The Benefice of Stonesfield with Combe Longa Benefice Profile Contents Foreword by the Bishop of Dorchester ....................................................................... 3 Foreword by the Area Dean ............................................................................................. 4 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 5 Person Specification ............................................................................................................. 6 Looking to the future .......................................................................................................... 7 The Benefice ............................................................................................................................ 8 Worship and Ministry ......................................................................................................... 11 The Church and the Wider Community ..................................................................... 14 The Church Buildings .......................................................................................................... 16 The Rectory ............................................................................................................................. 18 The Organisation of the Benefice and Finance ....................................................... 19 The Rector‟s Ex-Officio Responsibilities ...................................................................... 21 Welcome to the Benefice of Stonesfield with Combe Longa 2 Foreword by the Bishop of Dorchester 04.10.20 I am delighted to write a foreword to this Profile for the new Rector of the Benefice of Stonesfield and Combe and I hope and pray that, having read the Profile and researched the role, you may consider applying for this important post in the Dorchester Area of the Oxford Diocese. As a Diocese, we are seeking to be more contemplative, compassionate and courageous in all that we do. Anyone taking up the post will, I hope, wish to engage with our vision as it further develops, and to offer their own insights, ideas and energy as we explore what it means to be a more Christ-like Church for the sake of God‟s world. The Benefice is ready to move forward and to work more closely together. The two Parishes are also looking for someone who will play an active part in their communities, bringing fresh ideas and enthusiasm. The churches wish to work with the new Rector to look outwards and better engage with all ages within their communities. The churches would love to grow numerically as well as in depth spiritually. Someone who is warm, sensitive and pastoral and a good preacher would be welcomed by the Benefice, as would someone with reasonable administrative gifts, though administrative help is offered. The role also includes time to work with our DDO Team to foster vocations across Woodstock and Witney Deaneries, something which we hope will appeal to the right candidate. The Benefice is situated in a beautiful part of Oxfordshire on the edge of the Cotswolds with good links to the M40 and to Oxford with excellent local schools. I do hope that, having read this Profile, you pray about this and consider applying for this post. With every blessing, 3 Foreword by the Area Dean Woodstock Deanery is a varied Deanery both in terms of demography and church tradition. Whilst both Stonesfield and Combe have a distinctly rural feel to them, they are nevertheless within easy reach of both Witney and Oxford and, in terms of church tradition, a bit of the variety mentioned above is evident in the distinctive styles of St James‟s in Stonesfield and St Laurence‟s in Combe. Having had contact over the vacancy with many different people within the Benefice, I have been impressed by the enthusiasm, organisation and creativity of PCC members and others. Stonesfield and Combe represent a rich opportunity for worship, ministry and mission in a beautiful setting among supportive and creative communities. In the wider Deanery, the main centres of population are all in the south of the Deanery with the north being fairly rural. The Deanery encircles Blenheim Palace (with one of the gates to Blenheim Park situated just outside Combe), includes the Diocese of Oxford's Church House and borders the Oxford Deanery. The Deanery consists of only 8 Benefices and, despite our variety of theological and ecclesiological traditions, our Deanery functions really well. Chapter meetings are almost always well attended and usually fun and the clergy and lay people of the Deanery get on well together when they meet in Synod. We currently have an agreed Deanery Mission Action Plan and an agreed formula for allocating Parish Share across the Deanery. The Lay Chair, Liz Whittle, is very supportive of the Deanery clergy and lives just along the road in the neighbouring Benefice of Hanborough and Freeland who have just appointed a new Rector due to be instituted in January. The appointment to Stonesfield and Combe, therefore, will see all Deanery posts filled. Although I have only been the Area Dean since January of this year, I have got to know a bit of the life of Stonesfield and Combe and so would be happy to chat informally should you wish to do so having read this Profile. I can be contacted on 01993 810749. May I conclude by assuring you that a warm welcome awaits the next incumbent to our Deanery, and we very much look forward to extending that welcome. Jeremy Auld, Area Dean of Woodstock 4 Introduction The Benefice of Stonesfield with Combe Longa comprises the Parishes of St James the Great, Stonesfield and St Laurence the Martyr, Combe. Our Churches are closely connected to the life of our two rural communities and we seek to serve our Parishes both pastorally and spiritually. The Benefice was formed in 1989 and a new Rectory was built in Stonesfield in 2010, described in detail below. Our Church congregations are friendly, warm and welcoming. There are differences in styles of church tradition but at the same time many similarities. The Parishes value their music and the social aspects of Christian fellowship. Our Churches and village communities have many strengths on which we would like to build. Feedback from the Church communities in a questionnaire (completed to inform this document) was very positive. Responses indicated an understanding of the need to reach out to a younger generation. We recognise the challenge to grow our congregations, and balancing our existing church traditions with change will be an important focus for the new Rector. To this end we seek a Rector for our two Parishes to inspire, nurture and further build our Church communities. The Benefice is part of the Woodstock Deanery and the Dorchester Archdeaconry. The Area Bishop is the Bishop of Dorchester (the current Bishop is shortly to retire). The post includes a role fostering vocations across the Woodstock and Witney Deaneries. The right person will act as a vocations advisor, encouraging vocations from the local churches by working with the local clergy and their churches, helping to deliver vocations training and events, as well as meeting those who feel that they have a vocation, and helping them through Diocesan processes properly to discern what God is calling them to. On average, we expect the vocations part of this role to be about a day a week. 5 Person Specification With our new Rector we wish to develop the mission and ministry of our Churches, and to this end we are seeking someone to lead us who: . has strong personal faith and sound theological and biblical knowledge; . is skilled at communicating the word of God with people of all ages and at all stages of faith; . can enable us to develop our work with schools, families, children and young people so that our Churches may truly be communities of all ages; . is able to facilitate change with sensitivity, so that Church life may be enhanced and developed across the Benefice, whilst retaining important aspects of Church traditions favoured by our Parishes; . can help develop our pastoral care of all ages. As the Deanery Vocations Advisor: . A person with a passion and someone who will take the initiative to see vocations flourish across the Woodstock and Witney Deaneries. A person who will relate to the DDO team as they re-imagine vocations work in the Diocese. 6 Looking to the future Before preparing this document we undertook a questionnaire in each Parish, and this forms the basis for the vision for the Benefice set out below. The questionnaire responses expressed how much of our present Church life is loved and valued by the congregations, whilst at the same time they looked forward to how the Church will develop in future years. The key messages from the responses are as follows: . For our Church communities to be warm and welcoming to everyone – places of love, help and hope. To carry our faith out into the wider community, engaging with village residents of all ages through outreach events, village activities and pastoral support. To offer a range of different styles of worship, both traditional and modern, to meet the diverse needs and preferences of our congregations and villages. For our congregations to be nurtured through encouragement, the study of the Bible and prayer. To celebrate and encourage our Church music and choirs, bell ringing and other Church groups. To engage with children, young people and their families, developing and offering them dynamic and