BRAILES, SUTTON UNDER BRAILES; TYSOE, OXHILL AND WHATCOTE Growing together in unity Page 1 of 22 BISHOP’S INTRODUCTION These beautiful parishes, set in the centre of England, with their cherished rural environment, their strong commitment to the well being of their villages and their support for the life of the Church, provide a very attractive place in which to live and minister. There is a deeply exciting opportunity to grow the spiritual life of the people in this group of parishes, release more of the gifts of the people of God, reach out to those distanced in any way from the Church and lead the different church communities into a more integrated, common mission and ministry. The appointment of a new Associate (House for Duty) Minister, along with the involvement of able retired clergy living in the Benefices, provides a wonderful opportunity to build an effective clergy and lay team across the whole group. The parishes are some of the most southernmost in the Diocese, geographically and emotionally quite distant from Coventry and the Cathedral, and who may have felt over the years a lack of connection with the ‘centre’. I am therefore very encouraged about some of the steps being taken mutually to help re-build a closer connection and positive relationship. I endorse and fully support these endeavours. When I came to the Diocese in 2008, I was charged by the then Archbishop of Canterbury to ‘release the missionary energies of the Diocese of Coventry’. That is what we have been doing over the last years, helped by our clear Mission Purpose and supported by our strategic emphasis on growing healthy church communities. That is the work to be done in these Benefices and I gladly commend it to you. Page 2 of 22 DEANERY SUMMARY This group of churches is part of the Deanery of Shipston, the southernmost tip of the Diocese of Coventry. The Deanery includes this group, and another four Benefices containing 26 parishes, with 28 churches. Apart from the market town of Shipston (sadly without an actual market nowadays), each is a small rural community with its own identity. The Deanery is geographically quite spread out, but with a total population of just 16,500 or so is smaller than many single urban parishes. It is an area with far more sheep than people, where the farming year is critically important, and which comes with all the privileges, responsibilities and challenges of rural life. When I look at Brailes, Sutton-under-Brailes, Tysoe, Oxhill and Whatcote, I see welcoming church communities, each trying to be faithful both to God and their churches. I see individuals trying to serve God, each other and the communities in which they are rooted, and each open to learning more about Jesus and their journey of discipleship with him and slowly becoming aware of their lives together. I see five village communities, in each of which there is a strong place for the church at its heart, and characterised by deep relationships which interweave church and village life. They are not without their problems, but they are trying to rise to the challenge of making God’s love known and real, and of seeing lives transformed, in a rapidly changing world. In terms of attendance, they vary - one struggles, whereas others at time punch well above their weight. Our aim as a Deanery is to celebrate our lives together as the family of God, to learn together, and to speak together of what we have seen and heard. As a Diocese we have spent much time in consultation with those involved in multi-parish benefices in our rural communities, and are actively committed to supporting them. Our small numbers here mean that Shipston Deanery has a vital role in resourcing, supporting and enabling those in the small churches who find some tasks beyond their capabilities. Deanery Synod and Lent and Ascension Services have long formed the backbone of this. Increasingly we are running teaching courses, music workshops and social events to enable us to be more fully the body of Christ. you. The Reverend Canon Jill Tucker Area Dean of Shipston Page 3 of 22 BACKGROUND TO POST The Benefice of Brailes, the Benefice of Sutton under Brailes and the Benefice of Tysoe, Oxhill and Whatcote are situated on the edge of the Cotswolds, in southern Warwickshire approximately 10 miles from Stratford upon Avon and a similar distance from Banbury in Oxfordshire. It is an area of remarkable natural beauty with a rich history and a warm and welcoming local population. Like any multi-parish grouping we have experienced a range of responses to being grouped together and the five parishes have had a fairly long history of operating as effectively separate worshipping communities. Since the appointment of our incumbent, the Reverend George Heighton, in 2017 this has been changing and now we are growing together in unity. This has been helped by co-ordinating leadership and worship across the whole group, including the introduction of a quarterly united service which has been well supported by all of the churches. There is still more to be done, though, and the new Associate Minister will have an important role, working alongside the incumbent, in helping to promote and develop this further. Housing will be provided in Brailes where our previous incumbent lived for 37 years and where the church retains a high profile within the community. The village misses having a priest living within the community and therefore we are looking for an Associate Minister to live in the vicarage, to build on the strong pastoral ministry both there and across the other villages, purposefully and actively promoting cohesion and unity with the rest of the team and develop the really positive relationship with the primary school. The Associate Minister will also be expected to participate in a wider brief, supporting the incumbent and ministering across the benefices which are unusually blessed by also being able to draw on a team of additional voluntary priestly support, with two retired priests and the current Area Dean all living within the parishes. There is also a licensed Reader. In general, the benefices are in good heart, but there are some challenges: One church is struggling with numbers and wondering about its sustainability, there are few children or young adults involved in our worshipping life, and there has been a pervasive feeling of being disconnected from the wider diocesan family because of how far away from Coventry we are geographically. The incumbent writes “I am passionate about encouraging members of the congregations to explore their own ministry and welcoming those on the fringes to discover Jesus in their lives. I am seeking a colleague who is excited by the prospect of investing time and energy inspiring others to grow in faith and who enjoys being part of an evolving team.” This post is offered on a House for Duty basis and would suit someone, ideally experienced in rural ministry, who is looking for an opportunity to work in partnership with an incumbent (and others) towards greater unity, discipleship and mission in the Church. The Reverend George Heighton Page 4 of 22 ROLE DESCRIPTION PERSON SPECIFICATION The role of the Associate Minister is to work alongside the incumbent in enabling all five churches to grow together in unity as We welcome applications from candidates who are: they fulfil the diocesan mission purpose of: committed to being a pastoral presence in Worshipping God villages, celebrating and building on strong Making new disciples links between church and community, and Transforming communities supporting an incumbent in their ministry. enthusiastic about helping churches to This will involve developing eight essential qualities in the life of develop a mutual exchange of support and the Church: encouragement that enables them to grow in Empowering Leadership unity. Gift-oriented Ministry gifted in encouraging and nurturing people Passionate Spirituality of all ages to become active members and Inspiring Worship leaders within their worshipping Holistic Small Groups communities. Need-oriented Outreach Loving Relationships Functional Structures The Associate Minister will have a key role in pastoral visiting and discipleship development across all five Churches with a priority focus in Brailes, helping the people to live out these qualities in their lives, churches and communities. The post is offered on a House for Duty basis: The successful candidate will be expected to offer twenty hours of ministry per week, to include taking Sunday services, and a well-appointed vicarage in the beautiful village of Brailes will be provided. The Diocese of Coventry is committed to the wellbeing of clergy and actively encourages people in part-time ministry to maintain their rest days. Page 5 of 22 THE DIOCESAN MISSION PURPOSE AND EIGHT ESSENTIAL QUALITIES OF HEALTHY CHURCHES The Mission Purpose of the Diocese of Coventry is: Worshipping God, Making New Disciples, Transforming Communities. These parishes are fully committed to fulfilling these three aspects and are enthusiastic and imaginative in the ways that they do so. We believe that we will achieve this Mission Purpose by developing eight Essential Qualities in the life of the church but we have varied in their approach and attitude to them. As the size of the congregations varies considerably, the smaller congregations found the questions particularly challenging and one or two still retain a negative feeling to what are considered to be “Diocesan sponsored initiatives”. Empowering Gift-Oriented Ministry Leadership All the churches appreciate the Our churches’ leaders are importance of the volunteer help mostly people who have given by members of the been in leadership roles for congregations.