The parish of St. Peter, West Bromwich

Parish profile 2019

Our Vision

What we are looking for.

Saint Peter’s is a parish in the Diocese of Lichfield under the Episcopal oversight of the Bishop of Ebbsfleet and we are seeking to appoint a House for Duty priest who is preferably a member of SSC or Forward in Faith or The Society. We are looking for a priest who will: • exercise a sacramental ministry that centres on the Mass • value the contributions of members of the ministry team and seek to develop their talents • provide a clear lead for mission and evangelism • be a pastor, spiritual director, teacher and friend • make contact with the local community and bring young people to the church

We are looking for a priest who is prepared to work with a predominantly elderly congregation that is young at heart. We look forward to working with our new House for Duty Priest to reinvigorate the church and build on the small but faithful base we currently have. We have a small team of people who work very hard to keep the church open, but need a spark of new life to bring into church the next generation of disciples. For ourselves: to live each day to the greater glory of God and in service to our fellow human beings. For others: to bring enquirers after faith to the foot of the cross. Our current Mission Action Plan is at the end of this profile (Appendix B).

What we can offer

• A warm welcome • Support with admin, where possible • Respect for your private time

Our values

Saint Peter’s stands in the Catholic tradition of the Church of England. The following are core values by which we seek to serve Our Lord: • We want to be a welcoming church with a love of people of all backgrounds and circumstances • We want to have a strong commitment to sharing the faith with others • We want Eucharistic worship that seeks to meet the needs of all • We desire on-going opportunities for people to develop their spirituality through prayer and study • We want to encourage others to be ministers of the Good News • We desire leadership that values the gifts and experience of the people of Saint Peter’s

The Priest

We are praying for a Priest who is a man of prayer who will provide clear leadership and develop our gifts and talents in order that we can contribute to the mission of the Church. In order to achieve this, we hope you will:

Love the Church and encourage its spiritual growth

• Seek to develop the gifts, talents and skills of the congregation, as someone who can encourage and strengthen us in our lay ministry. • Make space for the exercise of spiritual gifts. • Support and develop the church’s prayer life, both personal and corporate • Lead us in making disciples for Christ and inspiring church members into a deeper relationship with him

Love the un-churched and those on the fringes of the church

• Have a passion for outreach and mission and seek opportunities to share the Gospel through daily life as well as established nurture courses such as Alpha and mission events. • Work to make worship 'accessible' to the un-churched. • Encourage members to develop their evangelistic responsibilities in their desire to build relationships within the community, including support for existing community outreach groups.

The person

In looking for the person called by God to lead and care for Saint Peter’s, we pray for a priest with the following competencies: You will: • Be a man of prayer whose spiritual life centres on the Eucharist • Have served a curacy of at least three years • Have a passion for evangelization • Be an effective leader and have experience of sharing leadership with others • Be an inspiring preacher, teacher and spiritual director • Have good liturgical understanding and commitment, as appropriate, to developing occasional services to fill other worship slots such as Sunday Evenings • Show commitment to developing and using your own gifts across and beyond the parish to build areas of excellence in ministry • We no longer have contact with our primary school in the parish and look to renew the associations we once had.

Personal and Professional Qualities

• Strong personal motivation and drive. • A genuine enthusiasm for and commitment to, the spiritual development of all people. • The ability to inspire, motivate and engage people. • Commitment to ensuring inclusion, addressing diversity and access. • Commitment to own personal, pastoral and spiritual development • High order analytical and problem solving skills and the ability to make informed judgements. • Excellent communication skills in a variety of media to a range of audiences including students, parents/carers, colleagues and the wider school community.

Worship

The ethos and worship at St. Peters for the past forty years has been in the Catholic tradition of the Church of England.

Our main focus is our Sunday Mass. In addition to Sunday mornings Mass is offered on Thursday evenings. We have a full committed team of servers consisting of acolytes, thurifer, crucifer and MC, all of whom are licensed by the Bishop as Extra-Ordinary ministers

of the Eucharist. We have a small choir who are also committed and regularly sing at weddings in church. We have a team of readers, intercessors and sides persons.

Also we have had occasional services such as Taize, and Nine Lessons and Carols (which the last few years was a more contemporary event with live musicians which was well received and memorable).

Music

Music plays an important part of the worshipping life of Saint Peter’s. Weddings are provided for, with the choir ably leading the congregation. Psalms and responses are sung by willing volunteers, with new members starting to emerge.

It was with great sadness that, due to water damage, the organ was declared out of action. We are awaiting further clarification on the outcome which will be more likely after the roof is repaired. In the meantime, there is a keyboard used to accompany hymns and sung responses, played by experienced church musicians.

The Fellowship

We are, as many churches, an ageing congregation. The PCC however reflects the wide range of ages within the church family, who work together across generations to bring many years of experience alongside energy and drive.

Saint Peter’s has a reputation for putting on a “good spread” for social events such as our Patronal Festival. Food and fellowship forms a big part of our worship together. The “good spread” isn’t bought in but provided by the faithful few.

Church attendance 2018 Average Sunday attendance 36

No. Of Baptisms 7 No. Of Weddings 0 No. Of Confirmations 0 No. Of Funerals 1 No. of Cremations 2

Christmas 34 Easter 35

Church Building

Saint Peter's lies on Whitehall Road in Greets Green, West Bromwich. It was consecrated in 1858, being built of a design by Thomas Johnson and sons of Lichfield. It is a Grade II listed building because of its architectural design and local historical interest. It contains beautiful stained glass, some modern, but most impressive is the East Window.

The church building suffered damage in the World Wars, plus fire damage in the 1960s, so has had various updates over the years, including most recently in 2014/15 to bring it up to date with disabled access and toilet facilities. The floor was levelled and the lighting and PA system were improved.

We are fortunate to be supported by the Walter Stanley Trust, a Trust dating back to the 17th century which allows grants to help in the upkeep and restoration of church buildings in West Bromwich.

Next to the Church is the graveyard, now in control of the local council for maintenance. It is closed for burials as it is full (unless in an existing grave if room permits). We regularly still lay cremated remains in designated plots.

The general structural condition of the fabric of Saint Peter’s is good and with no signs of significant cracking that might cause concern. It is noticed that the building has suffered from subsidence in the past and this movement is evident in the Chancel and in the East end of the South aisle. The latest Quinquennial Inspection suggests that there are no significant signs of this defect continuing. The church has central heating and had new lighting a few years ago. The interior of the church has been reordered to enhance the flow of the liturgy and make the building a more multi-functional space. We are currently undertaking a project to re-roof the South Aisle roof as we have had problems with water incursion. 90% funding has been granted from the Walter Stanley Trust and work is expected to be completed by the end of June 2019. Unfortunately due to water damage the organ is out of commission at present and we are looking into what we should do, in terms of maintenance or replacement.

Church Hall

The Church Hall is separated from the Church by the Churchyard accessible by a path between.

It was built in 1966 after a former schoolroom / hall was demolished. It has a stage, large dance floor, kitchen area and toilets, including a disabled facility. It is accessed by a ramp. It is home to several groups including Brownies, Sea Cadets, Bingo, Slimming Club, Tea Dance and many more. It is used by the Church for monthly parish lunches, jumble sales, car boot sales, fetes and other social events.

A recent fire to the back and side of the Hall led to refurbishment of those areas. We managed to keep the Hall in use during this time.

There is a licensed bar available for church and private functions. The hall is protected by CCTV and a monitored alarm system. These facilities, plus the heating can be monitored remotely by the Hall Manager.

The Hall is well used for private parties, eg birthdays, weddings and other celebrations.

Behind the Hall, on a previously unused piece of land, an allotment has been developed over the last few years by a small volunteer team. Vegetables are grown and monies used in ensuring continuation of this project. Flowers are also grown for use in Church.

Finances

Saint Peter’s is fortunate that we have access to the resources of the Walter Stanley Trust (See Walter Stanley Trust section-Appendix A ), who assist Churches in West Bromwich.

Our accounts are audited every year, by an independent examiner, and have always been accurate and up to date. Regular monthly instalments are paid to cover the Parish Share and we are currently in credit.

We have a Building Fund set aside, for the re-ordering work, and have also been able to use this fund to upgrade the kitchen and toilet facilities in the Church Hall.

We operate a Gift Aid system and also a Non-Gift Aid system. The congregation also participate in regular fund raising events such as Summer/Christmas Fayres and Jumble Sales. A monthly parish lunch also generates funds for the church, along with other ad hoc events depending on the time of year.

We usually support The Children’s Society and Let the Children Live, with collection boxes and singing at Asda over the Christmas period.

The Walter Stanley Trust also gives us annual grants to help with our admin and music costs.

The 2018 accounts show receipts of £66,182, payments of £62,182, showing a surplus of £4,190. Planned giving was £6,758. St Peter’s is financially sound.

The Vicarage

17 Gough Drive, Tipton, West Midlands DY4 7AL

A vicarage is available, situated a 5 minute drive from the church. It is a modern detached 4 bedroom house, with a detached garage and front and rear gardens. The 3 storey house was built in January 2006 on a small new estate. The ground floor consists of a small study, large fully equipped kitchen/diner and a downstairs WC with additional space for a washing machine and dryer. The first floor has a lounge with a decked balcony and the master bedroom with an en-suite and shower. The second floor has 3 bedrooms one of which has an en-suite with shower. On the second floor there is also a family bathroom.

The nearest supermarket to the vicarage is Lidl and an Asda superstore is within walking distance. The local schools are easily accessible from the vicarage.

There are conveniently located bus and train services between Birmingham, Dudley and Wolverhampton.

The Area

If you are a stranger and are unfamiliar with the Black Country, you are in for a pleasant surprise. Gone are the days of heavy industry and the accompanying smog and grime. The Black Country has become a modern and vibrant area of the Midlands, with many modern facilities. The large steel foundries have been replaced by modern industrial estates, homes to a variety of small businesses, many of which are high tech.

Greets Green is approximately a mile and a half from West Bromwich town centre and is easily accessible from the Black Country spine road and the M5, Junction 1.

Greets Green is a residential area, part of West Bromwich, which is one of six towns which form Sandwell in the West Midlands. West Bromwich is at Junction 1 of the M5 so has good transport links. It is also in the Midland Metro line between the cities of Birmingham and Wolverhampton where the whole journey takes around 40 minutes.

Greets Green itself was mostly developed between 1920 and 1970, though has buildings dating from the First World War to more modern ones built on cleared areas.

Farley Park lies next door to the Church Hall, with the former park lodge now being a Community Centre.

Greets Green has a convenience store/post office, chip shop and a pub. Nearby Great Bridge has a range of stores on the Main Street and a small complex of larger stores including Asda and Boots. The area, which is multi - cultural, has a Primary School, care home and a nursing home with palliative care facilities.

There is also Greets Green Methodist Church and a Pentecostal church within the Parish.

Sandwell lies North West of Birmingham in the West Midlands. It is a major shopping area where the recently built New Square is attracting larger stores to the area, and is home to Sandwell Valley Country Park and West Bromwich Albion Football Club.

Walter Stanley Trust (Appendix A)

The Parishes in the West Bromwich Deanery have the wonderful and unique advantage of The Walter Stanley Trust Charity. The Trust was established in 1613, by a gift of land from Walter Stanley, to endow a preacher to preach the word of God in the Parish Church of West Bromwich on Sundays and certain feast days. The Trust now has assets in excess of £8 million and its powers have been considerably extended.

It operates for the Ecclesiastical purposes of the Church of England in the West Bromwich Deanery. Each Parish has a representative Trustee and meetings are held quarterly.

The Trust is able to make grants towards providing clerical or lay help, makes an additional payment (through the stipend) of £450 per year to each Clergy member and pays a settling in allowance of £2,500 to any new clergy joining the Deanery, to assist with moving expenses.

The Trust is also able to make grants towards: • The provision of new buildings to be consecrated, or dedicated for use as Churches • Church building repairs and maintenance, compliance with health and safety regulations, re-ordering and decorating of Churches, provision of re-wiring and lighting • The administrative costs of running Parishes

All these grants are of enormous benefit to the Parishes in the Deanery.

The Trustees see the promotion of the growth of the Church of England in the West Bromwich Deanery as their main object, and to assist this are also paying the full costs of: • A Fresh Expressions Minister, working across the Deanery with 16 – 30 year olds • A Schools Worker in Hill Top and Golds Hill • A Community Worker at All Saints, West Bromwich

Mission Action Plan 2019

(Appendix B)

Saint Peter’s Greets Green exists to worship God, love one another, honour the past, build for the future, be a blessing to Greets Green, and, with the Diocese of Lichfield, to invite people to follow Christ in the footsteps of Saint Chad and to draw the people of our Parish to a saving knowledge of God in Christ Jesus.

In the immediate future, our intentions include –

1. Reaching out to draw people across the churchyard from the activities of our successful community hall and allotment to worship week by week, as well as at strategic times of the year (e.g. Christmas, Easter, Harvest); 2. Making use of the opportunities offered by people coming into our churchyard to remember their departed loved ones so that they may see the church building also as part of their journey; 3. Trying to regain access to local schools so that we may bring ‘the rumour of God’ back into the lives of the children of our area; 4. Building a ‘Welcome Team’ to help visitors feel at home in the building and during worship, and building in each and all a welcoming attitude to all people so that others may see in us the welcoming face of our Saviour God; 5. Maintaining accessible, relevant, and up to date signage and media platforms to further our profile in the community.

Maps

The Benefice within the wider West Midlands area, with motorways

The Direction of Travel

The Invitation At a Diocesan gathering in February 2108, Bishop’s Council, Diocesan Officers, Rural Deans and Lay Chairs, Bishop’s Staff Meeting and representatives of chaplaincies, schools, Fresh Expressions and the Cathedral met to consider what this invitation to follow Christ meant for us as a Diocese. All framed by the story of St Chad—mission, hospitality, border-crossing, learning and humility of life.

The Vision As we follow Christ in the footsteps of St At this gathering a fresh “vision” for the Chad, we pray that the two million Diocese was set out. people in our diocese encounter a church This vision is to be owned by parishes, that is confident in the gospel, knows chaplaincies, Fresh Expressions, schools and and loves its communities, and is excited the Cathedral in their own way and in their to find God already at work in the own context. world. We pray for a church that reflects www.lichfield.anglican.org/our_vision the richness and variety of those communities. We pray for a church that partners with others in seeking the common good, working for justice as people of hope.

The Priorities As a Diocese we are committed in all we do to developing discipleship, encouraging vocation and inspiring evangelism These priorities help us focus our work as a Diocese and we commend them to our parishes, schools, chaplaincies, Fresh Expressions and Cathedral