The Joint Benefice of St. Mary's Datchet & St. Thomas' Colnbrook
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The Joint Benefice of St. Mary's Datchet & St. Thomas' Colnbrook 1 ` 2 Contents Page ➢ Cover ………………………………………………………………………… 1 ➢ Aspiration ………………………………………………………… 2 ➢ Introduction ………………………………………………………………. 4 ➢ Vision …………………………………………………………………………. 4 ➢ Location ……………………………………………………………………… 4 ➢ Datchet and Colnbrook Towns ………………………………….. 5 ➢ Our Strengths and Vulnerabilities ……………………………… 5 ➢ Mission Action Plans ………………………………………………. 7 ➢ Our New Vicar …………………………………………………………… 8 ➢ Ministry Support ……………………………………………………….. 9 ➢ Mission and Outreach – Youth …………………………………. 10 ➢ Mission and Outreach – Community ……………………….. 13 ➢ Prayer and Worship ………………………………………………….. 14 ➢ St Mary’s Services ……………………………………………………… 15 ➢ St Thomas’ Services………………………………………………....... 16 ➢ Lay Leadership …………………………………………………………… 17 ➢ Stewardship ……………………………………………………………….. 18 ➢ Person Specification ………………………………………………. 20 ➢ Vicarage …………………………………………………………………….. 21 ➢ Contact Details ………………………………………………………….. 22 ➢ Buildings ……………………………………………………………………. 23 ➢ Barker Bridge House Trust ………………………………………… 24 ➢ Church Community Centre ………………………………………. 24 ➢ Communities and Schools ………………………………………… 25 ➢ Appendix 1 Diocesan Information …………………………….. 27 ➢ Appendix 2 Burnham and Slough Deanery ……………… 28 ➢ Appendix 3 Accounts ………………………………………………… 30 3 Introduction Thank you for looking at our joint Parish Profile. We hope this Parish Profile will help you decide whether God is calling you to help serve in our Parishes. Although in the past we have functioned as two separate parishes; since the vacancy we have been able to work more closely together and are looking forward to developing this. We have two locations but one supportive Church community which is looking for a welcoming Vicar to fuse the traditional with the contemporary. We are excited about the future and potential of our spiritual family here at St Mary’s and St Thomas and look forward with open hearts, to welcoming our new leader. Our Vision To work collaboratively with a 21st century thinker and doer, who can help us continue to grow and develop the Christian message in our parishes in innovative and imaginative ways. “I have a dream” - Martin Luther King “Let the little children to come unto me” - Matthew 19:14 “Be strong and courageous” - Joshua 1:9 “Fear not for I am with you” -. Isaiah 41:10 “For with God nothing shall be impossible” - Luke 1:37 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” - Philippians 4:13 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” - Hebrews 13:8 “Love your neighbour as yourself” - Mark 11:31 We put our hearts and souls into our Churches and into this Parish Profile. Will you join with us? Location Datchet and Colnbrook are two large villages situated between the M4 and the River Thames. Datchet has a population of around 5000 and Colnbrook about 6500. The Parishes were united as a Benefice in 2006 and although geographically separated, only touching at the roundabout by junction 5 on the M4, they are continuing to explore their shared vision, ministry and mission. The distance from one end of Datchet to the other end of Colnbrook is approximately five miles. 4 Datchet is a pretty village on the banks of the Thames. St Mary’s Church is in the heart of the village overlooking the traditional village green with a war memorial and surrounded by a number of listed buildings. Our Church is an active part of a thriving village community, with our hugely popular annual pantomime and volunteer-run coffee shop “The Bridge”. Datchet is located some three miles from Windsor & Slough, and The village and St Mary’s steeple seven miles from London Heathrow Airport. There are excellent rail connections into London from both Datchet and Slough. St. Mary’s Church has 130 people on the electoral role, with perhaps 120 people who could be considered ‘regulars’. Our young people proudly take an active role in our services and enjoy coming to Church. Also noteworthy is the number of skilled individuals who give their time and talents to the Church in many different ways. Colnbrook St Thomas’ sits centrally to the village in a quiet, leafy location and a wonderful tranquil quiet garden with Glebe land fields, all maintained by volunteers. While the vicar lives in the vicarage in Datchet, we are fortunate to have the Area Dean, the Reverend Rod Cosh, living in Colnbrook. Colnbrook has a ‘village feel’. Although due to the proposed and now with the Government approval of the third runway at Heathrow Airport, the makeup of the village may alter further. There are now more buy to let properties and changes in the population. We are aware of the massive investment and infrastructure that will come into our area and the challenges and opportunities that will require innovative and imaginative responses. We have made good links with the Polish St Thomas’ Church community and have begun ministry among them. The parish backs onto Terminal 5 of Heathrow Airport and is therefore home to a number of industrial businesses. At St Thomas the term ‘church family’ is often used to describe the atmosphere of our small congregation. There are currently thirty people on our electoral roll. We are pleased to be known as a welcoming and inclusive church, but we are not complacent. Small in number, big in heart and hard workers, we are a flexible congregation, ready to embrace change and to continue to serve with whoever God sends. Our Strengths ❖ Both St Mary’s and St Thomas’ are paying consistently more than our share of ministry costs, thereby supporting ministry in other parishes. ❖ Welcoming, active, committed congregations in both parishes. ❖ Three schools in Datchet, including a secondary C of E school and 2 schools in Colnbrook. ❖ Significant number of mature/experienced Christians who are playing key roles in lay leadership. 5 ❖ An open community - people come to us via natural touch points, including the Schools and Scouts. ❖ Good relationships and shared ministry with other local churches in both Colnbrook and Datchet. ❖ Well-maintained, sound historic Church buildings and a modern Church hall: no fundraising needed. ❖ St Thomas’ has a part-time children and family worker. ❖ There is an impressive choir at St Mary’s with a paid choirmaster & organist. ❖ Well established and popular bible study and Lent groups run in both Parishes. ❖ Over the past three years a successful Alpha course has run annually in Datchet at The Bridge Café supporting both villages. ❖ There is a ‘Quiet Garden’ linked to the grounds of St Thomas’. ❖ With a remarkable number of talented singers and actors, of all ages, St Mary’s puts on a successful annual pantomime. ❖ Significant income is generated from the use of St Thomas’ and St Mary’s facilities, particularly the new Church Community Centre in Datchet, which is actively used by the Church and village for classes and functions. ❖ The Barker Bridge House Trust pays for all the running costs of the building of St Mary’s. ❖ Up-to-date accounts and sound financial procedures in both parishes. Our vulnerabilities ❖ Currently stalled numbers within our congregations. ❖ Unsure of our roles within the joint benefice. ❖ Need to increase levels of planned giving at both St Thomas and St Mary’s St Mary’s Choir Tea and coffee in St Mary’s Church Community Centre 6 Mission Action Plans Our two parishes have a commitment to growth and offer huge potential. We welcome constructive change and have a strong desire to work collaboratively. Both Churches are keen to build their congregations and work hard at collaborative and meaningful action plans. St. Thomas’ vision is twofold: ❖ to be a place of celebration and worship of God. ❖ to serve the community of Colnbrook. In the last three years St Thomas’ Church has been developing its Mission Action Plan, the top level of which is shown above. St Thomas’ reviews, updates and notes progress on its mission statement at each PCC meeting. Their thoughts and forward planning are brought together at the annual Away Day at Burnham Abbey. St Marys agreed a new three year, 3-strand vision in 2016. The overall vision statement is: “Rooted in Christ, reaching out to his world”, and the 3 strands are: ❖ Increasing our faith, going deeper with God. ❖ Creating a vibrant Christian community centred on Jesus. ❖ Making a difference locally and beyond in the power of the Spirit. At St Mary’s there is a specially constituted Leadership Team, responsible for implementing the initiatives arising from the Mission Action Plan. The banners in St Marys remind the congregation of the MAP. 7 Our New Vicar We are looking for someone who is: - ❖ Reliable ❖ Resilient ❖ Collaborative ❖ Competent ❖ Cares about people as well as God ❖ Compassionate ❖ Willing to be seen in the community ❖ Able to empathise. Support we will both offer ❖ The strongest support we can offer, is our friendship, fellowship, time and talents and commitment to maintaining St Thomas and St Mary’s as sanctuary central to village life. ❖ We recognise that a Vicar has a personal life as well as community responsibilities. We shall provide support in all areas of your ministry. ❖ We will encourage you to take your weekly day off and your annual holidays. ❖ We will pay ministry expenses in full and encourage you to take an annual retreat. St Thomas’ Quiet Garden, an oasis of peace 8 Ministry Support Our Parishes are supported by: The Reverend Rod Cosh: our full-time Area Dean who is also licenced to the parish and based at Colnbrook. Suzanne Johnson: is the Licensed Lay Minister for both Datchet and Colnbrook. Since 2009, Suzanne has been working collaboratively with the Vicar, Retired Priest and the Area Dean, leading worship and conducting funerals. Suzanne has led Said Matins at 8am for a number of years, and leads nurture courses, home and study groups. Pastorally she supports the congregation and wider community as much as possible and has taken services in a local nursing home. Suzanne is now a final year ordinand at Ripon College, Cuddesdon which has meant she has reduced her parish commitments recently. Suzanne will be ordained deacon at Petertide 2019.