Benefice Profile
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Benefice Profile September 2018 !1 Welcome….. …..to the Benefice of Lockington, Lund and Scorborough with Leconfield which comprises the parish churches of St Mary Lockington, All Saints Lund, St Leonard Scorborough and St Catherine Leconfield, four rural parishes on the edge of the Yorkshire Wolds, a beautiful part of East Yorkshire. The benefice is in Beverley Deanery in the Archdeaconry of the East Riding in the Diocese of York. We aspire to be a thriving and outgoing, mission focussed benefice blessed with people having numerous skills and talents. Whilst much good work has already been done, we recognise that we need to do more to know God better, to be whom God wants us to be, and to do what God wants us to do, in serving fully all those who live here. We continue to seek God’s guidance so that we might reach out in action, prayer and love, make Jesus known and to warmly welcome newcomers. We are looking for a rector who will help us to be churches that are alive and growing in faith and to lead us in vital and nurturing worship. We know, as one of our parishioners recently said, that ‘continuing to simply do the same things we have always done but only doing them better will not bring new people into our Church’, and another parishioner said ‘in this day and age we cannot be a silent church’. We need a leader who will help us find new and brave ways to meet the challenges of growth and mission to each of the communities. We are a benefice which has an inclusive and central tradition that celebrates the ministry of all priests and we welcome both women and men. We understand rural life and don’t expect our Vicar to do everything – we have active church members who look forward to sharing in ministry with you! Our Interregnum Prayer Lord, help us to be a people who respond to your calling. Develop your gifts in us, so that we may be joyful in worship, constant in prayer, and united in our care for one another. Call to this, your church and ours, a true shepherd, a person of God and a minister of Christ, that together we may seek to know God and make him known, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. !2 What our Interregnum Prayer says about us… Lord, help us to be a people We are reliant on God and see ourselves not as a collection of individuals but as His body, His people. Who respond to your calling It’s not that we always need to initiate: rather we respond to what God tells us to do and move forward confidently in the power of the Holy Spirit. Develop your gifts in us, so that we may be Gifts, both spiritual and natural, are not only to be used but deepened and developed. Joyful in worship This is our first priority – to worship: not ‘correctly’, not ‘dutifully’, but joyfully. Constant in prayer We strive to ensure that prayer underpins all that we seek to do. United in our care for one another Endeavouring to be one body in Christ. From this flows practical concern for our communities. !3 What The Interregnum Prayer Seeks in our next Vicar Call to this your church, and ours Someone who truly feels called to come here: by divine direction. A true shepherd Who, shepherd-like, knows their flock as individuals. By name! A person of God Who has a strong, personal, un-dogmatic faith in the living God. And a minister of Christ Who ministers as Christ: caring, teaching, healing, serving, loving. That together we may seek to know God Who sees themselves as a leader engaging together with us in going deeper into the life of God. And make him known Who has the heart of an evangelist not just in the churches but out in the communities. Through Jesus Christ our Lord Who ministers knowing that Jesus is both utterly unique and completely available to us. Amen Let God have the last word. !4 Person Profile for the Vicar Lockington, Lund, and Scorborough with Leconfield are rural parishes and the benefice is seeking an incumbent with the following characteristics: ♦ A love for all people and a heart for mission and evangelism. ♦ An ability to encourage people to grow in their spiritual life. ♦ A strategic thinker, able to develop a vision with us of how we could fulfil our mission more effectively. ♦ A willing acceptance of women’s priestly ministry. ♦ A commitment to encourage children and young people. ♦ Skilled at leading and managing people, able to take bold and difficult decisions where necessary, while retaining pastoral warmth, humour and good relationships. ♦ Proven leadership skills with a desire to continue to build and lead effective teams. ♦ An ability to communicate at all levels. ♦ An ability to discern gifts, to develop, support and empower members of the congregations. ♦ An ability to develop and sustain teaching and help for those wishing to explore and learn more about the Christian faith. ♦ Experience of a growing church would be welcome. !5 Worship across the benefice Worship across the benefice embraces various forms of liturgy to meet the needs of congregations that encompass a broad spectrum of churchmanship and a wide enjoyment of the variety of services provided. The current monthly pattern is as follows, although the benefice is open to change in the future: Sunday 9.00am Parish Communion (Common Worship) 1st Sunday Lockington, 2nd Leconfield, 3rd Scorborough, 4th Lund 5th Sunday Benefice Communion (10am) rotated around the benefice 10.45am Morning Worship 1st Sunday Scorborough, 2nd Lund, 3rd Lockington, 4th Leconfield Wednesday 1st Wednesday of the month 9.30am Midweek Communion, Lockington 3rd Wednesday of the month 9.15am Celtic Morning Prayer, Leconfield Special services across the benefice include Lessons and Carols Services at each church in Advent, a Children’s Crib Service, Midnight Eucharist and Christmas services and a full programme of services in Holy Week and Easter. We also hold services to mark other festivals in the churches year, including particularly a programme of harvest events. During the past three years there have been ?? baptisms ?? marriages and ?? funerals across the benefice. !6 The Benefice Villages & Churches St Mary, Lockington This Grade 1 Listed church was originally built in 1150 by the Norman Lord of the Manor, subsequently extended in the 14th century, altered again in the 18th century and then a major restoration was carried out by Temple Moore in 1893. Recently, a number of important modifications have been made including the resiting of the font and the removal of pews from the Moyser side chapel. Further work is planned to the west end of the church which will include the addition of kitchen facilities and a toilet. A generous donor enabled a beautiful modern stained glass window to be installed on the south side of the church in 2010. This depicts the parable of the sower, a very apt subject in such a rural village. The church has been well maintained and is in good condition and the recent quinquennial inspection has revealed no major issues. !7 The Village of Lockington The village of Lockington is arranged around a number of open green spaces, many of which are still actively farmed, and the Bryan Mills Beck runs through the centre of the village alongside Front Street. The village still has a number of active farms and much of the surrounding land is part of the Dalton Estate. The parish has a population of around 524 (2011 census) including 70 under the age of 18, a further 115 under the age of 45 and a further 205 between 45 and 65 years of age. There are a wide range of well supported village activities and a well maintained and resourced village hall, the former Victorian church school. Lockington CofE VC Primary School The school occupies a modern, well equipped building (2002) with approximately 41 children on roll. The church has excellent links with the school and is very keen to develop these further. The Rector and one parishioner are Foundation Governors. !8 All Saints, Lund All Saints Church, a Grade II listed building, has been recently re-ordered following the sale of the old church hall. The church now has excellent facilities including kitchen and toilet, and is now a very versatile space following removal of the pews. There are …. on the electoral roll and the average attendance at regular services is ….. A monthly Saturday morning ‘bacon butties’ event is held in the church along with a range of activities including concerts and board games afternoons and an Irish Night with folk music and food is planned later this year. The children’s nursery in the village hold their carol service in church and this is well supported by families and friends, bringing in people from outside the small but regular congregation. These activities draw people from the wider community and also other parishes and are an important part of the outreach of the church. !9 The Village of Lund Lund is a small very attractive rural village equidistant between Beverley and Driffield and on the edge of the Yorkshire Wolds. Although still very much an agricultural area, the number of people actively involved with agriculture is small and the village is rather more a dormitory for the local market towns and the cities of Hull and York. The parish has a population of around 308 (2011 census) including 50 under the age of 18, a further 71 under the age of 45 and a further 103 between 45 and 65 years of age.