moreton, woodsford and crossways with tincleton benefice ... · benefice profile - crossways docx...

Benefice Profile - Crossways docx final 2020

MORETON, WOODSFORD AND CROSSWAYS WITH TINCLETON BENEFICE PROFILE 2020


Contents

1. Introduction to the Profile by the Bishop of Sherborne 3

2. General Description of the Benefice 4

3. What we are looking for in our new Rector 5

4. A Snapshot of the Benefice 6

5 The Churches in our Benefice 7

5.1 St. Nicholas, Moreton 7

5.2 St. John the Baptist, Woodsford 8

5.3. St. Aldhelm, Crossways 9

5.4. St. John the Evangelist, Tincleton 10

6. School Link 11

7. The Rectory and Local Area 12

8. The Dorchester Deanery 13

9. What we can offer You 14


1. Introduction to the Profile by the Bishop of Sherborne

In Dorset we have been working hard to make rural ministry both a joy and a delight. In recent years significant changes have been made in the way clergy are supported and encouraged, leading to a greater sense of collegiality in our rural and our urban areas.

The Dorchester Deanery, in which the Benefice is situated, seeks to be a supportive place bringing together the rural clergy with those in the County Town. There will be a warm welcome amongst this clergy grouping for whoever comes to this Benefice.

The parishes here enjoy beautiful rural countryside yet are within easy reach of Dorchester. Whilst some of these parishes remain as they have been for hundreds of years, and contain some exquisite churches, Crossways, in particular, is an expanding village aimed at attracting a mixed population, including a large number of families, and the newly built church here, adjacent to the school, creates a significant opportunity for the church to open its doors to minister to all those who live in that community. The expectation is that the incumbent will be involved in the life of the school, and in engaging those who make up the congregation to further reach out to their neighbours and offer a warm welcome to those who choose to join in with church life.

There is significant scope here to train up lay teams, to expand the number of active lay ministers and to build on the best of traditional and modern. Partnership with others in the Deanery is to be encouraged as is the sharing of resources including the large number of retired clergy in the Deanery. In the Diocese there is a commitment to encourage the life of the rural church, to develop Lay Ministry, and there are local programmes of training to develop Lay Pastoral Assistants, Lay Worship Leaders and Lay Pioneers which are proving to be successful particularly in our multi-parish benefices.

Should you wish to know more about this vacancy please do not hesitate to contact either myself or the Archdeacon of Sherborne, the Ven Penny Sayer and come and have a look around the Benefice. This vacancy brings together great opportunities, wonderful countryside and some deeply spiritual places of worship and retreat.

Bishop Karen (01747 811960) Archdeacon Penny (01305 269074)


2. General Description of the Benefice

The Benefice lies in the valley of the River Frome between the County Town of Dorchester and Dorset’s Jurassic Coast. It comprises three ecclesiastical Parishes: Moreton, Tincleton and Woodsford. The growing civil Parish of Crossways with its new church building comes within Woodsford Parish. The Benefice is situated in a holiday area and therefore the population of the rural parts of the Benefice increases considerably during the summer months. Moreton is visited by many throughout the year to visit the grave of Lawrence of Arabia who is buried in the new cemetery, and to see the church windows engraved by Sir Lawrence Whistler. Tincleton is a small village comprising of about 84 houses with a population of approximately 210. Woodsford is a hamlet of 25 houses that are grouped round the church, Woodsford House and the Manor Farmhouse. Significantly it is Crossways which has grown from the site of the Warmwell WW2 airfield. It now has a population of about 3000 with plans for extensive further housing development. The Rectory is situated in Crossways and is within easy reach of the other villages. As a Benefice, although each church has its own identity and PCC, we have traditionally joined together for united services, community outreach activities and to support each other with fundraising, especially the annual Flower Festival. The ‘St Aldhelm Amblers’ is a monthly walking group for walkers from the Benefice, and includes some that do not attend church. We benefit from the support of a Licensed Lay Minister, a retired Priest and Lay Pastoral Assistants who assist across the Benefice. The Benefice has a choir and they form a pivotal part of worship, attending one service on a Sunday in the different churches. Choir practice takes place weekly at Moreton Church. The new church at Crossways adjoins Frome Valley CE First School which is the only school in the Benefice. The school caters for approximately 140 children including a Pre-school. A Community magazine, “The Bridge”, is provided free to all houses in the Benefice. The Incumbent usually writes a monthly article and information is provided about Services and other church events.


3. What We Are Looking for In Our New Incumbent

The three parishes are looking for a Rector who will build on the best within the benefice and help us all to reach out to the wider community. We are looking for someone who will enjoy being part of our local communities, and who will lead and inspire us, so our own faith is nurtured and those who live and holiday amongst us can be supported through the challenges of life.

If you have energy, vision, spontaneity, enthusiasm and can work with us to see and make the most of our opportunities, then you are the kind of person we need to help us move forward.

The challenges and opportunities as we see them are as follows:

• The need for our churches to be relevant and welcoming to those moving into our communities, including children and

families.

• We have some wonderful and varied church buildings, we would like to make the most of them.

• The need for someone to oversee the work of our pastoral assistants and to develop our pastoral care for those in hospital,

parishioners in their homes, and reach out to new residents.

• On-going demand for occasional offices – baptisms, weddings and funerals and the

opportunity to meet people and make connections through these.

• A commitment to offer a variety of worship reflecting the needs of those who come,

providing a breadth of styles in our different contexts, and to try new things; to make the

most of our music and benefice choir.

• The opportunities we have to build on the close relationship with Frome Valley CE First

School.

• Extensive new housing planned for Crossways which will attract many new families.


4. A Snapshot of our Benefice

Average Attendance

Crossways & Woodsford 62

Moreton 24

Tincleton 15

Fairer Share Contribution

Crossways & Woodsford £33,216.00

Moreton £11,776.00

Tincleton £7,560.00

Population

Crossways & Woodsford 3000

Moreton 400

Tincleton 210


5. The Churches in our Benefice

5.1 St. Nicholas, Moreton.

It is very likely that you will have heard about St Nicholas’ Church, Moreton because of its famous Sir Lawrence Whistler windows and as the burial place of Lawrence of Arabia. Most importantly, our church is a place for quiet reflection, prayer and worship. Keeping with tradition, St Nicholas’ Church follows the Book of Common Prayer (BCP) for all its services. The exception to this is the well-attended monthly Morepraise Service, which has a less traditional format for all age groups with special interest for young people who participate. The congregation at Moreton is small but very loyal and a challenge for any new Incumbent will be to develop and grow the congregation.

Normal Pattern of Services:- 1st Sunday 9.00am Holy Communion 2nd Sunday 6.00pm Evensong with choir 3rd Sunday 10.30am Matins with choir 4th Sunday 6.00pm Morepraise: A Service for all ages

St Nicholas’ historic significance brings many visitors throughout the year. We provide hospitality through a well-supported Welcome Group (comprising PCC members) who conduct organised group tours of the church as well as fund raising events. The main annual Benefice fund raising event is the Flower Festival held in May at St Nicholas’ Church. We are very fortunate to have been able to extend the facilities at the church following the building of the ‘Befriend Lodge’ providing meeting space, tea/coffee making facilities and accessible toilets. In the 1930s owing to the churchyard being full the ‘new’ cemetery was opened on the edge of the village, not far from the church. This cemetery is now nearing capacity and very soon alternative arrangements will have to be considered. The Church in Moreton has very close links with the Village Hall, supporting each other to encourage community spirit and welfare. Moreton PCC is very active and has a full complement of members. A website for the church is available giving more details at http://www.stnicholasmoreton.org.uk/. Another useful link : https://moretonvillagehall.btck.co.uk/

http://www.stnicholasmoreton.org.uk/

https://moretonvillagehall.btck.co.uk/


5.2 St. John the Baptist, Woodsford.

Woodsford village sits beside the River Frome with a population of some 80 people. The thirteenth century church was largely rebuilt in 1861-2 by the noted Victorian architect Thomas Henry Wyatt. Working in Gothic revival style he successfully married the original lower west tower and early English lancet window with Victorian renovation. The church seats approximately 140 and there are two aisles in the nave. Though space is now limited, the churchyard remains open for burials.

St John’s hosts the United Benefice Eucharist on the fifth Sunday of the month at 10:30am. Other Festival Services are held during the year particularly on Remembrance Sunday when at 12noon there is a short Act of Remembrance at the War Memorial in the churchyard.

St John’s shares a PCC and Churchwardens with St Aldhelm, Crossways.


5.3 St. Aldhelm, Crossways

St. Aldhelm’s Church was built in 2014 adjoining Frome Valley CE First School and dedicated in 2015. It has a kitchen, church office and accessible toilets. The church is not licensed for weddings or funerals. Details for normal Sunday Services are:- 1st Sunday 10.30am All-age 2nd Sunday 10.30am Eucharist 3rd Sunday 10.30am Morning Prayer 4th Sunday 10.30am Eucharist (including Choir) Refreshments are normally served after services. A midweek service of Holy Communion or Morning Worship is held on Wednesdays at 9.30am. During the week there is a house group, a bible study group and a prayer group that are all available for members of the benefice to attend. A Sunday School currently called ‘Kidz’ Club is held in conjunction with 4th Sunday services when the adjacent Frome Valley CE First School building is made available. There is a strong mission group who are seeking various ways in which to reach out to the wider and growing community, always putting God and the Good News at the centre of all we endeavour to achieve. In the past this has included social events, fetes, and being available to those who need practical help. A monthly Church Café/market is held on the last Saturday morning each month between 10am and 12 noon. On Remembrance Sunday a service is held in Crossways Village Hall at 10am. After the Service the congregation walks in procession to the Royal Air Force Memorial in Crossways for an Act of Remembrance.


5.4 St. John the Evangelist, Tincleton.

Tincleton is a small village in the Dorset countryside comprising of about 84 properties with a population of approximately 210. The church building is constructed of stone with a tiled roof and was consecrated in November 1850. It was designed by Benjamin Ferrey and comfortably seats about 120 people in traditional pews. The church is generally in good order; however, the Quinquennial inspection highlighted the need for significant repairs to the roof and the under-croft. A working group is actively exploring these issues. There is no church hall so there is an ambition to provide a discrete kitchenette and social space at the back of the church with toilet facilities. The churchyard is still in use and is regularly maintained. The church is open every day for visitors. There is limited roadside parking. The church strives to meet its Parish Share. Apart from regular giving, fundraising is undertaken by participating in the Historical Churches Cycle Ride, the Benefice Flower Festival and other events like the Quiz Evening and Bridge Afternoon. The normal pattern of worship based on the Book of Common Prayer: 1st Sunday 6.00pm Evening Prayer with choir 2nd Sunday 9.00am Holy Communion 3rd Sunday 9.00am Holy Communion 4th Sunday 9.00am Morning Prayer Other services include a Pet Service, Songs of Praise, Christingle, Carol Service and the 9.00pm Christmas Eve Holy Communion. Hymns are taken from the BBC Songs of Praise book. The congregation is between 10-15 for most services, this number increases for special services. We are predominantly a congregation of a mature age which reflects the population of the village. Baptisms, weddings and funerals are conducted as required. Modern trends and lifestyles mean that there are now more requests for weddings during the weekday which need to be facilitated. The PCC consists of 2 Churchwardens and 5 members and there are 26 on the Church Electoral Roll. Meetings of the PCC and the APCM are convened in the village hall which is a five-minute walk away from the Church. There are regular social activities held in the village hall for the local community and for the benefit of the church.


6. School Link

St Aldhelm’s Church is on the site of Frome Valley CE First School. The School opened in September 2005 and serves the local catchment area. The school is a good school (Ofsted – January 2018) and an outstanding church school (SIAMS – November 2017) The children view the church as ‘our church’ and the rector as ‘our rector’. There has always been a strong link between the church community, the rector and the school. In our eyes, our school is so special because of that strong relationship. The rector leads regular assemblies in school and special services in church, such as Harvest and Christingle where parents are invited to attend. The rector is an Ex-officio Foundation Governor at our school which helps forge close relationships with the Headteacher and local Governing Body. The children and staff at Frome Valley CE School First School are looking for a rector who will enjoy taking regular Collective Worship, reading Bible stories and other stories to the children and getting others involved in the life of the school. We are looking for a rector who enjoys being part of our school community and who knows our children well. Our staff hope that the rector will be there for them personally, particularly in times of difficulty. We are looking for a special rector that will smile at us, be with us and work with us in our learning and on our spiritual journey. The Head Teacher is currently the Safeguarding Officer for the Benefice. School link:- [email protected]


7. The Rectory and Local Area

The Rectory The Rectory is a modern, well-appointed house that was completed in 2002. The house stands at the North end of Crossways, set back from the Warmwell to Affpuddle road (B3390). The ground floor consists of a porch leading into a lobby, off which is the Incumbent’s study and an accessible toilet. The hall leads to the living room, the dining room, a large fully fitted kitchen and the stairs leading to the first floor. A utility room leads off from the kitchen into the garden, or, under cover, to the single garage. On the first floor there are four bedrooms, a bathroom, a separate W.C. and a shower room with basin. Solar panels augment the water heating system. The house has full gas central heating. There is a water sprinkler system and smoke alarms are installed. A garden of about 1/3 acre surrounds the property.

The Local Area

Moreton station, on the Weymouth – Waterloo line, is half a mile outside Crossways and is a ten-minute walk from the rectory.

Crossways has a regular bus service to Dorchester and Weymouth which provide a good range of shops, cultural activities and, in the case of Weymouth, a fantastic coast-line. In Crossways there is a Co-op Express, a Premier store incorporating the Post Office, a library, a surgery, a Village Hall, a Youth/Community Centre and ‘The Spitfire’ social club. The ‘Frampton Arms’ is beside Moreton Station.


8. Dorchester Deanery

Dorchester, as County Town, is also the local market town, focus for about 40 parishes within the Dorchester Deanery. To the north

the valleys of the Frome, Cerne and Piddle rivers, draining south towards Dorchester, Wareham and Poole Harbour form

north/south corridors through the chalk downs. These corridors form the road routes lined with villages along the valley bottoms. In

addition the Deanery includes a hinterland of the Dorset Heights stretching north-east towards Blandford. Outside of Dorchester

this is a sparsely inhabited area of villages, hamlets and individual farms. It is a favoured destination for those seeking to retire to

the countryside.

Crossways, Moreton, Woodsford and Tincleton lie in the Frome Valley to the west of the river, which leads downstream to

Wareham and Poole Harbour. Crossways was the site of a WWII RAF Warmwell, and the valley is a source of sand and gravel

extraction. The availability of previously disturbed ‘brown field’ land, and the presence of the railway station at Moreton, have made

Crossways the focus of modern housing development. This is unusual in Dorset, where housing expansion has been channelled to

the market towns rather than the rural villages. The housing has at times outpaced the provision of facilities for the new community,

of which the new St Aldhelm’s Church located on the school site is a prized example.

Recently planning permission has been granted for a further 500 homes, 35% to be ‘affordable’. A condition of this consent is the

further provision of a Village Hall, 'employment land’ for commercial and light industrial use, and a new GP surgery. Given that

there is existing planning permission for 200 homes, the community is entering a phase of growth and social provision, with a

younger and more diverse demographic than is usual for rural Dorset. St Aldhelm’s is well placed to serve this future.

Dorchester Deanery Synod meets twice a year, and the Clergy Chapter meet monthly over lunch on the second Tuesday. The

Dorchester and The Winterbornes Team make up almost half of the Deanery clergy and includes the parishes to the south and

west. It is therefore a very strong presence within the Deanery. The six multi-parish benefice incumbents to the north and east

therefore meet additionally once a month for fellowship and mutual support.

Jonathan Still, Rural Dean


9. What Can We Offer You

• Three active village parishes including one with a rapidly increasing population.

• Enthusiastic PCCs dedicated to the upkeep of the churches and to providing a Christian

witness in the community.

• A keen and active benefice choir which sings in each of the churches in turn with the

support of an organist.

• Support from the LLM, retired Priest and LPAs.

• A modern Rectory in a beautiful area of Dorset.

• Activities that are organised with the aim of the church engaging with everyone in the

community.

• Close links with the Frome Valley School.

• Congregations that are eager to have further spiritual guidance and leadership in order to

continue to grow and provide a Christian witness in this part of Dorset.

moreton, woodsford and crossways with tincleton benefice ... · benefice profile - crossways docx...

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