Vicar of the Parish of Girlington, Heaton and Manningham
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1 Vicar of the Parish of Girlington, Heaton and Manningham 2 Contents The Bishop’s Statement The Team Vision About the Area About the Churches & the Missional Community Our Story so far About the Team About the Role About You Some facts and figures Practicalities The Diocese of Leeds Nearby Lister Park 3 The Bishop’s Statement The newly-created parish of Girlington, Heaton and Manningham is a very important one within the Bradford Episcopal Area and the Diocese of Leeds. Formed from the historic parishes of St Philip’s Girlington, St Paul’s Manningham, St Barnabas Heaton and St Martin’s Heaton, this very large parish of over 47,000 people contains some of the most deprived areas in the country. Housing includes poor-quality private-rented homes, a large council estate, large family homes and semi-rural properties. Over two-thirds of the population is Muslim, mainly from Bangladesh and the Mirpur area of Pakistan. 71% are of Asian origin and 22% white (of whom significant numbers are from Eastern Europe). My desire is to see the new parish develop confident disciples and leaders, who can reach out into the parish in forms of mission which both win new disciples for Jesus and also bring transformation and hope to those affected by the many forms of poverty experienced locally. In doing so, the opportunity is there to make the most of the different gifts and resources of the four churches so that they can achieve more together in mission and ministry than they could on their own. There are large numbers of young people in the parish (over half the population is under the age of 30 and one third under 16), while less than 9% are over 65. Hence there are many schools – including two Church of England primary schools, numerous private Islamic Schools, Bradford Grammar School and Bradford Girls Grammar School. Considerable effort has gone into developing ministry in many of these schools. There is a great foundation on which to build. The four churches are working hard at community engagement and their buildings have been (and are being) improved and adapted to facilitate community use. A new missional community has been birthed, rooted in St Paul’s vicarage. New parish-wide governance structures have been put in place to support and develop a range of ministry and mission, thereby realising a vision of four churches sharing in mission together. I see five particular priorities for the new vicar: To work with the congregations of the four churches to grow them, working a ‘mixed economy’ of new forms of mission and worship alongside traditional ones and making the most of the range of cultures present within them. To take lay discipleship to the next level, both in depth and in numbers, increasing people’s confidence in their own faith in Christ, and enabling them to share Christ’s love with winsome grace and love. To encourage, equip and expand the team of leaders in the parish, thereby developing lay leadership in depth, numbers, and cultural diversity. To widen and deepen the positive engagement of the existing ministries engaging the local communities in entrepreneurial and creative ways - both 4 personally as an individual and also with the congregations - to increase their impact in addressing the different forms of poverty in the parish. To continue the work of deepening the mutual support and encouragement between the four churches, working with the new governance structures and potential for different approaches to worship and mission to realise more of the potential synergies between them. The task of leading these churches in this exciting new chapter is a demanding and challenging one. We are therefore looking for a person of energy, resilience, stature and vision with a joyful and confident faith. (S)he will have a wholehearted commitment to the Christian gospel which can inspire church growth in multicultural communities with significant other faith presence. (S)he will enjoy cultural diversity and offering a positive welcome for Christians from other cultures. Secure in his/her own identity as a follower of Jesus, (s)he will be a leader of leaders. The Deanery of Inner Bradford, now two years old, is comprised of parishes similar to Girlington, Heaton and Manningham. Most of them are experimenting with new patterns of mission and ministry as they grapple with what it means to be the Church of England in the presence of large Muslim populations. The new vicar will therefore find a group of creative and supportive colleagues in the Deanery chapter, all of whom will be deeply familiar with the joys and challenges that each other faces. Hence the new vicar of Girlington, Heaton and Manningham will be expected to work with a spirit of generosity in sharing wisdom and insights about ministry within the Deanery of Inner Bradford, across the Episcopal Area and Diocese of Leeds, and also nationally. +Toby Bradford December 2018 5 The Team Vision This is both an exciting and a challenging time to be joining the Team that serves the geographical area of Girlington, Heaton and Manningham here in the heart of Bradford. The Parishes of St. Barnabas Heaton, St. Martin Heaton, St Paul Manningham and St Philip Girlington have united as one parish to serve the area, with the new pastoral scheme coming into effect on 1st July 2018. Becoming a larger parish brings about significant benefits in sharing skills and resources across the churches. Also, by plunging more deeply into the rich and varied spiritual wells of the existing traditions of each church we hope better to serve and reach the population not currently a regular part of a Christian worshipping community. Over the coming years our primary expectation is that God will grow all of our churches, bringing more people to know Jesus. It is anticipated such growth will come from revitalisation of existing congregations and starting fresh expressions of church. Although the expectation is for growth, it is recognised that this comes alone from God, so the role of each congregation, Christian and leadership team member is to help cultivate church health, discipleship and faith. Specifically we will strive to become a parish: that is locally representative and invests in building good relationships with key activists from different backgrounds and is both outgoing and inclusive in its dealings with others; where there is genuine concern about local issues reflected through active listening, outwardly focussed prayer, relevant initiatives and a hospitable welcome for all; where children and young people are valued, and there is a commitment to supporting families and growing young leaders; that seeks both to be and to share the good news of the Gospel, recognising the hope that God has placed at the centre of every moment and seeking through outreach a response to this in individual people’s lives; that poses long term commitment to community transformation and invests generously to that end – including time, skills and buildings; where members are encouraged and equipped to engage with community needs and their leaders contribute within wider social structures; that is unafraid to challenge where necessary; where the people are known to be genuine in their care, humble enough to both work with and learn from others, and as those who make the effort to really listen and understand. Do you want to become part of the team that delivers this Vision? 6 About the area The parish covers a culturally rich area with a population of just over 47000. The ethnic diversity ranges from 62% around St Martin’s Church, Heaton to 90% at St Paul’s Manningham. (CUF Data) There are excellent transport links by bus across the area and into the City Centre where the two main railway stations provide good links to the region and wider afield. The areas are all thriving with shops, especially fast food outlets, and the Bradford Royal Infirmary is situated within the new parish boundary. There are also plenty of green and open spaces with excellent public park facilities for everyone to enjoy. The whole area is surrounded by breathtaking countryside with the Yorkshire Dales close on hand. This is a vibrant area with a very young population. The churches provide a ministry to the local schools of which there are: 14 State Primary 2 Church of England Primary 5 Secondary 3 Nurseries As well as a Catholic Primary and Secondary school and a number of private and Islamic schools The skill and outreach of the church is very well respected around the city. Statutory agencies are always very willing to work alongside churches in serving the community, particularly in supporting those people on the edge who are suffering through a variety of factors but particularly poverty and health. This area faces immense challenges of employment, poverty and health issues. However, the local authority is open to new initiatives and looks, in many instances, to the churches in supporting and delivering community services. It’s a good place both to live and work but above all to make new disciples and proclaim the good news of Jesus. Come and join us for an enriching and exciting ministry. 7 Saint Barnabas’ Church Heaton St Barnabas has served the community from its present site for 154 years. It has close links with the nearby St Barnabas Church of England School. The area, like much of Bradford, has seen considerable demographic changes with the former parish now one of the most deprived in the country (see CUF website) with approx 74% of the population being Muslim and of Pakistan heritage. The present congregation numbers 62 on the electoral roll as of April 2018.