2011 TheTettenhall Wood and Perton Team Parish Profile 2011 Greetings from the Benefice Council of Tettenhall Wood and Perton The Benefice Council warmly thanks you for your enquiry about the vacancy we have for a Team Rector. We recommend the attached profiles of our two parishes and fully endorse them as being accurate accounts of where we are in our journey of faith and we hope you will be sufficiently interested to make an application. We anticipate that the role of the Team Rector will vary in nature as the three churches are varied in their nature. However, because Perton Parish is a Local Ecumenical Partnership with the United Reformed Church and has its own full time minister, the Team Rector‟s responsibility toward it within the benefice has been to provide overview and support when needed. Therefore, it is within Tettenhall Wood Parish that the predominant responsibilities of the Team Rector will lie. Page | 2 Within the Benefice the Key Challenges will be to … encourage and work with the faithful to reach out to our local communities challenge the congregations to move on in their faith further develop lay ministry reinvigorate the healing ministry build closer relationships between the three churches. The Person we seek will… have a strong faith which is well grounded in scripture and prayer and be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit be keen to share his or her faith be sensitive to pastoral need have a sense of humour be committed to ecumenism have good leadership qualities, be able to work with others - volunteers and paid – delegate effectively The Mission Statement of Christ Church “Our mission is to serve, inspire and renew, as a church called to share Christ‟s love through Fellowship with families.” The Mission Statement of the Church of the Good Shepherd “Our mission is to love, delight and mature as a church called to share Christ‟s love through worship for and with the community.” The Mission Statement for the Church at Perton “Our mission is to illuminate, delight and nurture through fellowship, sharing of the love of Christ with the vulnerable in our community.” Brief overview of the benefice The Benefice is within the Diocese of Lichfield, the Wolverhampton Episcopal Area, the Archdeaconry of Walsall, and the Deanery of Trysull. It is on the western perimeter of the city of Wolverhampton, partly within the city and partly within the county boundary of South Staffordshire. The landscape is both urban and rural, the rural part being undulating land used for agricultural and leisure purposes, with the Shropshire border a ten minute drive away. The urban part is, with the exception of the busy A454 Compton/Bridgnorth road, a quiet suburb of the city with wooded areas, green open land and housing ranging from large owner-occupied detached houses with manicured lawns to Housing Authority houses and flats. Page | 3 There are two parishes within the benefice : - The parish of Tettenhall Wood, the population of which lives mostly within the city boundary, has two churches, Christ Church and the Church of the Good Shepherd. The parish of Perton in South Staffordshire has one church, The Church at Perton. None of these three churches has a churchyard nor do they have a bell-tower ! Page | 4 Tettenhall Wood Parish The Policies of Tettenhall Wood Parish Baptism The vast majority of baptisms within Tettenhall Wood parish are of infants. With all families, there is an exploration of their reasons for wanting a church baptism. The families and Godparents are invited to preparatory sessions led by a member of the clergy and a lay person. On the Sunday following the baptism, the family are invited to bring the newly baptised child to the morning service for a presentation of the baptismal candle and a welcome into the church family. The family are encouraged to come to church from the outset. Marriage As we have relatively few marriages in the parish, less than 6 a year, each couple is prepared by the minister taking the service and they usually meet 3 or 4 times. We offer remarriage after divorce when appropriate. Funerals We encourage funerals to take place in the parish church with committal afterwards at the local cemetery or crematorium, but at least half go direct to the crematorium. Both clergy and Readers take funerals and minister to the bereaved. We have approximately 70 funerals a year across the Parish. A joint parish bereavement team make follow up visits. Children and Holy Communion The parish has participated in the Diocesan pilot scheme for the administration of holy communion to children prior to confirmation. This initiative has been welcomed and embedded in both churches. Further work needs to be done with families wishing to avail themselves of this opportunity. Planning and Leading Worship The Team Rector with the Ministry Leadership Team prepares the preaching rota for the formal services though each church has its own team of leaders for the informal services. Occasional Services We have several joint services each year in which Christ Church, Good Shepherd and Tettenhall Wood URC participate. These include Ash Wednesday, services on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, Ascension Day, Remembrance Day and carol services. We hold ecumenical confirmation services across the benefice when required. Memorial Services, Christingle and crib services are also held in each church. The regular services are described later within this profile. Page | 5 The Leadership of Tettenhall Wood Parish We have a Diocesan Mandated Team Carol is an OLM who is Christ Church based but works across the parish. For mobility she is dependent upon a powered-wheelchair. Norman, is an elderly retired Anglican minister who preaches occasionally but is now registered blind. Julia has just been appointed as Team Vicar at Perton and will take up her post in January. It is the turn for Anglican leadership and she replaces Anthony, a URC Minister, who has been in post for 10 years Curates : we have been an active training parish for newly ordained clergy and have greatly valued their ministry. There is not a curate currently. The Lay Team Chris Tough Reader mainly based at Perton and until 2010 part-time ( 0.5 )salaried children and youth worker. (This post will be vacant at the timeof the interviews). She is a member of the Ministry Leadership Team. Joy Dipple Reader based mainly at Christ Church Preaching and funerals. She is a member of the Ministry Leadership Team Jane Brough Reader based mainly at the Church of the Good Shepherd Preaching and funerals. She is a member of the Ministry Leadership Team. Page | 6 Wendy Needham Reader at Perton preaching and funerals. Sue Ridley paid Parish Administrator, works 2 hours per day,Monday to Friday Parish Wardens Angela Williams Warden at Christ Church Judith Cross Warden at Good Shepherd There are two Deputy Wardens, one at each church. Page | 7 Christ Church Worshipper numbers There are 237 adults on our electoral roll. In 2010 our Usual Sunday Attendance figures were 108 adults and 19 under the age of 16. Styles and Traditions of Worship A wide variety of worship is represented from liberal anglo-catholic to charismatic evangelical. Lay involvement has been a feature over recent years, especially in the First Sunday Service, and this is being actively developed. Overall, there‟s a strong Eucharistic focus and Common Worship is the liturgy used apart from one Friday a month. We have installed a data projection system to enhance worship and presentations. Music There is a small choir for the communion service on all Sundays except for the first Sunday of the month. We have two volunteer organists who play on a rota basis. The organists lead the choir. Recorded music is also played through the sound system. On the first Sunday, a talented and growing music group leads the singing. It has 12 to 15 members of mixed ages who play a varied range of instruments which include keyboard, guitar and percussion. Sunday services At 8.00 we have a said Holy Communion with short sermon and an average attendance of about 20 . Then at 11.00 we have Parish Communion with Junior Church and crèche followed by coffee/tea together. Our lay led First Sunday services are more informal and family-orientated and use mixed liturgy. They are also followed by coffee and fellowship. Mid Week Services On Friday, we have said Holy Communion at 9.30 with an average attendance of 15. Coffee follows. On the third Friday of the month, the Book of Common Prayer is used. Established Activities We have a young and enthusiastic social committee who organise a range of events during the year to cater for all age groups. For example we had a ceilidh, a summer outing, lunch for the older members of the congregation, a quiz night, skittles evening, a local treasure hunt, a barbecue and a number of concerts. There are a number of regular House Groups in the parish and both Alpha and Foundations for Ministry have been run during 2010/11. In 2012 a Bishop‟s Certificate course is being shared with two adjoining parishes. Groups meet regularly for prayer. Mount Road URC & Christ Church meet for Prayer Breakfasts and Prayer Lunches each week. „Prayer Companions‟, which enables elderly or housebound people to pray regularly in their homes about church activities and concerns, was formed a couple of years ago. The Covenanting Churches hold Lent Lunches every year with each church hosting one. We have at least three joint services each year with our neighbours at Mount Road URC church and a number of joint activities for children from both churches are organised including a Summer Holiday Club.