The Alcester Minster

Home , Alcester, Coughton Court, Great Alne, Kinwarton, Sambourne

Associate Minister (Self-supporting or House for Duty)

PARISH PROFILE

BISHOP’S INTRODUCTION

The Alcester Minster is becoming a good example of a Minster model of rural mission and ministry. Situated in South West Warwickshire around the historic, civic and very attractive town of Alcester (within easy travelling of Redditch, Stratford, Solihull, Birmingham and Coventry) this group of parishes have developed effective ways of working together and pursuing a common mission. Under the recently appointed and newly named ‘Rector of the Alcester Minster Benefice’ in December 2013, the Minster is growing from strength to strength and genuinely beginning to flourish as a Minster. Morale is good and the future could be very exciting!

This self-supporting or House for Duty Assistant Minister will have a breadth of ministry opportunities, both within the civic town of Alcester and in the rural villages of the Minster.

You will be joining a forward thinking Diocese with a clear strategy for healthy, growing churches, committed to worshipping God, making new disciples and transforming communities, through the development of 8 Essential Qualities in the lives of the churches. You will be arriving at a time when the Diocese is seeking to take seriously the health and growth of rural churches for the 21st Century, and you will have a chance to contribute to our thinking and strategy.

I commend this significant example of church life and exciting opportunity to you.

With my prayers

Bishop Christopher

Alcester Minster Churches Worshipping God, making new disciples and transforming communities Alcester, Arrow with Weethley, Kinwarton with Great Alne, Haselor, and Coughton with Sambourne Page 2 of 15

Deanery Summary

A warm welcome awaits the person God sends to join the Ministry Team of the newly titled benefice of Alcester Minster. The parishes are situated in rural Warwickshire with historic Alcester anchoring the group in its vision for ministry built upon the diocesan priorities to worship God, make new disciples and transform communities.

Previously the parishes have informally worked together but decided to formalise the relationship into a more strategic partnership developing lay ministry and mission. There are many new small mission initiatives across the deanery but with growing rural poverty the deanery is freshly committed to the provision of food banks.

The deanery is increasingly being focused on the importance of lay and clergy being inspired to work together and there is a strong need to be at ease working with our many small but faithful church families who have varied styles of worship.

However, one of the greatest challenges to rural church is ageing church congregations, and so we have a pressing need for enthusiastic and open minded approaches to explore new and appropriate ways of ministry and mission in the countryside.

The deanery has 6 full time stipendiary clergy, two house for duty priests and almost as many self-supporting ministers and active retired clergy. The deanery is strongly committed to supporting financially the mission of the diocese and actively supports one another. Chapter meetings are held monthly and are a place of sharing faith, prayer and fellowship as well as growing a common heart for mission and learning. We very much look forward to welcoming to our mostly rural deanery our next colleague and practitioner in the work of the kingdom.

I am always willing to have an informal conversation and can be contacted on tel. 01527 852830 or 07799 675748 and email [email protected]

Revd David Silvester, Area Dean, Alcester Deanery

From the Rector of Alcester Minster

Thank you for your interest in the post of Associate Minister (House for Duty) at Alcester Minster.

This post presents a great opportunity to work as part of a forward-looking team of lay and ordained leaders who are keen to shape Alcester Minster to be effective in mission and ministry.

It would be well suited to someone who enjoys the challenge of developing new expressions of church as well as traditional ministries.

At an Away Day looking at the nature and purpose of the church and new activities for worship and outreach, we enjoyed a wonderful sense of being the Family of God. This has given us a real impetus to consider new ways of being church such as Café Church, Messy Church, Stillness services etc, and we are looking for an Associate Minister who can contribute to these more creative and engaging approaches to mission and ministry, and bring their ideas, experience, gifts and skills to the role. The Minster, with its diverse membership, affords plenty of opportunities.

Rather than being linked to particular churches, the clergy conduct services in all the churches to engender Minster identity and unity. We are committed to clergy and lay readers being able to spend quality time with congregations after a service, and we have recently revised the pattern of services to further facilitate that aim.

We are now looking for a priest who would be excited by joining this Minster and who would gain fulfilment in contributing to both existing and new expressions of church across a civic town and rural villages, whilst enjoying living in a lively market town in Warwickshire!

I would be very happy to answer any questions you have about the post. Please contact me on 01789 764261 or by email: [email protected].

Revd Adrian Guthrie Rector – Alcester Minster

Background to Post

Alcester Minster was established under informal arrangements in 2006 as a group of 5 parishes (8 churches) who were committed to a Minster approach to ministry. A unanimous decision by all 5 PCCs to create the benefice of the Alcester Minster resulted in a formal Pastoral Scheme completed in July 2013, and the appointment of the new ‘Rector of the Alcester Minster’ (Rev Adrian Guthrie) in December 2013. The Minster has gone from strength to strength and we are now looking to fill the post of Associate Minister.

The Minster includes the town of Alcester, and the village churches of Arrow and Weethley to the West, Kinwarton and Great Alne to the East, Haselor to the East, and Coughton and Sambourne to the North.

We believe this commitment to mutuality in mission and ministry combined with an awareness and valuing of our diversity and individual distinctiveness, as well as encouraging new forms and expressions of church, is what characterises the Alcester Minster.

The Minster Leadership Team, led by the Rector, includes an NSM priest and 5 Lay Readers. Additional support has been provided temporarily by clergy in the neighbouring parish, but the Minster now agrees that a longer term appointment is needed. We would welcome an Associate Minister who can work as part of this growing team as we continue on our journey together as a Minster.

Minster Leadership Team

Role Specification

The role of the Associate Minister within the Alcester Minster is to play a full part in fulfilling the Diocesan Mission Purpose of:

 Worshipping God  Making New Disciples  Transforming Communities

This will be achieved by developing 8 Essential Qualities (see further www.healthychurches.org.uk) in the life of the churches across the Minster:

 Empowering Leadership  Gift-orientated Ministry  Passionate Spirituality  Inspiring Worship  Holistic Small Groups  Need-orientated Outreach  Loving Relationships  Functional Structures

The role is based on a minimum of 20 hours per week (some flexibility and evening work will be required), and will include the following regular commitments:

 Missional activities within the Minster, including developing areas of personal missional interest/gifting.  Leading services of inspiring worship on Sunday mornings, some evenings, and once a week, mid-week.  Preparation for and conducting of occasional offices, as part of our need- oriented outreach, throughout the Minster.  Some PCC and Minster Council meetings at the discretion of the Rector.

Person Specification

We would welcome a person who:  has a strong and visible Christian faith, rooted in prayer, possessing the energy and enthusiasm to inspire future growth in existing and emerging contexts of the Minster.  is a team player, able to provide clear but empowering support for the on-going development of the Minster as we share Christ’s life and love with the communities we serve.  is an inspirational communicator to all ages, helping us engage especially with young families, adults and children.  will value and respect the diverse styles of worship across the Minster. Alcester Minster Churches Worshipping God, making new disciples and transforming communities Alcester, Arrow with Weethley, Kinwarton with Great Alne, Haselor, and Coughton with Sambourne Page 6 of 15

Empowering Leadership

Alcester Minster tries to nurture leadership in lay people. Examples of lay leadership currently being exercised include:

 16 lay worship leaders involved in conducting non-Eucharistic services  Lay leaders of home groups and small groups  All PCCs have a lay chair.  Mission projects, ministry activities, maintenance functions, and hospitality groups are all lay led.  Lay Readers and Clergy together form the Ministry Leadership Team, which manages the day to day running of the Minster.  Churchwardens and Rector form the Minster Council, which helps to formulate strategy for the Minster.

Potential leaders are identified by MLT and support structures have been developed for lay worship leaders and home group leaders. A more robust programme of training potential lay leaders needs to be established.

Gift-Orientated Ministry

Our congregations have supportive, willing and capable people with a wide variety of skills and gifts. In addition to the lay leadership roles mentioned under Empowering Leadership, people help with bereavement visiting, baptism preparation, and schools ministry. The establishing of a Foodbank and Workcare have also helped to harness some of the wider gifts available.

A systematic process for MLT and individuals to identify their gifts needs to be developed.

Passionate Spirituality

We value diversity of expression of spirituality across the Minster. A primary focus of spirituality for many of us is expressed through our worship services, but we do try to practice our faith with joy, enthusiasm and commitment when we leave the services as well.

A Minster prayer group with a representative from each parish of the Minster meets regularly to support and pray for individuals and the work carried out in the Minster Churches.

We welcome input that helps us grow in faith, and enables us to share our faith with others too.

We try to be generous in our external financial giving, so that we can support ministry in poorer churches elsewhere in the Diocese. Most churches in the benefice also financially support local and overseas initiatives which extend the kingdom of God.

Midday Prayers during Lent has been well supported revealing a potential for more such opportunities to pray regularly for the life of the Minster.

Inspiring Worship

Across the churches we have a rich tapestry of traditional and contemporary approaches to worship. Our aim is to provide a range of welcoming and accessible worship including opportunities for Book of Common Prayer, informal All-Age, different forms of Common Worship Communion, and Praise services. There is an increasing and encouraging willingness of people within the Minster to travel to joint services. Our website (www.alcesterminster.org) provides an outline of the services.

Our public worship is a key aspect of the expression of our faith. We have a variety of traditions and worship styles across the Minster and we would like to think each is accessible and inspiring. We have seen a small increase in numbers attending some services (both traditional and modern) over the last year.

We are certainly inspired by good speakers, learning from sermons that are based upon real life examples as they explain the meaning of the Biblical texts. We would value an Associate Minister who is an excellent communicator.

Our musical input is led by organists, choirs, individuals and music groups, all of whom offer a wide choice of hymns and songs to inspire the various ages and traditions represented in the congregations.

Our seasonal services, Easter, Christmas, Harvest, Remembrance Day etc. are very popular within our local communities and often result in some of our church buildings filled beyond capacity.

We are conscious that the younger generation are not attending services in great numbers. We would welcome help in meeting the worshipping needs of the younger generation. A greater number of opportunities for enquirers and those new to the faith to engage with inspiring worship also need to be developed.

The churches of the Minster also take an active part in the ecumenical activities of Alcester town, under the umbrella of Alcester Churches Together. Relationships with other churches (Baptist, Methodist, Roman Catholic) are positive. Alcester Minster Churches Worshipping God, making new disciples and transforming communities Alcester, Arrow with Weethley, Kinwarton with Great Alne, Haselor, and Coughton with Sambourne Page 8 of 15

Holistic Small Groups

Traditionally small groups have not been a major part of most churches’ lives in the Minster but their value is being appreciated more recently. There has been an increase in the number of small groups forming (from two to five). Groups are also beginning to draw in people from across the Minster to each group rather than from one or two particular churches. The formation of small groups is however in its infancy and there is much scope to develop this area more fully. Some experience of developing small groups in the life of rural churches would be welcome.

Need-Orientated Outreach

There are well-established, positive links to a number of civic functions, and varied community groups and organisations, statutory and voluntary, represented across the Minster.

All the churches in the Minster aspire to be people of positive influence in their communities.

In addition to the extensive mutual pastoral care offered within village communities, the Minster churches have wholeheartedly expressed a commitment to:

 Work in the local schools (St Nicholas CofE Primary School in Alcester, St Peter’s CofE Primary School in Coughton, Haselor Academy Primary School and Great Alne Primary School; Alcester Academy (11-16) School and Alcester Grammar School). We enjoy good relationships with Our Lady RC Primary School and St Benedicts RC Secondary School.  The development of the Arden Foodbank  Industrial chaplaincy to local businesses (Workcare)  Hospitality support in a local prison for relatives visiting prisoners

Ascertaining the needs of different people in our respective communities seems to come naturally to the congregations of the Alcester Minster. The efforts of members of our churches to identify needs and then take steps to address them are many and varied.

They include:

 The ‘Chocolate Run’, which takes hot drinks to young people who congregate in the evenings in Alcester and encourages a dialogue with them in order to provide guidance and foster new relationships.  The Arden Foodbank, which serves Alcester, Studley and the surrounding villages, meeting a growing need.  Connections with Scouts and Guides organisations. Alcester Minster Churches Worshipping God, making new disciples and transforming communities Alcester, Arrow with Weethley, Kinwarton with Great Alne, Haselor, and Coughton with Sambourne Page 9 of 15

 A commitment to the primary and secondary schools in the Minster, including ordained and lay people taking assemblies, and acting as school governors in some of the schools.  Industrial chaplaincy under the diocesan Workcare organisation has taken root in local businesses with potential for further outreach.  ‘Soup and Thought-for-the-Day’, a monthly fresh expression of church in Sambourne Church, is meeting a need among those who are elderly and lonely.

We have seen a gentle increase in the number of people across the Minster who have been interested in exploring faith further, and trust that our recently introduced Pram Service will yield growth from our baptism ministry in years to come.

We ran our third START course and also prepared four candidates for confirmation in November 2014 and are working towards a confirmation service this year also.

We constantly seek to improve the ways we welcome people to our services believing that this makes a positive impression to new comers to church as well as those who return after a long break.

With the potential building of substantial housing developments with no community infrastructure, we envisage that forming connections with residents here will be an important focus for mission.

Occasional offices, of which there are a large number across the Minster (28 weddings this year), provide excellent opportunities to reach people. Funerals, weddings and baptisms are co-ordinated across the minster to ensure similar approaches with minster-wide policies where appropriate.

Loving Relationships

We believe we are warm and welcoming communities, who are active in organising activities to which everyone is welcome. We make time for each other in settings such as our coffee mornings, summer picnics, fetes, quizzes and occasional dances as well as before and after our formal services. We are a family, and in common with other families we laugh, cry and grow together and support one another through the difficult times as well as enjoying together all the good things that God has provided for us.

The Rector takes a definitive lead in being physically present in our villages, and we would welcome the Associate Minister to be ‘seen’ too.

Functional Structures

We are a multi-parish Minster, with 8 churches and 5 PCCs. We have a Ministry Leadership Team meeting monthly and working with the Minster Council who meet bi-monthly. They have been referred to under ‘Empowering Leadership’. PCCs remain the principal decision making bodies, working in collaboration with Minster Council.

We are always striving to improve our communication strategy so that everyone within the community is aware of all our activities and projects. Communication comes via: Sunday Notice Sheets; “Minster Matters”, our monthly magazine; The Link (a church/ community magazine for Coughton and Sambourne Parish); the Minster website and Facebook page, and printed publicity.

The Communities of the Alcester Minster

Alcester

Alcester is an old market town with its roots in Roman times. The town centre is a designated Conservation Area and has some good examples of mediaeval, Tudor and Georgian domestic architecture. The surrounding area is predominantly agricultural although the villages also attract affluent commuters and retirees.

We are anticipating an increase of c. 10-15% in the town’s current population of 9,000 as the result of extensive housing development over the next 10 years.

Public services in Alcester include a library, a sports centre and a youth and community centre. There are two primary schools and three secondary schools serving the town and the surrounding area.

There is a wide range of social and leisure organisations sustained mainly by volunteers, who are increasingly from the retired population.

There are few ethnic minorities.

More information can be found at: www.alcester.co.uk

Arrow and Weethley

The combined population of Arrow and Weethley is approximately 230 people. The centre of the Arrow village is located close to Ragley Hall, the home of Lord and Lady Hertford, with most dwellings located on the west side of the A422. Opposite is Arrow Village Hall and the drive to Holy Trinity Church, which is located near the River Arrow. The rest of Arrow adjoins Alcester and has become separated from the village centre by the busy Alcester by-pass.

The hamlet of Weethley consists of a number of dwellings spread along the Evesham road, situated approximately four miles from Alcester and three miles from Arrow. St James’ Church is located on a high ridge at the end of a lane that now feeds five converted farm buildings. The hamlet is surrounded by fields and woodland, and enjoys far reaching views in all directions. http://www.localcouncils.org/arrow-with-weethley

Haselor

The Parish of Haselor, a combination of a rural farming community and a dormitory area, covers the villages of Haselor and Walcote, together with a number of surrounding farms. There are about 80 properties and the total population is in the region of 230. It is in a conservation area and is a mixed aged and mixed social community.

There is a village primary school opened in 1877 and now boasts a state-of-the-art hall which acts as a community centre. With much of the parish being in a conservation area, there is no scope for additional housing. There is a Women’s Institute in Haselor. http://www.haselorparish.co.uk

Kinwarton and Great Alne

Until 50 years ago, Kinwarton was a small hamlet of about a dozen dwellings, which included three farms with a population of 50. The church of St. Mary the Virgin was within easy walking distance of all. Following extensive development, the population is now nearer to 1,000, and includes a large secondary school (Alcester Academy). It adjoins the town of Alcester on its north side and gives the impression of being part of the town. Another development, also adjoining Alcester, is nearing completion and this will increase the population still further. Alcester Minster Churches Worshipping God, making new disciples and transforming communities Alcester, Arrow with Weethley, Kinwarton with Great Alne, Haselor, and Coughton with Sambourne Page 12 of 15

Great Alne is about 3 miles from Alcester and is a village of approximately 550 people, most of whom live along the B4089 Alcester to Henley road. There is a village primary school with 90 children, most of whom live away from the village. The Memorial Hall (shared with Kinwarton) is a focus for activities including rural cinema, parties and other activities. There is a Women’s Institute and a Cricket club. The village pub, recently closed, has now reopened. Building has started on a retirement complex of 100 homes at the edge of the village, which will present further opportunities for mission. http://www.greatalne-pc.gov.uk

Coughton with Sambourne

The villages of Coughton and Sambourne lie about 2 miles and 4 miles North of Alcester, with populations of around 300 and 800 respectively. St Peter’s Coughton is located in the grounds of Coughton Court, a National Trust property. The Church is open daily throughout the year, and when the Court is open receives a steady flow of visitors. Both villages have largely ageing populations, but also commuters and young families.

There is Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School in Coughton, and the Church is involved in all sorts of ways, including weekly Collective Worship, and is a venue for special school services. There are very active Parish Councils and the church is involved with them in several joint ventures. The magazine for Church and community is delivered to every house in the parish.

The Mission Church at Sambourne is a flexible building, has recently refurbished kitchen and toilet facilities, and tables and chairs, making it a good venue for small village and Minster events. http://www.coughtonpc.org.uk http://www.sambourne.org.uk

Overview of the churches of the Minster

The model of mission and ministry adopted in the 2006 formation of Alcester Minster is a modern interpretation of the pre-parish church structure of Minster Churches resourcing village gatherings of Christians. At Alcester Minster, some of its corporate life is being supported via the resources of the town church of St Nicholas, as well as good mutual support among the churches of the Minster.

The town church in Alcester is in an expanding community. The churches in Great Alne, Sambourne and Haselor continue to enjoy a central position within their village, but population changes have left the churches at Arrow, Weethley, Coughton and Kinwarton less in the centre of their communities.

St Nicholas Church Alcester is able to offer a wider range of worship services and activities, including Sunday children’s provision, and it plays an important part in the civic life of the town. As the largest of the Minster Churches, Minster-wide celebrations are held there, and the installation of a permanent projection system in February 2016 has enhanced the church for services, Minster and town events and school use. The nearby recently refurbished Church House provides an ideal venue for refreshments, committee meetings and training courses and is a resource available for all the Minster Churches.

The parishes at Kinwarton and Great Alne, Coughton and Sambourne and Haselor hold monthly family services and Great Alne and Sambourne Churches regularly use a data projector and have kitchen and toilet facilities.

The congregations at Arrow and Weethley are mainly drawn from outside the parish. The PCC are considering new ways of engaging with its parish. St Peter’s Church, Coughton, is located next to the National Trust property, Coughton Court, and enjoys a visible position and regular visitors throughout the week. There are good links with St Peter’s Church of England School in Coughton, and a monthly soup lunch and ‘Thought-for-the-Day’ at Sambourne is becoming well established. The congregation at Kinwarton has been developing some specialised services, such as for Healing and Candlemas, for the whole Minster.

The majority of our church services are of the middle-of-the-road tradition using Common Worship. Diversity exists in the form of BCP, Sung Eucharist, informal praise and family services. All our services contain Bible based teaching or preaching aiming to apply Scripture to our daily lives.

Further work, prayer and thought are required to see the outreach possibilities of our regular services. At our Advent Away Day we considered current barriers to worship alongside new expressions of church in order to be outward-looking towards those who don’t currently attend church.

Accommodation

The house for the Associate Minster is a rectory in Spernal Lane Great Alne, and although located within one of the village communities, it is only about 2 miles from the centre of the area of Alcester Minster. The Minster-wide brief of this post means that the post-holder will be travelling and ministering throughout the Minster and not just in Great Alne.

Further Details

We welcome informal conversations about this post. For further information or if you have any questions about the post or the appointment process, please contact the Rector of Alcester Minster, Adrian Guthrie, on 01789764261 ([email protected]), Area Dean, David Silvester on tel: 01527 852830 (E-mail: [email protected]) or the Archdeacon Missioner, Morris Rodham, on 07506 7318927 ([email protected]). An application form can be downloaded from the Diocesan Website: http://www.dioceseofcoventry.org/vacancies/current_vacancies

Closing date for applications: noon Fri 20th May Interviews: Mon 6th – Tue 7th June Enhanced DBS disclosure is required for this post.