The United Benefice of Bloxham with Milcombe and South Newington Benefice Profile Autumn 2015 TABLE OF CONTENTS: FOREWORD FROM THE BISHOP 1 APPENDICES BENEFICE OVERVIEW 2 APPENDIX 1 - OUR LOCATION 15 WHAT WE ARE PRAYING FOR 3 APPENDIX II - BENEFICE SUNDAY SERVICES 16 PARISH PROFILES APPENDIX III - OUR FINANCES 17 BLOXHAM 4 MILCOMBE 7 SOUTH NEWINGTON 9 OUR SCHOOLS 11 THE VICARAGE 12 WHAT WE CAN OFFER 13 THE DEDDINGTON DEANERY 14 FOREWORD BY RT REVD. COLIN FLETCHER, BISHOP OF DORCHESTER one and the Archdeacon, Parish Development Adviser, and I will, as ever, do what we can to offer our help to you. It is good to be proved wrong as a bishop. I warmly commend this post to you. Normally I look to move things on in a vacancy to make sure that it does not last too long. After all longer ones can damage the life of a benefice. Bloxham, Milcombe and South Newington are, however, an exception to that general rule. It took courage not to appoint when we had a chance to do so, but the result has been, to quote this profile, ‘A realisation that the Holy Spirit (has been) at work during the vacancy drawing out the talents, resources, and skill sets amongst the congregations and lay leadership of the benefice’. Looking back, these months have been a period of growth and development in the life of these congregations. This post has always been a good one with plenty of opportunities for development in one way or another, but it is an even better one now. There are challenges around whether in terms of finance or numerical growth or the significant new housing areas in Bloxham but each village has a core of praying people who long to see things being taken forward under the guidance of the new Vicar. The Deanery too is a strongly supportive 1 THE UNITED BENEFICE OF BLOXHAM WITH MILCOMBE AND SOUTH NEWINGTON generations, and many who have moved in more recently is a sizeable and thriving Baptist congregation, with whom The United Benefice of Bloxham with Milcombe and to the new housing estates, in Bloxham and Milcombe we hold several joint services. South Newington is comprised of three villages, each with especially. This has had significant impact on the villages. a very individual character, and is set within the Deddington Working together as a Benefice is a challenge! However, Deanery. Bloxham is the largest of the villages. Banbury, While the villages appear to be affluent and thriving there we currently have a central Benefice Office (at present in Chipping Norton, and the Cotswolds are only a few miles are pockets of deprivation and social dysfunction where part of the vicarage) which serves as a unifying point of away. The Benefice provides a beautiful and peaceful place pastoral care is needed. In both Bloxham and Milcombe contact for all Benefice matters. The office is staffed by a to live. there is some social housing, and there are also traveller rota of volunteers for five mornings each week from 9:30 and fairground sites on the outskirts of Bloxham that to 12:30. The area has been prosperous since the Middle Ages, both introduce different social issues into the village dynamics. for the wool trade as well as for being a source of ironstone. We publish a weekly pew sheet for all benefice news and As a result many of the buildings within the benefice are of Employment opportunities within the Benefice are events, and a monthly Sharing Prayer leaflet to encourage a fine stone construction, some of which are listed. limited, but many work in the surrounding areas. Banbury, our communal prayer life. To help our community being the nearest town, provides significant employment engagement, we are in the process of developing a benefice Our churches are beautiful, historic and inspiring and are opportunities, as do Bicester, Oxford, and Milton Keynes. website. all Grade 1 or 2 listed. The fact that Bloxham was under With fast rail connections many also choose to commute direct royal patronage for centuries, and the area had a to London and Birmingham for work. We worship together as a Benefice in each church on set significant role during the English Civil War is reflected occasions, at Epiphany, on Ash Wednesday and during Holy in the local history of the church buildings. The buildings The Benefice has the A361 running through the heart of it Week. Bloxham and Milcombe alternately host a monthly themselves are all in very good repair and each local village and also a regular day-time bus service between Banbury Prayer Breakfast. supports the preservation of each church’s fabric. Each and Chipping Norton connecting the villages. This is the PCC plans their own projects with a view to encouraging only public transport from the benefice to both of the We are all looking forward to welcoming and supporting further community use. larger towns and the local secondary schools. It acts as a a new incumbent who will help us to work together more vital lifeline in our rural communities. However, given its closely and creatively as a Benefice and build upon our All three of the villages were traditionally rural, however in limitations, many in our smaller communities can still feel common strengths. We prayerfully offer this profile to recent decades agriculture has been less of a feature. isolated. you, that through the grace of God you will be led to work with us. Our communities are well established with a mix of There are a number of other denominations represented families some of whom have been in the villages for several and active in the benefice. Most notably in Bloxham there 2 WE ARE PRAYING FOR: Someone who can provide consistency and stability for A person of broad churchmanship, who embraces tradition our benefice. but is also aware of the changes required as our churches find their place in contemporary society. Someone who also possesses good organisational and analytical skills, and is reasonably IT literate. Someone to encourage and willing to lead a variety of worship styles including those that will appeal to those Most importantly however, we want someone to help us who feel marginalised. We need someone who can help discern where God is leading us - that we may share God’s us take Jesus to those who do not come to us. love with all and drive forward the Diocesan initiative of “Living Faith.” SOMEONE WITH A GOOD A person of vision with a practical ability to facilitate “ change. Someone, above all, with a good sense of humour who will enjoy working with us and share our journey of faith SENSE OF HUMOUR ” Inspirational leadership. Someone who can energise, who in years to come. sparks and reignites a passion for Christ; a person whose enthusiasm is contagious. A new vicar who will have an understanding and ideally experience of rural ministry. “SOMEONE WHO SPARKS AND Our new Vicar to be instrumental in drawing us together in new ways to help us form a united voice for the Benefice RE-IGNITES A PASSION FOR CHRIST ” whilst respecting the individuality of each parish. Someone who is open, and transparent, outgoing and friendly. Our new incumbent should be as much at home in the wider community as they will be with our congregations. 3 How we are “Building Our Future”: Four years ago a committee was commissioned to start to 4 work on a large scale “once in a generation” re-ordering of the church. The architecture firm JBKS has been appointed and plans are now up to RIBA Stage C (Concept Design). As it stands the project is estimated to cost well over £1m. A member of our congregation is spearheading the higher level fundraising effort. We are currently pursuing the first phase of this project which entails installing a new sound system and opening up the West Door as a main entrance. The rest of the project will be reviewed together with our new priest. There is a sense of optimism and excitement both from the PCC and congregation about the plans for the reordering of the church. A Charity...for a Charity? The Friends of St Mary’s. The Friends of St Mary’s is a separate charity to raise funds from the wider community to assist with and improve the fabric of the building. It is run by an enthusiastic and dedicated committee and the Vicar is invited to become President. Always trying new and innovative fundraising ideas, they hosted an inaugural Christmas Tree Festival in 2014, which looks set to become a biennial fixture. St Mary’s Churchyard ST MARY’S CHURCH Where We Worship (Our Church Building) When the historic churchyard of St Mary’s started to fill up, A magnificent Grade 1 listed medieval church, St Mary’s we were gifted a parcel of land for use as an extension. This BLOXHAM Bloxham has been described as “one of the finest in the has been consecrated and cleared. A project is underway country.” Much of the existing fabric is from the 14c, with between all key organisations, to agree a churchyard burial The Village some fine examples of earlier Norman stonework. With plan and associated landscaping. This provides a long term Bloxham is one of the largest villages in Oxfordshire Morris and Burne-Jones windows, three organs, a 15c font, solution for burials in the village. with a population over 3,300. There are several new and a rood screen supposedly gifted from Cardinal Wolsey, developments planned or recently built, which likely bring the church has a rich architectural history, much of which Our Space - The Parish Rooms: the population to nearly 4,000 if not more.