PARISH PROFILE STAINFORTH WITH FISHLAKE, SKYEHOUSE, KIRK BRAMWITH WITH FENWICK AND MOSS (FLOWING WATERS MISSION AREA)
CHURCH OF ENGLAND DIOCESE OF SHEFFIELD 2020
Contents Page Number
Bishops’ Statement 1
The Opportunity (Introduction) 2
Stainforth Group of Churches
Stainforth 4
Fishlake 5
Kirk Bramwith with Fenwick and Moss 10
Sykehouse 11
The Other Churches in the Mission Area
Hatfield and Dunscroft 14
Thorne 17
The Vicarage 20
Additional Demographics (Maps and Statistics) 21
2
Bishops’ Statement for Parish Profiles (Stainforth Group of Churches)
Dear friend,
There is no denying it: these are challenging times in the Diocese of Sheffield. But by the same token, these are exciting times for us. No-one has any doubt that in 2029 the Church of England in South Yorkshire and the East Riding will look very different from the way it is now — but equally no- one is yet very clear about the shape it will take. Our plan is an ambitious one and we are hungry for change. We are asking tough questions. Will the whole people of God be mobilised for the whole mission of God? What will morale be like, among key lay and ordained leaders? Will attendance figures be in decline or growing? Will there be more stipendiary incumbents or fewer? Will there be more congregations or fewer? Will we raise up a dynamic community of ‘Lights for Christ’? Will we grow a praying community of 2025 by 2025? These questions were already pressing ones for us before the present pandemic: they will surely be even more urgent for us now.
In this context, the appointment of a new ‘Oversight Minister’ for the Flowing Waters Mission Area (S2) in the Deanery of Snaith and Hatfield (twinned with Adwick Deanery) is therefore all the more important. As one of our most socially and economically deprived communities, the parish of Stainforth (where this ministry will be most focused) is strategically a key one for future flourishing of the Diocese. This is one of the 22 parishes in the Diocese to which LinC funding applies (i.e. Lowest Income Communities funding) and we long to see the church of Christ flourish here – with every person who is baptized confident to shine as a light for Christ in the world to the glory of God the Father.
In this Gospel adventure for the sake of the coming kingdom of God, the leadership of this church family is going to be vital. It will require someone who is able to exercise an enabling oversight, with a passion for teamwork, for developing leaders and for empowering the whole people of God for the whole mission of God. It will require someone able to raise up leaders to take on responsibilities as ‘focal leaders’ in every congregation and someone who understands that overseeing the ministry of the body of Christ does not mean doing everything personally, but releasing the gifts and ministries of others.
We are praying that the Lord will bring to us a person with a strong sense of vocation to this task at this time; a person of faith and hope and love in God; a person who laughs easily and has a zest for life in Christ; a person with a sense of adventure, unafraid of failure and reliant on the grace of the Holy Spirit. If that might be you, we would love to explore with you the possibility that the Lord is calling you to this role.
With every blessing
The Rt Revd Dr Pete Wilcox The Rt Revd Sophie Jelley Bishop of Sheffield Bishop of Doncaster - 1 -
The Opportunity
The Diocese of Sheffield is made up of Church of England organisations located throughout South Yorkshire and the southern parts of the East Riding of Yorkshire. It comprises parishes, schools, chaplaincies, missional communities and other organisations all united by their common Christian faith.
It is an Anglican diocese that is made up of a diverse community of mission-focused people who are seeking to transform their lives, and the lives of others, by sharing the Christian faith. Since the creation of the diocese in 1914, the shape of the villages, towns and cities may have changed but the people are still vibrant, energetic and passionate about serving our Lord Jesus Christ.
In December 2020 the Diocese of Sheffield was awarded a grant of 4.92 million pounds from the Church of England’s Strategic Investment Board to support our ambitious transformation strategy over the next 5 years. This will enable us to recruit and deploy a number of parish facing roles who will support the work of our Oversight and Focal Ministers as they Renew, Release and Rejuvenate the parishes of the Diocese. Included in those roles, alongside our Associate Archdeacon Transition Enablers, will be teams supporting Parish Finance and Care of our Buildings. There will be enhanced support for the nurture and development of Focal Ministers. As we seek to mobilise the whole people of God for the whole mission of God, our Lights for Christ programme will help churches develop their members’ discipleship so that every baptised person shines as a Light for Christ in the world to the glory of God the Father.
Our Vision
As a diocese we have been “called to grow a sustainable network of Christ-like, lively and diverse Christian communities in every place which are effective in making disciples and in seeking to transform our society and God’s world”. Every day around the diocese, dedicated, creative and passionate people are working together in the mission of God, who long to see the Body of Christ grow in depth and in numbers. We long to see every disciple and the whole Church serving our wider society as salt and light.
Our Context
Stainforth, Fishlake, Sykehouse, Kirk Bramwith with Fenwick and Moss along with Thorne, Hatfield and Dunscroft form the S2 Flowing Waters Mission Area which is one of two Mission Areas in the Deanery of Snaith & Hatfield in the Archdeaconry of Doncaster. There are natural links across the Mission Area because of geographical proximity, demography, and closeness to Doncaster. These links are expected to strengthen as a large number of new houses will be built in the area over the next few years. The parishes within the Mission Area have recently worked hard to build a platform of support, trust, and understanding, partly through shared quarterly worship, as well as co- operation in mission projects. For example, Hatfield’s Messy Church Team has worked with Thorne to set up a monthly service there. As more oversight and focal ministers are recruited and become established, it is hoped that they will build on these foundations and develop vision, enabling growth in collaborative mission opportunities and leading to more fruitful ministry throughout the Mission Area.
The Diocesan plan envisages three Oversight Ministers for the Flowing Waters Mission Area (S2) based in Hatfield, Thorne and Stainforth. Working collegially, they will oversee mission and ministry across the Mission Area, providing vision, direction and leadership for a cluster of existing and new - 2 - congregations. The current Vicar of Hatfield & Dunscroft will also be appointed as Oversight Minister at the same time. The Parish of Thorne fell vacant on 31 December 2020 and the appointed candidate will be involved in appointing a colleague for that post. Moorends is the seventh parish in the Mission Area, which is a Society parish where ministry is overseen by a PTO Society priest.
The Bishop of Sheffield is the patron of Stainforth, Thorne, Hatfield and Dunscroft. The Bishop of Sheffield, the Dean and the Chapter of Durham Cathedral and the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster share the patronage for the United Benefice of Fishlake, Sykehouse, Kirk Bramwith with Fenwick and Moss, all of them fully support the direction of travel and the diocesan strategy.
Oversight Ministers will work closely with the Archdeacon, Associate Archdeacon-Transition Enabler and colleagues from Church House including our Parish Support team. As the new diocesan, strategy, plan and structures are implemented, they will draw others into a constructive process of change. With a commitment to collaborative teamwork at every level, they will build and enable Focal Ministry teams for each congregation and a Mission Area leadership team. They will work particularly closely with Focal Ministers and other Leaders providing supervision, support and mentoring. In turn they will be supported and mentored by their Associate Archdeacon Transition Enabler.
At the heart of their work Oversight Ministers will be growing outward-facing Christian communities which demonstrate the love of God and His Kingdom to be “Lights for Christ” in the local communities and the world. The Oversight Ministers will support the churches in developing their understanding of faith and practice in the Church of England, the Five Marks of Mission, the Diocesan Strategy (Renewed, Released, Rejuvenated), and the way this is lived out in the local context.
The key challenge is to achieve a culture change, in which every Christian whole people of God is mobilised for the service of God for the whole mission of God in the world. The exact outworking of the role of an Oversight Minister will vary according to context, but will exhibit the same priorities in all places. Collaborative working will be an essential quality and practice, comprising a number of inter-related ministries and mission communities. As we move to the oversight ministry model, developing lay leaders and focal ministry teams in each of the parishes will be vital for fruitful and sustainable ministry, worship and mission. Forming a new sustainable service pattern in agreement with all the parishes will be needed to release resources for mission and outreach.
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Stainforth
Our Vision
As a church body we aspire • To grow in faith, love and the likeness of Christ. • To feel the love of God move in our church body and to see his love for our community deepen and grow. St Mary’s is a welcoming church where we warmly receive all, from all walks of life. • To develop our church faith and church family numbers through the love of God being evident and real in the services we offer, so that our hearts beat as one in time with his.
Our vision has changed dramatically over the year, due to circumstances, so that we are now focusing on keeping our church family together in Christ’s love. This has led us to be more self- sufficient in lay-led services. Here we welcome in the Holy Spirit to lead as appropriate; here our true heart for God is felt, heard and deepened.
Our Community
Stainforth is a small town on the north east side of Doncaster, originally a village found in the Doomsday book, under the name of Staniford. Our town’s heritage began as a point of trading from the River Don at a market near the riverside. The market is still held today. Stainforth currently has 2 LA primary schools and one Catholic primary school, with connection to the C of E primary school in nearby Hatfield.
We are known as a large coalfield and market town within the area of old Hatfield. Planning permission to develop Main Colliery the 428.4 (Ha) site been granted and is to begin soon. The new developments will include new link road to M18/180. The connections to the colliery even though closed, still run deep in our community, with a support for each other.
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Our Church and Worship
The congregation is made up of 90% female and 10% male, with an average age of 70 years and the usual attendance, before COVID-19, was 22 adults and 3 children. We are a congregation who likes variety in our services, where Jesus and the Holy Spirit are at the heart of our services, prayer and worship.
We currently have two Holy Communion services a month. These are an important part of our faith journey and the building of our church family. On the other two Sundays we have fellowship style Prayer and Praise which are lay-led. These services give us the freedom to be led by the Holy Spirit and bring our discussions, prayers and music to Jesus to in praise and thanks to Jesus our Saviour. These services have been a source of great encouragement as we see our church family grow, develop by nurturing the gifts God gave us. We have an online congregation through our Facebook page (@ St Mary’s Stainforth and messenger service) where our services are shared. This service has strengthened our connections and relations with the wider community.
On the 5th Sunday, congregations of the Flowing Waters Mission Partnership come together to praise and worship. This is a great to time to develop our shared vison and our bonds with each other. We have monthly baptisms for which we currently have a waiting list. Funerals are an important part of our service for community along with weddings throughout the year. It is a privilege to meet our community at their point of need, to welcome them and share the love of Christ with them. We would like to develop our occasional offices ministry to enhance our mission.
Our church building has great accessibility for all via same level flooring, moveable seating, hearing loop, new sound system, large projector screen and service sheets in various print size and paper colour for visual impairments. We were blessed with the development of our church hall into St Mary’s Community Centre. In this space we hold our church fairs, Fellowship, Prayer and Praise services, PCC, AGM, and much more. These spaces give us a greater flexibility in connecting with our local community and for them to access their church in a different way including through various projects, activities and events. The Luncheon Club for the elderly, Cinema Club, Soaking Service, Arts & Wellbeing Group, DN7 Foodbank are some of the activities where the church and community meet. In the past the NHS rented our community hall office for their local projects.
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Fishlake
Our Vision
Our vision is to keep the Church alive and grow the regular congregation. We are fortunate in having a small but lively nucleus of young children and we trust we will, with God’s help, be able to keep the testimony of Christ’s finished work of salvation alive in Fishlake and provide a safe place for these precious young ones to grow in the knowledge of God.
Our Community
The community which St. Cuthbert’s serves in the Parish of Fishlake was historically a very rural community with many farms in the area. In recent years, the number of people employed in agriculture has reduced, and increasingly people are commuting to Doncaster and the wider area for employment. The closure of Fishlake C of E Endowed School (established circa 1650) in 1994 was a significant blow to the village. Children now travel out of the village to attend 5 different primary and junior schools, progressing to one of 4 senior schools. This reduces the level of cohesion between young people, reducing the opportunity to make friends with other children in the village.
The experience and trauma of the 2019 floods, sadly accompanied by much illness, has brought the villagers and the Lay Team closer together. Whilst this has not yet resulted in an increase of regular attendance, it has provided many opportunities for pastoral care, in part due to the impact of the Covid19 restrictions.
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Our Congregation
The regular congregation is largely drawn from the village with a small number travelling in from other nearby centers. Eucharistic services are predominantly attended by adults with small numbers of children and young people attending occasionally. Weekly numbers of communicants normally range between 10 and 20. In normal times, pre-flood and Covid19, the Family Service would see four or more families with young children attending, plus adults and some young people one of whom, along with another adult, has asked to be confirmed. Currently there are 61 people on the Electoral Roll. St. Cuthbert’s has always been a middle of the road welcoming Church, supportive of a wide range of individuals and rural characters. In normal times the after-service coffee and biscuits is a great opportunity to talk to friends and see the kids enjoying themselves letting off steam.
A second ‘congregation’ are the 30+ regulars who, pre-flood and Covid19 lockdowns, joined together every Saturday morning for coffee and cake in the Church, a much-loved gathering that is sadly missed by all. This regular event has proved a wonderful opportunity to draw others into the embrace of the Church for both personal support in illness and the recruitment of practical help.
Fishlake St. Cuthbert has its own website at https://www.fishlakestcuthbert.org.uk and a presence on “A Church Near You” see… https://www.achurchnearyou.com/. A regular advert in ‘Guides for Brides’ has helped to increase the number of weddings taking place in the Church.
Our Church and Worship
The PCC ensures that the Church is open every day from around 09.00 am until 4.00 pm and many parishioners go into Church for personal reflection and prayer whether or not they attend church services. Historically there was always a Holy Communion service each week at 09:30 am at St. Cuthbert’s and, in the current interregnum, service patterns have been adjusted. Visiting clergy preside over Holy Communion twice a month and lay-led Morning Prayer and a monthly Family Service fill out the calendar. Fifth Sundays are either lay-led or a Praise Service with other churches in the Mission Area. The lay team includes a Worship Leader and others who help out with services when needed.
St. Cuthbert’s is sited in the centre of the village and dates from circa 1175. It is classified as one of England’s Grade 1 Listed Major Parish Churches and possesses important architectural features, especially the well documented Romanesque South Doorway. The Church can seat over 150 using its traditional seating arrangements. It has a small kitchenette, an easily accessible toilet with baby- changing facilities and the Churchyard is still open for burials. St. Cuthbert’s has always paid its Common Fund and has modest reserves, but faces a significant and constant struggle to cover the many large expenses due to the age of the building and repairs needed to keep it good in condition.
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Our Opportunities
Fishlake village suffered catastrophic flooding in November 2019 and, fortunately, the Church remained dry and a place of safety. More than 80% of the houses were flooded to some degree, many made completely uninhabitable, some even needed partial demolition. The after-effects have led to some leaving the village permanently, many suffering from post-flood trauma, having lost all their possessions and their homes. The recovery is still ongoing, and it will take years for the village to completely recover.
The church played a major part in the flood recovery, at the start providing a refuge and a significant source of food, clothing, hot drinks, cleaning supplies and, most important of all, comfort. The churchwardens and treasurer were on duty daily initially helping the relief effort, organising supplies, dealing with the press and radio, supporting the distressed and providing a comforting pastoral presence from November 9th until lockdown in March 2020. The value of an active Christian presence in the village has been a great comfort to many and resulted in a strengthening of links and mutual encouragement.
Cuthbert Festival
In 2018 the Church created an exhibition focused on St. Cuthbert, which saw some 500+ people visit in the course of a single week. St. Cuthbert’s focuses its outreach efforts through the village choir based in the Church, jumble sales, garden parties, summer and Christmas Fayres, historic events plus occasional music events. The annual Christingle Service is usually well-supported as is the traditional journey of Mary and Joseph around the houses leading up to the Crib Service on Christmas Eve.
Our Challenges
Our major challenges include maintaining the ageing grade one building and churchyard which requires energy, time and money. Being a small village church, raising funds is always a challenge. We would like to develop our ministry to children and young people which is difficult due to the number of different schools they attend. Post COVID a new regular activity or group will help engage with younger members of our village.
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Kirk Bramwith with Fenwick and Moss
Our Vision
We are hoping for an Oversight Minister who can help us grow, perhaps bringing new ideas to encourage the fringe to attend more frequently, and participate in encouraging the younger residents and particularly those with children into the congregation, while still retaining some of the traditional services for those who prefer them.
Our Community
The Parish of Kirk Bramwith with Fenwick and Moss is a large rural parish with a population spread over three small villages, hardly more than hamlets; two slightly larger villages and a number of smaller hamlets and scattered farms. The population at the 2011 census was 320. There is a Public House in Fenwick, a riding school in Moss plus an equestrian and country store, and Fenwick with Moss has a newly built village hall.
The parish is bounded to the north by the River Went, and to the south by River Don, although the hamlet of South Bramwith is to the south of River Don, is part of the parish. The parish is bounded on three sides by urban areas. The population is still strongly agricultural but there is a large proportion of residents who commute to the urban areas for work.
The population as a whole is older than the national average and has a higher than average rate of home ownership, indicative of a relatively affluent area. The parish has no church hall but is able to use the community hall which is controlled by a community group and has to be rented as required. There is no school in the parish and children travel to various schools outside the parish.
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Our Congregation
Congregations tend to be elderly and the regular attendance at Holy Communion is small in number, often from five to six from an electoral roll of circa 80. There is however a fringe of parishioners who attend occasionally. Festivals are better supported, and there is a strong group of supporters for social and other events.
Our Church and Worship
St. Mary Kirk Bramwith has fortnightly services at 11:00am alternating between Holy Communion and Morning Prayer which is lay-led. The PCC is doing its utmost to keep the Church open and alive in the absence of an incumbent. This is a traditional rural parish which can attract a good congregation when led by an ordained minister. Harvest Festival and Remembrance services have normally been well-attended. Over the last two years illness and the loss of a long-standing Churchwarden have increased the pressure on the lay members, but despite this the team have kept the Church alive and functioning.
The Church, which can seat circa 70, has a facility for serving hot drinks and an external toilet. The Churchyard is still open for burials and regularly visited. The Church is a popular venue for marriages. A caretaker lives next door and keeps the Church and the Churchyard in excellent condition. There is a single tower bell which is rung before the services. The Church building is in good condition and well maintained, benefitting from the support of wealthy patrons in the last century; and it has been the fortunate recipient of some outstanding craftsmanship by the ‘Mouseman’. The Church has a presence on “A Church Near You” see… https://www.achurchnearyou.com/
Our Opportunities
The ‘Mouseman’ furniture attracts visitors as does the famous annual Snowdrop Festival in February which draws people from a wide area.
Our Challenges
Our challenge is to turn visitors and those who attend occasional offices into regular worshippers and members of our church family. Growing younger and attracting a wide range of ages remain our aspirations.
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Sykehouse
Our Vision
We hope for an enthusiastic Oversight Minister who can encourage a younger group to join the elderly congregation and who can inspire the older members to continue to support each other.
Our Community
Sykehouse, population 515 in the 2011 census, is a rural farming village, the longest village in Yorkshire. It is bordered by the Rivers Went and Don with the Junction Canal running through. It is very flat and ideal for walking and cycling. Sykehouse has a higher level of residents born in the UK than the national average and, as a whole, the population is older than the average, making Sykehouse an older persons’ location.
Architecturally, it is a mixture of traditional and modern with a windmill (now a house) and an ex- toll bridge crossing the River Went. The village pub ‘The Old George’ is very popular and serves very good food for both individuals and village functions. We are within 12 miles of Goole and Doncaster and within easy reach of motorways to Sheffield, Leeds or London.
We have a well-equipped Village Hall, used for Yoga, Line Dancing, Ladies Social Circle, Bingo, Hobbies Club, coffee mornings and a Community Library. It has a licensed bar and fully fitted kitchen. The village also has a playing field where the cricket team meets and a children’s playground and is available for hire for parties and other functions. Sykehouse holds a very well attended agricultural show each year on the first Sunday in August. Last year, 2019, was our 134th show. The three Churches together staff a tent where everyone is welcome to sit, eat and have a picnic and we are there as a ‘Church’ if anyone wishes to talk. Holy Trinity Sykehouse has a presence on the Church of England’s site at “A Church Near You” see… https://www.achurchnearyou.com/
Our Congregation
The small elderly rural congregation remains fully committed to keeping the Church alive with regular services – health permitting. Typical numbers at Holy Communion are from five to ten and there are 32 on the Electoral Roll.
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Our Church and Worship
Holy Trinity Sykehouse has a fortnightly service at 6:30pm alternating between a Holy Communion service and Evening Prayer which is lay-led. The elderly team are determined to keep the church open and generally enjoy a good attendance for Harvest Festival and Remembrance Sunday, both now normally lay-led services. In normal times the Crib Service is very popular with Mary and Joseph travelling around the village during Advent, sadly not possible in 2020.
Our Opportunities
The PCC endeavors to do something special once each year such as a choir concert or music event and in 2017 celebrated the 150th anniversary of the laying of the Church’s foundation stone. The Ladies Social Circle supports the Church well financially and helps out on special occasions such as the Sykehouse Show. This is an important date in the local calendar and the Church tent is a valued amenity for tired legs and families.
Our Challenges
The present Church building dates from 1867 and is equipped with a small kitchenette and has a toilet. Maintaining the building and the churchyard presents a substantial challenge to the elderly PCC and local volunteers assist. We would like to develop outreach and mission initiatives to attract younger members of our community group to join our congregation to help us grow younger. The continuous care and spiritual wellbeing of the older members is a priority we can’t ignore.
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The Other Churches in the Mission Area
(with an allocation of 2 additional Oversight Ministers)
Hatfield and Dunscroft
Our Vision
As a Church we are ready to meet the changes and opportunities afforded by the post Covid world. We look forward to embracing the challenges and opportunities offered to us by the Diocesan Vision Strategy and Deanery Plan, and we are confident that the Lord will guide us to follow his direction of travel for our Parish and Mission Area.
Our Community
The Parish of Hatfield includes Hatfield, Hatfield Woodhouse, Dunsville, and Lindholme which were originally separate villages, but over the years they have expanded and merged into one community. The village of Dunscroft is a separate parish which borders Hatfield, but since the closure of St. Edwin’s Church at Dunscroft we have been very happy to welcome its worshipping community into our church and fellowship; a transition made easier because of the close links which were already established in the past. It is intended that Dunscroft will become part of the Parish of Hatfield as indeed it once was.
Hatfield Parish is a mainly residential area with a mix of socio-economic groups, the majority of the housing being privately owned or private rentals. There are several new small and large housing developments in both Hatfield and Dunsville. Historically Dunscroft was built to provide housing for Hatfield Colliery which is now long gone and was actually in Stainforth! Dunscroft has now seen some new housing development but features high in deprivation.
There are four prisons within the parish which are served by their own chaplaincy teams. A recent complete changeover of chaplains has meant we have lost our former links with the prisons but we - 14 - are keen to rebuild them. We also have an 11-18 Academy, a Community Day School for 130 pupils aged 3-19 with severe learning difficulties and autism, a Voluntary Aided Primary School and a further four primary schools in our parish. And we are seeking to plant a new congregation in one of the Dunscroft schools. We have, with our Centenary Project Worker, set up good links with our primary schools and we provide 7 Foundation Governors for the church school.
There are six care homes for elderly residents and four sheltered housing units for adults with learning difficulties. Our Messy Church children usually go to present their nativity play and sing carols to the residents of Hatfield House and we hope to further extend these links. There is also a children’s home where children with physical needs can go for respite care.
The Church enjoys good relationships with our parish, built up through supporting village events and our work with the DN7 Community Food Bank based in Stainforth. Our social/ fundraising/ musical events such as Strawberry Tea, Garden Party, Autumn Fayre, Christmas Tree Festival, Plant Sale, organ recitals, choirs and bands are very well supported and appreciated. We have also built links through occasional offices: we do a huge amount of baptisms here! We have links with the uniformed organisations who come to explore the building and do different activities, as do the children from the schools. They also take part in the Garden Party, Christmas Tree Festival, and Autumn Fayre. Our children’s team and our priest have in turn visited them to do Godly Play sessions, talk about the Food Bank and answer searching questions about faith and its practice. Outdoor events also give us opportunities to invite school choirs and local dance troops to perform. We have recently started a Games Café in the local library where people who are isolated can meet together. It is a well-attended outreach opportunity to be further developed. An off- shoot from it is a thriving Bridge Club also meeting at the library and led by one of our congregation’s octogenarians, a lifelong player who has surprised himself and us with his patience!
Our Congregation
Our worship is largely Holy Communion based with our worshipping community consisting of different but inter-related congregations. There are the people who largely come to the traditional 9:30 Communion Service, or the monthly Family Communion. We have a Wednesday Communion with a faithful group who come week by week. The 6:30 weekly evening service is more varied with Evensong, Songs of Praise, Communion, a Celtic or Healing Service. Our Curate leads online Morning and Night Prayer. Seasonal services are well supported by the wider community, and on the fifth Sunday of the month we join with other churches of the Mission Area to worship and share fellowship together. Our monthly Messy Church attracts a congregation of 30 - 40 children plus parents and grandparents. It is staffed by the Centenary Project Worker, the Children’s Workers, and is well supported by members of the church.
Since the beginning of Covid 19 we have sent out prayers, mid-week - 15 -
Reflections and Sunday Sermons both online and hand delivered for those who have no internet access. Our Lent Course and Holy Week Easter packs were delivered in a similar way. Advent and Christmas will see other courses, online services and packs delivered. Our Messy Church has also gone online. We have sent out packs of resources and activities to the families and provided guidance, activities and challenges for families to join in with. Currently families are proudly displaying their Harvest Scarecrows and sending in their photos. Our Messy Church and young families community has grown considerably during this challenging time, which has also drawn in more new and fringe members of the community. We also live stream, pre-record and hold Zoom services and bible chat groups.
Rachel, our Centenary Project Worker, organised a 6 week Summer Staycation with home and community based activities and competitions based on St. Paul. Rachel has done online Messy Parables and Modern Messy Parables in addition to online Collective Worship and follow up RE lessons for Schools. As a by-product of this we have had massive amounts of food donated from the schools to the Food Bank where our Church members are very active.
Our Ministry Team
We have a strong collaborative ministry team with a Priest-in-Charge, a PTO priest, a curate, three Readers, two Worship Leaders, two authorised Pastoral Workers, a Centenary Project Worker, and two Children’s Workers who are Godly Play practitioners, plus a very talented organist who is prepared to take on an organ student!
We have good relationships with other churches in our area and have been happy and privileged to work alongside and support them through their Interregnums. We have links with the Methodist Minister who covers Thorne, Hatfield and Stainforth, and the Roman Catholic Church in Stainforth.
Our Church and Worship
We are a Grade 1 listed building but before you start to reach for your hard hat we have a new architect and project manager! We also have a well-equipped Parish Office where our Parish Admin Team and Centenary Project Worker are based.
We have a separate building, ‘The Barn’, which is used for small meetings, weekly charity coffee mornings, church courses and social and fund raising events. It is also used by different community groups, ranging from the Chair Exercise Group to the local Ukulele players.
The adjacent ‘Barn Field’ is used for social and community events; and the Church, Barn and field are at the heart of the community. We do have plans for a larger community building and fund raising is underway for this, together with the restoration, remodelling and opening up of the church building. We have just launched a Website and we have a Facebook Page and YouTube channel and our services and events are displayed on our A Church Near You Page
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Thorne
Our Vision
“St Nicholas Thorne seeks to be a church where all can meet with the Risen Lord Jesus, where all can belong and be accepted, where faith is strengthened and healing and wholeness found.” For the future we intend to build upon the work done with the child & parent groups to start them on their faith journey. Tots Praise & the newly introduced Messy Church being the stepping stones to a more youth oriented ministry.
Our Ministry Leadership Teams
The 9am, Book of Common Prayer, service has two lay leaders and most members of the congregation make at least some small contribution to the worship. Having this self-sufficient, more traditional group means the main 10:30 service are free to aim for a more modern style of teaching. The All-Age Worship team have many years of experience with modern technology making an increasing impact.
Our Community
Thorne is an ancient market town which goes back well before the first millennium and was initially an island separated from surrounding villages by water and marshes. In the 1500’s Sir Cornelius Vermuyden, a Dutch engineer, set about the project to drain the land. Thorne’s main industry was agriculture, but with the Industrial Revolution canals and canal vessels became important to the community as well as other light industries.
In the 1920s a coal mine was sunk at Moorends named Thorne Colliery but this closed in the 1960s due to geological issues. Today Thorne is one of the largest communities in the Metropolitan
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Borough of Doncaster with a population at the 2011 census of 17,295 although that may include Moorends which is a separate Ecclesiastical Parish.
During the latter part of the twentieth century, Thorne became rundown as the old industries closed and the waterways became less important. But in recent years two new large industrial estates have sprung up and the local authority planning department have granted permission for new house building programmes around the town. There is still much regeneration needed but the future looks brighter.
There is one Secondary Academy (governed by the Emmanuel Foundation) in the town with which we have developed good relationships in recent years after a period where there was no relationship at all, and three primary schools. Again good relationships exist with them all.
Thorne has a main shopping area and three supermarkets (Sainsbury’s, Aldi and Lidl). The community is predominantly white British, although there are small groups of East Europeans and Asians, and there is also a significant traveller community. The town is served by two other churches in addition to St Nick’s, Thorne Methodist Church and Thorne and Moorends Pentecostal Church. There are Roman Catholic Churches at Moorends and Stainforth. Ecumenical relationships with these churches are strong through ‘Thorne and Moorends Churches Together’ which undertakes mission activities together prior to Christmas and Easter. St Wilfrith’s is the Anglican Church in Moorends, which is served by a retired Society Priest and which has little interaction with the Thorne churches.
Our Congregation, Church and Worship
St Nicholas, or St Nick’s as it is referred to locally, stands in the Evangelical/Charismatic tradition, with a real expectancy of seeing the Holy Spirit move in the church and local community. We gather twice on Sunday mornings at 9am and 10.30am and our worship is a mixture of sacramental and non-sacramental gatherings. There is a strong Book of Common Prayer congregation at 9am. Worship is informal and robes are not normally worn. However, Cassock, Surplice, Scarf or Stole are worn for the occasional offices and special services such as the main Christmas and Easter Gatherings and Remembrance Sunday. The usual monthly pattern of worship is as follows:
1st Sunday 9am Morning Prayer (Lay-led) 10.30am Family Communion 2nd Sunday 9am Holy Communion 10.30am Morning Praise (often with healing and anointing ministry) 3rd Sunday 9am Morning Prayer (Lay-led) 10.30am Family Communion 4th Sunday 9am Holy Communion 10.30am Messy Church 5th Sunday 9am Morning Prayer (Led Led) Mission Area United Services
At the 10.30am Family Communion, the sacrament is celebrated at a Communion Table in the Nave but is administered at the rail. During Covid, all Communion Gatherings have been celebrated and administered in the Nave.
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Baptisms, if required, are held at 12.30pm on the first and third Sundays. Invitation Gatherings are usually held at the 10.30am Gathering on Mothering Sunday and for the Harvest Festival. On Christmas Eve, a Christingle Gathering is held at 4pm and Midnight Communion at 11pm. There is a Church Carols by Candlelight Gathering on the third or fourth Sunday in December at 6.30pm. Worship in Holy Week is held every day including a Tenebrae Gathering on Maundy Thursday (7.30pm) and a Three Hour Devotion usually based on the last seven words of Jesus from the cross between 12noon and 3pm on Good Friday. There is a Churches Together Walk of Witness and Open Air Service in Thorne at 10.45am on Good Friday. There are twice yearly Memorial Gatherings by invitation on the first Sunday in May (6.30pm) and the first Sunday in November (4pm).
Normally on each Wednesday morning there is a Communion Gathering at 9.30am. There are lots of funerals (approx. 80 per year) and baptisms (approx. 30-40 per year) and a steady number of weddings (approx. 10 per year).
St Nick’s is a Grade 1 listed medieval building dating back to at least Norman times. It is in excellent order and has a reputation for being a warm church both physically and spiritually, where the Spirit of God can be felt. We have undertaken many internal works which have added to the functionality of the building for both worship and other activities. Plans have been drawn up to reorder the West End of the church to help make the building a hub of the local community, including the re-siting of the font to the front of church so as to create a social meeting space. These plans have not yet been progressed. There is also a desire from church members to see the main wooden doors replaced by glass doors so as to remove a perceived barrier to entering the building by people outside the faith community. In 2019 we opened a new children’s area and the old stained window protectors were replaced with powered stainless steel mess. In 2011-12 the Clergy Vestry was refurbished.
In addition to the church building, there is a church hall which is used by both church and community groups. There is a church owned car park and the PCC are currently in negotiations with Doncaster MBC about a lease agreement for them to take responsibility for its upkeep in return for free public parking. We also have online presence though our website st-nicholas-thorne.co.uk
Since 2010 the Vision of St Nick’s has been to be a Bethesda Church, a place of healing and acceptance, where all can belong. We use the triangle symbol to show that we are here to “Meet Friends, Love God and Live Life Better.” Our Mission Statement reads: “St Nicholas Thorne seeks to be a church where all can meet with the Risen Lord Jesus, where all can belong and be accepted, where faith is strengthened and healing and wholeness found.”
For too many years we were very insular and inward looking, but we now support CMS, and the church has a long term commitment to financially support CMS Mission Partners Chris and Suzy Wilson who are serving in Gambella, Ethiopia, working with South Sudanese refugees. We also support many other local groups and have a commitment to eventually give 10% of our income away to worldwide, national and local charities.
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The Vicarage
The Vicarage, Field Road, Stainforth, Doncaster, DN7 5AQ
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Additional Demographics Maps and Statistics
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