The Alcester Minster Associate Minister (Self-supporting or House for Duty) PARISH PROFILE BISHOP’S INTRODUCTION The Alcester Minster is becoming a good example of a Minster model of rural mission and ministry. Situated in South West Warwickshire around the historic, civic and very attractive town of Alcester (within easy travelling of Redditch, Stratford, Solihull, Birmingham and Coventry) this group of parishes have developed effective ways of working together and pursuing a common mission. Under the recently appointed and newly named ‘Rector of the Alcester Minster Benefice’ in December 2013, the Minster is growing from strength to strength and genuinely beginning to flourish as a Minster. Morale is good and the future could be very exciting! This self-supporting or House for Duty Assistant Minister will have a breadth of ministry opportunities, both within the civic town of Alcester and in the rural villages of the Minster. You will be joining a forward thinking Diocese with a clear strategy for healthy, growing churches, committed to worshipping God, making new disciples and transforming communities, through the development of 8 Essential Qualities in the lives of the churches. You will be arriving at a time when the Diocese is seeking to take seriously the health and growth of rural churches for the 21st Century, and you will have a chance to contribute to our thinking and strategy. I commend this significant example of church life and exciting opportunity to you. With my prayers Bishop Christopher Alcester Minster Churches Worshipping God, making new disciples and transforming communities Alcester, Arrow with Weethley, Kinwarton with Great Alne, Haselor, and Coughton with Sambourne Page 2 of 15 Deanery Summary A warm welcome awaits the person God sends to join the Ministry Team of the newly titled benefice of Alcester Minster. The parishes are situated in rural Warwickshire with historic Alcester anchoring the group in its vision for ministry built upon the diocesan priorities to worship God, make new disciples and transform communities. Previously the parishes have informally worked together but decided to formalise the relationship into a more strategic partnership developing lay ministry and mission. There are many new small mission initiatives across the deanery but with growing rural poverty the deanery is freshly committed to the provision of food banks. The deanery is increasingly being focused on the importance of lay and clergy being inspired to work together and there is a strong need to be at ease working with our many small but faithful church families who have varied styles of worship. However, one of the greatest challenges to rural church is ageing church congregations, and so we have a pressing need for enthusiastic and open minded approaches to explore new and appropriate ways of ministry and mission in the countryside. The deanery has 6 full time stipendiary clergy, two house for duty priests and almost as many self-supporting ministers and active retired clergy. The deanery is strongly committed to supporting financially the mission of the diocese and actively supports one another. Chapter meetings are held monthly and are a place of sharing faith, prayer and fellowship as well as growing a common heart for mission and learning. We very much look forward to welcoming to our mostly rural deanery our next colleague and practitioner in the work of the kingdom. I am always willing to have an informal conversation and can be contacted on tel. 01527 852830 or 07799 675748 and email [email protected] Revd David Silvester, Area Dean, Alcester Deanery Alcester Minster Churches Worshipping God, making new disciples and transforming communities Alcester, Arrow with Weethley, Kinwarton with Great Alne, Haselor, and Coughton with Sambourne Page 3 of 15 From the Rector of Alcester Minster Thank you for your interest in the post of Associate Minister (House for Duty) at Alcester Minster. This post presents a great opportunity to work as part of a forward-looking team of lay and ordained leaders who are keen to shape Alcester Minster to be effective in mission and ministry. It would be well suited to someone who enjoys the challenge of developing new expressions of church as well as traditional ministries. At an Away Day looking at the nature and purpose of the church and new activities for worship and outreach, we enjoyed a wonderful sense of being the Family of God. This has given us a real impetus to consider new ways of being church such as Café Church, Messy Church, Stillness services etc, and we are looking for an Associate Minister who can contribute to these more creative and engaging approaches to mission and ministry, and bring their ideas, experience, gifts and skills to the role. The Minster, with its diverse membership, affords plenty of opportunities. Rather than being linked to particular churches, the clergy conduct services in all the churches to engender Minster identity and unity. We are committed to clergy and lay readers being able to spend quality time with congregations after a service, and we have recently revised the pattern of services to further facilitate that aim. We are now looking for a priest who would be excited by joining this Minster and who would gain fulfilment in contributing to both existing and new expressions of church across a civic town and rural villages, whilst enjoying living in a lively market town in Warwickshire! I would be very happy to answer any questions you have about the post. Please contact me on 01789 764261 or by email: [email protected]. Revd Adrian Guthrie Rector – Alcester Minster Alcester Minster Churches Worshipping God, making new disciples and transforming communities Alcester, Arrow with Weethley, Kinwarton with Great Alne, Haselor, and Coughton with Sambourne Page 4 of 15 Background to Post Alcester Minster was established under informal arrangements in 2006 as a group of 5 parishes (8 churches) who were committed to a Minster approach to ministry. A unanimous decision by all 5 PCCs to create the benefice of the Alcester Minster resulted in a formal Pastoral Scheme completed in July 2013, and the appointment of the new ‘Rector of the Alcester Minster’ (Rev Adrian Guthrie) in December 2013. The Minster has gone from strength to strength and we are now looking to fill the post of Associate Minister. The Minster includes the town of Alcester, and the village churches of Arrow and Weethley to the West, Kinwarton and Great Alne to the East, Haselor to the East, and Coughton and Sambourne to the North. We believe this commitment to mutuality in mission and ministry combined with an awareness and valuing of our diversity and individual distinctiveness, as well as encouraging new forms and expressions of church, is what characterises the Alcester Minster. The Minster Leadership Team, led by the Rector, includes an NSM priest and 5 Lay Readers. Additional support has been provided temporarily by clergy in the neighbouring parish, but the Minster now agrees that a longer term appointment is needed. We would welcome an Associate Minister who can work as part of this growing team as we continue on our journey together as a Minster. Minster Leadership Team Alcester Minster Churches Worshipping God, making new disciples and transforming communities Alcester, Arrow with Weethley, Kinwarton with Great Alne, Haselor, and Coughton with Sambourne Page 5 of 15 Role Specification The role of the Associate Minister within the Alcester Minster is to play a full part in fulfilling the Diocesan Mission Purpose of: Worshipping God Making New Disciples Transforming Communities This will be achieved by developing 8 Essential Qualities (see further www.healthychurches.org.uk) in the life of the churches across the Minster: Empowering Leadership Gift-orientated Ministry Passionate Spirituality Inspiring Worship Holistic Small Groups Need-orientated Outreach Loving Relationships Functional Structures The role is based on a minimum of 20 hours per week (some flexibility and evening work will be required), and will include the following regular commitments: Missional activities within the Minster, including developing areas of personal missional interest/gifting. Leading services of inspiring worship on Sunday mornings, some evenings, and once a week, mid-week. Preparation for and conducting of occasional offices, as part of our need- oriented outreach, throughout the Minster. Some PCC and Minster Council meetings at the discretion of the Rector. Person Specification We would welcome a person who: has a strong and visible Christian faith, rooted in prayer, possessing the energy and enthusiasm to inspire future growth in existing and emerging contexts of the Minster. is a team player, able to provide clear but empowering support for the on-going development of the Minster as we share Christ’s life and love with the communities we serve. is an inspirational communicator to all ages, helping us engage especially with young families, adults and children. will value and respect the diverse styles of worship across the Minster. Alcester Minster Churches Worshipping God, making new disciples and transforming communities Alcester, Arrow with Weethley, Kinwarton with Great Alne, Haselor, and Coughton with Sambourne Page 6 of 15 Empowering Leadership Alcester Minster tries to nurture leadership in lay people. Examples of lay leadership currently being exercised include: 16 lay worship leaders involved in conducting non-Eucharistic services Lay leaders of home groups and small groups All PCCs have a lay chair. Mission projects, ministry activities, maintenance functions, and hospitality groups are all lay led. Lay Readers and Clergy together form the Ministry Leadership Team, which manages the day to day running of the Minster. Churchwardens and Rector form the Minster Council, which helps to formulate strategy for the Minster. Potential leaders are identified by MLT and support structures have been developed for lay worship leaders and home group leaders.