In the Theydon Parishes

Parish Profile for the rôle of Associate Priest (House for Duty) in The Theydon Parishes:

St Mary the Virgin Theydon Bois,

and the Parish of

Contents

Overview of Parishes and Clergy Profile 3 St Mary’s Church, Theydon Bois 6 All Saints’ Church, Theydon Garnon 11 St Michael’s Church, Theydon Mount with St Mary’s Church, Stapleford Tawney 15 The Deanery of Epping Forest and Ongar 17 The Vicarage 19

2 Overview of Parishes and Clergy Profile

Introduction Overall Vision A new associate priest is sought to The guiding principles of the Churches in the share responsibility for the Joint Benefice of Theydon Benefice: St Mary the Virgin Theydon Bois and All To be loving, caring and welcoming Saints Theydon Garnon, and the parish of St congregations who nurture each other to Michael’s Theydon Mount and St Mary the grow in faith together through quality wor- Virgin Stapleford Tawney. In short: ship, Bible teaching and prayer, sharing the • one Benefice, love of God in Christ with others by example • three Parishes, and our activities in the community and wider world. • three congregations, In To be loving, caring and welcoming • four worship centres, congregations who nurture each other to with variety in abundance. grow in faith together The three Parishes are situated to the Up Delivering a variety of quality worship, north east of London in the western part of Bible teaching and prayer to share the love of the county of Essex. They cover a mixture of God in Christ. rural Essex and suburbia. Theydon Bois is a Out Showing our faith to others by example and our activities in the community and wider world

Rôle Description The following description and specification set out requirements that are specific to this post. It is already assumed that the person appointed would be a priest who takes their calling seriously, and would have regard to the general responsibilities of the clergy. We are seeking someone who is willing to share in the priestly ministry throughout The Theydon Parishes. Specific duties would large village and St Mary’s has a substantial include: thriving congregation. The other three • Leading and/or preaching at two Sun- churches are in more rural locations but All day morning services per week in the Saints parish includes part of the neighbour- Benefice and at least one evening Sun- ing town of Epping. Their congregations are day service per month. smaller, but they are loyal and committed, and are predominately from outside their par- • Sharing in preaching and leading of ser- ishes. vices, on a rota basis – to include the We are an active Benefice that provide full range of forms of worship offered the opportunity to deliver a range of styles of across the Benefice. worship from the Book of Common Prayer to • Sharing in presiding at midweek Com- All Age Worship. Our congregations are munion services on a rota basis. committed to developing their churches and • Attending Morning Prayer when “on reaching out to their communities in mission duty” in the Benefice. and ministry. We are excited by what lies • Providing preparation for, and leading, ahead for our churches and hope to build on Occasional Offices, in collaboration the good work already being undertaken in with the Vicar. support of our mission statements. We face • Leading pastoral care in the Benefice, different challenges in our quest to serve God with a specific focus on the parish of in each community, whilst promoting the Christian faith.

3 Theydon Garnon (within which the As- expect strong support from the incumbent sociate Priest will reside), discerning and across all age groups of the new enlarged and training a team of authorised Pasto- congregation in terms of: ral Assistants who could be deployed • Enthusiasm - the three congregations across the Benefice. are brimming with a variety of skills • Attendance at at least two PCC meet- that can be shared across the group of ings per church per year and other rele- churches. vant meetings, as agreed with the Vicar. • Dedication - the respective congrega- • Involvement in other projects and min- tions are committed members of the istries as seems appropriate (for exam- church family and can be relied upon ple future Mission events, school as- for a long term commitment. semblies) according to experience, • We would expect to give full support to skills and gifts of the successful candi- the new associate priest in all aspects of date. our church life, and full expenses of office will be paid using an agreed formula across the Benefice. • The associate priest would join a sup- portive local ministry team (two Read- ers/LLMs with PTO, two Authorised Local Preachers, part-time youth worker shared across MMU) and in addition the clergy of the MMU say the Morn- ing Office together weekly.

Key priorities Within the next two to three years these • Providing a degree of general cover, are the key priorities for our Benefice: within the time commitment of this • Connecting people and building posi- post, when the Vicar is on leave or is tive relationships in the new Benefice. absent from the parish. • Encouraging and enabling lay leader- There is no stipend for this post but remuner- ship of worship. ation consists of the provision of rent-free • Developing and nurturing faith of accommodation in the Theydon Garnon Vic- adults through small groups. arage (see p19). Council tax, water bills and • Developing Pastoral Care Teams to reasonable working expenses will be paid. provide comfort and support for those The priest appointed will be able to access who are ill or suffering bereavement. (and in some cases required to make use of) • Developing further use of Church training and support provided by the Diocese buildings and assets for the good of our of Chelmsford. congregations, the local community and The time commitment would be Sun- wider church. days plus two days or equivalent during the week, with specifics to be negotiated accord- • Reaching out to the urban parts of the ing to circumstances. Parishes to encourage greater involve- The person appointed is required to ment with their churches. work in collaboration with and under the • Encouraging and enabling fresh expres- oversight of the Vicar of the United Benefice. sions of ministry and mission where the opportunity arises. Support • Encouraging more creativity in worship e.g. drama and expansion of music In return, the new associate priest can groups.

4 • Developing ministry with children and • An engaging preacher who can com- young people. municate theological ideas in an under- standable way. Person Specification • An ability to help others to explore the Essential Christian faith. • Experience of parish ministry • Administratively competent and with the ability to use computers for word • Comfortable within a central Anglican processing, email and internet access. tradition; open to new moves of the Spirit whilst respecting the traditions of • A full UK driving licence. the church. Desirable: • A proven ability to minister collabora- tively, supportively and enthusiastically • Comfortable and confident in ministry with and alongside others. in schools. • Recognition of the value of pastoral • Entrepreneurial. care. • A good sense of humour. • Experience of ministering to people of all ages.

Services (TB: St Mary’s Theydon Bois, TG: All Saints Theydon Garnon, TM: St Michael’s Theydon Mount, ST: St Mary’s Stapleford Tawney)

Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5

8.00am TB HC (BCP) HC (BCP) HC (BCP) HC (BCP) HC (BCP)

8.00am TG HC (BCP) Parish Parish Parish All Age 9.15am TG Communion Communion Communion 10.00am Worship (CW) (CW) (CW) Family Family Morning United Benefice All Age 10.30am TB Communion Communion Worship Communion Worship (CW) (CW) (CW) (CW) Sung Service of the Service of the Sung 10.30am Rotating around Communion Word (CW) Word (CW) Communion TM or ST Churches (CW) at ST at TM at ST (CW) at TM

Sung Sung Evensong or Sung 6.00pm TB Communion Evensong “Special” Evensong United Service (CW) (BCP) e.g. Taizé (BCP)

Sung 6.00pm TG Evensong (BCP)

Current Regular weekday Services • Holy Communion on Wednesdays at • Morning Prayer said publicly on Fri- days at 9.30 am (TB) and Thursdays 10.00 am (TB) (Week 1: Mothers’ by clergy of the MMU at 9.15 am Union Communion). (rotating around MMU). • Evening Prayer said on Tuesdays, • Holy Communion on Tuesdays at Wednesdays and Thursdays at 5.00 pm 10.00 am (TG). (TB).

5 St Mary’s Church, Theydon Bois

Introduction St Mary’s is a flourishing church fami- lenges with us, and who would be willing and ly. We hold a variety of services that meet a able to channel our energies and work with us wide spectrum of needs and have a thriving to grow the Church within the community. Junior Church for 3-13 year olds on Sunday mornings. We are able to call on many differ- Church Membership ent talents, both spiritual and practical, Number on electoral roll: 193. The average amongst the worshippers. Stewardship at St. attendance at services is: Mary’s is under review to try to increase the • 8.00 a.m. - 20, level of planned giving. Worshippers enjoy lovely church buildings and grounds as well • 10.30 a.m. - 65, plus 25 children, as a nearby church hall, which together pro- • 6.00 p.m. - 20. vide ample space for every kind of church activity. In 2016 there were: • 16 baptisms • 19 confirmed • 7 marriages • 10 funerals • 9 funeral services at a crematorium.

There is a thriving Junior Church attended by children between the ages of three and fourteen. At the other end of the age range, there are a number of retired people, many of whom have worshipped at St Mary’s for a large part of their lives and continue to be actively involved. The only clear age We have recently established a youth “gap” is the range from mid-teens to twen- group which we are keen to develop. This ties. This is a time when young people are goes hand in hand with a drive to “hold on preparing for and then undergoing higher ed- to” members of our Junior Church as they ucation, often elsewhere, and typically do not approach the mid-teens. We would like to return to the village, in part due to high prop- continue to encourage more worshippers to erty prices. offer their gifts and talents for the work of St There are many families but also single Mary’s, however large or small, spiritual or people. In terms of gender there is a good practical. At the same time we want to grow mix, but with a greater number of women in together in our love of God and our experi- the congregation. St Mary’s is a communal ence of Him so that we are better able to congregation, most people either living in the share our faith with others in the community. village or very close by. To this end we want to encourage more peo- Our local secondary school, Davenant ple to attend study groups and to participate Foundation, is heavily oversubscribed. A in other devotional and learning opportunities. main criterion for admission is attendance at We look forward to welcoming a new a church for seven years which draws people priest to work with our church within the to the church. This provides an opportunity to community to encourage spiritual growth for reach out to young families. the benefit of all. The purpose of this profile is to provide Lay Participation an open and honest insight into our church We have: life, both “inside” St Mary’s and within the village, and to share our plans and hopes for • 12 Eucharistic Assistants the future. In this way we hope to attract a • 2 Wardens candidate who feels called to meet these chal- • 2 Deputy Wardens

6 • 15 Sidespeople There is an older yout group ‘ACTION’ • 13 who lead intercessions which meets weekly and is run by the MMU youth worker. The PCC meets a minimum of four times a year. Adult Groups There is a branch of the Mothers’ Un- During Lent two study groups, organ- ion attached to St Mary’s Church with over ised jointly with the Baptist Church, have met 39 members, who are involved in many activ- looking at the same course. There are two ities from spiritual to practical including lead- house groups. This is considered an important ing intercessions. An afternoon meeting with area for development. Additionally members various speakers is held each month and on of St Mary’s have attended the Course in the first Wednesday of the month members Christian Studies. are invited to the 10 a.m. Holy Communion Service. There is a weekly Pram Group in the Music in Worship church hall and Messy Church was held twice The robed choir sings at most 10.30 in 2015 and once in 2016. a.m. and 6 p.m. services, as well as other spe- There are full and thriving units for cial services such as festivals and weddings. Rainbows, Brownies and Guides in Theydon It helps to support the worship by providing a Bois. The units are not sponsored but closely strong lead for the congregational hymns, linked to the Church and all the leaders are communion music, canticles and psalms. It members of the congregation. The girls are also regularly sings anthems selected for the encouraged to attend Church Parade on Har- theme of the service or season. vest and for the Mothering Sunday services. The choir, which is affiliated to the The guides and scouts parade at the St. Royal School of Church Music, is four part George’s Day and Remembrance Sunday ser- (SATB). Practices are held on Thursday eve- vices held at St Mary’s. nings. The church does not have a permanent organist, but is ably supported by a rota of Teaching regular organists. The Worship Group consists of a small Groups for children and young people group of musicians who play guitars, key- board and sing to lead the worship at the monthly All Age Worship Service. The All Age Worship service focuses particularly on younger members of the congregation.

Building The original parish church was on the Abridge Road next to Theydon Hall. The present building was consecrated in 1851, the architect being Sidney Smirke, perhaps best known for his design of the Reading Room at the British Museum. There are few special features in the main body of the church, save for a James I hatchment – one of only four in the country. The three bells and several me- The Junior Church meets in the Parish th Centre during the 10.30 a.m. service on the morials were transferred from the 12 centu- 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month during ry church. term time. We have on average 20 children The ground on which the church stands per week with parents helping on a rota basis. is clay. Historically movement over the years Ages range from pre-school to eleven and is caused substantial subsidence and cracking, split into two groups. All leaders are safe- especially in the north and west walls. These guarding checked in accordance with Dioce- have now been totally underpinned, along san policy. with the chancel arch, and the nave roof has

7 been anchored with metal ties. morial. The Churchyard Working Party In 2003 the Parish Centre was opened keeps the main (“new”) area in good condi- tion, including the memorial garden, leaving the older section as a conservation area, to protect notable wild flowers. We have won awards for the best kept churchyard. The churchyard is now closed, in effect though not legally, to burials. Ashes are buried in the Garden of Remembrance.

Church Hall The separate church hall is situated in Coppice Row, about 200 metres from the church buildings, and was constructed in 1946 out of two RAF Nissen huts. The hall is with three multi-purpose rooms and a dedi- financially self-sufficient, as it is regularly cated clergy vestry. This has provided excel- used. Weekly hirers include the Rainbows, lent accommodation for the clergy and the Brownies and Guides, mother and toddler choir and, most importantly, ensures that the groups – including messy play. We also host Junior Church can function as an integral part one-off events which include parties and of the 10.30 a.m. services. The kitchen facili- christenings at the weekend. Church events ty enables us to provide much appreciated include Lent lunches, plant sales, church fairs refreshments after morning service. The centre is used for various meetings and seminars both by St Mary’s and also by visiting clergy teams and church groups. Due to the generosity of several bene- factors much work has been possible to the spire and the main roof of the church. The copper cladding of the spire was replaced , and the main roof re-tiled over its full length, together with new coping stones at the East and West ends.

Churchyard We have one of the finest churchyards in Essex – of special note are several superb and the weekly pram group for pre-school oak trees of considerable age. The Parish children and their carers.

Links with other Churches and the Community Annual services such as Remembrance Sunday and Nine Lessons and Carols are well attended. The two Christingle services on Christmas Eve pack the church. St Mary’s has strong links with the Theydon Bois Baptist Church, and also works with the Roman Catholic community through the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Epping. We are a member of CTED, Church- Council makes an annual grant towards its es Together in the Epping District. maintenance, including care of the War Me- Other joint services are held during the year – notably a Communion on Maundy

8 Thursday and a New Year rededication service. The churches also combine for the Good Friday “Walk of Witness”, which ends at the village shops with readings and hymns. Ongoing witness to the residents of Theydon Bois is mainly handled through the Churches’ Representatives Scheme, a joint venture of the RC, Baptist and CofE churches. St. Mary’s keeps in touch with the community via a monthly newsletter delivered to every household in the village.

Mission As a church we aim to show the love of these is to provide opportunities for fun and God revealed through Christ to the village, fellowship amongst the family of St. Mary’s, the country and the wider world through fund to embrace the wider community and also to raising for world mission and participation in raise much needed funds. mission-focused activities locally. Our small We aim to have six events spread over Mission Committee endeavours to raise the year. Over recent years these have includ- awareness of world mission among church ed flower festivals; May, Autumn and Christ- members and those in the wider community. mas fairs; safari suppers; plant sales; and Soup lunches are held during Lent, Harvest quizzes. and November, raising funds (£3480 last year) for the mission charities we support, and enabling us to reach out into the village Finance community. At each lunch a brief talk is giv- Our relationship with the Diocese of en about the charity supported that week and Chelmsford is strong financially and we a prayer is said. Our annual Bags for Life ini- meet the parish share in full. In 2016 the tiative provides bags to the congregation to church received £116,000; £100,000 from fill with goods for The Manna Centre for the planned giving and donations; £6,000 from homeless in London Bridge, the Mission to PCC fees; £7,500 raised through organised Seafarers and Operation Christmas Child. We events and £2,500 other income. support organisations and people that show Expenditure totalled some £105,000 of God’s love in practical ways, as well as those which £76,000 was paid to Chelmsford Dio- whose aim is to spread the Christian message. cese. The church has a Maintenance Reserve St Mary’s is an enthusiastic supporter of £55,000. of Christian Aid Week and manages the annual house to house collection within the vil- Theydon Bois - wider community lage, working together with the Baptist Church and families from the Catholic Since the railway came to Theydon Church who are resident in the village. In Bois in 1865 there has been a steady increase 2015 over £3,000 was collected. Our annual in the size and population of the village and Christingle Services (which fill the Church many residents travel to work in London. In twice on Christmas Eve) are an opportunity spite of this, the parish retains a number of both to welcome many local families to rural features being surrounded by green belt church and to raise funds for The Children’s and Epping Forest. The village green is an Society. The total given to missions and char- attractive centre and there are a range of ities in 2015 was in excess of £7,000. shops and a primary school. To preserve the character of the village the Theydon Bois & District Rural Preservation Society was Events founded in 1943. We have an active events committee The local community raised funds for, which meets around three times a year to or- and maintains, a playground. A Montessori ganise various social activities. The aim of Nursery is held in the village hall and the

9 Theydon pre-school meets in the Scout Hall. The church hosts a special children’s service at Christmas specifically designed for this age group. The popular local primary school

The village is concerned to keep its local shops open. There is a Tesco Express which houses the Post Office, two highly re- garded butchers, a popular baker, several hairdressers, a newsagent, pharmacy, estate is very much part of the village. The majority agent and several other shops. of the children who attend Junior Church also Additionally there are two pubs in the attend Theydon Primary. The vicar is also village serving food, one Italian and two Indi- involved here, taking assemblies and attend- an restaurants, and a fish and chip takeaway. ing events and there will be opportunities for The village has an active Parish Coun- the new Associate Priest to share in this Min- cil with eleven councillors. The council runs istry. In addition several parishioners are in- many activities including a village Christmas volved with the primary school as governors, market. It also assists financially with the members of the PTA and volunteers. Many of maintenance of the churchyard. The village the children from St Mary’s and the primary also has an excellent village hall, run by the school go on to Davenant Foundation School, Village Association. More details of the vil- the local secondary. lage can be found at: www.theydon.org.uk London is easily accessible by frequent Central Line tube trains.

10 All Saints’ Church, Theydon Garnon

Introduction • It is estimated that there are in excess of All Saints’ Theydon Garnon is known 2,500 people living in this part of the to millions as it stands overlooking the junc- Parish. tion of the M11 and M25. The church has • There are no significant poverty or di- been near to the main route to London for versity issues. centuries as the old Roman road passes within a few hundred yards to the east of the There is a private school in the Parish building and the medieval road to London known as Coopersale Hall School. There are passes to the west. two golf courses, a conference and wedding centre and country pubs all within the Parish. The history of the Parish As the new Associate Priest will reside in the parish an important part of the rôle is out- The Parish church of All Saints’ They- reach to the Theydon Garnon community. don Garnon dates back over 800 years. The current electoral roll of the Throughout the whole of this time the build- church’s Parish has 55 members of which 17 ing has been used as a place of worship as it (approximately 31%) live in the Parish and is today. It was originally one of the two 38 live out of the Parish. When comparing main Parishes of Epping with Epping Upland the electoral roll to the Parish, the potential to north of the High Street in Epping and They- increase our congregation is clear. don Garnon being south of the High Street. Though the electoral roll is small we try In 1890 the Parish of St John the Baptist, Ep- to reach out to every household within the ping was created which incorporated part of Parish through the free distribution of our oc- the ancient Parish of Theydon Garnon. casional Parish magazine, ‘The Interchange’ The present Theydon Garnon Parish especially when there are special events, for comprises an area south of the Central Line example our Flower Festival. in Epping together with a scattered rural community. The Parish has been through a num- The Church building ber of changes through the past 40 years and has responded positively each time. From The Church building is beautiful. It is 1994 to 2011 it was a member of the Epping an ancient building which is in a very good District Team Ministry, and then in 2011 a state of repair and is one of only three United Benefice was formed with Theydon churches in Essex to have wooden columns. Bois, prior to the formation of the current Built around 700 years ago, its history and Benefice. bonds with the community were created long ago. Every corner of the church is steeped in Our Parish In a parish intersected by the M25 and the M11, our church provides an oasis of calm, set as it is, in its rural setting. Key facts within our Parish are (figures from the 2001 census): • The rural part of the parish consists of 48 households (130 people) • Average of 2 cars per household in the rural part. • There is no public transport in the rural history, its architecture telling the stories of part of the Parish. its past. But this is also a church for today, its • The bulk of the population however, stillness providing a tranquil place of worship lives in the southern part of Epping. in today’s hectic world.

11 There is a church hall, known as the people tending graves and visiting the Gatehouse which was completed in the year churchyard. 2000 and won an award for its design. In the built up part of the Parish there is a community hall which is in a poor state of repair, being an old wooden building clad with corrugated iron. We hope to make better use of this facility in future years as it is well positioned and has potential to be the future venue for outreach activities.

Church Services The congregation is of traditional central churchmanship using a blend of Common Worship and occasional Book of Common Prayer. Our style of worship is a key attrac- tion for many in the congregation and one of This generates some income from let- the reasons why so many on our electoral roll tings, including the local elections and a come from outside our Parish. The Book of weekly art group, and is used after church Common Prayer is used for the monthly 8 services for refreshments. o’clock Communion and Evensong services It is also used for other church activities and Matins when the Vicar is on holiday. including the children’s church and Brownie Hymns Old and New are used with organ ac- sleep-overs. companiment to the hymns and Traditional

Anglican is the style used for the monthly The Churchyard Sung Evensong. The churchyard extends to about 4½ New chasubles were purchased twelve acres and is kept neat and tidy by the efforts years ago together with a white cope which is of a small group of parishioners. It is a tran- used at weddings. quil place where people often come to sit and Special services throughout the year think, away from the bustle of life. The can see the church bursting at the seams. grounds provide a wonderful setting to the There are local Scout, Cubs, Beavers, Brown- ancient church. The leader of the Churchyard ies and Rainbows groups. Their attendance at Working Group is also the dedicated Tree the 2-3 church parade services during the Officer and available to provide advice to year swell the congregation. We hold special other Parishes. services for lambing, harvest, Christingle, We have a reputation as a “special place to visit”. Thousands of people have vis- ited us, particularly for our biannual Flower Festival and many walkers and visitors pass through our well maintained churchyard. In June 2009 the PCC agreed to register the Church with ‘Small Pilgrim Places’ hoping that this will attract new visitors. The north porch has been converted into a wayside chapel as Carols by Candlelight, Mothering Sunday the porch faces the and Remembrance Sunday. area used for current All these are very popular services burials and provides which entice our less regular visitors. For ex- a small chapel for ample, our Harvest service attracted 53 adults

12 and 13 children and a similar number attend- We have a dedicated choir, our own ed our Remembrance Day Service. There bell ringers, a social committee, churchyard were 61 people at the Easter Service and over working group, fabric working group, flower 100 attended our Christmas Carol Service. Aside from these special services, the average attendance is approximately 35, but there is considerable potential to increase that number through mission. We welcome around ten wedding couples a year who attend regularly to make their qualifying connection. We have the opportunity, and are constantly looking at ways to grow our congregation by encouraging our irregular visitors to join us more fre- quently by using the touch points that we have in people’s lives.

festival committee and are part of Churches Together in Epping and District. We are a committed, participative congregation with a desire to share this beautiful church with others. We love each other dear- ly and we would like new members to join our fellowship. We know with God’s help we have the potential to achieve that. We are particularly welcoming to our wedding couples who we hope will renew their long term com- In 2016 there were 3 baptisms, 7 wed- mitment to faith during their qualifying peri- dings, 5 funerals and 3 interments of ashes od and following their wedding ceremony. providing both a service to our Parishioners and an opportunity for outreach. Wedding Children’s Group and Confirmation preparation and lent groups Our Children’s Group meets twice a have been organised on a Benefice basis. month and is a small group spanning an age Theydon Garnon has also been used as a ven- range of 3 to 14 years old. Although the ue for church Quiet Days. group is small and diverse in age, they learn Although small, our congregation is well together as a group under the guidance participative in the life of the church. Aside of Alison, assisted by her helpers. They oc- from the contributions mentioned below, casionally lead the prayers or lead part of the members of the congregation support the ser- family service. They prepare a Christmas vices through leading the intercessions, read- Tree or Crib Scene for St. John’s Christmas ing the bible and by providing lay assistance Tree Festival each year. at the Communion (and for home Commun- ion). We have a particularly successful lay led family service once a month. Work with other Parishes As a Parish we have been successful in The Parish was part of the Epping Dis- nurturing leaders of worship. For example, trict Team from 1994 until the creation of the we have had people trained for leading ser- United benefice in 2011 and has therefore vices and two previous readers are now or- worked closely with the Parishes of Epping dained and have their own parishes. Recently Upland, Coopersale and Epping. With the Tim Adams has been appointed as an author- creation of the United Benefice stronger ties ised local preacher and leads our monthly lay have formed with Theydon Bois, and one of lead service with support from other congre- the key benefits has been the return of a regu- gation members. lar incumbent for the parish. New bonds are

13 also now developing with Stapleford Tawney outside of the church, restored the William and Theydon Mount following their joining Eyre Archer memorial and refurbished the the Benefice. interior of the Church for the eradication of The Parish is a member of Churches dry rot. Together in Epping and District (CTED), and In 2008 we totally refurbished the bells supports the annual Peace service and joins and belfry, and on All Saints’ Day 2009 the with them for the Women’s World Day of bells were dedicated. The bells are rung for Prayer. Some members attend events in Ep- weddings and funerals, and ringing practice is ping at Easter. held every Wednesday. We are committed to paying all clergy expenses in full in a shared formula with the other parishes, and to offer appropriate ministry assistance where required.

Finance The Parish has continued to meet its contribution towards the Diocesan Budget and has achieved the ‘Platinum’ award for paying each year in full by Direct Debit. We rely, however, on the biannual flower festival and other fund raising events to top up the accounts as the regular giving is insufficient for the total expenditure each year. We recognise that this is an area that needs to be ad- dressed. Our charitable giving On the charitable side, the Parish has Development links with the Children’s Society, Friends of Essex Churches, The Manna Society, CMS, The Church has in recent history com- toys for the Harlow Social Services Depart- pleted the building of a new gatehouse, in- ment and Christian Aid (the annual amount stalled new central heating, upgraded the collected for the latter has now reached sound system, funded floodlighting for the £1000 during the last two years).

14 St Michael’s, Theydon Mount with St Mary’s, Stapleford Tawney

St Michael’s, Theydon Mount St Mary’s, Stapleford Tawney

The present building dates from 1614; St. Mary’s probably dates from the 13th there was a much older church on the site century, with important restoration work dating from the 13th century, which burnt having been carried out in 1862. There is down, probably struck by lightning. It adjoins seating for about 100 people plus choir stalls. Hill Hall, and has always had a close The church has an integral parish room with connection with it, being in effect originally kitchen and toilet facilities added in 1999. the chapel for the Hall: its construction was This makes it very suitable for meetings, with paid for by Sir William Smythe, the then enough space to accommodate, for example, owner, and there are a number of fine tombs the representatives of all the parishes in the and monuments to his family in the building. benefice. There is a mellow-sounding The church seats about 80, with 14 choir Victorian two-manual pipe organ played by a stalls. rota of highly accomplished organists.

The Services The congregation is gathered not communal and the average age is around 65 years. Since as far back as 1755 St Michael’s Both villages of Theydon Mount and and St Mary’s shared the same rector, Stapleford Tawney are small with a population operating as separate churches. The two of 163 and 103 people respectively. They Parishes merged in 1988 forming a joint remain separate for civil purposes. electoral roll and since mid-2014 the There are three extremely important congregation worships alternate weeks at the groups within the parish. two churches. There is a robed choir, the core of • The Pastoral Care Group works to which consists of ten people led by an comfort and support those who are at experienced and enthusiastic chorister. They home or in hospital, or those suffering are a much-cherished aspect of worship at bereavement. both churches. There are the usual • The Events Group meets regularly to appropriate services at Christmas and Harvest plan about five events per year both to all well attended. raise funds for the parish and to One of our congregation is a licensed generate a warm sense of community Lay minister. There is active involvement in within it. the Deanery Synod. • The Flower Arranging Group prepares displays of the highest standard plus a The People biennial Flower Festival that is a major

The electoral role consists of 70 people. source of revenue.

15 Lay involvement goes well beyond these • Annually non-perishable foodstuffs organised groups, however. Four people are donated at the harvest festival are given licensed to distribute the elements at to support a local homeless shelter. communion, and reserved sacrament is taken • Annually all collections at the to the sick and housebound. Christingle service are given to support Church members greet everyone as The Children’s Society. they come in to church and refreshments are provided after every service.

Maintenance

Financial The quinquennial reports on both The parish has a core of committed churches are up-to-date. givers including a significant number who give on a regular basis either by standing The Future order or through the envelope scheme. Tax is As part of a United benefice with the reclaimed from Gift-aid wherever possible. parish of Theydon Bois and Theydon Garnon we hope that it will lead to a genuine coming Expenditure together of the churches, to real communion The parish share is obviously a large and growth of the spirit. item to be met annually. In 2015 the deanery We see this as an exciting new phase of share was reassessed and reduced. It is our our development. We all have immense pride pledge to honour the payment of our share in and affection for our individual churches, (£12,000) this and subsequent years as far as and are anxious to preserve what is special possible. about their traditions and ethos; however, our vision for the future is of a truly united Charitable Giving benefice where we move forward from what We recognise that this is an important has already been accomplished and build on part of our Christian calling and our church is what we already have. pledged to try to support local and national charities.

16 The Deanery of Epping Forest and Ongar The Theydon Parishes are part of the Epping Forest and Ongar Deanery. The deanery is vir- tually coterminous with the Epping Forest District Authority and comprises a range of urban, sub- urban and rural parishes.

EPPING FOREST AND ONGAR DEANERY

(NB the Deanery does not include Nazeing, Roydon, Sheering)

Blackmore and Stondon Massey

The deanery is currently developing Epping District Team Ministry three Mission and Ministry Units – Ongar, • St John the Baptist Epping Epping Forest South and Epping Forest North - and it is envisaged that The Theydon Par- • All Saints Epping Upland • St Alban the Martyr Coopersale ishes will be part of the Epping Forest North Unit which will contain the following parish- Waltham Abbey Team Ministry es. • Waltham Abbey Holy Cross and St Proposed Epping Forest North Mission Lawrence and Ministry Unit • Holy Innocents High Beach • St Thomas Upshire The Theydon Parishes • St Lawrence District Church Ninefields • St Mary the Virgin Theydon Bois • All Saints Theydon Garnon The clergy in the MMU meet weekly for prayer, with the venue rotating between • St Mary the Virgin Stapleford Tawney the three benefices. The working structure of with St Michael Theydon Mount the MMU is currently being developed and we

are hoping it will be finalised early in 2018.

17 As a deanery, we have acknowledged Theydon Parishes having a joint share of the importance of these units developing in- about £116,000. The majority of parishes, formally and organically, in order that the including The Theydons, have responded right configurations are eventually put in positively and worked hard, to meet their par- place. ish share obligations. We currently work There are currently 15.5 stipendiary with a diocesan model to apportion the share clergy posts, 5 stipendiary curates, 4 SSM to parishes, but in the future it is expected curates, 4 house for duty posts and 4 self- that there will be unit allocations based on supporting ministers serving in the deanery ministry costs. and a number of lay ministers. By 2025, Our Deanery Synod meets three times a there will be fewer stipendiary ministers in year in the evening and the Clergy Chapter the deanery, but a greater number of SSMs meets bimonthly at lunchtime. We rotate the and lay ministers. day and venue, to enable as many as possible With a focus on Transforming Presence to attend the meetings. and Re-imagining Ministry, the deanery has The deanery looks forward to welcom- placed a high importance on mission, lay ing the new Associate Priest. ministry training and discerning and developing vocations. The deanery has a parish share alloca- Rev Canon Joyce Smith: Area Dean tion of just over £1,214,00 for 2017, with The August 2017

18 The Vicarage, Fiddlers Hamlet, Epping, Essex CM16 7PQ

The Vicarage is situated in a small rural Details of Room sizes - Ground Floor community known as Fiddlers Hamlet which Lounge: 18’6’’ x 13’6’’ two double radiators is about one mile South East of the town of Office: 10’6’’ x 11’6’’ one double radiator Epping. It is a large four bedroom detached Dining Room: 15’6’’ x 11’6’’ one double house with a separate garage set in a large radiator garden overlooking fields. Kitchen: 15’ x 10’6’’ one double radiator

Large hallway with stairs to first floor. Down stairs toilet adjacent to kitchen and back door.

1st Floor Bedroom 1: 18’6’’ x 13’6’’ radiator Bedroom 2: 19’ x 10’6’’ radiator Bedroom 3: 14’ x 11’6’’ radiator Bedroom 4: 10’6’’ x 8’6’’ radiator Large family bathroom, airing cupboard and spacious landing.

The property has full central heating, double glazing, a large lounge, separate dining room, large kitchen and a down stairs office and toilet. Upstairs there is a family bathroom and the main bedroom has washing facilities. The property has a full alarm system fitted and the occupant/s can make use of an adjoining paddock should they wish. The décor is due for refurbishment and account will be taken of any successful candidate’s wishes. The Central Line Underground Station of Epping is within easy access as is the town itself with its numerous shops, cafes, restaurants and weekly market.