Idle & Sands, Retford

Idle & Sands, Retford Benefice (includes the churches at Babworth and Ranby, Bothamsall, Eaton and Gamston, Elkesley, Scofton with Osberton, Sutton cum Lound & West Drayton)

Parish Profile

For the post of

Vicar

February 2021

Welcome

We hope that you will enjoy reading though this profile. We love this part of North Nottinghamshire and the people of its village communities. We believe God is at work in our churches and we long that other people might come to faith in Jesus Christ and be a blessing where they live and work. We hope that as you read this profile you will capture something of our hopes and dreams for the future and discern whether you might be our new vicar.

CONTENTS

Our Diocese Page 2 Our Deanery Page 4 Our New Vicar Page 5 Our Ministry Team Page 6 Our Area Page 6 Our Schools Page 8 Our Vicarage Page 8 Our Churches Page 8 Our Current Worship Pattern Page 13 Our Finances Page 13 Our Mission Statistics Page 14

For more information, please see various relevant links on our Facebook pages.

Idle & Sands parish www.facebook.com/Parish-of-Idle-and-Sands-Retford-103196687863553

Eaton & Gamston: www.facebook.com/allsaintseatonandgamston

Elkesley: www.facebook.com/ElkesleyStGiles

Scofton: www.facebook.com/Scofton-Parish-Church-434076296687730

Sutton-cum-Lound: www.facebook.com/St-Bartholomews-Church-Sutton-cum-Lound-973862712656862

1 Our Diocese

THE DIOCESE OF SOUTHWELL & NOTTINGHAM GROWING DISCIPLES WIDER, YOUNGER AND DEEPER A statement from the Bishop of Southwell & Nottingham, the Rt Revd Paul Williams and Archdeacon of Nottingham, the Ven Phil Williams (covering the Archdeaconry of Newark)

The Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham incorporates the City of Nottingham, the whole County of Nottinghamshire and five parishes in South Yorkshire. The population is 1.15 million – 51% live in the greater Nottingham conurbation, 31% in ex-mining areas and 18% in rural. There are 305 churches (252 parishes), served by 142 stipendiary clergy and licensed lay workers.

In 2016 a refreshed diocesan vision was embraced across the diocese, recognising the imperative for ‘Growing Disciples: wider, younger, deeper’. (see https://www.growingdisciples.co.uk/)

• ‘Wider’ in that we will seek to grow disciples in every part of the diocese, with no retreat from any community: urban centre; outer estates; rural villages; or market towns.

• ‘Younger’ in that we will seek fresh ways to harness the boldness and creativity of children, students and young people across the diocese, not least in Nottingham which is the 4th youngest city outside London.

• ‘Deeper’ as we grow in knowing Christ, so that as his disciples we can be an increasing blessing to the people among whom we live and serve in the workplace, family and community.

Compelled by the love of Christ by 2023 we are seeking to: o Welcome 7000 new disciples into the fellowship of Christ and his church o Commission 1000 younger leaders (especially 15-30 year olds) equipped and inspired to serve the purposes of God in the Church and society. o Plant or graft 75 New Worshipping Communities (NWCs) across the diocese to increase our reach in telling the story of Jesus to all. o Grow 25 larger Resource Churches with clear commitment to develop leaders, plant New Worshipping Communities, and disciple the young. o Serve and pray together as 1 Church contending for the gospel in every community and sphere of public life in our city, county and region.

If you would like to understand our approach to new worshipping communities, please visit https://southwell.anglican.org/new-worshipping-communities-a-vision-for-growth/ where we share some of our stories). It is possible to apply for a grant to assist the costs of setting up a new worshipping community.

Every parish is encouraged to create its own ‘Growing Disciples Plan’ so that it can play a significant part in the strategic commitment to ‘Growing Disciples wider, younger and deeper.’ This may include identifying the opportunities to reach new people within the parish through a new worshipping community. The

2 diocese has a ‘Growing Disciples Fund’ so that each parish can apply for up to £2000 per year to support its Growing Disciples Plan.

As a diocese we are seeking to invest in the post at Idle and Sands, Retford with the expectation that the following three objectives set around three core values will be met. Grace (local ministry team equipped and inspired, not dependent on stipendiary leadership) Growth (clear numerical growth) Generosity (financial sustainability, at least meeting direct ministry costs) The Archdeacon writes, “The benefice of Idle and Sands, Retford is on a journey as a single parish that started with the previous vicar. The next incumbent will be building on all that is good and valued, but with a renewed focus to expand and develop the evangelism and discipleship–making with those who are not currently connected to the church communities, especially younger families.”

Bishop Paul has said: “It is my hope that each worshipping community will develop a compelling picture of its own future in God’s purposes with an expectation of growing numerically and in the scope of its mission. It is my prayer that the new vicar of Idle and Sands, Retford will have the creative leadership and imagination to develop discipleship, plan for growth and reach out to the unchurched of all ages in its locality.”

Clumber Park

3 Our Deanery

The furthest north in the Diocese, the Bassetlaw and Bawtry deanery is made up of 46 parishes, working together as 15 benefices, with both rural and town locations. In the main, the deanery matches the local government district of Bassetlaw, North Nottinghamshire but also includes one part of South Yorkshire in the benefice of Bawtry with Austerfield. There are three MPs: Brendan Clarke-Smith (Bassetlaw), Nick Fletcher (Don Valley), and Robert Jenrick (Newark). Our deanery serves a population of approximately 120,000 people, with a variety of backgrounds including farming, mining (in the West), and industry. Located adjacent to the Sheffield City Region and Doncaster, these conurbations provide the main employment opportunities. Connected by the A1 road, the East Coast Mainline and Lincoln/Sheffield railway lines, and nearby Doncaster/Sheffield Airport, the Deanery has ready access to London in just an hour and a half, alongside various local and international destinations. The deanery has churches with larger and smaller numbers of attendees, vibrant market town churches, estate ministries, with many commuters working in the surrounding cities, and rural contexts. All, though, are well connected to their local communities through schools, occasional offices, community projects and a growing number of New Worshipping Communities, as well as many iconic church buildings. The churches in our deanery cover all traditions and the area is rich in Christian history with a number of churches boasting links to the Mayflower Pilgrims. This Christian heritage with the Separatists that formed the Mayflower Pilgrims, originated in the local villages of Austerfield, Scrooby, Babworth and Sturton-le-Steeple. With Worksop, being the Gateway to the Dukeries, the four historic ducal seats of Worksop Manor, Welbeck Abbey, Thoresby Hall and Clumber House are all close by and provide ample space for walks, days out and historical fact finding. The clergy of the chapter work closely together and offer support to each other through regular meetings, praying together, socials and fellowship, and encourages input from the wider Diocesan leadership team with regular speakers. Deanery Synod meets three times a year with lively discussion and information sharing. All parishes within the deanery have embraced the Diocesan vision of creating disciples, wider, younger and deeper and fully engaged with our objective of achieving an extra 7000 disciples by 2025. To this end a number of New Worshipping Communities have begun in the deanery as well as ongoing local activities and innovation. The Deanery has an administrator, who is employed by the Diocese, and, together with Area Dean and the Lay Chair, they provide incumbents and parishes with practical and pastoral support. We would encourage you to consider our deanery as a great place to work and further your ministry. For further information about the deanery and parishes please contact our Area Dean, Dave Gough, Tel: 01909 570434 or e-mail: [email protected]

4 Our New Vicar

Person Specification for the Transformation Change Post as the incumbent

of the Idle & Sands, Retford parish.

The parishes, deanery and diocese are looking to appoint a person who has • A personal devotion to the Lord reflected and rooted in prayer • A vision for, commitment to, and experience of, evangelism and church growth across all ages, • An aptitude, experience and gifts in exercising strategic leadership, especially towards vision and implementing plans for growth • Excellent relational gifts, emotional intelligence, tenacity and resilience, • The ability to discern, develop and deploy the gifts of others in mission and ministry • The willingness to work with the existing team of clergy and laity to build and sustain life-giving teams • The ability to lead and enjoy a variety of worship and musical styles, including contemporary expressions and the Book of Common Prayer • A commitment to, and expertise for, engaging biblical teaching and whole-life discipleship • The ability to relate to, and inspire, children, young people and young families • The capacity to see new missional opportunities and implement them The post holder will be • A visionary leader able to motivate and foster a pattern of shared leadership • Humble and hopeful, • Eager to learn and grow in faith and ministry, naturally welcome coaching and mentoring • At ease relating to all people in the community including those with significant responsibilities in the city and county The priorities of the role will be: • To grow the church numerically so that it reflects the age profile of the parish population, in particular growing significantly the ministry amongst young families, their children and young adults • To engage with the three Church of England schools at Gamston, Ranby, and Sutton-cum-Lound (as well as the community school at Elkesley) and to explore the possibility of midweek new worshipping communities based in one or more of the schools • To explore how best to resource the spiritual needs of all members - those new to faith as well as the current congregational members • To enable and oversee the lay leadership across the benefice including the identification and deployment of Licensed Lay Ministers, Local Missional Leaders and collaboration with churchwardens • To create a sustainable pattern of services (both traditional and new contemporary styles) that will focus on growing disciples and will be delivered by the ordained and lay resource available. • To develop and implement the Growing Disciples Plan in collaboration with the lay leadership across the benefice • To create a strategy to develop the stages from first enquiry through to full participation and integration in the church. This post is an interim incumbency post offered as a five-year appointment. It is made according to section 29 of the Ecclesiastical Offices (Terms of service) Regulations 2009 as amended. As a result, after the initial three years there would be a review in consultation with the churchwardens with the expectation that, if the postholder and the diocese were content, there would be a further extension of between two and three years maximum. It is possible that the post could be made permanent after the six-year period.

5 Our Ministry Team

We have one reader in our churches, who frequently takes morning worship services at Sutton-cum-Lound. The churchwardens often take an active role in the liturgical life of the churches in the benefice, supported mostly by retired clergy. There are also further congregants who have taken part in training for leading worship who make up the diverse ministry team.

This combination provides the benefice with a wealth of knowledge and support. In addition to services in church there are other areas where our ministry flows out into our communities. There are numerous opportunities for families across the benefice including messy church, school collective worship, school choirs and Forest Church.

Pastoral care is well supported throughout the benefice with close knit rural village communities. This extends to the churchwardens and the wider PCC who meet regularly as a whole or in smaller church teams.

There are a number of house groups that are held across the benefice which are lay led and in 2019 we put forward four candidates for Confirmation following a successful confirmation course much of which was supported by the benefice ministry team.

The Churchwardens have become a close group keeping in regular contact with each other via means such as WhatsApp. There is also a standing committee which includes the Vicar, Jane Turner as Lay Chair of the PCC, Jonathan Peto as Treasurer and Adrian Argent-Cook (Eaton) and Peter Swinscoe (Babworth with Ranby) representing the churchwardens. The team is supported by a Parish Administrator.

Our Area

The united benefice and united PCC was formed in 2019 and contains the parishes of Bothamsall, Eaton & Gamston, Elkesley and West Drayton which have been linked together since 1992 and Sutton-cum-Lound, Babworth and Ranby, and Scofton who have historically been linked. The parishes are all situated close to the pleasant market town of Retford, in rural surroundings. All villages have active farms within them. The land rises and falls gently with the rivers Maun, Meden, Poulter and Ryton flowing into the River Idle, which runs through Retford and eventually into the River Trent.

Retford has a fast, direct rail link to London, Leeds and Edinburgh on the East Coast Main line. Another rail link serves Sheffield and Manchester to the west and Lincoln to the east. Road links are good too, with the A1 running through the group and the M1 about fifteen miles away. Elkesley lies alongside the A1. A bridge across the A1 provides easy access to Eaton; Bothamsall, Gamston and West Drayton are reached from the A1 southbound. The other villages in the benefice can be reached from the A1 northbound.

There are international airports at East Midlands, Doncaster-Sheffield (Robin Hood), Humberside, Leeds- Bradford and Manchester. Gamston airport serves light aviation needs. Elkesley has a daily local bus service, with the exception of Sunday to Retford and Ollerton, whilst Eaton and Gamston have a similar service to Retford, Tuxford and Newark. Retford Bus Station provides access to some national coach services and there is even water access to Retford via the Chesterfield canal!

6 Local Amenities

The provision of amenities for day-to-day life is good. Retford has Asda, Morrisons, Aldi and Lidl supermarkets as well as independent butchers and bakers and a variety of local shops. Markets are held Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with a monthly farmers’ market and an occasional continental market. There is also a farm shop at nearby Welbeck. Apart from Retford, Ollerton, Mansfield, Newark, Worksop and Doncaster are all easily available for social and shopping purposes as well as Sheffield (Meadowhall), Nottingham and Lincoln, which are all less than one hour’s drive away.

Local education There are three CofE primary schools in the parish located in Gamston, Ranby and Sutton-cum-Lound. Elkesley has a community primary school with pre-school facilities. There are two secondary academies in Retford and one in Tuxford. There is also a state grammar school at Gainsborough and North Notts College of Further Education at Worksop. The Islamic Study Centre is located in the former Eaton Hall. It offers opportunities for better understanding and dialogue with Muslims.

Healthcare There is good medical and dental provision in Retford, Ollerton and Tuxford with major hospital care at Worksop and Doncaster. The Retford Primary Care Centre consists of three separate doctors’ practices, clinics, physiotherapy and X-ray facilities. There is also an established hospice.

Recreation Retford has a leisure centre, two theatres, a public library, choirs, a museum, an archaeological and historical society and many other social opportunities. In the area around there is a range of restaurants, public houses and hotels, which have deservedly good reputations for eating out at no great cost. Worksop has a 10-screen cinema, the Harley Gallery and artisan studios while other cultural amenities at Welbeck Abbey are only a couple of miles further down the A60, as is the prehistoric site and visitor centre at Creswell Crags.

To the west of the A614 is the large Clumber Park, a National Trust property. This is a popular recreational facility for the larger towns around the area, having camping and caravan facilities as well as access to the National Cycle Network. Clumber Park is part of ‘The Dukeries’, an area so named as it is composed of the villages and parklands, once held by the Dukes of Newcastle, Portland and other aristocrats. The legend of Robin Hood and Sherwood Forest is alive and well, with numerous attractions based on them. Other attractions, such as Rufford Park, are based on the monasteries and abbeys that were once a feature of the region. For young children, Sundown Adventure Centre, Wheelgate Farm and White Post Farm provide a day’s entertainment and are all within a short drive.

This area is a pleasant place to live, reflected perhaps in the number of retired people and commuters who choose to live here. It was the birthplace for the Separatist movement and the three main denominations founded from it were formed within 30 miles of Retford. It is a place of independent thinking and approaches to worship.

7 Our Schools

There are four primary schools in the benefice: Gamston, Ranby and Sutton-cum-Lound are Church of England schools, and Elkesley is a community school.

Ranby CofE Primary: A Voluntary Controlled school with 119 pupils on roll. Ofsted Good, SIAMS Outstanding. The school has a strong worshipping community both at its term-time Messy Church and services at the village church, St Martin’s.

Sutton-cum-Lound CofE Primary: A Voluntary Aided school with 59 pupils on roll. Ofsted Good, SIAMS Outstanding. The school engages well with its village church, with the children in the choir singing frequently in church and also involved with doing readings and prayers. It offers a term-time Messy Church in school supported by the members of the church.

Gamston CofE Primary: A Voluntary Aided school with 112 pupils on roll. Ofsted Good, SIAMS Good. Many of the children of the staff at the Jamia Al Karam Islamic Studies College at Eaton Hall attend the school adding a multi-cultural dimension to the school. Following the closure of St Peter’s Gamston in 2015, the school’s parish church is now All Saints at nearby Eaton. Although children attend All Saints for festival services such as Christingle, the lack of a church within walking distance of the school has meant that there has been less engagement by families. The head is however is keen to start a term-time Messy Church and build stronger links with the church at Eaton.

Elkesley Primary: A community school with 78 pupils on roll. Ofsted Good. The school engages mainly with its village church through festival services and class visits to St Giles. Families in the village are also starting to become connected with church through the monthly Messy Church which takes place on Saturdays in the village hall and through the newly launched Forest Church.

Our Vicarage

The modern four-bedroomed vicarage is situated in a quiet residential cul-de-sac in the centre of Elkesley. The kitchen has recently been modernised and there are gardens to the front and rear. Elkesley has a shop, village hall and playing field. The village borders ancient woodland that once formed part of Sherwood Forest, and through which the Robin Hood Way passes. It is close to the A1 junction for easy access to North and South.

Our Churches

Babworth, All Saints and Ranby, St. Martin’s

Babworth and Ranby have two churches; the nine hundred year old parish church of All Saints at Babworth, the birthplace of the Pilgrim Fathers movement, and the modern chapel of ease in the village of Ranby, St. Martin’s.

8 All Saints has hosted a dance festival and art exhibitions to celebrate the Mayflower sailing. As a Pilgrim Church, Babworth expects these celebrations to continue year after year. The church is also popular for weddings with six booked already in 2021. Babworth has well- established services such as Songs of Praise Evensong, Christmas Eve Nine Lessons and Carols and Christmas Day Holy Communion which fill the church with visitors as well as its loyal congregation. A parish supper, a rogation walk and many visiting choirs and performers all add to the community spirit of the church. Replacing a tin tabernacle that had served Ranby since 1926, St. Martin’s is now over 50 years old. Coffee mornings regularly take place in the church. Both churches are well looked after and carefully maintained. A large proportion of worshippers at both churches live outside the parish and are attracted by the continued use of the Book of Common Prayer.

Bothamsall, Our Lady and St Peter, Our Lady and St Peter

Bothamsall offers worship both through its Victorian church, built in 1844 to replace an earlier building, and its nearby Parish Hall. To complement Sunday worship in church, a monthly informal/contemporary evening service is held in the Parish Hall. Also held in the Hall are Alpha and Lent courses. The aim of these courses is to provide an opportunity for those who wish to explore as well as those seeking to go deeper in the Christian faith. The church has also been very proactively involved in raising donations for the local Foodbank and other local charities that meet the needs of families struggling. Recently, open air drive in services at a local memorial garden have been held, as well as open air street services for a group of a dozen neighbouring houses in the village, where neighbours worshipped across hedges and fences. The Parish Hall provides a central meeting place for events organised by both the church and the village social club. The strong sense of village identity is evidenced by attendances at the various social functions held throughout the year.

9 Eaton, All Saints and Gamston, St Peter

Eaton, All Saints The village of Eaton is located 2 miles from Retford town centre. It has a small but active community, and residents meet regularly to organise events such as Open Gardens weekends and village fetes which run alongside activities organised by the church including harvest suppers and carol singing. With no other public building in the village, a fundraising campaign is currently underway to add toilet and kitchen facilities to the church building to enable it to be used as a community hub as well as being more accommodating for worshippers. It has recently secured a £10,000 National Churches Trust Cornerstones grant and is hoping to have the funding in place to start the re-ordering project in Autumn 2021. Once completed, the church will be able to accommodate a wider variety of worshipping styles beyond its Sunday services such as cafe church and nurture groups. It will also be more accessible for young families, with the potential to grow its congregation amongst the families of Gamston CofE Primary beyond the current festival services. The population of Eaton is boosted by the staff and students at Jamia Al- Karam, an Islamic Studies college located in Eaton Hall on the outskirts of the village with which the church enjoys a good relationship.

Gamston, St Peter, St Peter St Peter’s closed for worship in November 2015, and the former parishes of Eaton & Gamston merged to form a single parish. The medieval building has now been taken over by the Churches Conservation Trust which launched a £1.3 million conservation and restoration project in March 2018. Once completed the building will be opened for visitors.

Elkesley, St Giles

Elkesley has a population that traditionally centred around farming and mining (at the former Bevercotes colliery). The well- equipped Memorial Hall hosts a part-time Post Office, a Friday pub night, a weekly pre- school play group (Little Monkeys), regular seniors lunches, as well as Rainbows, Brownies and Guides and other regular classes and events. The neighbouring playing

10 fields have recently been re-developed with a new children’s playground and BMX track. There is also a village shop. In addition to its Sunday services, Elkesley church runs a monthly Saturday Messy Church in the Memorial Hall and has recently launched Forest Church. Both are proving popular with the many young families in the village. There are also good links between the church and the village’s community school.

St. John, Scofton with Osberton

Situated in a beautiful rural setting between Retford and Worksop, St. John’s church is a peaceful place surrounded by ancient parkland with grazing cattle and sheep. Built as an estate church, it serves a population which is spread over a wide area of tenanted farms. Members of the congregation also join from neighbouring villages and towns, many attracted by services which use the Book of Common Prayer. Alongside its regular Sunday services, the church hosts the only annual Remembrance Service for Road Crash Victims in the diocese. A pet service has recently been introduced alongside its popular Harvest Service with donations to the FoodBank and Christmas carol service. With a professional organist, Scofton has also recently been the base for newly formed community choir which attracts singers from throughout the benefice and beyond. The church also hosts summer concerts, raising funds for various charities. Church members organise a Rogation Walk each May which includes a service in St John’s and tea in the village hall. This attracts people of all ages from a wide area. Members of the community also join with Babworth and Ranby for a Harvest Supper. The international Osberton Horse Trials take place every September in the park which attracts many visitors.

St Bartholomew, Sutton-cum-Lound Sutton, Lound and Barnby Moor are three villages served by one church in Sutton. The villages are situated three miles north west of Retford set in rural countryside. The Church is 13th century and well maintained. The church has strong links with the church school in the village and church members are involved in Messy Church and Christingle. The church has a talented organist and a choir that is supplemented by members of the congregation at some services. St Bartholomew’s has a peal of eight bells and welcomes visiting teams of ringers. Alongside its Sunday services, the church organises regular faith lunches and a yearly Lent course. Church members are currently working to make the church into a more multi-use building by adding kitchen and toilet facilities to support greater outreach in the local and wider community.

11 West Drayton, St Paul

This small church serves the hamlet of Rockley and the villages of Markham Moor and West Drayton. The local population represents a fairly even split of retired people and young families. Within West Drayton is ‘The Farthings’ Residential Care Home, and some of the residents come to church services. Alongside its Sunday services in church, Holy Communion is also held at ‘The Farthings’ on a monthly basis.

Many of the churches in the Benefice participate in the Diocese’s Open Churches weekends as well as Ride & Stride, with Eaton’s churchwarden visiting all of the benefice churches in 2019.

12 Our Current Worship Pattern

Parish Church 1st Sunday 2nd Sunday 3r Sunday 4th Sunday 5th Sunday

Matins Matins Matins All Saints Holy Communion 11:00 11:00 11:00 Babworth 11:00 Lay Led Lay Led Lay Led

St Martins Ranby

Evening Worship Our Lady & St Peter Holy Communion 4:00pm Bothamsall 9.15am Lay Led

Evening Worship All Saints Holy Communion 6:30pm Eaton & Gamston 9:15am Lay Led Benefice Service Group Holy Communion Morning Prayer St Giles Holy Communion 11:00am Elkesley 11:00 Lay Led

St John Holy Communion Scofton with Osberton 09:00

Morning Worship Morning Worship Morning Worship St Bartholomew Holy Communion 9:30am 9:30am 9:30am Sutton cum Lound 9.30am Lay Led Lay Led Lay Led