Benefice of St Goran, St Just and St Michael, Caerhays Parish Profile
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BENEFICE OF ST GORAN, ST JUST AND ST MICHAEL, CAERHAYS PARISH PROFILE July 2019 Contents Bishop's letter ......................................................................... 3 Archdeacon’s letter ................................................................ 5 Introduction to our benefice .................................................. 6 A New Priest for the Benefice ................................................. 7 The needs of the Benefice and the VISION of the Church .... 11 The Benefice and the Benefice Amenities ............................ 14 Communication .................................................................... 22 The Vicarage ......................................................................... 23 Weekday Events ................................................................... 24 Pattern of Services ................................................................ 24 BAPTISMS, WEDDINGS, FUNERALS AND HOLY COMMUNION POLICIES ................................................................................ 25 Support ................................................................................. 26 St Goran Church.................................................................... 27 St Just Church ....................................................................... 28 St Michael, Caerhays ............................................................ 30 Parish Nurse ......................................................................... 31 Statistics ............................................................................... 33 2 | P a g e BISHOP'S LETTER Bishop Philip In this Diocese of Truro we are deeply committed to ‘Discovering God’s Kingdom: Growing the Church’. Ordained ministers are crucial to this task, so I sketch out here the kind of priests we invite to work with us. First and foremost, we are looking for joyful disciples and ambassadors of Christ, who share the Gospel they have come to know themselves both in word and deed - and above all with love. We seek people who are committed to setting the whole people of God free in mission, ministry, and in loving service. We are looking for people who, on this journey, are imaginative and realistic, creative and determined and are hopeful of a better future. But we also want to work with those who recognise that they are not perfect and will sometimes fail, who learn from their mistakes and will take the initiative in seeking reconciliation with others. We are convinced that all ministers need the support and companionship of others and we help priests in a number of ways so that they never work alone. In this spirit, we encourage priests who can forge good relations with others and actively collaborate with them for the sake of the Kingdom to join us in Cornwall: a very special place with its own distinctive identity and Christian heritage which we are called to value, serve and love. 3 | P a g e I pray that as you consider this position you might discern God’s calling and purpose for you in this next chapter of your discipleship and service. + Philip 4 | P a g e ARCHDEACON’S LETTER The Ven Audrey Elkington The parishes of St Goran and St Michael Caerhays have experienced ‘house for duty’ priestly ministry for a number of years. The developing deanery plan, and the recent Strategic Development Funding award for ‘Transforming Mission in St Austell’ (https://www.trurodiocese.org.uk/2019/06/church- commissioners-back-bold-plan-to-transform-mission-in- cornwall/) mean that we are unsure what the shape of ministry will be across the deanery in future years. This interim post for 2 years will enable the parishes of St Goran and St Michael Caerhayes to continue to receive priestly ministry whilst working in close collaboration with the Deanery of St Austell, until such time as the plan becomes clear. A significant role of the appointee will therefore be about enabling the parishes to be prepared and equipped for change. Archdeacon Audrey 5 | P a g e INTRODUCTION TO OUR BENEFICE The post as Incumbent of St Goran, St Just and St Michael, Caerhays is a House for Duty post for 2 days a week plus Sundays. It offers a wonderful opportunity to lead the development of this well-established benefice. We are a group of three churches serving the parishes of Goran and Caerhays, situated on the beautiful South Coast of Cornwall. The benefice is in the Archdeaconry of Cornwall and the Deanery of St Austell. This falls within the Diocese of Truro whose vision is:- "Discovering God's Kingdom; Growing The Church" The diocese itself is looking forward to a new era after the Institution of its new Bishop, Rev'd Canon Philip Mounstephen in January 2019. St Goran, and St Michael, Caerhays are distinct in all sorts of ways but united as a benefice committed to the spiritual and pastoral needs of our small but active communities. St Just is a Chapel of Ease that is overseen by St Goran PCC. We are fortunate in having a Friends Group of St Goran, St Just and St Michael. This Group is drawn from across the communities and greatly helps in maintaining the fabric of all three churches. The three churches work well together and we have Joint Benefice Services and come together for other events such as Good Friday Reflection, Harvest and Carol Services. 6 | P a g e A NEW PRIEST FOR THE BENEFICE We are looking for a Leader to steer the Benefice forward in a common way. We have an ambition to grow spiritually and numerically. We thrive on good teaching and time spent studying and reflecting. We welcome challenge and the re- invigorating of our faith. We seek a person who will lead and empower the benefice, enable us to build on the individual strengths of each church and help us develop as a strong team. We want our churches to be characterised by a unified vision that builds upon the enthusiasm and commitment within the parishes. This vision needs to address how we respect the diverse traditions and forms of worship currently in place as well as appeal to a wider age range. We look forward to having a person of God who will lead and help us to fulfil this vision. We are conscious of our mission to the large numbers of visitors who come to the area and visit our churches - many come year on year – and we want to be able to reach out to a wide variety of parishioners and visitors, whether or not they come to church, for example to enhance and grow the work of our recently appointed Parish Nurse. We want to proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God as we endeavour to pass on our faith through worship and prayer and our lives. 7 | P a g e We are seeking a person who will value the ministry of our Readers and lay people, and foster our active Pastoral Care Visitors in conjunction with our Parish Nurse.. An analysis of the needs of the local community across the Benefice is needed and it is also necessary to seek ways of making worship and church life more accessible to all age groups. We would very much like to cement our good links with the local school and turn that into the increased involvement of children and parents in Church life and worship. Along with many other parishes, we are aware of our age profile, which on the Electoral Roll can be seen as elderly. While there is considerable energy around, an age profile of Church membership more representative of the local community is a challenge for our benefice as it is for many others. 8 | P a g e QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE ● an ordained Anglican priest ● an understanding of ministry in rural areas ● experience of both traditional and pioneering expressions of mission, ministry and worship ● up-to-date knowledge of safeguarding procedures in the Church of England SKILLS AND ABILITIES We would like our Priest to be able to:- communicate with all ages clearly and directly using tact, diplomacy and occasionally a sense of humour! inspire a wide range of people with a clear vision in order to help them come to faith and to trust in our Lord lead and empower others in their ministry recognise the aptitudes of others and encourage them to develop their potential and to grow in their own discipleship and learning foster a sense of common purpose and co-operation between the parishes in the Benefice strengthen links within the communities e.g. with schools, community groups and organisations develop mission and ministry in a changing environment be a compassionate and active listener 9 | P a g e VOCATION, CHARACTER AND PERSONAL QUALITIES a committed Christian with a sense of God’s call who can act as an example and model of the love of God sympathetic to a range of traditional and contemporary styles of worship and how they can be used to bring people to Christ willing to support those in need of pastoral care with empathy IDEAL QUALITIES a strong desire to encourage church members to demonstrate God’s love in their actions awareness of contemporary and traditional worship music able to maintain a prayerful and spiritual life. 10 | P a g e THE NEEDS OF THE BENEFICE AND THE VISION OF THE CHURCH The needs that underlie living in the parishes are not too dissimilar to the rural needs of any parish in the country. Cornwall is one of the financially poorest areas in the United Kingdom where earnings are low, and somewhat seasonal with a heavy reliance on the Tourist industry. Our parishes have a high percentage of retired people and we are fortunate to have an excellent Primary School that attracts young families. House prices are relatively high and therefore there is less of the poverty that is found in nearby St Austell and throughout other parts of the county. The benefice has a predominantly older population and there are several people requiring constant care. Loneliness, particularly for those who have lost a partner with families living away is an issue that concerns the Church. Transport is also a major problem for those members of our community who can no longer drive because of their age and for teenagers who cannot afford a car. The bus service is poor and although we have an excellent Community Bus, which has regular services to St Austell and Truro it is not easy to get to work, the Doctor’s Surgery, Hospitals, Dentists and visit friends.