach 17 Praying and Caring 23 Our Buildings 24 Our Finances 26 The Parish and Local Area 27

About our Church The vast majority of the congregation live within the parish. The next few St John's is situated in a suburb of years will see a large new residential Sutton Coldfield to the North of development at Langley within our Birmingham and on the edge of parish, which will provide a wonderful countryside. Our church was founded opportunity for future outreach and in 1845 and for the last 100 years has growth. been part of Church of England Birmingham, in the Sutton Deanery. With this in mind we have recently planted a new afternoon congregation Since the start we have been fully under the leadership of our Associate rooted in an orthodox, evangelical Vicar on the edge of the new tradition which continues to this day. development. Our passion is to grow and build community in and beyond the church We have an excellent staff team who all based on the life-changing good news work together from the church building, of Jesus. We are an evangelical which enables them to be engaged in all

church with a charismatic leaning, aspects of church life and to work

with an emphasis on the ministry of collaboratively. We hope and pray that the Holy Spirit, and are particularly the new Vicar will also wish to work nourished by clear, thoughtful Bible mainly from the church building as part teaching. Church members have a of this supportive team. broad range of Christian experience and conviction from conservative to We have strong links to the local charismatic and we seek to respect Deanery Primary School, where the each other's views, working for unity, Vicar of St John's is an ex-officio evangelism and outreach based on governor. Many families come to the authority of the Scripture. church initially as a result of this relationship. Over the last few years we Our congregation includes people of have built stronger links with the other OURCHURCH all ages, including many families with local schools too. young children, right through to strong numbers at the more mature end of At St John's we have a heart for the spectrum. Our vision is for evangelism and the community; we are continued growth across all ages and a very active church with a large number stages of faith. of groups and activities to encourage

our members to become better disciples ABOUT ABOUT Some 30 years ago we built a new of Christ. The interregnum has allowed church building on the side of the us time for further reflection and self- Victorian building and converted the evaluation and we see some key areas latter so that it enabled us to better for development, as well as some meet the needs of the growing specific opportunities which are congregation and population of highlighted in this Profile. We are Walmley. This part of the church now expectantly looking forward to the includes a central lounge area, appointment of the person of God's kitchen, meeting rooms and offices. choosing to be our new Vicar - to We have several older buildings that lovingly lead, teach, challenge and care may have a greater role to play as we for us and to take us forward in mission develop as a church in the future. We as we begin a new and exciting chapter have around 300 members on our in the life of St John's. electoral roll and, although the majority are White British, a significant number of members are from other cultural ethnic backgrounds.

Our Vision

Our vision was developed a few years ago and is that we seek to be:

"God's Community, in the Community, for the Community" V OUR

Our vision connects strongly with that of the Bishop of Birmingham to see "more and more confident Christians" across Church of England Birmingham. Across the life of St John's we are glad to work out the ministry and mission priorities of the Transforming Church Programme ALUES expressed in our own ways and emphasis. We share the Bishop's passion to see churches grow in every way and have been glad for the Bishop's support for our vision and partnership in future ministry.

We are passionate that all that we do as a church supports and reinforces

this vision and, out of this vision, we have developed our Double and V AND Plant initiative. This initiative reflects our vision, values and our commitment to outreach and growth and has two key foci:

 To increase the size and maturity of the congregations worshipping

at St John's Walmley. I S

 To establish a congregation at St John's in Minworth in anticipation ION of the development of 6,000 new homes, largely in our parish.

What is Working Well

As a church, we asked our members what they think is working well in our church. The main areas identified were:

 Youth and Children's work is thriving at St John's. The children and youth are very much part of the congregation and are involved in services and events, such as serving the congregation breakfast in between the services at Walmley once a month, being part of the Welcome Team and assisting with Communion. There is a large Sunday School ministry and Youth ministry, a good team of experienced leaders as well as Youth Minister and part-time Children's and Families' Missioner.

 For many years and particularly under the incumbency of the former Vicar, there has been good sound Biblical teaching and preaching. The teaching series is put together by the Ministry Team led by the Vicar.

WELL  St John's is a friendly, welcoming Church with a positive atmosphere of fellowship and friendship.

 The weekly lunches provided by St John's Pantry and the Saturday Coffee Shop are a thriving outreach to the community. The Pantry is well attended and enjoyed by all. It provides time and space for conversation and fellowship and is an effective outreach to the elderly and disabled.

WORKING  The Alpha Course is seen as a really positive outreach and is usually well attended. More recently Youth Alpha has been very successful, with all ages sharing a meal together before dividing into the different groups.

 The Staff Team work together well and are experienced leaders.

They are approachable, hard-working and well-loved by the WHAT IS WHAT congregation. The whole team is based in offices within the church building, which adds to the sense of presence and availability during the whole week.

 The Minworth Congregational Plant has been an encouragement to the whole church and, even though it is in its early stages, holds much promise.

 Communication with the church is good. St John's has a weekly bulletin and uses ChurchSuite to communicate with the congregation, as well as overhead screens and announcements within the services.

 A wide range of social events attracts many friends, family and neighbours from outside the church and provides a way into church life.

What Needs Improving

We also asked about areas that needed improving and some key themes emerged, which are as follows:

Community Involvement

 As the new development at Langley is established we have a role to play in helping to build a sense of community and God's place within that area.  The church recently conducted research in the Walmley community, taking in the view of a range of local people, including businesses, external users and local councillors. The result of this also shows that

WHAT NEEDS IMPROV we need to improve outreach to our community.

Discipleship

 We need to develop better ways of growing disciples, establishing people in their faith and helping them to belong and grow.  We need to enable our congregations to be passionate about sharing their faith and put evangelism at the heart of everything we do.  We have a relatively low number of people in small groups, so encouraging people, particularly those who have recently come to faith, to join one, is one aspect of the Double and Plant Strategy.  We have many active lay people throughout the work of the church and there is a need for supporting and growing those leaders further.

ING Music in Worship

 Music in worship is rather varied in quality.  There are not enough musicians to cover the services.

Development of Buildings

 We have good church buildings that enable us to serve God in the community, but there is scope to develop our older buildings and we need to develop a clear vision of the best way to do this.

Our New Vicar

We are praying for a Vicar whose own relationship with Jesus will enable them lead, teach, challenge and care for us as we move forward in mission. In particular, we are looking for someone who is:

A Bible Preacher This church has been blessed with a high standard of Bible teaching in recent years. It is important that Biblical based sermons and other Bible based teaching continues.

Passionate about evangelism with a heart for mission to the community. The church has a good level of engagement with the local community, but there is a need for evangelistic work through these links to draw people in to a relationship with Jesus. This is particularly important, bearing in mind the 6,000 planned new homes in the parish and the number of visitors who only seem to come for a few weeks.

A motivational Leader

The size of the church requires a leader who is able to motivate the whole church to engage in a common vision that will result in growth, both in numbers, depth of faith and commitment. In addition, the sizeable team of clergy and staff needs a team leader who can be responsible for both the line management and the development of the team members. We expect the Vicar to chair PCC meetings. A strategic review of our buildings has not been carried out for some time and so VICAR some experience in this area would be helpful.

A Worship Enabler There has been gradual change in the nature and content of the Sunday services and there is an expectation that this development would continue. We have only a few musical worship leaders for a church of this size and there is a need to encourage the development of our worship.

Able to Nurture a Shared Unity

OUR OUR NEW The membership of the church comes from a wide range of denominational backgrounds. Similarly, there is a wide age range within the congregations and we need an incumbent who can knit together the varying needs of our members in a shared unity.

An Encourager and Discipler The church uses the gifts given by the Holy Spirit to our members and is keen to continue the prayerful discernment of these gifts and encouragement of their use within the life of the church.

A Person with a Pastoral Heart Within the church there are a number of people with a heart for pastoral work. We seek to encourage this within the context of the ministry of all believers, but would expect the Vicar to engage with and provide oversight for this work.

We will pray for, support and encourage our Vicar in their ministry. We will expect our Vicar to take both their rest days and annual leave entitlement on a regular basis. We would also expect that they will partake in appropriate continuing ministerial education, Diocesan training and retreats where the church will fund all necessary expenses in accordance with its policies.

Our Leadership and Staff

Revd Adrian Revd Ben Cook Sam Sieber Ruth Young Evans Curate Youth Minister Children's and Associate Vicar Families' Missioner (Part-Time) OUR LEADERSHIP Hi, I'm Adrian (but Hello, I'm Ben. I am the full-time I moved to everyone calls me I'm the Curate at Youth Minister Walmley almost Ade) and I'm the St John's and responsible for the three years ago to Associate Vicar of have been here 11 - 18 year olds take up the post of St John's with for nearly two at the church in part-time CFM at responsibility for years. terms of leading/ St John's. the Minworth teaching their Congregational I'm married to groups, activities My role is plant. Hannah and we and pastorally wonderfully have two children, looking after them. varied. I work with I'm married to Jacob aged 4 and children and Emma and we Rupert aged 7 My work in the families - have three months. community of particularly those children, aged 11, Walmley includes not yet engaged 7 and 3. I have Some of my key support of two with our church AND STAFF been at St John's responsibilities, local Girl Guide community. I also for five years (four alongside Companies linked spend time with as Curate and one preaching and to our church and our schools and as Associate). leading) have our Boys' Brigade community involved music Company. groups, taking I love growing worship assemblies, leaders and am development, Within the life of helping with RE passionate about work with the the church I help lessons and seeing the older generation with our social building links. establishment of a and setting up a media, preaching church that will monthly board- and building the I love developing serve the Langley game cafe. community of the and resourcing and Peddimore church. creative ways of development. In My passions engaging and my spare time I include board discipling children love playing games, golf, and families to football, family days out grow in faith. supporting the and supporting mighty AFC, Aston Villa. I also have a role Wimbledon and within the Diocese relaxing with my where I spend the family. balance of my time.

Our Staff

Eileen Justa Franci Ball Paul Saunders Parish Administrator Technical Support Verger Part-Time Officer Part-Time

Monday - Thursday Part-Time Thursday - Friday

My name is Eileen My role at St John's is My name is Paul Justa and I am the that of the Technical Saunders and I have Parish Administrator Services Officer. I been the Verger for and have worked here prepare and input the eight years. for five years. services into the AV system, liaise with I deal with the routine My role includes relevant people for that maintenance of the answering emails and and distribute service buildings and grounds, phone calls, greeting documents. represent the church for visitors, dealing with weddings, funerals and paperwork for I manage the church many social events. I baptisms/thanksgivings, website's data, am responsible for weddings and funerals, calendar, sermon and security and first producing the weekly weekly bulletin responder to alarm call bulletin, managing the uploading, manage 24/7. church calendar and rotas for the AV Team the hiring of the church and Intercessors and I I support and assist premises. am also the main church groups and LEADERSHIPAND STAFF administrator for individual parishioners ChurchSuite. when needed.

OUR OUR

Leadership Churchwardens and PCC

Our Churchwardens, Melanie Page and Doug Wulff work closely with our Vicar and other staff in the leadership of our church. Similarly, our Parochial Church Council is supportive and seeks to be fully involved in the significant decisions of the church. The PCC currently meets six times a year and has five teams which undertake responsibility on behalf of the PCC for specific areas of our church life. These are detailed below:

OUR

LEADERSHIP

 The Standing Committee consists of the clergy, churchwardens, PCC secretary and chair of the Finance Team and meets between

PCC meetings to transact any necessary business and produce the agendas for the PCC meetings. AND STAFF

 The Children's Ministry Team meets to coordinate the children and young people's work in the church.

 The Finance Team is responsible for overseeing our finances.

 The Facilities Team is responsible for arranging the maintenance and repair of our buildings and churchyard.

 Double and Plant Team is responsible for monitoring and coordinating all aspects of the Double and Plant Vision.

Ministry Team

Our Ministry Team meets to discuss issues affecting ministry in the church and plan the teaching programme throughout the year. As well as the ordained clergy on the staff team there is also a retired Vicar who has Bishop's Permission to Officiate. These, together with the Youth Minister, The Children and Families' Missioner and Readers form the Ministry Team. There are six readers, three of whom are active in leading and preaching.

Church Gathering

Worship at St John's Sunday Worship is at the heart of the weekly life of our church community.

As well as worshipping in song, our main services have a focus on

preaching from God's Word, together with prayer and fellowship. We regularly attract visitors and so we have a Welcome Team who aim to make sure everyone is made to feel welcome and know what to expect when they come to one of our services. Two or three times a year newcomers are invited to a Welcome Lunch, so that they can begin to get to know a wider range of people in the congregation. The Welcome Team is drawn from a wide range of the congregation from 14 - 87 years of age.

Our services are explained below in more detail:

9:15 A.M. Morning Worship/Holy Communion This service is a quieter, more meditative service, lasting for around one hour. Traditional and modern hymns and songs are sung from CDs. Twice each month we celebrate Holy Communion. There are no groups for children at this service, but they are, of course welcome. Average attendance is up to 60 at each service with an average for September and

CHURCH GATHERING October 2018 of 47.

10:45 A.M. Service The 10:45 a.m. service is a more contemporary, family orientated service, which has provision for children. This service usually has lively worship, with a band and music group. On the first Sunday of the month, there is a special "Explore Together" service which seeks to engage all learning types and is for all ages. This service usually lasts for just under an hour. On the other Sundays in the month the 10:45 a.m. service has children and young people in the service to begin with and then part way through there are groups for them, while the adults remain to engage with a Bible reading, sermon and prayers for the world. On the third Sunday we celebrate Holy Communion where, following prior discussion with the Vicar, children are invited to share in Communion at the discretion of their parents and carers. The attendance at this service averages 42 for under 16s and 129 for over 16s (September and October 2018).

4:00 P.M. Service in Minworth The Congregational Plant was started in October 2017 as an expression of the Double and Plant desire to reach out to the community of Minworth with the love of Jesus. The work is rather unusual as it has not "taken the place" of the Parish Church in Minworth (which still meets on Sunday mornings) but rather works alongside to reach out into Minworth and grow a new, younger and vibrant church community. Reverend Adrian Evans (along with a fantastic team) leads the plant and outreach in that area. Time has been spent building up relationships (particularly with the local Primary School), trying new things and praying for that community.

St John's Minworth meets at 4:00 p.m. on Sundays, with Holy Communion at St George's Minworth on the first Sunday of the month, Messy Church (which meets at Walmley Junior and Infant School) on the second Sunday, no formal service on the third Sunday and a Celebration Service on the CHURCH GATHERING fourth Sunday.

6:00 P.M. Sunday Evening Fellowship This lay-led meeting is held in the church lounge with typical attendance of around 20 - 25 people. The Fellowship was commenced four years ago to take the place of a formal evening service. The first Sunday of the month is a Holy Communion service and on the other Sunday nights people gather to worship, hear a speaker or share testimonies together.

Midweek Communion Service A midweek Holy Communion service is held in church on Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m. This is usually led by a member of the ordained staff, but on occasions a retired Vicar. Typically there are about 20 communicants. During term-time this service is followed by Bible Chat, a lay-led informal Bible study where the background and context of a Bible passage is discussed as well as its content.

Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals During 2017 the church clergy undertook nine baptisms, two thanksgivings, three marriages and 15 funerals. All baptisms are preceded by a planned conversation and short course about the meaning

CHURCH GATHERING and significance of baptism to the child and family. There is a baptismal pool in the church and baptism by immersion is offered once or twice a year.

Music Ministry At our 10:45 a.m. service and occasionally at the 9:15 a.m. there are a number of musicians who lead the singing, mostly from the piano with guitar accompaniment, but sometimes without a pianist. The 6:00 p.m. fellowship mostly uses CDs, but on occasions it is led by a guitarist.

CHURCH GATHERING

Other Church Gatherings

Small Groups We currently have 15 small groups running at various days and times in the week. Each group consists of around 6 - 12 people gathering to pray, study the Bible, support one another, discover their gifts and to feel increasingly connected to the larger body of believers here at St John's. We recognise that, for us to double as a church, small groups play a key role in providing a place to build relationships and grow in relationship with God. There is an openness to explore new ways to run small groups as we acknowledge that more needs to be done in this area of the life of the church, in particular reaching those in the congregation aged in their 20s, 30s and 40s.

Ladies' Weekend Away These were started in 2017 and run under the title "Time with God". The aim is to provide some space away from the normal business of day to day life to provide an opportunity for reflection and ministry focused on all the ladies in the church, whatever their age. They are usually held in January or February each year.

Ladies' Breakfasts These complement the Weekend Away and are held on Saturday mornings twice a year. As well as enjoying the fellowship of sharing breakfast, there is a speaker who provides a focus for the event.

CHURCH GATHERING CHURCH

Social Team We have an active Social Team, which organises activities to develop fellowship among our church members. Typically, these include Harvest Supper, Quiz Night, Skittles Evenings and Musical Events. Members are encouraged to bring their friends to these events as a form of outreach.

Afternoon Fellowship We have an Afternoon Fellowship on a Tuesday that is open to anyone. As well as providing an opportunity to praise and worship God, we also pray and study the Bible. We also hear from Christian speakers and encourage one another's walk of faith. Three times a year there is an opportunity to join an outing to venues accessible by coach. Currently there are about 15 members.

Children and Young People in the Church

We are proud of our thriving community of children and young people and, although they don't all attend each week, we have over 100 children and young people on our register. Typical numbers are included in the detail below: CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE THE CHURCHIN Crèche (Under 2 Years)

There is a self-service Crèche for babies and toddlers during the 10:45 a.m. service, which is located on the stage area of the Coffee Lounge.

Little Wrigglers and Bigger Wrigglers Little Wrigglers is for children aged two and three, who are not yet old enough for Foundation Stage 1 (School Nursery). They then move to Bigger Wrigglers (3 - 4 years) until they enter Reception Year. Both groups take place in the Upstairs Lounge so that parents or carers who don't want to be too far away from their children can join the church service by sitting on the balcony just outside. Typically there are 10 in each group.

Scramblers (4 - 5 Years) This is the group for those children in the Reception Year and takes place in the Coffee Lounge linked to the church. Numbers for the group average around seven.

Climbers (5 - 7 Years) Climbers is for children in Year 1 and Year 2 and takes place in the Church Hall. They meet and register in the Coffee Lounge before walking round under supervision to the Hall together. Typical numbers each week are about seven.

Explorers (7 - 10 Years) Explorers takes place in the Church Hall. They meet and register before walking round under supervision to the Hall together. Group numbers are around 13 each week.

Squelch! Once a month, usually the third Sunday, Scramblers, Climbers and Explorers (R to Y6) meet together in the Church Hall. Typical numbers are around 20. Crèche, Little Wrigglers and Bigger Wrigglers continue to meet in their usual groups.

Pathfinders (Secondary Age) Young people who are in Secondary School meet together as Pathfinders. They have a dedicated meeting place in the Albert Jones Hall in the churchyard. They also have the opportunity to be part of mid-week discipleship groups to dig deeper into matters of faith. On Thursdays there is a Supper Club, which is open to anyone in Secondary School. Often it is a night of games and food, but sometimes it may be a course running for a few weeks.

Vision Youth Group Vision is our Youth Group Meeting for those young people in Year 9 in school and older. They meet on a Sunday night from 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. This group seeks to have a balance of fun relaxing meetings, as well as topics relating to young people's lives with a "What would Jesus do or say about this?" aspect to it. Regular Bible studies and time for praying for each other is part of the culture we set in this group. What makes this group different from Pathfinders is that it takes on "older" issues and topics and can wrestle with all of this in a more mature way. Helping the young people to exercise their gifts and leadership capabilities is part of the ambition of the group.

CHILDREN YOUNG AND PEOPLE CHURCH THE IN

Community Engagement and Outreach

Deanery School The Deanery Church of England Primary School serves the Deanery of Sutton Coldfield and is located in the parish. The PCC appoint a Governor to the school and the Vicar is an ex-officio Governor. Rated as Outstanding by Ofsted, the Deanery has an excellent reputation and, as such is over-subscribed. Entrance criteria for the school requires a pattern COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND OUTREACH of church attendance over two years, generating a large demand on our Sunday Groups and fantastic opportunity for outreach. This church building is used by the Deanery and other schools for Easter Services, Leavers' Communion Service, Harvest Service and Christmas Service.

Schools' Work We also have healthy relationships with the other Primary Schools in our parish, where we regularly take assemblies and help with RE lessons. Christmas through the Keyhole and Experience Easter are two exciting ways we engage with our local schools to explore what these important festivals mean to Christians. Christmas Through the Keyhole is a multi- sensory interactive trail for Primary children that gives them a unique experience of the Christmas story. Experience Easter is aimed at upper KS2 pupils and allows them to reflect on the Easter story in creative ways. At St John's@Minworth we have built up a strong relationship with the school in Minworth, which has led to the congregation meeting twice a month in the school hall.

Tiddlywinks Tiddlywinks is our carers' and toddlers' group which meets on Monday mornings during term time, from 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. It is open to all in the community who are looking for something to do with their pre-school children at the start of the week and is extremely popular in our community. A typical morning at Tiddlywinks involves up to 80 children and includes free-play from 10:00 a.m. story time and singing at 10:50 a.m. and craft time at 11:10 a.m.

Boys' Brigade The 2nd Sutton Coldfield Company is linked to our church and includes an Anchor Boys' Company and Senior Section, covering ages 5 - 18. Over recent years the boys have won a number of presitigous awards in the Birmingham

Battalion. The Company meets on Friday evenings and plays an important role in the church , including the annual Service of Remembrance, which attracts an increasing number of people from the community each year.

St John's Pantry Every Tuesday in the Church Lounge, St John's Pantry serves affordable lunches. The majority are retired people, although some who work locally also come along and, on occasions children come along with a parent or grandparent. About 40% of those that come regularly are from outside the church and we see sharing the love of Jesus with them as an important part of our ministry with lots of potential for growth.

Coffee Shop On Saturday mornings we open a Coffee Shop in the Church Lounge serving snacks and drinks which provides a welcome to those from the local community who drop in.

Alpha and Youth Alpha Course

In the last 10 years we have welcomed over 180 adult and youth guests on our courses. Most guests are introduced by church members, but there are often guests who join from the National Alpha website or our own website. Typically we have run two courses a year, but due to a reduction in demand, in the last year we only ran one course.

COMMUNITYENGAGEMENT AND OUTREACH

Mission Partners

We have a long tradition of Mission Support, both at home and abroad. Our current partners have all grown up in St John's. We also financially support a number of other smaller charities with links to the church, such as Kids Klub Kampala, UCCF, Kids Klub Leeds, Rwanda Restored, Birmingham City Mission and Growing Through.

Chris and Ros Howles (BCMS Crosslink) COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND OUTREACH

Chris and Ros are helping to train ministers at Uganda Martyrs' Seminary Bible College on the outskirts of Kampala. Chris lectures, runs the college Bible study programme and mentors students. Ros home-schools the children and leads Bible studies for female students, gives medical advice to students and oversees development projects. They both help lead the local church Sunday School.

Alex and Mari Walker (Reach Beyond)

Alex helps local church groups with the technical set up of radio broadcast stations across the Southern African region. The groups are responsible for the broadcasting spreading of the Gospel message. Radio is often the first choice of media in many African countries and broadcasts can reach over into neighbouring countries.

Mat and Suzanne Gregory (Baptist Missionary Society)

Mat and Suzanne live and work in

Tirana, Albania. Work has centred around setting up a community and resource centre Tak Ura (at the bridge) for Roma people who live in shanty areas in Tirana. Mat works with various groups offering practical support, gaining skills and Bible study. Suzanne teaches at the International School.

Soup Run and Food Bank Our monthly Soup Run is church-led and runs alongside other churches and organisations to reach out and provide care for the homeless in Birmingham City

Centre. We have recently partnered with the Erdington Food Bank and act as a collection point for provisions.

Remembrance Day On Remembrance Sunday each year we hold an outdoor serves at Walmley War Memorial. The service begins at 10:45 a.m. with a procession including the uniformed organisations. After a hymn, some readings and a short address we observe the two minutes of silence at 11:00 a.m. After the service everyone is welcome to come back to the church for soup and a hot drink. Attendance has grown to more than 500 people.

St John's Walking Group

Once a month we meet up for a planned walk somewhere in the Midlands where there is greenery, scenery and a good footpath.

Pot of Gold The aim of this group is to help children during a time of grieving or family separation in their lives. The children meet as a group and follow a 12 week programme developed by former church members. The format

COMMUNITYENGAGEMENT AND OUTREACH provides the opportunity for them to share and support each other through the help of facilitators who organise and run the group.

Gardening Team Every Tuesday our Gardening Team meets to look after our church grounds. Over the 16 years since it was started the group has grown, not only in numbers, but also in depth of friendship and pastoral care. It also provides an outreach to those with no other links to the church and this offer of friendship is an important part of their work. The only criteria for

joining is that you must enjoy tea/coffee and biscuits. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND OUTREACH

Games Cafe Games Cafe, Walmley is a monthly afternoon of family friendly fun. Around 30 - 40 people come to the cafe with their games from home or they choose one to play from our library. We have built up a lovely community of people at the cafe and we are very welcoming.

Friday Football This takes place every Friday evening and provides a chance to build relationships amongst the men in the church, as well as a place to which they can invite their friends. Football is normally followed by a trip to the pub for a chance to discuss the game and chat further. We get on

average around 14 - 18 players per week from a pool of around 40. In the past we have seen some of the men attend Alpha, a sports quiz at church and a curry night. We continue to seek and pray how to build relationships between the men that come and the life of the church.

OUTREACH

Acacia Family Support The project was established by church members some years ago and is now independent. It focuses on the care of families experiencing the effects of pre- or post-natal depression. It holds its support sessions in the church and by working with the NHS, has expanded, setting up similar activities at other locations across Birmingham. Several church members work for Acacia as employees or volunteers.

COMMUNITYENGAGEMENT AND

Pastoral Work and Prayer Ministry

We firmly believe in the ministry of all believers and that the care of our brothers and sisters in Christ should be a priority for every member of St John's Church.

Over the last 15 years or so we have developed our approach to involve every individual in the care of their fellow members in Christ. Through a "Care and Prayer" hotline (the church office) we endeavour to link anyone in need to another Christian or group who can ensure that their name is included in our published prayer list (with their permission) and who will be their main contact with the church. We encourage all members of the church to be part of a small group - either House Group or Working Group such as the Pantry or Gardeners' Team - and these groups will have prime responsibility for care of their members. There are three Prayer and Care PRAYING AND CARING coordinators who are informed of every contact and will attempt to arrange additional help where necessary.

After the main church service on Sundays there is a small team available to address prayer needs. Intercessory prayer is generally provided by lay members of the church on a rota basis.

There is a team organised to provide Home Communion where needed and regular services are taken at two Care Homes within the Parish.

About three times a year an Open Meeting is convened by the coordinators to review the Church Family List to try and identify anyone who may have been missed, so that the appropriate action can be taken. About 25 - 30 individuals generally attend.

We would like to encourage more members to seek the gifts of the Holy Spirit so that they can take a more active part in Pastoral Ministry and Prayer.

Our Buildings

We are very blessed with our facilities, including a large warm worship space, three halls, office space and a lounge with a fully fitted kitchen as well as living accommodation for the Vicar, Curate and Youth Minister. We recognise that some of our facilities are starting to show their age and a strategy of refurbishment and/or replacement is needed to align with the Double and Plant Strategy and anticipated church growth and engagement with the community. This will be an exciting project for the future Vicar of St John's to lead.

The Church and Lounge The new church building was dedicated in 1987 and can seat 350 persons. The inside of the church is light and airy and is equipped with a comprehensive Audio Visual System, including access to the Internet. The church incorporates a baptismal pool and the loose standing chairs allow flexibility in the layout. As well as being used for our Sunday services, the church is also used for Tiddlywinks, residents' meetings and church social activities. This worship area is joined to the original 1845 Grade II listed church, the ground floor of which has been converted in to the Church Lounge with a fully established kitchen. Upstairs there is an Upper Hall and Staff Offices. The Parish Office is downstairs near the main entrance.

OUR OUR BUILDINGS

The Church Hall The Church Hall was built in 1904 and is about 100 metres away from the church, directly opposite the shops and library. Within the last year it has had a new floor covering and has been redecorated internally. The Hall is used by the Sunday School and 2nd Boys' Brigade Company as well as being used for some of the other church youth activities. The Hall is let to many community groups, including Rainbows, Brownies, Guides, several Toddler groups, Dancing, Slimming and Exercise Groups and for private bookings, including children's parties.

The Thomas Law Hall There is a wooden hall built by Thomas Law in 1934 located immediately behind the Church Hall. Until a year ago this was owned by a Women's Institute Group on land leased from the church. When this group closed the hall was gifted to the church. It is in good condition, but has limited facilities. It is still used by two other WI Groups, but its use is being developed for suitable groups and church events.

The Albert Jones Hall The Albert Jones Hall is a wooden building which was second-hand when erected by church members in 1982 to provide accommodation whilst the new church was being built. There are two meeting rooms, a kitchen and toilets. For a number of years it was used for storage, but in 2009 our Pathfinder Group raised £2,000 to refurbish it for their use. In the longer term more substantial improvement or rebuilding will be required.

The Vicarage The present Vicarage, immediately adjacent to the church was built in the 1970s when the previous Victorian Vicarage and grounds were replaced by five detached houses. Spacious accommodation includes four bedrooms, (one with en-suite bathroom),

lounge, dining room, kitchen, utility room and OUR study. There is a good sized garden.

BUILDINGS The Curatage The Curatage is a 1940's semi-detached dwelling purchased by the church over 40 years ago. There is an extended kitchen and dining room and a loft conversion, which has added a fourth bedroom. Downstairs, there are two reception rooms, study, large kitchen and utility room.

The Youth Minister's Flat

The Youth Minister's flat, a ground floor flat with two bedrooms, bathroom, reception room and kitchen, situated less than half a mile away from the church was purchased in 1999 thanks to the generosity of the congregation.

Accommodation for the Associate Vicar is provided by the Diocese and is located within the Parish and the Children and Families' Missioner provides her own accommodation.

Our Finances Our finances have been strong historically, but are dependent on a small number of significant donors. During 2017 we raised over £10,000 in gifts to support the congregational plant in Minworth. However, one of our major donors moved to another church. Consequently our day-to-day running costs exceeded our regular giving and other sources of income, so that we made a loss of £4,000. We expect to make another loss in 2018, but anticipate that we will return to a balanced budget in 2019 when our Common Fund payment is reduced as a result of a new method of calculation. Our full accounts can be accessed via the Charity Commission website. Our registered charity number is 1132447.

Sources of Income

OUR FINANCES OUR Areas of Expenditure

Parish and Local Area: Present and Future

PARISH AND LOCAL AREA: PRESENT AND FUTURE

There are 11 parishes and 14 churches in the Deanery of Sutton Coldfield, which covers the former Warwickshire Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield and some bordering rural and urban communities. The combined population is just over 100,000. The Deanery covers a wide range of worship styles as well as social contexts, with everything from gated mansions to social housing. Within the Deanery there are first class schools and the delights of Sutton Park.

Deanery Synod meets three times a year and has been involved in passing a motion that was taken on to Birmingham Diocesan Synod and General Synod. Chapter meets monthly for both business and social meetings, including a 24 hour Residential Chapter in the autumn and an Extended Chapter that includes all involved in licensed ministry. It is a supportive group and is often the first port of call when help is needed.

Walmley parish has a population of about 13,400 and functions as a commuter area eight miles North East of the centre of Birmingham. The church is set at the heart of the community near a small shopping centre with a Post Office, library and a pub.

A busy GP partnership lies adjacent to the church and there are two dental practices in the village. There is a hospital about four miles away, which is part of the University Hospitals Birmingham Foundation Trust, serving Sutton Coldfield.

Most of Walmley's housing is owner occupied homes of varying sizes built for professional and skilled manual families with a growing proportion of private rented accommodation and a limited amount of social housing. The development of an additional 6,000 houses in the adjacent area of Langley will lead to an increase in the population of the parish over the next 10 - 15 years.

There are Primary and Secondary Schools serving the area. Within the parish there are four Primary Schools, two Church Schools - (the Deanery School and Holy Cross), Walmley Junior & Infant School and the private Shrubbery

School. There are a number of Secondary Schools close to the parish boundaries, including two Comprehensives, a Roman Catholic School and two Grammar Schools.

Within the parish there are a number of churches, including the Roman Catholic Church, an independent evangelical church, a Darby Brethren Chapel and a Mormon Church.

In the recently adopted Birmingham Development Plan 2031 there is a plan to build a sustainable urban extension of 6,000 new homes (circa 15,000 people) most of which will fall within the parish. The area

earmarked for the development is known as Langley and this is the size of a small new town. Physical construction is expected to begin later in 2019 and will take 10 - 15 years to complete. The development is based around a series of new neighbourhoods, which will be serviced by new shopping and other community facilities and will include three new Primary Schools and a Secondary School.

We are in the process of identifying our spiritual and statutory responsibilities for this development and in line with the Double and Plant Vision are seeking to be at the centre of a new worshipping community in Langley. We have contributed to the City Council Langley Supplementary Planning guidance by highlighting the need for a place of worship to be included in the centre of Langley. There is Diocesan support for the Secondary School to be a Church of England School, though discussion is at a very early stage.

The Northern most part of the development area is in the neighbouring parish of St Chad's and we are engaging with the Vicar and other key bodies shaping this new community.

As part of our Double and Plant Vision a new congregation has been established in the adjacent village of Minworth, to the South of the Langley development area.

The City Council has a further plan to develop a large modern industrial estate on land at Peddimore, next to Minworth and Langley and it is expected to result in up to 10,000 new jobs, attracting many new residents into the parish and surrounding areas. The development will generate additional missional opportunities for St John's in Walmley and Minworth.

The growth in population and our missional response to it fits within the People and Places Framework as the deployment of the Transforming Church Vision. People and Places encourages parishes and congregations to refocus on the wider population for kingdom ministry. Thus the Double and Plant Strategy, our schools work and our focus on mission and evangelism are well supported within vision and planning of Church of England Birmingham.

PARISHAND LOCAL AREA: PRESENT AND FUTURE

More information can be found by searching the Internet for:

Birmingham Development Plan 2031

The PCC response to the consultation is available.

PARISH AND LOCAL AREA: PRESENT AND FUTURE 29

St John's Church 4 Walmley Road, Sutton Coldfield B76 1QN Tel: 0121 313 0413 Email: [email protected]