WELCOME TO CROSTHWAITE CHURCH KESWICK

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Our Vision ‘To know Jesus and make Him known’ PARISH OF CROSTHWAITE, ST KENTIGERN, KESWICK PARISH PROFILE

Thank you for reading this Parish Profile of St Kentigern’s Church Keswick (more commonly referred to as Crosthwaite Church). We hope it will help you decide whether God is calling you to this Parish to help us continue our journey of faith and service to Christ.

WHO ARE WE?

We’ve had great difficulties with labels and trying to define ourselves! But here goes…

- We are a keen enthusiastic bunch of Christians! We may be predominantly an older congregation but we are young at heart and desire our church to grow and to grow younger. - We would describe ourselves as traditional low-church Anglicans, Open Evangelical, and open to new forms and styles of worship. - We value orthodox theology and belief as well as Bible-based preaching. - We are a Dementia Friendly Church. - We have considered a range of images to describe ourselves (at a planning session), one was of a stump with shoots of new growth – in other words we desire to grow!

Why are we appointing a priest in charge (vicar designate)? - The diocese with our ecumenical partners in the County, namely the Methodist Church, the URC and the Salvation Army are committed to finding new, deeper and more effective ways of working together in order to further the mission of the Church. Other Dioceses use various forms of ‘clustering’. In Cumbria we call them ‘Mission Communities’. Each Mission Community is a unique entity due to location, ecclesial composition, local geography and demography. 2

- In Anglican terms, the plan is for each Mission Community to have at least two stipendiary clergy and NSM / House for duty clergy or lay ministers as is appropriate. - In the Diocese the long term plan is for two full time Anglican clergy in the Keswick Mission Community, and two part time: the f/t will be based at St Kentigern Crosthwaite and one at Keswick St John’s with the support of p/t colleagues based in Threlkeld and Braithwaite. The Methodist Minister in Keswick will continue to offer Methodist support to the Keswick, Binsey and Cockermouth Mission Communities. In Keswick there are no URC or Salvation Army places of worship so they are not directly involved in our Mission Community. We do work very closely with our other colleagues in the area through Churches Together in Keswick (CTiK). - Once the incumbent has been appointed to Crosthwaite, the clergy and churches will then work together to formalise appropriate legal structures for the future sustainable mission and ministry in this area. Hence the Priest in charge appointment. The shape beginning to emerge at the moment links the Anglican churches into two sub-units: St John’s Keswick/Borrowdale with Threlkeld/St John’s in the Vale, and Crosthwaite with Thornthwaite/Braithwaite/Newlands.

‘Roles’ for our future incumbent In addition to being the incumbent of Crosthwaite and a key member of the leadership of the Keswick Mission Community, the new priest in charge will negotiate with colleagues in the Mission Community an appropriate allocation of wider roles in the Mission Community, including: - Ministry and ex-officio / other governor roles at local schools (St Herbert’s, Braithwaite, Threlkeld and Borrowdale Primary Schools, and Keswick School) - Developing ministry to hotels & their resident staff, the leisure and retail sectors - Develop and support chaplaincy at the Mary Hewetson Hospital in Keswick (14 beds) - Being an ‘independent listener’ at Keswick School Boarding Department - Engaging with other ministry opportunities in the town

The new priest will need to work in close collaboration with all colleagues in the Mission Community and probably especially – given the emerging shape of the Mission Community – with colleagues at Thornthwaite/Braithwaite/Newlands.

Mission Action Plan We have worked hard at thinking through who we are, what are our strengths and weaknesses and how we can lay the best foundation for a new incumbent to join us in our shared journey of faith, mission and service to the God we love. This is a summary of what we are working for:

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What are our strengths? Prayerful congregation and a beautiful listed building that reflects many centuries of prayer - Welcoming and friendly fellowship within the worshipping community - Enriched by shared ministry - Open to varied musical styles - Historic church and churchyard, which is also an untapped natural resource - A Parish Room in the centre of the town used by Church and Community Groups

What are our Challenges? - Outreach – we are not good at it, can you help us be better? - Pastoral care – could be better at linking with care homes and the housebound - Children and families – are a clear gap in the congregational age profile - Our church roof – but we have a keen sub-committee working on this - Like most churches, parts of our life are struggling, but we are developing stronger links with the churches in the Mission Community so we can share strengths and all grow together. - Escalating costs of maintaining the church and churchyard.

Our Vision: To know Jesus and make Him known We will do this by: o presenting the Word of God clearly and faithfully, o growing in discipleship, o caring for each other, o connecting effectively with other congregations in the Mission Community, o looking outwards and seeking ways of being faithful and growing - (recognising that growth is not just about numbers or age profile, but is also about discipleship and mission in the broadest senses of those words).

Short Term (during the interregnum) - Developing our Dementia Friendly status. - Praying for the life of the church through regular prayer meetings. - Holding Friday Prayer Meetings: a small group of us are committed to meeting every Friday to pray for individuals who need our support and prayers. (This also links to the Prayer Network.) - Sustaining lay-led worship and developing lay skills: the All Age Worship Group, started under the previous incumbent, has continued to lead monthly worship, including preaching. - Reflecting on our successful ‘Time for Giving’ Christmas appeal, which more than met our financial shortfall, we are confident that regular giving will increase.

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- Devising a fund raising strategy for our building project, The Roof Appeal. Medium Term - Developing our ministry to older people in the parish and town. - Finding ways of engaging and connecting with the newly retired as part of growing a younger congregation. - Finding ways of developing links with our regular visitors (many people come to Keswick a few times a year and we need to find ways of helping them belong to us, as we belong to them, as they grow in their faith) - Developing effective links with schools (see above on the sharing of ministry). - Supporting the finance and appeal sub-committees in their work and continue to value the principle of Christian tithing, as is C of E policy.

Long Term Working on developing a shared action plan to help us carry our vision further forward, and in particular: - Helping us to care for the elderly, as a positive strength! - Helping us to grow younger, decade by decade! - Helping us all to be disciples and ambassadors for Christ where we are and where we are sent, as we tend be an ‘eclectic’ congregation who travel in from some distance.

Person Spec All the normal things – prayerful, upholding the authority of Scripture, has a passion for sharing the Gospel with clarity and relevance, open to the Spirit leading him/her and us into new things; but also a person who: - Has a good sense of humour to cope with us and our foibles! - Has an ability to work hard and grow effective teams - Is able to share the ministry and to delegate - Is approachable and has interpersonal skills - Is a good verbal communicator (in sermons, groups and conversations) - Has a realistic view of the business aspects of a church and an understanding in the use of social media and IT - Is able to model Christian vocation that is faithful to Christ, lives life, works hard, takes family time and ‘me’ time.

As an open evangelical church we look forward to applications from both male and female candidates.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND US The ancient market town of Keswick, on the shores of Derwentwater surrounded by stunning Lakeland fells, is the cultural and social centre for the area. A hugely popular tourist destination, Keswick is the “Jewel in the crown” of the North Lakes. Hosting an 5

enormous range of activities throughout the year it is within the recently designated UNESCO World Heritage Site and visitor numbers are expected to rise. There are many Hotels, Bed and Breakfast establishments and a host of self-catering houses and cottages. The town has become an all year round destination and there are many facilities for residents and tourists to enjoy. These include a very popular theatre with productions, concerts and lectures throughout the year, a leisure centre with swimming pool and fitness centre, museums, library and a cinema. Keswick also hosts a number of festivals throughout the year. Words by the Water is a very popular literary festival with renowned speakers from across the globe. The Jazz, Beer, Film and Mountain Festivals continue to draw in the crowds every year as of course does the annual Keswick Convention. The Keswick Convention is an annual event that attracts upwards of 12,000 Christians over a three week period in July. A major multi-million pound re-development of their facilities in the town is due to get under way soon and we would hope to work closely with them in their outreach in the wider community. www.keswickministries.org.uk .

Kesmail is a free monthly magazine delivered to all homes in the Keswick area and has details of everything going on in the area. The Keswick Reminder is the local weekly newspaper and postal subscriptions can be made. There is one GP practice at Castlehead Medical Centre with 5 doctors on call and an excellent Community Hospital with a Minor Injuries Clinic as well as three Dental Practices in the town.

Schools The town is very fortunate in having two excellent schools:-St Herbert’s C of E Aided Primary and Nursery School, providing a good education with a strong Christian ethos. www.stherberts.cumbria.sch.uk

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Keswick School provides top class secondary education and is rated outstanding by OFSTED and is among the top non selective schools in England. www.keswick.cumbria.sch.uk

Threlkeld Primary School (http://threlkeld.cumbria.sch.uk/) and Braithwaite Village C of E School provide alternative choices to the town schools. (www.braithwaite.cumbria.sch.uk)

THE PARISH The Parish is an ancient one and originally covered the whole area from Dunmail Raise in the south to the northern end of Bassenthwaite. The parish now consists of about one third of the area and population of Keswick and extends over most of Skiddaw. The remaining two thirds lie within the Parish of St John. Crosthwaite Church is in a beautiful setting on the northern edge of Keswick approximately a half a mile from the town centre. The parish stretches into the very centre of this charming Lakeland town and out to encompass the smaller communities of Portinscale, Thrushwood and the predominantly farming communities of Applethwaite and Millbeck, where the Church Room of Underskiddaw is located. There is no residential housing in the immediate vicinity of the church, it being surrounded by pasture land, the churchyard and the playing fields of Keswick School. The majority of houses in this area of the town are of high cost and mainly occupied by retired or recently retired people. There are very few families with young children living in this area. However, a new affordable housing development at Calvert Way is within our parish boundary and could provide a mission opportunity. Another possible development adjacent to the hospital would also be within our parish if planning permission is granted. There are mission possibilities in Portinscale using community facilities. A draft document recently circulated by Allerdale Council shows Keswick to be ‘top heavy’ in the 50+ age group and well below the national average in the under 16 age group.

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Underskiddaw Church Room

Parish Church and Sunday School Room Parish Room and Church Office

Parish Boundary of Crosthwaite Church Keswick

WORK IN THE COMMUNITY

Relationships have been built over recent years in the community through ecumenical work and it is expected that the new incumbent will embrace and build on these. St Kentigern's Church is on the edge of town so it is vital that we continue to go out into the community. The Parish Room in the centre of town is where most of our social and community events take place and it became the focal point and ‘drop in centre’ during the recent floods.

CTiK Churches Together in Keswick in Keswick and Neighbourhood is a group of ten member churches. CTiK provides links with the Catholic Church, King's Church (Newfrontiers,) the Quakers, Orthodox Church as well as the churches of the Mission Community, providing valuable opportunities to work together. The CTiK Council meets four times a year and supports Christian and ecumenical projects in the town which include Lent Lunches, Credit Union, World Women's Day of Prayer, Fairtrade promotion, Christmas Eve carol singing in the market square, Good Friday Walk of Witness and the Easter Day sunrise service on the lake shore. Much of the coming together of denominations arose following the devastating town floods of 2005, 2009 and 2015. Indeed, after the 2015 floods our Catholic friends shared St Kentigern's Church, holding their morning worship before ours. It is expected that the Incumbent would take an active interest in such work across the community.

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Elderly/Housebound There is a short service of Holy Communion which is held once a month in conjunction with Age UK, in Lakehead Court retirement flats for the elderly. Our church currently administers Communion by extension to some of our elderly parishioners who cannot attend church, and there are visits to make in the homes of the elderly and Care Homes in the town.

Schools Our church has enjoyed strong links with St Herbert's C of E Primary and Nursery School and its Headteacher. Both St Kentigern’s and St John’s Church Keswick provide Foundation Governors. Once or twice a year we welcome the school choir to contribute to an all-age service. The school holds their Easter or Christmas service in our church.

Keswick School, whose land bounds St Kentigern's Church on two sides, is not a church school but we feel links with the school and the Headteacher are important and could be enhanced. Our previous incumbent regularly took assemblies in school. The school has approximately 1,200 pupils from across the region. A small proportion are boarders and join us in worship on selected Sundays throughout the term. The head of RE at the school is an active member of our church and takes part in all-age planning.

Braithwaite C of E Primary School hold their Carol Service at Crosthwaite.

Youth Toddlers meet in the Parish Room every Thursday 10.00- 11.30 during school term time. Toddlers are accompanied by their mothers, fathers, grandparents or carers. Toys, activities and refreshments are provided for the children and tea and coffee for the adults. Following the floods of 2015 this was the only refuge for many families and continues to be a great meeting place for them all to meet and see old and make new friends.

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An activity table and crèche are available in church all Sundays. There is a bible study class for Secondary School children.

KESWICK MISSION COMMUNITY

The Mission Community - (the Cumbrian form of ‘clustering’) - covers a huge area based on Keswick town, covering eight Anglican parishes and one Methodist Church. (CTiK includes all these churches as well the local Catholic, Orthodox and Religious Society of Friends.) There are also very strong connections with Keswick Ministries who run the Convention for three weeks a year.

For 2018 the Starting Group have the following priorities: - Moving Mountains: Delivery & Follow up - Sharing expertise: Lay training across the area on topics that we all agree we need,  e.g. intercessions, leading worship, home communions, preaching and leadership - Sharing experience: exchanging good ideas that we can learn from each other,  e.g. Messy Church, dinners - Back office jobs: jobs we can do together to help each other out,  e.g. safeguarding, treasurer support, admin, data protection - Worshiping together,  e.g. Crowe Park June 24th 3 pm?

As Churches working together in an emerging Mission Community, we expect the future incumbent will have:

- A collaborative style of leadership; - Enthusiasm and creativity; - Ability to work across boundaries; - Leadership skills in a team context.

The Churches and Parishes of our Mission Community are:

Borrowdale: This is a twelve mile long parish with 240 residents living in five hamlets. There are 13 farms and 35 people involved in agriculture. Tourism is our main economic business.

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The Church in Borrowdale, with 21 Core Members, seeks to serve and facilitate this community.

Braithwaite, Newlands and Thornthwaite: The parish of Thornthwaite cum Braithwaite with Newlands contains three churches. St Mary's, on the edge of Thornthwaite, and Newlands Church, in the serene Newlands valley, are older, traditional buildings. St Herbert's, in Braithwaite, dates from 1900, and has recently been refurbished to provide a modern worship space. They serve a total community of around 600 people.

Keswick Methodist Church: Keswick Methodist Church is the only Methodist Church in Keswick. The church has 58 members and has an average Sunday attendance of between 50 - 70 people. The church is about to embark on a redevelopment programme which will convert the inside of the church to a more flexible worship space and a multipurpose hall both of which will allow us to meet the needs of the community increasing our outreach and mission in the town. At the moment the church shares 2 worship services a year with St John's. www.kcmethodists.org.uk

Keswick St John’s: The town of Keswick is divided 1/4:3/4 between Crosthwaite and St John’s : we do have a lot in common! We share worship once a year on Pentecost Sunday. St John’s is traditionally ‘higher’ than St Kentigern’s giving a breadth of Anglican worship to the town. Normal ‘resident’ Sunday attendance is about 65-70 adults and a few children. We need to grow younger and more local. www.keswickstjohn.org.uk

Threlkeld: The parish of St. Mary's, Threlkeld is the eastern outpost of the Mission Community, part of a United Benefice with St. John's in the Vale and Wythburn. This is a rural village community employed in farming and tourism. Our Sunday congregations average 16 people, though for baptisms, weddings and funerals the church can be full to overflowing. When no minister can be present members of the congregation take the services and also take assembly at the village school. www.threlkeldchurch.org.uk

St John in the Vale: Nestled between High Rigg and Low RIgg in an idyllic location is St John in the Vale, adjacent to the Diocesan Youth Centre. We are a small family church with strong links to the community. Wythburn: Sister church to St John in the Vale. The church was built in 1640 and retorted in 1872 on the slopes of Helvellyn. It lost its resident parishioners with the flooding of the valley by the Manchester Water Corporation in 1894. Worship is still held monthly in the summer.

The clergy of the Mission Community are: Rev Sue Edwards (Methodist Minister), Rev Judith Ashurst (PiC Braithwaite, Thornthwaite and Newlands) Dr Susi Wood (Lay Reader i/c Threlkeld, St John in the Vale with Wythburn)

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and Rev Charles Hope (Vicar Keswick St John with Borrowdale and PiC Threlkeld, St John in the Vale with Wythburn & Rural Dean)

Other churches in the Keswick district are:- Kings Church, Keswick – www.kingschurchkeswick.net Keswick Congregational Church – www.keswickcongregational.org.uk Keswick Roman Catholic Church – www.cockermouthandkeswickcatholicchurch.co.uk Religious Society of Friends Orthodox Community of St Bega, St Mungo and St Herbert

DERWENT DEANERY Crosthwaite is part of the Derwent Deanery which is in the heart of the Lake District National Park and covers some of the most stunning scenery of mountains and lakes, including Derwentwater, Bassenthwaite, Buttermere, Crummock Water, Loweswater and Thirlmere. The major market towns of Keswick and Cockermouth form the main centres of population. Details of the Deanery can be found at www.carlislediocese.org.uk/churches/deaneries/derwent

St Kentigern’s Church, Sunday School Room and Keswick School Recording Studio.

PEOPLE

There are at present 2 churchwardens and 13 members of the PCC who meet monthly (excluding August) in the Sunday School Room and the Standing Committee also meet monthly in the Parish Room. We have representatives on CTiK committee and Deanery Synod. There is a team of organists who accompany the weekly services. A number of lay members of the congregation have permission to assist with the Chalice at Holy Communion. Sidesmen and Sunday Hosts meet and greet worshippers. Members of the congregation read the lessons and lead the prayers of Intercession. There are 3 Ordained Ministers and a Commissioned Lay Preacher who also officiate at services. 12

We have a Parish Administrator who works 3 mornings per week. This appointment has proved invaluable as duties undertaken include many of the day to day administrative tasks, production and printing of the weekly notice sheet as well the bi-monthly magazine and looking after the fabric of the buildings. The administrator also acts as PCC Minutes Secretary.

WORSHIP AND PATTERN OF SERVICES

The ministers wear robes (cassock and surplice) for most but not all services, according to the occasion. The seasons of the church year are followed but not over zealously.

Our worship is based on an open evangelical commitment to faith exemplified by;  Our strong commitment to the authority of scripture leading to personal and corporate growth in Christ’s grace and the development of spiritual gifts  Our openness to the community and the work of God worldwide. Our desire to gain insight into other traditions of the Church of England and Christians in the wider church  Understanding the need to be ready to encourage and embrace appropriate change as we move forward.

Worship style is varied. Sunday services at Crosthwaite currently follow a monthly pattern of Morning Worship, Holy Communion and All Age Worship. There is an early morning communion each month. Underskiddaw has a more traditional structure of Holy Communion, Morning and Evening Prayer thus providing an alternative worship using the Book of Common Prayer. Congregations are interdependent and both churches are strongly supported with rotas in place for preachers, sidesmen and readers. Holy Communion is offered monthly at a local residency for older worshippers and an annual Carol Service is held at the local Hospital. We regularly welcome visitors from around the world to join us in worship. During the Keswick Convention on three Sundays in July, the pattern is changed to host guest speakers and St Kentigern's welcomes in the region of 400+ worshippers with refreshments served outdoors. Throughout the rest of the year coffee and tea is served at the back of church after the service.

Music There is a genuine desire at Crosthwaite to worship God authentically, using ‘psalms (varied forms), hymns and spiritual songs’ [Eph. 5:19] At the Sunday service the choice of music is guided in part by where we are in the Church’s year and in part by the Bible passages. We

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aim to include a wide range of style so that in each service, as far as possible, there is an equal mix of traditional hymns and modern worship songs. The church uses Hymns Old and New - Kevin Mayhew, as a basis, with the ability to print other hymns or songs on the ‘Weekly Notices’ sheet, or sometimes projected onto the overhead screen. For special services or major festivals, the choir often contributes an anthem of either a classical or contemporary nature, and is generally augmented by members of the congregation. In addition, we welcome occasional visits from nearby St. Herbert’s children’s choirs [KS1 or KS2] The music is normally planned by the vicar and organist and is led from the west end by a small unrobed choir. For the monthly All Age Worship services, the music is selected by one of the all age teams. All music is accompanied either on Crosthwaite’s fine organ or its equally distinguished piano, depending on the style. There is an unofficial organist/choirmaster who plays for most Sunday services, supported by two or three deputy organists, one of whom regularly plays for weddings and funerals. Underskiddaw currently has a regular pianist. The hymns are selected either by the pianist or by whoever is leading the service; choices relate to Bible passages or the Church’s year. All music is accompanied on a digital piano. A weekly choir practice takes place at Crosthwaite, conducted by the choirmaster. There is no music group at present but the piano is effectively amplified, and on occasion the music is led from the front by an amplified vocalist, particularly during the three weeks of the Keswick Convention when Crosthwaite welcomes conventioners to the Sunday services. There may be other instrumentalists available also on these occasions.

It is a mark of Crosthwaite that there is a sense of God drawing close as we worship, and our aim as a church family is to ‘sing with the spirit and with the understanding also’ [1 Cor. 14:15] and to convey the message of the Gospel through music.

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CHURCH POLICIES

Baptisms. Currently take place during the main Sunday morning service after a preparation meeting with the parents, godparents and any other sponsors. Older candidates are, of course, included in the preparation. Preparation is in the candidate’s home or, when more than one family is involved, at a tea in the Sunday School Room. Sponsors as well as, or instead of godparents are welcomed. A service of Thanksgiving for a Child is offered but so far has not proved popular. Application for baptism is made through the parish office or directly to the Vicar. Application forms can be sent electronically on request from the office.

Marriage. There are typically six to eight weddings during the year. Couples are requested to contact the vicar in the first instance. There follow several meetings with the vicar to discuss both the details of the service and the nature of Christian marriage. Couples are encouraged to discuss their music choices with the organist. The church sound system can also play music on CD or i-player. Admission of Children to Communion. Children or families who regularly attend worship, either at Crosthwaite or in their home church, are welcome to partake of communion. This has been discussed and agreed by the PCC and approved by the Bishop. They must be accompanied by their parents or sponsor. There is always a chalice of non-alcoholic wine on the table for those who prefer it, including youngsters.

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Confirmation. Services have recently been at a Deanery level. Dates and venues vary each year according to need. Candidates are prepared by the vicar within their own parish.

CHURCH GROUPS AND ORGANISATIONS

The church has a number of active groups covering a wide spectrum of activities and a large number of participants.

Choir There is a dedicated small choir who meet weekly for practices and enrich the Sunday morning worship, singing anthems on special occasions.

Bellringers The bellringers meet every week for practice and all eight bells ring most Sunday mornings as well at weddings on request. There is an annual Bell Ringers Service and visiting ringers from around the country are always made welcome. Training is available for all new ringers.

Home Groups There are now 5 active Home Groups enjoying fellowship and Bible study with a total membership of over 50. Home Group leaders meet every few months to discuss future studies. All groups meet regularly and come together each a year at our joint Lent Course with Braithwaite and Thornthwaite, at which each group takes its turn in leading worship and providing refreshments.

Flower Guild A group of dedicated people strive to show that the church is cherished and welcoming. Flowers for special occasions such as Christmas, Easter and Harvest are always a joy to behold.

Mothers Union Members meet monthly in the Parish Room for Talks and Fellowship following a short time of prayer and worship. Items of clothing for the hospital - especially garments for premature babies - are made, as well as cross-stitch crosses for the hospital chapel.

Friday Morning Prayer Group This group meets every Friday morning in the Parish Room to pray especially for those 16

known to us who are unwell and also those in need. This invaluable group initiates the prayer list included each Sunday on the church notice sheet.

Coffee Makers Coffee, tea and biscuits are served after every morning service at the back of church. During Keswick Convention extra helpers are drafted in and due to the large numbers this is moved outside.

Men’s Group Crosthwaite Men’s Group has now become Keswick Christian Men, joining with other men in the town. Regular meetings, usually monthly are held on Saturday mornings for breakfast, fellowship and usually an invited speaker. Seminars are also held at which matters of faith are discussed in more depth.

Foodbank Crosthwaite is pleased to contribute to the Foodbank. All contributions may be left in church at any time during the week and a list of requirements is regularly published.

Parish Magazine A bi-monthly magazine is produced giving times of services, events and news as well as a selection of interesting articles and is available on the web site.

STATISTICS

The number on the Electoral Roll is currently 155. The average congregation at Crosthwaite is 70 and at Underskiddaw is 18. Special services attract much larger numbers: Easter Day can be 200+; Christmas Services 100+ and during Keswick Convention numbers can swell to 400+.

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SUCCESSES

We have been nurtured into taking a more active part in church life and especially during worship, which has led to a growing confidence in our ability to lead services. Three All Age Worship Teams were formed, who in turn organise and lead the service on the second Sunday of each month. All teams have different strengths which in turn have led to some very different and thought provoking services. Sunday Hosts help the churchwardens and sidesmen set up the church for services and welcome visitors and regular worshipers thus extending our welcome. A Friday Fellowship Group meets monthly at Underskiddaw. Prayer is very important and a group meet every Friday to pray in particular for those suffering ill health. Personalised cards are sent to those in need of our support. Groups meet at regular intervals to pray for the life of our church and for guidance. Advent Prayer and the Good Friday ‘Hour at the Cross’ have provided further opportunities. Services including Christingle and Christmas Eve Crib Service when toys are collected for the children’s hospice remain very popular especially with younger families and visitors. One of the most successful services is that of Thanksgiving and Remembrance held annually when members of the congregation and many local people meet to remember those they have died. The annual Lent course has gone from strength to strength and for the last 5 years members from Thornthwaite cum Braithwaite Church have joined us. The course ends on

Maundy Thursday with a meal set in the context of the Last Supper. Keswick Christian Men meet for breakfast and seminars once a month

Parish Lunches take place intermittently, following the morning service, to mark different occasions. These also have the benefit of providing a hearty meal and good company, particularly for those who may be going home to an empty house.

Employing a Parish Administrator and opening up a church office in town has lightened the workload which was often undertaken solely by the vicar with the help of volunteers.

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Why Crosthwaite Church?

Toddlers

I’ve been coming to toddlers for the last 4 years with both of my children. It is a great place to meet other mums and a fantastic place for children to play and have fun. Keep up the good work!

Jana

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VICARAGE The vicarage is a 4 bedroomed detached family home built in 1985. Within the entrance vestibule is a study and separate toilet. A large sitting room, with views to the Western fells, dining room and kitchen and utility room downstairs. There are 4 bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs.

A detached garage with a large parking area and garden to the front and rear. The vicarage is within easy walking distance of the church and the town centre.

CHURCH BUILDINGS UNDERSKIDDAW CHURCH ROOM This delightful little church was built in 1829 by Daniel Dover- the owner of the Millbeck woollen mill as a Sunday School for the children of mill- workers in the parish. A plaque to Daniel Dover, who lived at Millbeck Place, is inside the building. Before the Village Hall was built the Parish Council used the Church Room for their meetings and still do. Today the Church Room is part of Crosthwaite Church in Keswick and there are several services every month. It is open daily in summer for everyone to enjoy.

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The Church Room is a simple, plain building but a chancel was added & dedicated in 1937 and a toilet installed in 2014. In addition to the plaque to Daniel Dover there are also memorials to Mr. C W Kaye of Millbeck Towers and to Miss Magee who taught Sunday School for 54 years THE PARISH ROOM Crosthwaite Parish Room was officially opened in November 1879 as a memorial to the Rev. George Gonville Goodwin curate at Crosthwaite Church and then incumbent, appointed by his father the then Bishop of Carlisle. Unfortunately his incumbency only lasted two months: it appears he contracted a fatal disease while visiting a parishioner. He had cherished the idea of a parish room for meetings and classes and services for the old and infirm who were unable to go to church. The people of Keswick responded generously to an appeal for funds and the room was duly built in his memory. For the last 130 years it has served the parish and the town in the spirit intended by its founders. The occasional service is still held there when the church has been unavailable and is used by church members and town’s folk for meetings, lectures, coffee mornings, tea dances and slide shows. The room is also used for various activities during Keswick Convention. The Parish Room also houses the Church Office. SUNDAY SCHOOL ROOM This building was built in 2000 as our Millennium project. There are toilet and baby changing facilities, which are open for use during all services, as well as a small meeting room. This room is used regularly on Sundays for Sunday school and during the week for meetings. The room is also available for hire and is used by visiting church groups for meetings and ‘Away Days’.

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RAISING THE ROOF

In November 2016 an appeal was started to raise £350,000, principally to undertake the necessary work on the church roof - (estimated to be £200,000) - and then to fund other projects within the building, including:- improved access, a more efficient heating system and upgraded kitchen and toilet facilities. Grants towards this work are being explored at present. We are delighted to have raised over £53,717 - (as at Feb 28th 2018) - this time with further fund raising events planned.

FINANCES The Parish is committed to paying a generous and realistic Parish Offer (the Diocesan ministry costs) and tithing parts of the income to support Christian work and missions. In 2017 the PCC took measures to address the tendency of recent years for outgoings to exceed income and the result was a modest surplus for the year. Further measures are in hand to seek to ensure that income will continue to be sufficient to cover outgoings. However the Parish does benefit from funds specially donated to cover annual shortfalls should they occur. Other restricted funds include the Roof Appeal and monies given for the Church Fabric, Underskiddaw Church Room, Organ Maintenance, Evangelism and a number of smaller funds.

Average weekly receipts and payments £ Weekly income required to cover “operating” expenditure 1,919 (including parish share and charitable giving)

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Less: Average weekly collections (including gift aid) 1,612

Weekly shortfall after collections 307

Other income averaged weekly 409 (including service fees, room lettings and interest)

Weekly Surplus 102

Reserves

At 31st December reserves amounted to £128,244 mostly held in restricted funds.

A complete copy of the financial accounts is available on request.

Further Information:

Please feel free to speak to (ring!) - The Archdeacon, Ven. Dr Richard Pratt, 01900 66190 - The Rural Dean, The Revd Charles Hope, 017687 75855 - The Churchwardens, Mrs Linda Tee, 017687 72285 Mrs Harriet Spence 017687 72339

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