The Cotteridge Church 24 Pershore Road South, Birmingham B30 3EJ www.thecotteridgechurch.org.uk We aim to be: A Place of Reconciliation - where hurts are healed & barriers broken down A Place of Proclamation - where beliefs are respected & dialogue encouraged A Place of Service - where community needs are met A Place of Celebration - where the good things of liFe are celebrated The Cotteridge Church, set in a busy suburb of south Birmingham, is highly visible, at the centre of its community and open seven days a week. The ecumenical Congregation, combining Anglican, Methodist and United Reformed members, is socially and theologically mixed with a high proportion of young families. The Church Coffee Bar is open every day, welcoming members of the community for food, drink and a chat. The Church Older Adults Care Services provide the elderly and housebound with daily activities and a hot meal. The B30 Food Bank, in partnership with B30 Churches Together, feeds about 100 people a week. Contents' ' ' ' ' ' p! Introduc)on** * * * * * * * * * * **3* Our*Mission*Statement*** * * * * * * * * **4! The*Congrega)onal*Mee)ng,*Joint*Church*Council and*Finance*** * * * * * * * * * * **4! Governance*** * * * * * * * * * * **5* Priori)es*2015** * * * * * * * * * * **5* The*Congrega)on*** * * * * * * * * * **6* PaEerns*oF*Worship** * * * * * * * * * **7* Junior*&*Senior*Church** * * * * * * * * * **8* The*Boys’*Brigade*** * * * * * * * * * **8* Older*Adults*Care*Services** * * * * * * * * **9* 3*C’s*(CoEeridge*Church*Coffee*Bar)*** * * * * * * **9* B30*Foodbank** * * * * * * * * * * **9* Other*Ac)vi)es** * * * * * * * * * ***********10* Publica)ons*** * * * * * * * * * ***********11* Loca)on** * * * * * * * * * * ***********12* History** * * * * * * * * * * ***********12! Building** * * * * * * * * * * ***********13 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX* What*is*our*vision*For*the*Future?** * * * * * * ***********13! What*are*we*looking*For*in*a*Minister?** * * * * * ***********13! The*Role*Descrip)on** * * * * * * * * *****14X15* XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX** Appendix*1:*Summary*oF*church*financial*posi)on*2014X5** * * * * ********16X17* ! Page%2%of%17% Introduction The Cotteridge Church is an Anglican, Methodist and United Reformed Church Local Ecumenical Project in South Birmingham and is a busy seven day a week church well known in the area as the heart of the community. Our ministerial team previously comprised one Anglican minister, who also works with Young Ethnic Minorities within the Diocese, one Methodist minister with responsibility for two other Methodist Churches, one URC minister with another church and further synod responsibilities in the city, plus an Anglican non-stipendiary minister who work together alongside Lay Preachers and volunteers. The ministers meet regularly to agree areas of work, make Future plans and support general outreach in the community. We are now looking to combine the previous part time Methodist and URC posts into a single post, full time (if possible) which will represent both denominations. The prospective Minister should have experience oF inclusive ecumenical and team work, either inside or outside the Church, with an open theological approach, including a commitment to the use and development of our joint liturgy. S/he must also have an understanding of and empathy for collaborative work and be a positive spiritual influence in worship, pastoral care and education of the congregation, volunteers and the community. The dynamic of the church has changed recently, losing one long-standing minister to retirement and two ministers being called to new areas in quick succession. This has been challenging and we now look forward to a time of stability and spiritual growth. The busy cafe (3C’s - Cotteridge Church Café) is a centre for outreach in the community, external groups and organisations. Open six days a week and staffed entirely by volunteers, it provides light meals and snacks. Hot meals cooked on the premises by church catering employees are also provided on week days. This is a vital part of church work and visibility in the community, oFFering welcome and sustenance of all kinds to everyone who comes through our doors. The church also has an Older Adults Centre, employing 4 full time staff, which cares for elderly folk by providing a range of daily activities, promoting independence and well-being. Overall, The Cotteridge Church employs 8 part time staff including an Administrator who co- ordinates much oF the day to day business of the church. A large number of people cross the threshold for a variety of reasons and the desire to feed them not only physically but spiritually is strong. A very successful recent venture is The B30 Food Bank in conjunction with The Trussell Trust. Volunteers from Churches Together in B30 and many more from the community, work together feeding people referred to the Food Bank by outside agencies. At the last count the usual Sunday Attendance figure For those aged 16 and over was 141 with 24 under 16. The current membership role numbers 198. The church has a membership list, but this does not cover all the worshipping community as some attendees are not members. Last Easter there were 154 worshippers with 212 at Christmas. Page 3 of 17 Our Mission Statement We seek to: Serve by meeting the needs of the community Proclaim the Gospel, respect beliefs and encourage dialogue Reconcile by breaking down barriers and healing others’ hurts Celebrate good things through openness in worship and belieF ( 1985) The Congregational Meeting As an ecumenical project, the Congregational Meeting is a Forum For all Church Members to play a role in the development oF the Church. This meeting takes place 3 times a year. We have experimented with holding this meeting at various times, including after Sunday services, to increase the involvement of the congregation in the Future direction of The Cotteridge Church. The Joint Church Council (JCC) The governing body of the church is made up oF elected members oF the church, each oF whom is appointed For a three year period oF service. Some members oF JCC also serve on other committees who report to and are answerable to JCC. Finance and Property and Older Adults Care Services are permanent committees. Occasionally JCC sets up new committees to oversee certain projects e.g. Image, Governance and the StafFing Consultative Group. The ofFice of Chair rotates on an annual basis and until now has been a member of the clergy. Finance The main Financial resource is From Congregational giving and GiFt Aid refunds. Other income comes From room hire, catering, Book Centre, Traidcraft, Annual Fairs and other activities. The Cotteridge Church is registered For VAT. We aim to give away 10% of donated income to agreed charities, including missionary societies. Other funds are raised For speciFic projects at home and abroad and appeals For world disasters. Appendix 1 gives a summary of the 2014- 2015 accounts. Page 4 of 17 Governance Priorities 2015 We are currently looking at Four priorities. Older Adults: how can we care for those vulnerable members of our community? The Older Adults Care Services, with Full time paid stafF, is undergoing a change in its service to the community. Negotiations are underway for a part-time paid Older Adult Pastoral Worker to be appointed with a view to increasing this work and aligning it with our mission. Spiritual Growth: how can we grow in faith as a congregation of God’s people? In a recent survey the congregation asked speciFically for more spiritual support and guidance, especially Following a period oF change. Many oF our volunteers do not attend any church, not necessarily because they have no spiritual aspirations, but because they do not see a role For conventional “church”. Our vision for the Future is to encourage and support all our communities in their spiritual growth. The Young People: how can we develop and nurture our young people’s walk with Christ? What is our church of the Future going to look like? We have a healthy number of young people who attend our Junior and Senior Church and beyond. How do we keep and grow with them? Governance: how can we structure our work to be more effective and efficient? We are continuing to bring our working practices, policies and procedures into a more coherent Framework which underpins our mission. It is not anticipated that the minister will attend every group! Page 5 of 17 The Congregation “The Cotteridge Church is a warm, The congregation is a social, theological, ethnic and age welcoming hub for the community. mix – as you might expect From an urban ecumenical It is not merely a church for church. There are many young Families and established members who join together For a variety oF worship Sunday, but very active and patterns, to which all contribute. The main Sunday engaging within its locality and morning service is generally attended by Families and a space. It fuses a mix of traditions well-established nucleus of long standing members. The and expressions. I challenge anyone congregation look Forward to a mixture of participative to attend for a period of 4 weeks worship with the integration of technology, as well as and to not leave feeling drawn in.” services with more traditional Formats and liturgy. Age Profile Apart From Sunday services, we provide For the 65+ spiritual needs of our congregation by encouraging other study groups such as Lent 24-64 groups or ‘faith in foodbanks’, using outside 16-24 materials. -16 Joint choirs From the B30 area are the Focus in services during Advent or Easter. The evening service attracts a smaller adult group, “When I first came to The expecting a more reflective kind of worship, whilst Café Cotteridge Church I was Church (once a month) has a worship group more geared to attracted by the concept discussion and challenge. There is a small weekday service where different which attracts a number of older attendees who know denominations come together about the church via the CofFee bar. as one in worshipping the one true God. In Him, who The Cotteridge Church is a great deal more than just a calls us into His family, we Sunday Church.