United Benefice of Tuxford
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UNITED BENEFICE OF TUXFORD All Saints Church, West Markham All Saints Church, Weston St Nicholas’ Church, Tuxford St Matthews Church, Normanton St Wifrids Church, Low Marnham Welcome to the United Benefice of Tuxford with Low Marnham, Normanton-on-Trent, West Markham & Weston These five parishes combine to form a United Benefice although each parish is entirely different. THE BENEFICE Diocese Southwell and Nottingham Deanery Newark and Southwell Patrons The Bishop of Southwell & The Lord Chancellor (taken in turns) for Tuxford, West Markham and Weston and The Bishop for Normanton- on-Trent and Marnham Parishes Church Parish Population Church Electoral Roll St Nicholas Tuxford 2850 30 All Saints West Markham 18 …. All Saints Weston …… …. Normanton-on-Trent …… …. Low Marnham …… …. All five parishes are in North Nottinghamshire and are rural but are close to Retford, Newark, Worksop, Lincoln and Doncaster. They are also just a few minutes’ drive away from Clumber Park, the Thoresby Estate and Rufford Park, all of which offer various annual events and good walking with plenty of bird life. Policies in the Benefice Baptisms The churches practise the policy of open baptism for all ages and encourage parents in the community to bring their children forward for baptism. Remarriage of Divorcees The Vicar (Priest in Charge) will consider each case individually but will follow Diocesan guidelines. Benefice Mission to Local Area Tuxford Area Foodbank The Benefice works in partnership with other churches including The Tuxford Methodist Church Group and The Rivers Group of Churches to provide a Foodbank facility. This serves the people of the local area under the auspices of The Trussell Trust. The incumbent has been a Trustee of this Foodbank since inception, together with the other Christian ministers working in the local area. THE VICARAGE This large, five‐bedroomed 1930’s property, was refurbished within the last 5 years, with an extensive refit including new double glazed windows, new kitchen, boiler, and heating system. The heating system has been updated again with a heat exchange system. The loft was re-insulated at the same time. The property presently comprises a lounge, dining room, study, kitchen, utility room, boiler room, downstairs wc, five bedrooms, family bathroom and separate wc. The mature garden is of reasonable size as part of the original back garden has been sold off for development. It is expected that a new dwelling will be built on this plot, the garage being demolished to allow access. TUXFORD BENEFICE OUR NEW PRIEST IN CHARGE WILL BE: A person of prayer with a lively faith who will teach and energise with the use of scripture and sacrament. One whose evangelistic skills for Jesus will attract newcomers to join in regular worship. One who is keen to encourage, promote and support a variety of musical activity in the Benefice. One who will be prepared to be visible in the community, giving pastoral care to all and will further develop the use of outreach . One who is both Priest and Pastor. One who encourages lay ministry, recognising spiritual gifts in others and possesses leadership, motivation and good communication skills. One who leads by common consent and has a good sense of humour. One who is prepared and able to celebrate the diversity of the five churches in the Benefice and whilst maintaining the style of worship found in each one, empowering the church communities to draw closer together in the transforming mission of God. One who builds, maintains and strengthens links with all schools within the benefice. Of significance is the role of informal Chaplain to the Tuxford Academy and the possible role of Governor. Also of significance are the links to be strengthened at St Matthew’s C of E Primary School in Normanton. Ministry to nursing homes and youth organisations will also be a necessary element. TUXFORD Tuxford is a small, vibrant town close to both the A1 and A57, with excellent communications by road, rail and air. There are railway stations at Retford, Newark and Doncaster, all of which lie on the East Coast Main Line. Both Nottingham and Sheffield can also be reached by train. The new Robin Hood Airport is also within easy reach. Regular bus services are available from Tuxford to Retford, Worksop, Newark, Lincoln and Nottingham. Also, it has two small industrial estates with a variety of light industries. Schools and Colleges The Church has always had very strong links with both the Academy and the Primary Schools. It is expected that the new post holder will have a strong interest in developing links with young people in the Tuxford family of schools and be keen to relate to secondary age pupils so that contact is further developed and the most is made of the opportunities available. Tuxford Primary School & Early Years Centre ‐ school roll 160 - serves Tuxford and the surrounding area and is made up of a variety of buildings, the first one being erected in 1878. There is an Early Years Centre and a Sure Start Children’s Centre on site which offer community provision. The school is situated close to the centre of the village. Close links between the church and the school have been developed. Classes come into church for services, various festivals and for Time Travelling in June. Tuxford Academy is a highly successful and much sought after school, which moved into a brand new building early in 2007. It is ‘Affiliated’ to the Church of England in Southwell and Nottingham. Four of the main feeder schools within the Tuxford family of schools are Church Schools. It has approximately 1260 students, including 243 in the Post 16 Centre. There are 77 teachers and 62 support staff. Facilities There is a medical centre in Tuxford, with three doctors, nurses etc. and a pharmacy in the village plus a clinic for ancillary NHS services. Also, there is an important fire station which services the A1 and houses the North Nottinghamshire Specialist Rescue Unit. There are currently two public houses and a Working Men’s Club, a library, which is housed in a 17th Century grammar school (The Reade Foundation), situated opposite the church. There is a working windmill offering tours and teas which is a very popular tourist attraction. Chillipetals, on Newcastle Street, is a popular, recently opened, coffee house and gift shop. Although we currently do not have a village hall, however, clubs for retired and challenged people are held in the Beeches Centre, a small purpose‐built hall in a small estate designed for elderly residents. There are both Scout and Guide groups, amateur football teams, two play areas for younger children and sports centres with swimming baths available at Retford, Ollerton and Edwinstowe. Certain facilities are available for hire from Tuxford Academy. Tuxford Heritage Society holds regular monthly meetings with visiting speakers. The newly opened Galleries, one with a museum, at the centre of Tuxford offer a wide range of art courses in addition to art for sale. The Mine of Information in Tuxford is open daily, Mondays to Fridays, and offers information, citizens advice, free legal advice etc. It also offers a variety of courses and classes, printing facilities. We do not have a parish magazine as such but The Tuxfordian, a prize‐winning monthly village magazine (which is delivered free to every home in the village), is produced and printed at the Mine. There are three small supermarkets, a butchers, a chemist, a newsagent, 2 hairdressers, a barbers and a post office. We have 2 garages offering car sales and vehicle repairs, an agricultural supplier, a general hardware store, a specialist shop offering model railway goods and concrete garden products, a book shop, a clothes shop and a charity shop. We have also Fish and Chip, Chinese and Indian take‐aways. Dominant in the Market Place we have a high quality art gallery and in Newcastle Street the coffee shop also offers flowers and plants. Church Outreach Recent re-ordering of the church has provided facilities for outreach such as The Gathering Place (our baby and toddler group), Girls’ Brigade, Boys’ Brigade, the Fellowship Group, Film Evenings, Concerts, Social Events and the Wednesday Warmers free lunch which is well attended. The Methodist Church has regular coffee mornings in their Schoolroom. There is a well‐established retirement home on the edge of the village. A small team from the church visits regularly to take Holy Communion to the residents. ST NICHOLAS’ CHURCH, TUXFORD Mission Statement: “We are a welcoming Church which loves God, seeks to serve the community and share the Good News of Jesus Christ” St Nicholas Church is a beautiful Grade 1 listed building, originally documented in the 12th Century, situated in the heart of the village. It has recently benefited from the installation of a completely new heating system and toilet facilities in the old north porch. The nave of the church has been re-ordered by the removal of the pews and the installation of a new floor with underfloor heating. This has enabled much more adaptable outreach facilities and better disabled access. We have eight bells in the tower and a team of ringers that practises regularly and rings on pre-arranged dates. Training We currently have one person on the Diocesan Journey in Faith course and one person on the Bishop Grosseteste University Theology and Ethics in Society course. Church Groups Advent and Lent Groups are held in season, together with a fortnightly ‘Friendship Group’. Church Services Normal Pattern of Sunday Services 1st Sunday: 9.30am Morning Prayer 11.00 am Café Church 2nd Sunday: 10.00am Holy Communion 3rd Sunday: 4.00pm Messy Church 4th Sunday: 10.00 am Holy Communion 5th Sunday: A Benefice Holy Communion service held at one of the Benefice churches on a rota basis.