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Newchurch Parish Profile
CONTENTS
OUR PARISH
OUR CHURCH History
The Buildings
Ministry
Services Further Information
Plans for the Future
OUR CONGREGATION Parish Working Groups
Church Organisations
Churches Together
FINANCES
OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY
THE RECTORY
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OUR PARISH Newchurch Parish Church serves the area of
Culcheth, an ancient village which has expanded considerably in recent years.
Culcheth lies to the North-East of Warrington
and has a population of about 10,000. Over the past 40 years it has been transformed
from a rural community into a thriving village.
It is a residential community serving the cities
of Manchester and Liverpool and the towns of Warrington and Leigh. Its location close to the
motorway network also makes the village
popular with those commuting further afield.
OUR CHURCH History
Newchurch Parish Church was originally a chapel-of-ease of the famous Norman
church at Winwick. It was erected sometime around 1528 and was almost
certainly originally built of wood. Nothing is known about the dedication of the church and the first record of a Rector is for Henry Abram who came in 1563.
A new building, paid for by public subscription, was erected on the same site in 1743. Sadly this was badly damaged by fire in April 1903. The only part of the
building not completely destroyed was the tower. The parish registers and the six
bells were saved.
The Buildings
The new ‘Newchurch’ was opened on 23rd July 1904 and
consecrated a week later. In 1992 the West end of the church building was modernised to create a room with an adjoining kitchen. This is
called ‘The Family Room’ and it provides an excellent meeting room
for social activities and groups and is the base for our Junior Church during the morning service each Sunday.
The fabric of the church is in good
condition and well maintained. There is a large, well-kept, open
churchyard surrounding the
church.
The Parish Hall is located in the
centre of the village, a short walk away from the main church, and is a focal point
for thriving congregation and community
activity.
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Ministry
Rector - Vacant OLM – Reverend Barbara Alldred
OLM in Training – Jill Wheatley
Readers in Training – Jane Simmons and Suzanne Quick
The Parish is part of a United Benefice with Christ Church Croft. There is a Shared
Ministry Team across the two parishes.
Services Services at present in Church
Day /Time
Type of Service
Congregation average
Sunday 8am
Holy Communion (said) in traditional language
15
Sunday 10.30am Sunday 10.30am
- Holy Communion 1st and 3rd Sundays - Morning Worship 2nd and 4th Sundays - 5th Sunday as announced.
Junior Church in the Family Room.
80 70 80 10-14
Sunday
(monthly) 6.30pm
Evening Service as announced Including: Christingle, Renewal of Marriage Vows, Healing Services, Taize Services, Palm Sunday and Harvest Evensong, All Souls, Advent and Carol Services, Crib Service
Variable
Tuesday 9.30am
Holy Communion in the Family Room 6
Special Services are regularly held, usually as part of the Sunday Morning Worship and often they include the wider community such as the local schools and families, uniformed organisations and local community leaders. These include:- Education Sunday, Civic Service, Remembrance Service, Parade Services, Annual Walking Day, Nativity
Services at present in the Parish Hall
Day /Time
Type of Service
Congregation average
Thursday 10.00am
Holy Communion 20
5th Sunday of the month 3pm
Café Service (fresh expression) as announced. Lay led worship.
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Additional Services at present
There are several joint services with Christ Church, Croft each year. There are also monthly services in care homes in the village. The Rector leads assemblies in the local Primary schools. The High School and the Primary Schools visit the church for their own Harvest,
Christmas and End of Year services.
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Further Information
During 2013 there were
Wedding Bookings for 2014 -2016
Baptisms 35 2014 2015 2016
Adults Confirmed 2 Weddings 18 9 4
Young People Confirmed 3
Weddings 12
Funerals 47
Plans for the Future
Based on the Diocesan ‘Growth Planning Framework 2’ the PCC intends to …..
● look at how we can encourage the whole congregation in welcoming and
hospitality. This will be achieved through sermons and magazine plus website
articles. The Church welcome leaflet will also be adapted to enable visitors to leave their contact details for follow up;
● look at better facilities for children (including pew bags). This may include re-
ordering of the toilet and entrance area as funds allow; ● help people to read and reflect upon the Bible. To this end we aim to start a
Bible Study group and hold an Away Day during the year;
● redress the balance between mission and maintenance. The PCC will have
mission as a main agenda item for its meetings in the coming year; ● actively engage with a mission partner outside the UK. This will include regular
Prayer support, as well as charitable giving and providing regular information
for the congregation; ● look at our baptism policy and procedures. Can we be better – in terms of
building good, supportive and ongoing relationships with baptism families? We
recognise that there is no quick fix – but we intend to explore what other churches are doing to see if we can improve our practice;
● develop the pastoral group and raise its profile – so that other people can share
in the care of all members.
OUR CONGREGATION
There are currently 114 on the Electoral Roll.
Parish Working Groups
Finance Way Forward
Pastoral
Charity Parish Hall Management
Shared Ministry
Grounds Maintenance
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Church Organisations
Bellringers Choir
MC2 – Christian Musicians of Croft and Culcheth
Servers
Mothers’ Union Christian Focus
Junior Church – meets in the Family room during Sunday 10.30 service and
has approximately 25 on roll aged 3-15yrs
Local branches of the Guide and Scout Movement (Rainbows, Brownies, Guides, Beaver Scouts, Cub scouts and Scouts) have links with the
church and are invited to Parade and other
services during the year.
The church organises many events within the
parish. The meeting place is either the Parish Hall or
Newchurch Church, depending on the activity.
These events and activities include:-
Harvest Supper, Pantomime, Christmas Fair, Christmas Tree Festival, Coffee Mornings,
Film Nights, Frugal Lunches, concerts and
other charitable and social activities.
The 2014 pantomime was Treasure Island
Jigsaw Festival
Flower Festival
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Churches Together
Churches Together in Croft, Culcheth and Glazebury is a well-established, ecumenical group made up of the 8 churches in the three villages. Together we
run ecumenical activities including joint Services, vigils, fellowship days, social
lunch sessions and a very successful Charity Christmas Postal service. The eight
Churches represented are - Culcheth Methodist Church
- Glazebury Methodist Church
- Culcheth Christian Fellowship (Independent Methodist)
- Culcheth Community Church
(Presbyterian and includes Quench Café
and Foodbank) - St Lewis’ Roman Catholic Church, Croft
- All Saints Glazebury (Church of England)
- Christ Church Croft (Church of England) - Newchurch (Church of England)
FINANCES
TOTAL INCOME & RECEIPTS 2013
£47,929.65
£9,458.05
£13,531.40
£26,940.50
£2,707.71
£1,272.73
£1,930.32
Planned Giving
Individual Donations
Fund Raising Events & Activities
Other Income
Parish Magazine
From Christ Church Croft
Other Receipts
TOTAL EXPENDITURE & PAYMENTS 2013
£7,893.86
£12,512.86
£2,722.02
£1,548.12
£54,550.73
£2,418.25
£3,869.48
Ministry
Church Building
Upkeep of Services
Communication
Dues to Diocese
Other Expenses
Other Payments
2013 has been a relatively good year financially and this is enabling Newchurch to
gradually recover from previous years, when there were large costs for building
maintenance projects.
Total Income & Receipts for 2013 = £103,770.36
Total Expenditure &
Payments for 2013 = £85,515.32
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OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY
Culcheth village has two large supermarkets, Sainsbury’s and the Co-op, which along with the many
smaller, independent shops in the village create an
excellent shopping experience. There are several coffee shops and pubs with restaurants to suit all
tastes. The village also supports a Post Office, two
banks, a public library and a garage.
In the village there are three local authority Primary Schools and one 11 - 19 High
School with approximately 1200 pupils. There are several pre-school nursery and
playgroups. Lifelong Learning is provided at the High School through Culcheth Adult Education Centre. The Culcheth-based charity, the ‘Culcheth Educational
Trust’ exists to provide financial help for young people for educational purposes.
The Rector is ex-officio and it meets approximately four times a year.
Medical facilities are provided by two doctors’
surgeries, several clinics, dentists and pharmacies.
All these are grouped around the village green
where there is a children's playground. Holcroft Grange and High Peak provide residential and
nursing care for the elderly in the
village; there are also two Retirement Apartment
complexes.
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There are many social, sport and cultural activities available in Culcheth. A local authority sports field provides facilities for organised league sports for both adults and
children and both Culcheth High School (the Livewire Gym) and Culcheth Sports &
Social Club (known as ‘The Daten’) offer a wide range of activities .
There are many more clubs and societies active in the community, including:
Age UK, Women's Institute (WI), Probus, Parent and Toddler groups, Flower Club,
Horticultural Society, Lions, Scouts & Guides, Ramblers' Association, Society of Artists,
Rotary Club, Royal British Legion, Dance classes, Karate lessons.
Culcheth lies on the main bus route
between Warrington and Leigh and there
is a regular bus service through the
village. The nearest train station is at Birchwood for express trains travelling
East/West (approx 1.5 miles away) or
Warrington Town Centre stations for all trains including North/South travel
(approx 7 miles away).
There are many paths in the countryside
surrounding the village including Culcheth Linear Park. There are other leisure
facilities nearby including Birchwood Forest Park, Risley Moss and Pennington Flash
Country Park in Leigh (which provide good opportunities for walking, plus sailing at
Pennington Flash). All these hold regular
events and activities. Warrington, Manchester, Liverpool and
Chester are all within easy travelling
distance.
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THE RECTORY
A modern detached house in the centre of Culcheth, 0.75 miles from Newchurch and 1.5 miles from Christ Church.
It comprises:
Ground Floor
Vestibule giving direct access to
the study
Lounge
Dining room
Large kitchen with separate
utility area
Cloakroom and toilet
First Floor
Four bedrooms
Bathroom with shower
Separate WC
Storeroom
Hatch into main attic space
The Rectory is fully double-glazed with uPVC windows throughout and it is
heated by gas-fired central heating. There is a double garage and a sizeable
garden area.
USEFUL LINKS Further information on the villages of Culcheth and Croft and both Parish Churches can be found at the following Websites:
www.essentialguidemagazine.co.uk www.warrington-worldwide.co.uk
www.newchurch-christchurch.net
http://christchurchcroft.magix.net
Parish Profile
Contents
Croft Village
Our Church
Our hall Sunday School
Ladies Fellowship Coffee and craft group
Worship
Worship group Our Congregation
Festivals Music
Services
Plans for the future Finances
Churches Together The Rectory
Shared Ministry Team
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CROFT VILLAGE
The history of Croft goes back to the 13th century, a ribbon development
between Culcheth and Winwick. The village remained a small,
mainly rural community until the 20th century, the population be-
ing approximately 970 in 1901. During the 1960s and the 1970s
two new housing developments resulted in the population mak-
ing a dramatic increase and at the present time there are just
over 3,000 residents.
The village benefits from two excellent primary schools, a com-
munity primary and a Roman Catholic primary and two pre-
schools. Secondary education takes place at Culcheth High
School Community campus. Sixth form education is currently
available at Culcheth or at Priestly College Warrington, and Win-
stanly College Wigan..
The village has an active WI, bowls club and thriving uniformed
organisations; Rainbows, Brownies, Guides, Rangers, Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Air
Cadets. The Youth Activity Centre pro-
vides a venue for a range of activities
and a football academy is to open in Sep-
tember. There is also a village hall used
by organisations including pre-school,
indoor bowls and WI.
The scene of the annual carnival and
bank holiday car boot sales is the playing
field which has a well- equipped and
popular playground and football pitch. .
Croft is home to three pubs, a small vil-
lage shop, hairdressers and gallery.
The proximity of the M6 and M62
motorways affords the village ex-
cellent communications with air-
ports and rail links close at hand.
Liverpool and Manchester are
within easy reach. The local town
of Warrington is one of the fastest
growing in the country.
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Our church was built in 1833 by public subscription from the farmers of the area who
wanted their church to be situated between the villages of Croft and Risley. Today it oc-
cupies a peaceful setting on the outskirts of the village and away from the main road. It is
a Grade 2* listed building and it and its grounds, including an open graveyard and large
car park, are well maintained by our members. The local Air Cadets have also been in-
volved in ground maintenance.
Our parish is part of a United Benefice with Newchurch.
OUR HALL
The church has been recently renovated
and is well used by the community. A
Brownie pack and the Rangers meet
there and have strong links with the
church. The Young Farmers use it as a
base and a village art group meets there
weekly. The WI holds its monthly read-
ing group there and it is hired out for
meetings and celebrations.
OUR CHURCH
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SUNDAY SCHOOL
Our Sunday School meets on the first Sunday of the month. It is small but growing and
provides a happy environment for children to learn about the faith.
We hold an annual Christmas Tree Light-
ing Service , followed by refreshments,
which involves the local school and the
Brownies. Our Carols in the Barn Service,
held at a local farm, is a popular event for
families in the village.
LADIES FELLOWSHIP
Ladies Fellowship meets monthly for a Service in a
friendly atmosphere, followed by coffee and the
opportunity for catching up. This is a long estab-
lished and popular meeting which attracts ladies of other denominations and none.
COFFEE AND CRAFT GROUP
This group was formed to produce items for the
Festival Of Angels in 2012. It has continued and
grown since then and meets on Monday mornings
knitting for charity, fundraising and working on
embroidered items for the church.
Although the crafters at present
are women, we do welcome
anyone who wants to drop in for
a coffee and a chat.
It is a good base for outreach
into the village and surrounding areas
and the tea and toast mornings have
proved to be very popular.
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WORSHIP GROUP
A very active Worship Group meets with the clergy to plan Services such as Harvest and
Mothering Sunday in which Sunday School, Guides and Brownies are invited to take part,
It is currently planning and leading Morning Worship services during the interregnum.
A screen and projector were recently installed enabling us to widen the scope of the mu-
sic we use and offers the facility to download materials for use in worship.
FESTIVALS
In recent years we have held two major
events, a Festival of Angels and a Harvest
of Talents which involved many of the com-
munity groups in the village including the
school, whose pupils made banners to hang
in church, and the Brownies who were in-
volved in an all age workshop making life-
sized cardboard angels.
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OUR CONGREGATION
There are currently 98 on the electoral roll.
Our congregation is aged. We have few families and at present no young adults attending
regularly. A major and urgent target for the coming year is outreach into the community,
particularly towards the young.
MUSIC
The choir sings at the 10.30am Service. It is, for the most part, a unison choir consisting
of loyal members and meets for practice on Friday afternoons.
Our organ is a pipe organ which is regularly maintained,
SERVICES
Time Service Congregation
9 am Communion BCP, said (fortnightly) 26
10.30 am Holy Communion 2nd and 4th Sundays 36
Morning Worship 1st and 3rd Sundays 33
5th Sunday as announced 45
Special Services e.g. Education Sunday,
Mothering Sunday, Christingle, Carols
in the barn
6.30 pm Evening Service as announced, including Variable
Songs of Praise, Healing Services and
Carol Services
In addition there are the following weekday Services:
Wednesday 9.30 am Morning Prayer (in the church)
Ladies Fellowship 10.00 am The 1st Tuesday in the month (in the hall)
In 2013 there were 12 Baptisms
5 Weddings
10 Funerals
We operate a policy of Shared Ministry involving the Worship Group and also embracing
the roles of OLM and readers across both parishes.
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PLANS FOR THE FUTURE
Following discussions by the PCC on the financial situation and based on
Diocesan growth Planning Framework 2 we plan to:
review our finances through the ‘Finance Group’ with the intention of
putting the church on a better financial footing, continuing to address our signify
cant Parish Share arrears;
increase our links with the community; to provide a wide range of social/
fundraising activities that will appeal to a wide range of people and interests; to
encourage them to support the church through regular giving of money and time;
introduce other means of giving e.g. text and through the website;
look at our welcome and hospitality—in particular to develop a welcome pack for
each household and for newcomers to church and to further develop our website;
set up a pastoral group in order to offer effective and supportive care for those
going through difficulties;
look at the use of creative silence in our services;
provide opportunities to receive prayer requests;
develop our Wednesday Morning Prayer Service, specifically to develop a ‘Cycle
of Prayer’ for local and other needs;
look more widely at our work with families and young people, specifically to offer
our buildings for family/youth related activities and to support them where possi-
ble;
to encourage shared ministry and leadership
In addition we intend to develop our links with the wider church and the
community by offering the use of our church and hall as an Away Day / meeting centre.
We are in the process of getting a WiFi connection.
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FINANCES
Financial statement for 2013
Total Income £46,692
Total Expenditure £52,583
Restricted fund (legacy) £90,309
Parish Share debt carried forward £36,000
Our finance group is currently working on and implementing strategies to address our
financial situation.
200 Club
This operates monthly and has proved to be a regular source of income. In the coming
year it is planned to promote it more widely in the community.
CHURCHES TOGETHER
Christ Church is a part of the local churches together and is in involved in shared Ser-
vices, lunches and delivering Christmas Post to raise funds for local charities.
THE RECTORY
This is situated in Culcheth and is shared with Newchurch.
SHARED MINISTRY TEAM
OLM - Rev Barbara Alldred
OLM in training - Jill Wheatley
Readers in training - Suzanne Quick and Jane Simmons
Church website (under development)
http://christchurchcroft.magix.net
WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR?
We are looking for YOU if you are an outgoing person who can
engage with both church and community and if you are an inspirational Leader who can
- work collaboratively with both colleagues and church volunteers
- develop and confidently lead the changes needed to move both
parishes successfully into the future
- show vision, leadership and enthusiasm in helping to grow our congregations
- show commitment to mission within the community