Welcome 1 Summary 2 Location 3 New Homes 4 Benefice About us 5 Current Worship 6 Who We Are 7 Benefice Activities and Community Events 8 Our Churches Holy Trinity, Paulton 11 Holy Trinity, High Littleton 13 St John’s, Farrington Gurney 15 Deanery Information 17 This word cloud shows the results of the survey which we invited Diocese Information 18 all members of our local communities to complete. The larger the Your New Home? 20 word, the more frequently it occurred. Skills and Personal Qualities 21 Contacts and Links 22 Heavenly Father, whose word created all things, help us to select the right words to find the person whom You have chosen to be our new minister. Lord Jesus, you are the Good Shepherd, W elcome to this profile of our Benefice and its three help us to discover a new shepherd for Your flock in churches. We hope that what you read here will interest you Farrington Gurney, High Littleton and Paulton. as you explore in prayer where your next ministry might be. We would love to explore with you whether you can guide and Holy Spirit, whom Jesus promised will be with us always, inspire us in our desire to encourage all in our communities help us and guide us as we seek to bring a new light – to come and grow with us as we learn more about God’s love, not only to our churches, and to share in fellowship where we care for each other and but also the wider communities in our Benefice. are fed, both spiritually .......... and with cake! Come, Share W e seek to reach out more to all in our communities, especially to families wherever they may be. We want to improve our buildings so that we can invite all to use more easily the beautiful, peaceful spaces they provide. We seek, when asked, to listen to people’s concerns and to encourage all who have a desire to learn more about the faith we all hold and Be Fed. so dear. T his profile is designed to provide you with a great deal of information about our Benefice today and how we see it growing in the future under the guidance of our new vicar. Thinking about taking on a new post can be both daunting and exciting at the same time. However you can be sure that, should Children from Farrington Gurney school drew the things they thought the new vicar should do. you come here, you will receive the warmest of welcomes. We offer you our support and encouragement, our love and Key Tasks prayers and plenty of hospitality! We have faithful congregations, beautiful churches, a large vicarage and a Our Benefice seeks to spread the Good News of Jesus’ life and love fabulous location in one of the most desirable parts of the for us throughout our community. We have identified a number of country. priority areas where further development will allow us to achieve this: We are excited about the next stage in the development of our Benefice and are looking forward to working with you. Outreach in our villages is critical, with a strong focus on children We are ready to move on. Are you? and families particularly through our primary schools. Engagement is essential. Our churches are seen as central to village life and important drivers of community activity. Growth in faith is central and requires encouragement, strong teaching and illuminating preaching. Facilities improvement will underpin these developments, allowing more flexible and comfortable accommodation to welcome everyone. Paulton cream tea 2019 T he Benefice is situated within the rolling hills and countryside south of Bath. There Bath are many historic villages nearby and the area is rich in industrial history. Paulton, High Bath is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with plenty of Littleton and Farrington Gurney are within 2 miles of one another and are centrally opportunities to shop or explore the historic Georgian located between Wells (8 miles), Bath (9 miles) and Bristol (11 miles). Both Bath and Architecture. The yearly Bath Festivals and historic literary Bristol have main line rail stations as well as being hubs of History and culture. connections make Bath a central hub for culture and the arts. To Bath (A39) To Bristol (A37) Bristol Bristol is a lively and colourful historic city, known for being the home of Banksy. The Bristol Hippodrome has a wide variety of shows and entertainment throughout the year, coupled with the various other venues across Bristol and Bath, there is always plenty to do on offer. Bristol airport is within easy reach; just a 30 minute drive away. Wells The smallest city in England, Wells is the headquarters for the diocese of Bath and Wells. The impressive structure of Wells Cathedral and the Bishop’s Palace and gardens command the centre of the city. The Mendips There are many opportunities to enjoy fresh air and beautiful views stretching from Bristol, across to Glastonbury Tor and the Somerset Levels. The landscape has long been a source of inspiration; the area is rich is prehistoric settlement and the hymn Rock of Ages was written at nearby Burrington Combe. The area is popular with walkers and tourists; there are many walking tracks criss-crossing the countryside. To Wells (A39) P aulton has seen much redevelopment recently as smaller parcels of land have been built upon. The most significant development occupies the former Purnell print factory. Population growth statistics from the diocese show that Paulton is predicted to double in size between 2011 and 2021; from 5,300 to 10,000 people. Parish survey results showed that parishioners were keen to Development continues at the Purnell site, Paulton. The estate is home to many young reach out into the new estates and see the churches become families. the heart or centre of the villages. We would like a new vicar to explore this missionary potential and help to unite these new High Littleton has also seen new developments. There have been two main parts of the community. developments; the first consisting of 10 homes; the second a development of 20 homes with space to further expand. In Hallatrow, there are currently 8 homes being built with additional space to continue development. Farrington Gurney currently does not have any active housing developments. Present We have come together as a Benefice and have found a worship pattern that suits the majority of our congregations. We are continuing to find new ways of working together and this profile is an example of this. It is the combined work of our parishes, who responded to a Benefice survey and who came together for a vision day in May 2019. ur Benefice is situated in N. E. O Future Somerset within easy reach of the cities of All three parishes are on the same wave length as regards their future Bath, Bristol and Wells. The Benefice was priorities - growth, especially of families and young people, building formed in 2007 when the parish of High improvements and more outreach into the communities. We are all Littleton with Hallatrow joined the already committed to living and telling the story of Jesus. joined parishes of Paulton and Farrington Gurney. We each have our own PCC’s. Skittles 2019 Council There is a Benefice council, made up of the churchwardens from Living in Paulton the three parishes which deals with service planning and all There are a range of small shops in the village and a large Tesco matters common to the three churches. is about a 5-minute drive away. Also, there are three takeaways, Office a pub and an Italian restaurant plus a small library and café. We have a Benefice office working out of the Paulton vestry staffed Paulton has a doctor’s surgery and chemist located on the edge by voluntary administrators who deal with paperwork relating to of the village, close to the hospital and there are 2 dental baptisms, weddings etc. for the three churches. The office also surgeries in the centre. There are three secondary schools within publishes the weekly notice sheet and lesson and prayer rotas a 5/6-mile radius, two of which are part of the Midsomer Norton when needed and does any other relevant paperwork. All office Academy Trust. expenses are covered by the three churches. There are numerous clubs and societies for both adults and children and a football club, Paulton Rovers, which has a social Website club attached to it. There is a large park in the centre of the There is a Benefice website which is maintained and updated village with a children’s play area, tennis court and MUGA pitch regularly by a member of the congregation and has the potential for and on the outskirts, there is a recreation ground with a skate a vicar’s blog and integration with social media. Chris, our board park included. Paulton also has its own public swimming webmaster, is keen to assist and work with you in order to further pool. develop our digital outreach. Current Worship Pattern - Lay Led - Vicar Led Paulton Messy Church Craft Benefice services rotate between the three churches and are always at 10:00am. During the interregnum we have suspended a Holy Communion with lunch (first Thursday) and the 8am Holy Communion on the second Sunday. Both previously held at Paulton. W e are a small but dedicated team who are willing to help you and the wider church communities. We have a diverse range of backgrounds, skills and experiences and are there when you need us to be.