North Potteries Team Ministry Profile Church Times
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
North Potteries Team Ministry S. Werburgh - S. Saviour - Holy Trinity Proclaiming the Gospel with love and in joy 1 Index Foreword by the Bishop of Stafford …………………………………. 3 Foreword by the Team Rector Designate ………………………….. 4 Personal Specification ……………………………………………..… 5 Our History …………………………………………………………….. 6 Our Future …………………………………………………………….. 7 Stoke-on-Trent ………………………………………………………… 9 The Deanery …………………………………………………………… 12 The Diocese Of Lichfield …………………………………………….. 12 Statistics for S. Werburgh and Holy Trinity …………………………. 12 S. Werburgh …………………………………………………………… 13 Our History ……………………………………………………... 15 The Parish ……………………………………………………… 16 The Local Community …………………………………………. 17 Worship …………………………………………………………. 18 The Congregation ……………………………………………… 19 Pastoral and Sacramental Care ……………………………… 19 Social and Fundraising Activities …………………………….. 20 The Church Building ………………………………………….. 21 The Church Hall ……………………………………………….. 23 The Presbytery ………………………………………………… 24 Finances ……………………………………………………….. 25 Holy Trinity Sneyd …………………………………………………….. 27 Our History …………………………………………………….. 28 The Parish ……………………………………………………… 29 Worship …………………………………………………………. 30 Groups and Activities …………………………………………. 32 The Church and Hall ………………………………………….. 33 The Vicarage …………………………………………………… 35 Finances ……………………………………………………….. 35 The Team’s Weekly Pattern …………………………………………. 36 The Clergy of the Team ………………………………………………. 37 2 FOREWORD BY THE BISHOP OF STAFFORD The Diocese of Lichfield is committed to encouraging the flourishing of all of its Parishes and in the City of Stoke-on-Trent we are particularly blessed with a number within the Anglo Catholic Tradition. We are keen to see these parishes grow and become even more effective in their mission to this vibrant City, which is itself enjoying regeneration. To facilitate this, we are bringing together three of our Parishes to eventually become the new North Potteries Team Ministry – a centre for Anglo Catholic spirituality that will undergird pastoral care and outreach into the Community in this part of the City. The Team Vicar (designate) will initially focus on ministry at S. Werburgh’s Burslem but following the retirement of the present Incumbent in the summer of 2018, will also take responsibility for Holy Trinity Sneyd. Together with the Revd Andrew Swift who will be the Team Rector (Designate) and who oversees the ministry at S. Saviour’s Smallthorne, the new Team Vicar will have the opportunity to help shape this Team and play a key role in bringing the love of our Lord to the people of North Stoke-on-Trent. I am grateful to you for considering this exciting post and wish you every blessing in your process of discernment. +Geoffrey Stafford 3 FOREWORD BY THE TEAM RECTOR DESIGNATE This is a very exciting time to minister in Stoke-on-Trent, the city is undergoing a real transformation as part of the City of Culture 2021 bid, but more than simply getting a face-lift there is a real effort going on to boost morale and aspiration. Of course, Anglo-Catholic parishes have a long history of engagement with social regeneration, outreach, and pastoral care; in assimilating these three parishes to form a Team Ministry we hope to reconnect with that important vision and mission, we firmly believe that together we are stronger, and we can achieve more. Our parishes here have a long history of good pastoral ministry, we take seriously Jesus’ example of being out and about in our communities speaking of God and the Kingdom. Parishes across the city are seeing growth in number and in the depth of spirituality and our parishes here are no exception and it is hoped that the Team Vicar (designate) will share in driving that forward with enthusiasm. I hope the new Team Vicar will relish the opportunity to be a part of something new and transformative. As I look to the future of the New Team, I see a time of flourishing; a time to take stock and treasure the deposit of faith, and a time to build on the deep and solid foundations laid by our predecessors over many years of faithful ministry. I also see a time of change a time to imagine afresh, to share ministry across the three parishes in new and innovative ways; we are parishes which love to try things, we aren’t afraid to fail sometimes but we pick ourselves up and try something else. Above all we enjoy celebrating and feasting (so it won’t hurt if the new Team Vicar can cook!) and I hope we can combine that celebration across the new Team as we seek to reflect the joy and feasting of Heaven and draw others in to God’s love. Fr Andrew Interim Minister, S. Saviour Smallthorne, and Catholic Parishes Mission Partner (North Stoke) Team Rector Designate 4 Personal Specification We seek to appoint a Team Vicar for S. Werburgh and Holy Trinity who is prepared to: - work with the Team Rector Designate to build the Team and to develop the combined ministries of S. Saviour’s, S. Werburgh’s, and Holy Trinity. - continue the proclamation of the faith as delivered through the apostles. - revitalise and build upon the foundations already in place. - continue to build on the catholic faith of the parishes, and to encourage them as places of mission within The Society. - work with the Bishops of Ebbsfleet, Lichfield and Stafford as well as the Honorary Assistant clergy both at Holy Trinity and S. Saviour’s. - engage with the local communities and schools to reach out to all ages. - encourage the congregations to be even more effective evangelists. We expect our new Team Vicar to be: - a man of prayer rooted in anglo-catholic spirituality. - committed to working as part of a team, but effective working alone as well. - in possession of a good sense of humour. - IT literate. - able to get himself out and about (the scattered nature of much of the pastoral work means having a car or other private means of transport would be a distinct advantage). Our commitment to you: - pray with you , and pray for you. - offer to you whatever support we can, or as little as you require. - respect you time off and help you to take your full holiday entitlement. - help with minor repairs. - pay your expenses promptly and in full. - work with you to grow the faith in the new Team’s churches. 5 Our History Holy Trinity Parish was carved out of St John’s Parish in the late 1840s. Services were held in a room in Nile Street until the building of Holy Trinity in 1850-1; the original church stood in the same street and was surrounded by dense housing. The cost was met in part by grants from the Incorporated Society, the Diocesan Church Extension Society, the Peel Memorial Fund, and by subscriptions. The patronage of the living, a perpetual curacy at first and a vicarage from 1868, was vested in the Crown and the Bishop of Lichfield, who present alternately. The former church of Holy Trinity was built in the Gothic style to the designs of G. T. Robinson and consisted of a nave, chancel, aisles, and northeast tower with a spire. A side-chapel and vestries were added in 1895. In 1895 the daughter church of S. Werburgh was built in Hamil Road; it is a red brick building and was built on land said to have been given by the Wood family, at first it was a mission chapel within the parish of Holy Trinity, this was to cater for the people who lived in the newly built Park Estate it became the centre of a conventional district in 1929 and a parish in 1939 under a perpetual curate presented by the Bishop of Lichfield. With the construction of the Stanfield Estate the S. Werburgh Parish centre moved to a new building, the present church on High Lane. In 1958, there were found to be structural problems with the original church and it was decided to close the building in Nile Street and occupy the former daughter church. In order to connect the “new” church to its parish, boundary changes became necessary. If you are confused by all the movement and changing of names worry not, from now on we shall only refer to the Hamil Road church as Holy Trinity, and the High Lane church as S. Werburgh. S. Saviour’s church in neighbouring Smallthorne was born out of a different parish all together. It was carved out of the parish of St Bartholomew, Norton-le-moors and is under the patronage of the Rector of that Parish. S. Saviour’s was built by the landowner, Lord Norton, whose family continue to be influential anglo-catholics at Walsingham, as a chapel of ease in 1860 and later became a parish in its own right. S. Saviour’s retains a country parish church feel and was built in the style of the fourteenth century. 6 Our Future When the former incumbent of S. Saviour’s moved, Fr Andrew was appointed as Interim Minister and Catholic Parishes Mission Partner for the North Stoke Deanery for a period, initially, of three years. The purpose of this appointment was to gradually work with the three separate parishes towards a greater cohesion and the prospect of pastoral re-organisation as toward the end of the three-year period the incumbents of both S. Werburgh and Holy Trinity were expected to retire. Sadly in May of 2016, Fr Keith, the incumbent of S. Werburgh’s died suddenly; naturally this changed much of our activity and thought, but enabled the incumbents of S. Saviour’s and Holy Trinity, Fr Andrew and Fr Brian respectively, to work together with the PCC, congregation, and Parish of S. Werburgh’s. This has lead us to the conclusion that the future of anglo-catholic worship, ministry, and mission in this area is best served by the development of a Team Ministry. The history and natural demographics of the areas immediately suggested a re-union of the parishes of Holy Trinity and S.