The Parish Church of Swanmore Saint Barnabas CONTENTS Links with schools 14 Wider church 14 Contents and logo 2 The village of Swanmore 15 Introducing the parish church 3 Situation 15 - Our new Incumbent 3 Size 15 - Wykeham Group Ministry 3 Housing 15 The future 4 People 15 The vicarage 5 Employment 16 The church and the people 6 Amenities 16 Buildings and churchyard 7 Schools 17 Worship 8 Pre-schools 17 - Worship continued 9 Organisations 17 Music 11 The Wykeham Group 18 Administration 11 Shedfield and Wickham 19 Finance 11 Communication 12 The POST CODE for St Barnabas’ Church organisations 12 Church & the Vicarage is Churches Together 13 SO32 2PA Logos are often open to various interpretations – and you may well read into our logo things that we haven’t thought of! However, the intended message is this: At St Barnabas’ Church, Swanmore, there are joyful Christian people of all ages who are active both inside the church and in the local community – and there’s an overall sense of vibrancy and dynamism. The arch shape reflects the contour and proportion of the church entrance. 2 Introducing the Parish Church of Swanmore Swanmore is a village of about 3,000 people and perhaps its greatest strength is the sense of belonging that comes from living here. This same strength is very much a key characteristic of the Parish Church of Saint Barnabas where people feel loved and valued as part of the worshipping community. Although the village is rural there are many primary school (Church of England Aided) amenities within a few miles as we are roughly and a secondary school (Swanmore College of equidistant from the cities of Portsmouth, Technology) within the parish. Winchester and Southampton – which are each about half an hour’s drive away. The vicarage is a modern and spacious family home with a large garden and, though very The community of Swanmore is one very close to the church, is discreetly tucked away much oriented to family life, having both a to maintain the privacy of the incumbent. Our new Incumbent at Swanmore College of Technology – as well as Saint Barnabas’ Church, Swanmore in church groups; To develop the vibrant atmosphere of Saint s WILL BE A PASTORAL PRIEST WHO REGARDS VISITING Barnabas’ and extend our witness throughout people at home as an important part of his/ the village we hope to find an incumbent who: her ministry; welcomes all who seek baptism, s IS ENERGETIC AND ENTHUSIASTIC CALLED BY 'OD marriage and ministry to the bereaved to be active in our community; to love and through funeral services, and sees all these as nurture those within the church while helping great opportunities for both pastoral care and us explore ways to reach more people in the mission; village; s WILL BE WHOLEHEARTEDLY COMMITTED TO THE s HAS EXPERIENCE OF A RANGE OF WORSHIP STYLES 7YKEHAM 'ROUP -INISTRY RESPECTING THE and is sensitive to the different spiritual needs variety of traditions within it. and churchmanship among people of all ages; The Wykeham Group Ministry s IS AN INSPIRED TEACHER AND PREACHER WHO WILL provide strong spiritual leadership in a church 4HIS 'ROUP COMPRISES THE "ENElCE OF 3HEDlELD which embraces Eucharistic worship and and Wickham and the parish of Swanmore. Its regular prayer as the norm; main purpose is to share ministry resources ACROSS THE 'ROUP AS AGREED BY THE TWO s IS AN EFFECTIVE FACILITATOR WHO WILL SUPPORT Incumbents. A recently revised operating and grow the widespread lay involvement in FRAMEWORK FOR THE 'ROUP FORMS PART OF THIS all aspects of church life, while sharing ministry profile. The new Incumbent of Swanmore generously with assistant clergy; would be expected to work across the three s IS PERSONABLE AND COMFORTABLE RELATING churches, sharing in the taking of school to village residents – that is, a village priest assemblies, baptisms, weddings and funerals, as much as a church priest, who is happy to as well as other services, and work closely with engage with the many groups and activities; the Incumbent of Shedfield and Wickham to s CAN RELATE TO AND HELP INSPIRE YOUNG PEOPLE DEVELOP THE MODUS OPERANDI OF THE 'ROUP n – in the C of E (Aided) Primary School and the which could become a model for the Deanery. We believe Swanmore offers an incoming priest a congregation of lively, gifted, capable people – and excellent physical facilities: an attractive well-equipped church and adjoining hall, all in very good condition. Our new incumbent will need to build on the many good things that have been achieved in the past decade or so. 3 THE FUTURE Key actions for future development are to: 1 Capitalise on and support lay the new incumbent will get actively involvement, and develop it involved. It is also worth noting that into new areas the 12-16 age group is a special challenge, so it would be most The involvement of laity at Saint helpful if an incumbent were to Barnabas’ is one of its great have gifts in this area. strengths. They organise and participate in leading worship, 3 Provide strong spiritual running Home Groups, leading leadership with effective Saturday mid-day prayers, carrying preaching and teaching out pastoral care and prayer visiting. Laity form the groups of A sense of prayerfulness is evident trained Christian Listeners and within some of the congregation Bereavement Support. They are so it is important that this also much involved in organising foundation be built upon both fund-raising and social events, and in gathered worship and private maintaining the church fabric and prayer. We seek an incumbent churchyard. Clearly we would wish who will foster deeper relationships the new incumbent to continue to with God across the whole church build upon all this activity, to help family. In recent years, courses people identify their talents and have included Toolkit for Christian encourage them further to fulfil Living, Christianity Explored and, their varied callings. within Home Groups, various York courses, Nick Fawcett and Life 2 Widen the Christian witness builder studies. It is important that in Swanmore teaching of this sort will continue and grow. Our church has shown itself to be adaptable and able to reach out 4 Strengthen links with to people within its community Swanmore College of by, for example, the success of Technology initiatives such as the Prayer Visiting Group and Messy Church. We The role and influence of the would like both to reach further church within the Primary School is into our community and also to strong, as is some emphasis within encourage more people to travel the church on primary-school-aged on from this initial contact towards children. The links with Swanmore a closer relationship with God. This College are undeveloped, so has most recently been explored we seek an incumbent who and developed by the work of an can enthusiastically explore the Outreach Group reporting to the opportunities that a strong link PCC, resulting in the experimental could offer and thereby help Focus service on a Sunday provide meaningful Christian input afternoon twice a month. This is to the young people in both our an important area of development village and the Deanery. for us and one in which we hope 4 THE VICARAGE (Post code: SO32 2PA) The Vicarage, purpose-built in 1985 and situated discreetly behind the church, is a spacious family home which stands in a large garden. It has a utility room, a kitchen, a dining room, a sitting room, a study and a toilet on the ground floor, four bedrooms and a bathroom above and a double garage attached. All the rooms are generously proportioned. &OR A NUMBER OF YEARS THE 'REENERY Nursery School (which operates from the Paterson Centre) has been allowed to use the vicarage garden as an outside play space for the children. This has been a mutual arrangement solely between the Nursery School and the former vicar and is therefore something for the new incumbent to consider. 5 THE CHURCH Within the Diocese of Portsmouth, the Parish of Swanmore is part of the Wykeham Group as described above. It is part of the Bishop’s Waltham Deanery which is made up of the parishes of Bishop’s Waltham and Upham; Botley, Curdridge and Durley; Shedfield and Wickham; Droxford, Exton, Corhampton, Meonstoke, Newtown and Soberton (the ‘Bridge’ parishes) plus Hambledon and Swanmore. Some parishes are linked so that they are covered by the six Stipendiary Clergy posts in the Deanery. THE PEOPLE The most important part of our church is the congregation – a wonderful group of people with a wide range of talents, skills and experience, pleased to bring them to the service of our church. For example, over 30 people decorated the church interior from top to bottom, saving thousands of pounds; and in-house expertise specified, installed and commissioned the audio-visual system; and there are numerous examples of creative works adorning the church. 6 BUILDINGS AND CHURCHYARD path. The front of the church is maintained in a tidy and neat condition, mostly by a small group of volunteers; to St Barnabas’ church was built in 1845. It is constructed the rear a natural ‘wild’ area encourages butterflies and of brick and flint with a tiled roof and a wood-shingled other wild life. tower. Seating capacity is about 250 in pews and chairs. The building is generally in a good state of repair, with a As part of the Portsmouth Diocesan Kairos Buildings new boiler and re-roofed tower completed in 2011 at a initiative, we have embarked on a programme of changes cost of £25,000 (fully met out of church reserves which to the church building: have since been partially replenished by appeals and - replacing the church boiler and reviewing efficiency of fundraising).