THE CHELLINGTON TEAM MINISTRY JOINT PROFILE CONTENTS Introduction and Deanery context page 2 Section 1: The Villages – an overview Locations, Transport Leisure etc. page 3 Harrold page 4 Carlton with Chellington page 5 Odell with Little Odell page 6 Turvey page 7 Stevington page 8 Podington page 9 Wymington page 10 Section 2: Schools and Education page 11 Section 3: The Churches in the Team ‘Churches Together in Harrold & Carlton’ page 12 Harrold – St.Peter’s page 15 Harrold – United Reform Church page 17 Carlton – St.Mary’s page 19 Odell – All Saints’ page 21 Turvey – All Saints page 24 Stevington – St.Mary the Virgin page 27 Podington – St.Mary the Virgin page 30 Wymington – St.Lawrence page 33 Section 4: The Rectory Church House, Carlton page 34 1 SHARNBROOK DEANERY – THE CHELLINGTON TEAM MINISTRY About Sharnbrook Deanery The Sharnbrook Deanery, within the Diocese of St.Albans, comprises 30 rural parishes in the Borough of Bedford. In the last two years 20 of these parishes have undergone a period of extensive change, with five clergy retiring and the then Rural Dean moving on to a new post. In Autumn 2014 two full-time clergy were appointed to united benefices of 6 and 3 parishes respectively, a third full-time priest was licensed to another benefice of 3 in March 2016, with a fourth, also full-time, due to be licensed to a benefice of 3 in April 2016. An additional 2 retired priests each care for 2 single parishes, and other retired clergy and 6 lay-readers continue to assist with Sunday and pastoral services. Lay participation is actively encouraged across all our churches. A new Rural Dean and Assistant Rural Dean were appointed in May 2015. Deanery Synod meetings are well attended and in 2015-2016 the Deanery funded and ran a number of courses to support local ministry. We enjoy a collegial Chapter and are committed to working together where practical to share resources, skills and experience. We are exploring an enhanced role for the Deanery as we work together to develop locally the Diocesan vision and values of ‘Living God’s Love 2020’1 The Chellington Team Ministry We now wish to appoint a further 2 full-time clergy (Team Rector & Team Vicar) to a newly formed team of 8 rural churches (7 Anglican/1 URC) in the west of the deanery: St.Peter’s Harrold & St.Mary’s Carlton with Harrold United Reform Chapel (an established LEP known as ‘Churches Together in Harrold & Carlton’) All Saints’ Odell All Saints’ Turvey2 St.Mary the Virgin Stevington2 St.Lawrence Wymington with St.Mary the Virgin Podington (united benefice) Where we are now The new team will bring together churches of diverse traditions who want to find ways to grow by working co-operatively where practicable. We want to encourage and support one another, particularly in reaching out to children and families, and explore how we can be more effective by sharing resources. We have already begun to listen to each other, to think as a group in an honest and positive way, and to pray together. Where we want to be in 5 years time To be a welcoming, active Christian presence in our villages, engaging in relevant ways with the people who live there. We want to see a renewed ministry to children, young people and families. We recognise the need to be imaginative and creative, while respecting each other’s traditions and we are prepared to embrace the changes that will be necessary to enable us fulfil our vision. 1 see summary of LGL 2020 on (www.odellbeds.net/ChellingtonTeamMinistryVacancies.htm) 2 Turvey and Stevington churches work together on an informal basis, eg. joint service on 5th Sundays 2 Section 1 VILLAGE LOCATIONS, TRANSPORT, LEISURE etc. Road Links: The 7 villages are connected by a network of country roads, with the A45 & A428 to the north and south, and A6 & A509 to the east and west. The M1, A1, A14 are about 20mins drive away, with the towns of Rushden, Bedford, Wellingborough, Olney, Milton Keynes & Northampton within easy reach. Luton Airport is about an hour away, Heathrow about 90 mins. Trains: There are regular services to London St.Pancras (35mins), OS Map Brighton and Derby from Bedford – including services to Luton & Gatwick airports. For Heathrow take the Bed-Pan line & under- ground. From Milton Keynes, regular services run to London & Birmingham. Bus Services: The villages are served by several local buses which connect them to the nearby towns and to each other. In addition The Villager Bus, operated by qualified volunteer drivers, operates services between the villages and Milton Keynes (monthly), Northampton (twice monthly), Peterborough (monthly) and Olney market (weekly). Markets & Farm Shops: Bedford, Olney, Higham Ferrers all have good markets, including a Farmers’ Market. Meat, vegetables and fruit direct from the farm are available from several Farm Shops. Sports and Leisure: In addition to village sports clubs and activities, there is a swimming pool in Rushden and three in Bedford. Sharnbrook Sports Centre offers gym and other facilities. The Ouse Valley is very popular with walkers and cyclists, and our village pubs offer good food at reasonable prices. There is a strong musical tradition in Bedford and the villages, with numerous choirs providing concerts. The Mill Theatre, Sharnbrook (Sharnbrook Amateur Theatre Trust) produces high-class amateur shows and theatres in Bedford, Milton Keynes and Northampton are within easy reach, or hop on the train for a West End treat. If you want to tread the boards yourself, the Harrold amateur dramatic company ‘Ad Hoc’ will be pleased to welcome you. There is a choice of several local cinemas, and at Bedford and Milton Keynes cinemas you can view ‘live’ performances screened directly from London theatres and the Royal Opera House. 3 THE VILLAGE OF HARROLD Harrold is a riverside village with an ancient bridge over the River Great Ouse. It has a wide range of amenities and services, excellent schools, and is home to Harrold & Odell Country Park with interesting wildlife and picturesque walks. The bridge is the focal point of 3 parishes, with Carlton and Chellington a short walk across the ancient causeway spanning the floodplain and the attractive village of Odell a pleasant stroll through the Country Park. These villages together make an exciting community in which to live. The triangular village green with its ancient Buttermarket lies at the centre of the village and is still a gathering point today for events such as the annual Harrold Pit (Fun) run. A leather industry existed in the village for almost 200 years but production ceased in the 1980’s. Today many people commute to Bedford, Milton Keynes and London, while some work from home or are self-employed. Housing is mixed - attractive stone buildings, Victorian cottages and later infilling make up the central core, with recent developments providing modern family homes north of the high street. Local shops include a busy Co-op, incorporating a post office, a traditional butcher, a barber and two hairdressers, one of which offers sports therapy, massage and yoga. The village also has a beauty parlour, an Independent Financial advisor, an estate agent and a garage. Harrold and the surrounding villages are well served by the Harrold Medical Centre which also runs a dispensary. Harrold Centre, located in the historic Harrold Institute, acts as the community centre for the village and is used by many organisations - the village Toddlers group, the Snooker Club, Dance VyBz, and AdHoc, an award winning drama group. Harrold is twinned with St Pazanne, a small French town near Nantes, with exchanges taking place each year. A Harrold Heritage Trail links 31 locations of historic interest in the village. Much of the long history of Harrold and its people and details of its many clubs, societies, businesses and churches can be found on the Harrold village website www.harrold.info The County Park, consisting of 144 acres of water meadow, riverside banks, lakes and woodland attracts many visitors throughout the year. With children’s play areas, a skateboard park, an exercise area and ample space to picnic, walk or just sit and relax, there is something for everyone. Teazel’s Café serves homemade cakes, good coffee, breakfast, light lunches, and teas with seating indoors or outdoors on the veranda overlooking the lake. 4 THE VILLAGE OF CARLTON with CHELLINGTON Carlton is a friendly village with a strong sense of community. There is one pub, The Fox and an excellent village shop incorporating a Post Office. The village is a combination of two ancient communities, Carlton and Chellington, merged into one parish in 1934. New roads and homes were built in Carlton in 1960’s and 1970’s. St Nicholas Chellington was declared redundant in the early 1970s but has been extensively refurbished to create the CHELLINGTON Chellington Centre, an independent and CENTRE flourishing charity with local trustees where groups of young people can stay for short periods and experience life as a community.3 The Centre is also available for social events, exhibitions etc. Several church members are regular volunteers. Emmaus: Emmaus is an organisation that helps homeless people to help themselves. Emmaus Village Community, Carlton opened in December 2001 on the outskirts of Carlton. The companions earn a living mainly by recycling donated goods and they run a furniture shop, a bric-a-brac store, a boutique and a Bistro offering home-made meals, cakes and snacks. The community maintains strong links with St Mary’s church and its members.4 Carlton Lower School: The Hall in the school building is also the Village Hall, available for a wide variety of church and village events, exhibitions etc.