Connecting everyone to Jesus

and one another

PARISH PROFILE

St Luke’s is a welcoming community of faith, seeking to

connect…

UP to the living God of the Bible

Father, Son and Holy Spirit, in amazement, wonder, prayer and wor-

ship, because everyone is created to enjoy his unconditional love.

OUT by sharing God’s love, power and good news

To serve and enrich people, organisations, and the environment,

both locally and beyond, and draw them into his salvation through

Jesus Christ

IN to a growing, supportive family here

Welcoming all ages and backgrounds into safe and honest friend-

ships as together we seek to follow Jesus faithfully and receive his

gracious healing of our brokenness

ON by developing every member

In their spiritual growth, abilities and confidence, so that, enabled

by his Holy Spirit, we take the risen Jesus and his transforming

kingdom wherever we go

This is the current vision statement, developed in consultation

with the congregation

Connecting everyone to

Jesus and one another

Our vision and purpose

St. Luke’s is looking for someone to:

The Diocese of Canterbury is committed to:

Growing the church numerically and spiritually

Re-imagining ministry

Building partnerships that enrich the community

and so are we!

Please see Bishop Rose’s letter in the application pack

Enable us to grow the kingdom of God in Maidstone

Attract people outside the church, working through the congregation, and connect them into God’s family

Provide spiritual leadership supporting the congregation to grow in faith, love of the Lord, understanding of scripture, and in confident ministry using the gifts of the Spirit

Build relationships and a culture of connectedness where we love and care for one another

Guide the development and use of the site to meet the needs of the church and local community

Build a team and administrative structure that enables us to grow the church and its ministry

Your capabilities and experience

These are the capabilities that the PCC and congregation believe to be most

important in our new vicar:

Spiritual leadership: uses the gifts of the Spirit and encourages others to do so. Communicates both the authority and relevance of scripture in a manner that engages people, deepens their understanding and inspires them to act.

Leader of people: provides leadership that

inspires, supports and motivates those volunteers involved in ministry to achieve outcomes that are aligned with the ministry of the church, so that we can reach out and grow an all-age church.

An effective communicator: engages both larger

and smaller audiences. A good listener who will understand and engage with the congregation as well as conveying information and ideas clearly, accurately and persuasively through both speech and writing.

Builds and sustains relationships: develops and maintains effective working relationships through communicating honestly, openly and effectively. Emotionally intelligent and experienced in handling pastoral situations sensitively and effectively.

Management skills: able to manage yourself and deliver results through harnessing the skills of others. Fully aware of your own strengths, weaknesses, impact and approach. Can work co-operatively as part of a team to achieve common goals.

Church business manager: understands how to

organise and manage a medium-sized church. Works through others to deliver pastoral care, ministry and maintain the church's physical and administrative infrastructure.

Your chance to do God’s will with a church willing to be led!

St Luke’s is a vibrant town centre church in Maidstone, the county town of

Kent. We are active in several areas of ministry, but we are praying that God

is calling a person to help us discern His will, align our ministries with it and enable the church to reach out into the

community to thrive once again.

Here’s a snapshot of our strengths, the current challenges and the opportunity as we see it:

STRENGTHS

A diverse congregation thirsty for teaching and

growth, and ready to welcome and support you

A dedicated core of volunteers leading numerous

ministries, including an established children’s

ministry

An evangelical, outward-looking approach

Beautiful Arts & Crafts church in good condition,

and with flexible internal layout

CHALLENGES

Retaining new members and growing the

numbers in the 21-50 age group

Securing sufficient funding to employ support

staff, maintain the site and update equipment

Developing a longer term site management plan

Volunteers are thinly spread over a wide range of

ministries

OPPORTUNITIES

Maidstone is a growing town drawing families

and young people moving from London who

want to belong to a new church and community

Developing our future site management plan for

church and community benefit

Working together with the wider Deanery and its

work to grow the church, e.g. through Waypoint

St. Luke’s is the largest and most lively Anglican

church in the town centre with good facilities to

enable growth

Who are we? Comments from the Congregation meeting December 2019

A welcoming

fellowship

A single parish church,

centred in one location

Use of

spiritual gifts

Great children’s team and

ministry

Evangelical

approach

A wealth of

ministries

Wanting to grow

Many people with

gifts

A diverse congregation

multi-cultural, all ages,

socio-economically diverse,

all abilities

Pastoral support

We love to cook for

others

Hospitality

skills

Creative

people We are a family that

has had ups and

downs

A large site with a

range of buildings,

in various states of

repair

Schools work at

Eastborough

Eco Church

Great worship team

and lots of musicians Lots of people able

and willing to lead

services and preach

All ages, including families

with new babies

Sensitive to people with

additional needs

Great gardening

team

Fun, exciting

youth work

60 + lunch club

Café ‘n’ Tots

We pray

Huge outreach potential to

build and grow

A challenge to lift from

current position

Design

team

Lovely church

building

Lots of people in

small groups

Company, for people with

learning difficulties

On site links with

scouts, guides and

brownies

Many community connections:

Winter shelter, Street Pastors,

Princess Project Good links with other local churches

through the Waypoint project

Improved financial position.

Parish share always paid

UP to God

Sunday services

10:00 am: We are currently trialling a

combined morning service to bring

the whole community together and

give a larger, more dynamic family

feel. Typical attendance is 100 adults

and 20 children.

The monthly pattern includes one all-

age ‘Kidz-In’ service, and two Holy

Communion Services with the others

being Morning Prayer. Worship is a

mix of contemporary and traditional

elements, inclusive of people from

both the previous services.

6:30 pm: A smaller, inclusive service

that reaches out to more vulnerable

members of the community. Typical

attendance is 20.

Churchmanship

St. Luke’s has a vibrant evangelical

tradition, embracing charismatic

renewal and open to the work of the

Holy Spirit. The congregation is drawn

mainly from Maidstone with some

travelling from the surrounding towns

and villages. Over recent years there

has been an effort to engage more

with the parish, other Maidstone

churches and the local community.

Children and Youth Ministry

We have a team that provides crèche,

children’s and youth activities every

week other than the ‘Kidz-In’ service.

We use material from Urban Saints

and Youth for Christ.

Worship

We seek for our worship to be Spirit-

led. We have several worship leaders

and many musicians. We use a mix of

modern and traditional songs and use

liturgy in moderation.

Prayer

Members of the congregation pray in

small groups that change each

month—where, does not really

matter!

Ministry team

The ministry team is trained to offer

prayer for individuals after services

and privately, if required.

Worship by design

Our team creates wonderful displays that help us focus on particular themes such as this Easter display.

How we currently fulfil our Vision and Purpose, connecting...

UP to God Sue, our banner designer, says:

This banner evolved out of being asked to think about colours for the new carpet and reupholstering the chairs. The prayer and inspiration came from crocuses in my garden and the verses from Isaiah, I felt spoke into a future hope for our church and what those colours meant in worship.

Quiet area for prayer and reflection at

the summer fete

Sue says:

This banner took me 11 months to make as it kept evolving and chang-ing from my original design. Per-haps a sign for us to be flexible in thought and deed. The two scrip-tures had been impressed on me for quite a while, and so I wanted to bring them both together in this

Special services

Kidzcarols at Christmas. This service

attracts many families who are on the

fringes of the church. Attendance: 250

non-regulars.

Sea Service - St Luke’s hosts an annual

sea service for naval organisations.

Attendance: 120.

60+

This group meets to serve the needs of

older members of the community and

includes a monthly service.

Big church day out

A group of nine attended the Big

Church Day Out last year.

Burn Meetings

Several local ‘Burn meetings’, which

bring Christians from different

churches together for periods of

extended prayer and worship, have

been held at St.Luke’s.

New Wine

14 people attended this event in 2019.

Summer Fete

About 150 people came to our first ever

Summer Fete. We set out with the aim of

engaging with our neighbours, putting the

church on the map and working together as a

church family team. We had a lot of fun, got

completely exhausted at the end, but we made

new friends and £2000 so it was worth the

effort!

Café ’n’ Tots Café ‘n’ Tots is open for three sessions a week at

St. Luke’s. We welcome mums, dads, grandparents

and carers of babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers.

Our aim is to offer a café atmosphere for the

carers, to enjoy some coffee and cake. They have

the opportunity to relax and make friends, whilst

sharing the joys and woes of childcare. We provide

a variety of toys for the children and some healthy

snacks. Each session finishes with singing.

We hope each session is an opportunity for carers

to have some time out and leave feeling refreshed.

This is a first point of contact with the church for

many families. Some go on to attend special

services at Christmas, arrange blessing services or

book the halls for birthday parties.

Average attendance is 40 per session.

Connect Connect magazine is distributed to all homes in the parish several times a year with information about seasonal events, regular activities, services and an inspirational message.

New people... ...visit St Luke’s Sunday services almost every week, but our systems for drawing them in and keeping them are not yet well developed. There are also many opportunities to grow through relationships with groups that hire our halls and facilities each week.

Eastfield Care Home A team visits Eastfield to lead a service for the

residents each month. We provide speakers and

music in rotation with other churches.

Visiting team A newly-formed team has been out and about in

the parish, introducing themselves and inviting

people to particular events like the carols by

candlelight service. They have been well received!

Uniformed organisations There are Scout, Guide and Brownie groups

meeting on site six days a week. They attend

special services during the year such as Harvest,

Christingle and Mother’s Day.

Fair Trade Stall A Fair Trade stall is run each month from the

church lobby.

OUT sharing God’s love

OUT sharing God’s

love

Company

Company is a group for adults with learning

disabilities. We meet monthly on a Saturday from

2–4pm for fun and fellowship. Our meetings

consist of craft, games, puzzles and a break for

refreshments. We then have a time of Bible

teaching and finally worship and prayer.

Some members of our group have shown an

interest in playing musical instruments, keyboard,

guitars and ukulele. This has been encouraged and

has given some a self-confidence that they had not

shown before. As can be expected, our worship

time has been made very interesting! It is

wonderful to see the encouragement and support

they are given by each other. Even the carers have

been impressed by their growing self-confidence.

Eastborough School

Our previous vicar regularly visited this local

primary school to take assemblies. RE lessons have

taken place in the church, as have packed end-of-

term services. This work has the potential to be

developed further.

Environment

group

Our Eco team helps to

keep us focused on

caring for the environ-

ment. We have a

bronze eco award.

Youth

Hi! My name is Gemma and

I’m the Youth Co-ordinator

for St. Luke’s. All youth work

goes under the title banner

of Forefront. We are a small,

but well-gelled team who

have a great passion for young people and God.

We do a number of different things with the young

people, and the congregation are very supportive

of the work we do. Just recently they helped us by

raising funds to throw a New Year party for the

young people—this also raised enough for us to

buy each young person a new Good News Youth

Bible. After Easter we will be running a number of

sessions to help the young to see how to use the

Bibles. The idea is to help them connect with God

using a Bible. Here are some of things our young

people have said that they like about the youth

work at St. Luke’s:

“The food”

“Fun activities” “The banter “

“The different sport we do”

“We do something different every week”

“There’s never a dull moment”

“Youth For Christ teaching material used on a

Sunday”

OUT Working with others

Maidstone Deanery

This is a group ministry in which parish clergy share

responsibility for ministry across the group, and

every church is supportive of the distinctive nature

of each one. The group is about growth,

celebrating diversity and widening ministry to the

town as well as the parish. It helps nurture respect

for different points of view.

60 +

60+ is a ‘fresh expression’ congregation that

gathers to meet the needs of older members of

the community. It has a membership of about 50,

with new faces coming on a regular basis. All come

from the local community, the majority of whom

are non-Christian but open to God’s love. Meeting

every Tuesday in term-time, their time together

includes visiting speakers, fellowship and

conversation over a hot meal, a service once a

month and other activities. The group has good

links with social services, GPs, Health centres and a

variety of voluntary organisations that seek to

serve the needs of the elderly in the community.

In 2017, 28 Christian churches came together to

connect with the people in Maidstone in new ways

to be Good News for Maidstone, together under a

shared umbrella brand: Waypoint.

St. Luke’s enjoyed working alongside churches of

different traditions and flavours. Several church

members took leading roles and St. Luke’s were

pleased to host the civic dinner with Archbishop

Justin Welby.

During 2017 churches worked together in local

partnerships as well as on a range of town centre

central events to engage with the community,

creating opportunities to discuss issues of faith.

This film Waypoint Project 2017 gives a flavour of

our shared Waypoint year which included an

Easter Egg Hunt, Harvest Trail and visits by Riding

Lights and Roughshod theatre groups.

The year culminated with a live Nativity, across the

town involving sheep, a camel and recalcitrant

donkey! Churches are continuing to work together

and St. Luke’s were the key partners in hosting an

Eco Harvest event on the local heath in September

2019.

Shared in Advent 2019 this Advent to Easter film

points to plans to put on a Waypoint Easter Play in

Easter 2020 .

Other ministries

Members of the congregation are also involved

with:

Maidstone Churches Winter Shelter - providing

overnight hospitality and accommodation for

homeless people in cold weather

Street Pastors - ministering to young people out

on the town.

Princess Project— a ministry to young mums

Fremlin Walk Chaplaincy - a ministry to town-

centre shops and staff

OUT supporting

MISSION St. Luke’s has always encouraged

members to be outward looking.

We support various individuals

and societies, serving the Lord in

the UK and abroad, with prayer

and finance. Information about

their work received by the

Mission committee is distributed

by means of the Mission Notice-

board (pictured right). The

committee also suggests

speakers to come to the services

and provides prayer topics to

those leading in prayer at the

services. It also recommends to

the PCC how 9% of our total

income should be allocated, (1%

is distributed by the PCC to

urgent causes). Last year we gave

£16,900 to 16 societies ranging

from Street Pastors and

Maidstone Churches Winter

Shelter to Tear fund and

Compassion among others.

PCC

The PCC retains 10% of the mission tithe to enable the church to support different causes as they arise. Recently this

has included Waypoint initiatives and Street Pastors.

IN supporting Church family

Refresh

Events and activities to help women build friendships, be encouraged, learn, be challenged and above all, have fun. Events organised are Women’s breakfasts with a speaker (shown left), Afternoon Tea, theatre trips, cinema trips, walks, family picnics and one day conferences.

Oasis

“Oasis” is basically a Lifegroup but with a few differences: firstly we are a women only group, and secondly we meet during the day-time in St. Luke’s House. At the moment all members of this group worship at St. Luke’s but we do not exclude non-worshippers.

A typical morning would involve chatting and laughter over tea/coffee and cakes, followed by a Bible Study and prayer or a Christian film for discussion. We also invite speakers and go on many outings, for example, to gardens, cafes, or the cinema.

Journeymen

The Journeymen is an open group of

men from St. Luke’s and elsewhere

(including non-Christians), who enjoy

walking and have a sense of adventure.

They aim to go away twice a year, once

close by and once further afield. They

share occasional breakfasts with

discussion topics.

Lifegroups

We currently have seven Lifegroups that meet midweek in homes in and around the parish. These are places to encourage each other, develop friendships, worship, study and practice our giftings.

Connect group/ social events

Creating connect St. Luke’s on WhatsApp has enabled us stay more easily connected with church family, especially those who can’t attend every week. It has been a great way to build our family by arranging more impromptu meet ups, like picnics after church or lunch out. As a family new to Maidstone we’ve really enjoyed getting to know other people more easily and developing new friendships, often with people we had previously only shared a quick hello with after a service.

Pastoral care

Much of this work is carried out in lifegroups and other small

settings. Clare, our ALM, co-ordinates pastoral care. There is a

flow of people seeking counsel and support.

Safeguarding

There are designated Safeguarding Officers for both children

and vulnerable adults. Over recent years, as our work in this

area has increased, there have been a number of cases

concerning vulnerable adults, and we have received

considerable support from the Diocesan Safeguarding Team.

ON developing people

Paths to ordination

A steady stream of people have gone on to

ordination over recent years. Others have trained

as Accredited Lay Ministers.

Preaching and leading

Many of our church members have been

encouraged to preach and to lead services. This is

one way in which the congregation has got to

know one another in deeper ways, and it has been

developmental for those involved.

Leadership

The PCC meets once a month to deal with the

business side of church life and, as normal, to

discuss matters of general concern in the parish,

including the fabric, furnishing, finance and

ministry of the St. Luke’s church family.

A ‘Vision Focus Group’ has met regularly with the

vicar, acting as a sounding board and considering

ways of taking the vision forward. The group

reports to the PCC who make decisions which are

then disseminated out to other ministry leaders

and the congregation. This team includes the two

church wardens, ALM, Vice-chair of PCC and two

younger members of the congregation.

Bitesize

This group evolved from thinking how we could

continue to develop those who came to Alpha in

2014. It provides an opportunity to delve deeper

into the Bible, tackling less familiar passages in

manageable, monthly Bible studies.

Our vision is to enable St Luke’s youth and children

to develop their own Christian faith and

relationship with God. Building their confidence to

express their giftings and deal with the challenges

that life brings, we make our groups fun places

that celebrate family, friendships and create a

sense of belonging.

S

The Church building

St. Luke’s was built in 1897 to serve the new

housing then being developed to the north and

east of Maidstone prison. Unusually, it is

orientated from north to south to fit the site which

slopes in the same direction. It was reordered in

the mid-1990s removing the pews, and levelling

the stepped floor. This has created a flexible space

that can be used in a number of configurations, but

comfortably seats 300. The carpet has been re-

placed and chairs reupholstered recently. There is

a sound system, area for a band, electric piano and

organ, and a screen and projector. Some of the

technical equipment is now quite old and will need

to be replaced in due course. There is a coffee bar

at the back of the church, served by a small

kitchen. From the main foyer at the south end of

the church, there is access to male, female and

disabled toilets. There is a vestry/ prayer room at

the north end of the church.

Church halls

The main hall, built in 1970, is located down a few

steps to the south of the church lobby. It is sized to

allow use as a badminton court. It has a catering

kitchen and a balcony area that is used for storage.

The roof is in need of urgent repair.

Further steps lead down to the Miss Coppen Room

which was built in the 1980s.

Adjoining these is the old hall, an older suite of

rooms built in 1947 that is showing its age.

The hall and surrounding rooms are hired out on a

regular basis for activities like Slimming World, AA,

mobility classes, driver rehabilitation and

children’s birthday parties. The hall is also used as

a polling station in local and national elections.

These provide useful income.

Recent quinquennial reports have highlighted a

number of areas on the main site that require

attention and some of these are becoming more

urgent now.

St. Luke’s House (16 St Luke’s Road)

St. Luke’s House was the former vicarage which

was sold off when the current vicarage was

bought, but repurchased in 1997. The ground and

first floors provide offices and meeting rooms. The

top floor is a flat, currently let.

St. Luke’s House garden and car park

The garden is lovingly maintained by a team of

enthusiastic volunteers. It is used for social events,

such as the fete, as well as a place for quiet

reflection.

There is a car park for 12 cars with useful access to

the rear of the church.

Main Car Park

Situated to the south of the site is the main car

park which takes about 25 cars.

Scout Hut

The scout hut is a wooden building owned by the

Scouts but sitting on church land.

Buildings and Facilities

The future of the site

Our use of the site and the condition of the

buildings have led to ongoing discussions and

investigations into how the site could be re-

developed to better serve the needs of the church

and community.

The Vicarage

The Vicarage is located at 24 Park Avenue, a five-minute walk from St Luke’s church. It is located conveniently near the town centre, with a choice of parks nearby.

The house is detached and has been extended over the years, with a garage as well as space for parking three additional cars at the front. There is a small rear garden.

Internally it has a large lounge/diner with attached craft room at the rear. There is a kitchen and also separate toilet and shower facilities. The front room has been used as the Vicar’s study.

Upstairs there are four bedrooms (at least two suitable for a double bed) and separate toilet and bathroom.

There is a further flight of stairs to the roof space which is divided between a games room (unheated) and a traditional loft space.

A corner shop is within two minutes walk, and there is an Aldi supermarket five minutes walk away. Maidstone Town Centre and Maidstone East railway station are 10 minutes away on foot. The M20 can be reached by car in five minutes.

Links to other places

Leeds Castle—5 miles

Maidstone East to London

Victoria—60 minutes

Maidstone East to Ashford

International - 30 minutes

Canterbury by road– 45

minutes

Dover by road—60 minutes

Good road connections to

the M20, M2 and M25

Gatwick airport— 50

minutes

Rochester cathedral—20

minutes

www.visitmaidstone.com

www.maidstone.gov.uk

Maidstone

Maidstone is the administrative hub and county town of Kent

Mote Park, a 500-acre historic park, is at the heart of the town

There is a leisure centre with five pools, sports facilities and a children’s soft play area

Excellent schools, including a range of secondary and grammar schools

A large shopping district with a range of independent and chain shops

A local theatre and concert hall

Large cinema complex, plus bowling, climbing and trampolining activities

Numerous restaurants and cafes for eating out

Tuesday and Saturday markets at the Lockmeadow complex

A small museum and art gallery

A number of nightclubs—reflected in the vibrant ‘night-time’ economy

Several beaches easily within an hour’s drive away

Kent is the garden of England, a beautiful county with lots to offer

Parish

St. Luke’s parish is north of the town centre in an area of predominantly Edwardian/Victorian semi-detached and terraced housing

Its northern boundary is Penenden Heath, an open area surrounded by large detached houses

Towards the east is Vinters Park estate, a large area of predominantly 1970s housing complete with a community centre, local shops,

Eastborough primary school, Invicta Grammar School (girls) and Valley Park secondary school, with another school under construction

The north-east corner of the parish contains Vinters Park Crematorium, Vinters Park Nature Reserve, Maidstone Studios and Parklands, an area

of new build houses

There is provision for young children from Woodland Under 5s Pre-school, Pennies Day Nursery and Alphabets Children’s Nursery

Scattered through the west of the parish are blocks of social housing, mostly flats with some maisonettes. In close proximity to the church there

is also a complex of flats for retired people and a large area of modern almshouses. There is also a large residential nursing home.

Estimated population: 8,036

Maidstone is among the least deprived in the Canterbury Diocese,

nevertheless we still have pockets of deprivation:

11% of children in poverty 9% of pensioners on low income 3% claiming universal credit 19% of adults have no qualifications 9% of households are living in social housing Low ethnic diversity (92% of the population are ‘White British’) 16 % of the population are aged 65 and over Life expectancy at birth is 82 years (M), 84 Years (F)

In St. Luke’s garden at the summer fete

Parish In the last three years:

Baptisms : 7

Blessings: 30

Confirmation: 2

Marriages: 2

Funerals at St Luke’s: 12

Crematorium: 30

This chart shows the combined attendance at Sunday services over time. The blue

line shows adults, the orange line shows adults and under 16s combined.

Communicants in any given week.

This includes weekly services, 60+, Eastfield Care Home and communion given in people’s homes. This graph reflects that communion was held more often at the 9am service than 10:30 services before they were combined in 2020.

Finances / Budget

The budget for 2020 is set for an income of £174,120 and expenditure of £173,175.

The expenditure includes a ‘tithe’ of £17,410 that goes to external mission.

The parish share for 2020 is £99,880

Although challenging, we have consistently met our parish share.

Electoral roll

2019: 155 + 25 children

2014: 350 + 45 children

ATTENDANCE FIGURES DURING AVERAGE

SUNDAYS IN OCTOBER

2010: 424

2019: 127

Staff

Staff history

At the time of our last interregnum, seven years ago, the church had a staff team with a mixture of full time and part time paid employees. These included

office and administration staff, a director of operations and a full-time children’s pastor. There was also a part-time minister, shared with another parish

and a non-stipendiary minister. In the recent past, the church has also employed a youth worker, a director of music and an associate minister.

Over the last few years, in order to remain financially viable, we have had to make redundancies, so that, at this point, we have no paid staff. Since March

2019, when we said farewell to our last member of staff, a team of volunteers has endeavoured to cover the work. Although we have managed to keep

abreast of most things and even grow some aspects of our work, we are aware that administration and site management is an ongoing area for

development.

Currently, we have Robin, our long-standing, non-stipendiary minister who works throughout the deanery and is available to administer at Holy Communion

services and conduct weddings, funerals and baptisms. There is also Clare, an ALM who is very active (see above). All other roles in the church are carried

out by volunteers or by buying in services such as maintenance and cleaning.

The current team of workers:

Robin is our non-stipendiary

minister. He has been a

member of St. Luke’s for

over 70 years and knows a

lot about it!

Clare is our ALM. She co-

ordinates our pastoral care, is

the Safeguarding Officer for

vulnerable adults, and leads the

60+ lunch club ministry.

Other volunteers take responsibility for financial

matters, room bookings, administration, minor

maintenance work, hospitality, flowers, sound

and vision, worship teams, the garden, Café ’n’

Tots, Company, Connect magazine, the website,

organisation of the PCC, and Lifegroup

leadership.