The Parish of St George Hyde

Parish Profile

1

Contents Welcome ...... 3

About Hyde ...... 3

About us ...... 4

Weekly Services ...... 5

Other Services ...... 6

Children and Young People ...... 6 Safeguarding ...... 7 St George’s Primary School…………………………….………………………………..8

Home Groups ...... 8

Prayer ...... 8

Parish Magazine, Website and Social Media ...... 9

The Church Building and Grounds ...... 9

The Vicarage and Curacy House ...... 10

Bell Ringing ...... 11

Mission ...... 11 PCC ...... 11 Finance ...... 11 Social Events ...... 12 Looking Forward ...... 12

Finally ...... 13

2

Welcome

Welcome to the parish profile of St George’s Church, Hyde in Cheshire. We at St George’s Church are a warm, friendly and welcoming family that encompasses all ages; a place where all are welcome to share in our worship and fellowship.

About Hyde

Hyde has a vibrant and multi-cultural community, conveniently located between the hustle and bustle of city centre and the tranquillity and natural beauty of the . Historically, Hyde is a former Cheshire market and mill town and this is evident today through its architecture, market ground, canals, factories and rail network. Today Hyde is a popular destination for commuters, due to its close proximity to the M67 motorway. It has five railway stations and a new modern bus station. It has a good selection of shops including many independent traders, a daily market and more recently a successful and popular monthly artisan market. Hyde is unique in the Chester Diocese because of its diverse community. We have a large Bangladeshi community in the parish and there are many events in the town which aim to promote community cohesion and mutual understanding. Such events include mosque and church tours, shared meals and family fun days. Due to its industrial past, Hyde does have areas of deprivation and incomes are generally low. We are fortunate to have a large number of people who are passionate about where they live and work and this is evident through the many community groups, events and schemes dedicated to creating a strong community spirit and sense of pride in the town.

The Hyde area is made up of several villages and suburbs, , Godley, Newton, and Flowery Field with the town centre and St George’s parish in the middle. Hyde is blessed with a number of natural beauty spots including the Peak Forest canal, The Tame Valley, Hyde Park and Werneth Low Country Park. The town is also home to a number of good schools, a popular leisure centre and multiple community centres, a library and bus station.

3

About us

The electoral roll has one hundred and sixty eight members and our weekly congregation averages one hundred across both morning services. As demonstrated in our data this is made up of around twenty aged under sixteen whilst around two thirds of the adults are currently of retirement age. We are excited about the missional opportunities we have to change this demographic, particularly linking in with local schools and families. Our vision is to be a church inspired by God’s love to worship God, follow Jesus, share the gospel and care for our neighbours. We have a low evangelical churchmanship with an inclusive congregation. Our service and worship styles vary and include traditional and modern forms. This is also reflected in the types and styles of music we use including organ, piano, choir and music group, Mission Praise and Songpro. We strongly support the role of women in our church with four of our six lay readers being women. We have also had the pleasure recently of having a female vicar. The team of six lay readers includes one reader who began his training in 2017. They work collaboratively with the incumbent, thus sharing the work load and providing a mixture of teaching and skills. We also have a retired vicar in our congregation who is willing to help out when needed. Of our congregation, 66% live outside the Parish of St George’s. Some have been drawn to us following attendance at weddings, baptisms or funerals, whilst others may have lived within the boundary of the parish in the past and now live within another parish but continue to attend at St George’s Church where they are attracted by the churchmanship, ministry, fellowship and welcome. During the past five years we have followed the Growth Action Plan (GAP) process which has resulted in a range of activities – improved links and communication within the local community, pastoral care, and work with families and young people and also changes to our building. We are a ‘sending’ church. Recently one female member has become ordained; another has been licensed as a pastoral Worker, another as a lay reader. We have also been a training parish for lay readers and curates (one of whom has now become a Bishop). Our main activities and opportunities for mission:- •Our ‘Mums and Tots’ group meet each week in church and has a regular average attendance of twenty five pre-school children and associated parents or guardians. New members, who are attracted by word of mouth, are made to feel welcome and encouraged to feel part of our church and are invited to attend church events and services e.g. Messy Church, Easter Fun day, Nativity and Altogether Services etc.

4

•Children and young people play an important part in our church family and we have both Sunday School and Young People’s Fellowship. Here children are introduced to the Christian Faith in a gentle, fun and exciting way supported by leaders who have been called to this role. •A number of church members are involved with projects and activities within the wider community both in the parish and beyond e.g. St George’s School Governing Body and as School Volunteers, Hyde Fellowship of Churches Community Food Store, the Millennium Green, linking with the Bangladeshi community and the Bangladeshi Welfare Centre, Hyde Fellowship of Churches, Hospital, Carols and Open Air Nativity in the local market place etc., All of these enable them to be Jesus hands and feet - to support those in need and offer friendship and fellowship to whoever and wherever they may meet. •Weddings, funerals and baptisms provide opportunities to welcome visitors into the congregation. Although we do not conduct many weddings, we held a Wedding Fair in September 2017. As part of our pastoral work we hold monthly gatherings for those who are bereaved and have held a Memorial Service. •The Men’s Group and Ladies Group both hold events, often involving food and drink at local pubs to which friends and colleagues can be invited. We also have a ‘70’ club which provides events for the older members of the congregation such as Afternoon Tea and a Christmas Party. •Various community groups utilise the church building; many who attend feel part of the church family and are encouraged to join in with us in our weekly worship activities. •Our church bells are rung each Sunday and remind people within the community, and further afield, that we are a church active in worship seeking to serve God. Finally, we continue to prayerfully seek God’s guidance to enable us to share His love and message to other people in our community and thereby be more effective for Him.

Weekly Services

On Sunday mornings we have a traditional service at 9.15am using Common Worship, and at 10.45am we have a less formal service using a data projector and song pro. Holy Communion is generally celebrated weekly at either service. On the 4th Sunday in the month we have Morning Worship and an All Age Worship service at 10.45am; this is a more informal service within which the children are encouraged to take part. We also have a monthly 6pm service offering a variety of Compline, Celtic Prayer or Holy Communion with prayers for healing. During the month of August we have one service at 10am for everyone.

5

Each Wednesday during term time the children from school hold their assembly in church which the incumbent leads with the occasional helper. This is a vital link with our school and is cherished by us all.

Other Services

We have an annual Carol Service usually the week before Christmas regularly attended by over two hundred people, and we have a children’s nativity and Christingle service on Christmas Eve afternoon where everyone takes part and plays a character in the Christmas story.

In the evening we have Holy Communion service at 11.30pm and a family service on Christmas Day Morning. During Easter we have various services including a Maundy Thursday Seder meal, Good Friday at the Cross, and a family communion on Easter Sunday complete with Bacon rolls and Bucks Fizz.

Children and Young People

At St George’s Church we value the importance of our work with children and youth and have a dedicated group of core leaders and helpers. We believe that children are an important part of our life as a church family. During the 10.45am service (apart from on the 4th Sunday when we have All Age Worship) the children come to the front of church; lighting a candle and discussing their week before going to Sunday School in the upstairs room. We currently have one Sunday school group which caters for children from Reception to Year 6. Numbers can fluctuate with some weeks having six children and others up to twenty children. Whilst we no longer have a crèche during the morning services we ensure that there are toys available for younger children in the lounge area. We also have cloth bags with toys for younger children accessible at the back of church for use during the service. Young children and families are encouraged to be in the services. Young People’s Fellowship (YPF) is held on a fortnightly basis from 7.30pm to 9pm for those from Year Seven to Year Eleven. This is an informal setting where we provide drinks and biscuits/crisps; play games and learn about the Christian faith through relaxed discussions.

6

The group are also very keen on social action making a number of shoeboxes at Christmas for homeless people in Manchester and helping at a number of events such as the ‘End Hunger’ campaign evening. We have twenty young people ‘on the books’ and around twelve attend each session. Each term we aim to have a social event with the young people such as bowling or a film night.

Messy Church has taken place each term where we played games, made a variety of craft items, worshipped and shared food; but this has been temporarily postponed during the interregnum. We would like to recommence this or a similar children’s outreach in the future.

On Easter Saturday we hold an ‘Easter Fun day’ which is a free family orientated afternoon where we invite our local community to join us to make crafts, eat and drink, create a prayer tree, make Easter bonnets, play games and do other craft activities. This is a very popular annual event in the life of the church.

“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these”

Safeguarding

We have adopted the Diocese Safeguarding Policy which is available on the Diocese website and there is a copy available in the vestry at all times. Our Safeguarding Officer ensures that all those who work with vulnerable adults, young people and children have access to a copy of the Policy and have a relevant DBS certificate in line with the recruitment processes in the Policy. We have also introduced a Lone Working Policy which is available in the vestry or from the Safeguarding Officer and are in the process of collating lone worker risk assessments where appropriate.

7

St George’s Primary School

St George’s CE Primary has strong links to the church and has always had a good relationship with the incumbent of St George’s church. We are a multi faith school, a large percentage of pupils being of Muslim faith. However, the school has a strong Christian ethos and core Christian values and this is supported by links to the church through the incumbent. We have daily collective worship in school and once a week hold this in Church for the whole school and any parents who wish to attend. The worship is led by the incumbent on a rota with other local ministers and is thoroughly enjoyed by the children (and staff). It provides regular opportunities for children to go into church and experience Christian based Worship, hear Bible stories and link those messages to their everyday lives today. The incumbent is also an ex officio governor of the school and is a valued member, along with the foundation governors, in bringing the mission of the church into the local community via the school. The incumbent also provides pastoral support when needed for the children, their families and staff. Good relationships with staff have been important to us and the incumbent visits school on a regular basis, to see how things are going, or just to have a cup of coffee in the staff room! They are always welcome in school and are usually in demand for talking to children in RE lessons about faith or life experiences, and even going on school trips. Having that visible presence in school and around the community is really important to us.

Home Groups

At St George’s Church we currently have five home groups meeting weekly, fortnightly or monthly. Which meet in various homes on a regular basis for Bible study, prayer and fellowship; each group is bound by confidentiality which enables people to share more freely. The groups all share the key element of a drink (tea or coffee) and cake and biscuits! Each group is very welcoming of new members and those joining the church family are encouraged to come along to try a group. As well as home groups we have Advent and Lent courses with other churches in Hyde where the members of the home groups come together for shared learning in the lead up to Christmas and Easter.

Prayer

There is a monthly prayer breakfast where fellowship is shared with breakfast before a time of prayer. There are a number of people who pray with each other on a regular basis and the church has been opened for prayer when there is a need for people to have a space to reflect such as after the Manchester Arena Bomb. 8

Parish Magazine, Website and Social Media

We produce a monthly parish magazine and newsletter, and we have active Facebook and Twitter pages. You can also obtain more information about us on our website www.stgeorgeschurchhyde.co.uk

The Church Building and Grounds

St George’s is a Grade II listed building, built in 1832 by the Hyde- Clarke Family. It was the first Church of England place of worship in the town and is still highly regarded as a focal point in the community today. Once a highly ornate Victorian church, the building has undergone several internal refurbishments throughout its history. The most recent extensive refurbishment was in the late 1980s due to the discovery of dry rot.

This consequently led to a drastic transformation into the modern, open plan adaptable space we have today. Although some mourned the splendour of the previous design, the space today is far more practical, light and an overall fantastic space for a variety of uses other than worship, including, concerts, craft fairs and children’s holiday clubs. At the rear of the worship area is the parish hall and above this is a large upstairs room which is home to the Sunday school. A variety of community groups utilise the building during the week including a mental health group, fitness groups, an Asian women’s group, as well as numerous church groups. The building has been completely re-roofed in high-quality Welsh slate, the tower has been repointed and the church clock has been restored, all in the last ten years. The 2016 quinquennial report highlighted no major causes for concern. Our current fabric related projects include some minor masonry repairs to the church window frames and a brand new community kitchen. We have also recently installed a modern stained glass east window above the altar, making the building feel much more welcoming and vibrant.

9

The church grounds immediately surrounding the building are lawn with a number of mature trees and a garden of remembrance. The grounds are maintained to a high standard by volunteers and the space is used regularly for sports days, church picnics, fun days and even wedding receptions! We no longer conduct burials in the grounds as all the plots have been taken, however we do still bury ashes in plots within the garden of remembrance.

The Vicarage and Curacy House

St George’s has two fantastic properties to house the incumbent and a curate. The Vicarage is a substantial five bedroom detached house, set in approximately a quarter of an acre of gardens (mainly lawn). The vicarage was built in the 1930s and is approximately 100m down the road from the church. It has a modern kitchen and bathroom, two large reception rooms, and a study. The curacy house is a traditional 1930s semi-detached home on a highly sought after road approximately ten minutes’ walk from the church (but just outside of the parish). It has not housed a curate for a number of years; but it has proved a great financial asset to the church as it has been rented out privately over the years. This has enabled the PCC to completely refurbish the house in the summer of 2016 to a very high standard. We currently have tenants in the property on a short-term lease.

10

Bell Ringing

St Georges is fortunate to have a lovely peal of eight bells. The bells ring out every Sunday morning before the 10:45am service and they also ring out for special occasions such as weddings, national events and acts of remembrance. We often have visiting ringers arranging to visit the tower to ring a peal; most recently we have had ringers from Oxford and the Fire Brigade Guild of Ringers. We have a regular band of seven bell ringers, most of whom are members of the congregation. The band are members of the Chester Diocesan Guild of Bell Ringers (Cheshire East Branch) and they practice every Monday evening.

Mission

On an annual basis we usually gift 10% of our annual income to overseas mission partners. Until recently we had a mission partner in Pakistan with Interserve and mission partners in Kenya with CMS. At present we support the Kairos Media Trust. We also support Tearfund, Water Aid and are a Fairtrade church.

PCC

The PCC meets every other month with the Annual Parish Meeting being held in April. There are also three PCC sub-committees which meet in between when required. The meetings are held in the church lounge and are very friendly affairs starting and ending with prayers. PCC members are elected for a three-year term and must then have a year off before being re-elected (if they so want to be). However, they can be co-opted during this fallow year. The incumbent chairs the meetings, ably assisted by the wardens, the PCC have always been supportive of the incumbent. There are fifteen elected lay members (but only twelve this year), and ten ex officio members including wardens, Deanery synod representatives and readers.

Finance

Our parish share is up to date and paid via direct debit. Overall, our regular giving is stationary therefore one of our biggest financial challenges is that our monthly giving is not enough to cover our regular monthly expenditure. This monthly deficit is paid using other revenue such as room hire and money from the rental from the curacy house. 11

Social Events

We have a varied social calendar that includes events such as quizzes, girl’s nights out, men’s evenings, a summer picnic and Beetle Drives. We have also been the host of various music nights and concerts.

We enjoy a busy Easter with a Seder meal on Maundy Thursday and on Easter Saturday we hold a fun afternoon for all local families. We end with a celebration on Easter Sunday with bacon rolls and Bucks fizz before the service.

In September 2017 we took part in the ‘World’s Biggest Coffee Morning’ in support of Macmillan Cancer Support. At Harvest we share in a frugal meal; this year the funds raised were in aid of Water Aid. We have also recently held our second craft fair to raise money for our new east window and are currently about to install a new kitchen which should enhance our social events and hire-ability. In September 2017 we held our first wedding fair and hosted wedding related businesses from the area.

Looking Forward

We are looking for a new incumbent to:-

 help lead our wonderful dedicated congregation in Sunday Worship  encourage and guide all of the parish  have an interest in strengthening links with our multi faith community which is predominantly Muslim  be passionate about working with people of all ages and growing our congregation  work collaboratively with our team of readers and wardens  encourage and develop the gifts and talents we have  be guided by the Holy Spirit and scripture  work with our church school  develop financial sustainability  enhance the prayer life of the church

12

Finally

We would like to take this opportunity of thanking you for reading our profile and hope that together with prayer, it may help you to decide if St George’s is the place for you. If you require any further information please do not hesitate to contact either of the churchwardens:- Carol Richardson Dorothy Goodwin [email protected] [email protected] 0161 368 1070 0161 366 0712

13