WelcomePARISH PROFILE 2016

St Peter &St Paul’s ChurchAylesfordKent

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Contents

Welcome and Overview.................................................................4

Aylesford and Eccles in Brief.........................................................4

What we can offer you?.................................................................5

Who are we looking for?................................................................6

Parish Life.......................................................................................6

Worship...........................................................................................6

Ministry Team.................................................................................7

Occasional Offices.........................................................................8

Music and Worship.........................................................................8

Encouraging and exploring faith...................................................9

Children and Young People...........................................................9

Outreach and Church in the Community....................................10

Fun and Fellowship......................................................................10

Communications...........................................................................11

Schools.........................................................................................12

Malling Deanery...........................................................................13

Buildings......................................................................................13

Administration..............................................................................14

Parish Finances.............................................................................15

Reflecting on where we are now.................................................16

Facing the Future..........................................................................16

Geography of Aylesford and Eccles.............................................17

Local Trusts and Charities.............................................................18

Royal British Legion Village.........................................................18

Contact Details..............................................................................19

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www.aylesford-church.org.uk

For more information , please contact:

Ven Clive Mansell

Archdeacon of Tonbrigearchdeacon.tonbridge@rochester.anglican.org

Tel: 01892 520660

Thank you for taking an interest in our parish; maybe you will be our new Vicar!

We hope you will find much in this profile to interest you and please do contact us if you would like any further information.

We are a friendly and welcoming church community. Under the leadership of our last vicar we have strengthened links with the community as a whole, taking a leading part in village events and opening the church for a variety of concerts and social events. Teaching, including the use of home groups, has been encouraged too. However, we are conscious that we

Welcome and Overview

are not growing in numbers, and we are ready to be led – sensitively – through change.

We believe there are great opportunities in our parish and we need a vicar who can help us identify our priorities.

Our parish includes the historic centre of Aylesford village, suburban and rural areas. There are two main villages: Aylesford and Eccles, located in Mid Kent, at the foot of the North Downs, on the banks of the River Medway approximately half way between Rochester and Maidstone and close to the M20 and M2.

Aylesford and Eccles in brief

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> We are a single parish, single church benefice with many opportunities for mission and ministry.

> Our congregations are friendly, relaxed and welcoming.

> We are receptive to change if it is introduced well.

> We have strong lay participation in leadership and worship.

> The vicarage is a modern, detached four bedroom home.

> We enjoy a historic village atmosphere on the edge of

What can we offer you?

Maidstone and in the midst of beautiful Kent countryside, on the Pilgrims Way and very close to the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

> We benefit from excellent transport links, road and rail, to London, the coast, and the continent.

> We have a variety of good schools, primary and secondary, serving the village.

The Almshouses

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Parish LifeWho are we looking for?

We hope the following comments will help you discern whether this role will suit you. We seek a vicar who:-

> is a prayerful and spiritual person, showing in his or her own life the outworking of faith.

> is able, with imagination and enthusiasm, to help us to attract new people, especially children and younger people, including further developing our important school links.

> Is a skilled and practical leader and communicator who has the confidence to listen and respond to the views and ideas of others, to

delegate, and to identify and develop latent potential.

> will, as a good pastor, teach and mentor others, and support and encourage lay ministry training.

> will be able to engage with people from all backgrounds in our community, irrespective of their faith, to build the place of the Church in the community.

> is prepared to work with the ministry team and others; is comfortable with a broad range of worship styles, and willing to encourage us into trying new ways, embracing the risk.

> accepts the challenge and opportunities presented by the new housing developments.

> will explore how we might interface more effectively with businesses and other organisations in our parish.

> is alive to the potential of new means of communication such as social media.

Worship

Regular worship is held as follows:

Normal Sunday attendance

8am – 20

10am – 80

Electoral Roll: 112

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Our services vary in style, with an established musical tradition led by the choir and organ but with a congregation willing to participate in different ways.

The ministry team looks forward to working with our new vicar.

Two Readers

John Smelt who also has permission to take funeralsPeter Smith

Two Pastoral Assistants

Cherith BourneJanet Holdstock One Evangelist Jenny Relf

Ministry team

8am - said Holy Communion

(Common Worship).

10am – First Sunday of each month

is a family service with Baptisms.

10am – Second, fourth and fifth

Sunday is sung Holy Communion

(Common Worship).

10am - Third Sunday is a flexible

morning prayer service based

on Common Worship with an

interactive sermon.

10am - said Holy Communion

(Common Worship).

Sunday

Wednesday

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We celebrated 16 weddings in 2015. Our church is popular for weddings as it is in a scenic setting. We also offer bells, organ and choir which adds to the attraction. Where marriage is sought and one of the parties has been married previously and their former spouse is still alive, the House of Bishops Guidelines are applied. Usually, this has resulted in the offer of a blessing rather than a marriage.We conducted 38 baptisms in 2015. These generally take place in the Family Service.Funerals in 2015 numbered 47. The churchyard is closed to burials except burial of ashes. Local burials take place in the nearby cemetery. Cremation is at either of two nearby crematoriums.

Occasional Offices

Choir History of the choir dates back 150 years.The choir is robed but not ‘backwards’ looking. We embrace modern hymns and worship songs but still retain the best of traditional hymns.Our focus is to find ways to bring people of all ages to church through music and this has resulted in a strong junior choir.

Organ A fine Forster and Andrews organ (1865) recently refurbished. Several organ recitals are planned for 2016/7.

Bell ringing a keen band ring before the 10 am service, at weddings and special events. Handbells are rung occasionally at services and other events.

Music and Worship

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> Confirmation and Alpha groups are held regularly.

> Home, prayer, study and discussion groups meet frequently. Currently five groups meet in the Parish.

> Away days: time to be together for quiet time or discussion of our faith.

> Lent and Advent reflection: each year there is an opportunity to reflect on the coming Christmas or Easter season.

Encouraging and exploring faith

> Sunday Club – for children aged from 4 – 11. A small group meets during the 10 am service for Christian teaching, games and fun. We are exploring ways of increasing numbers.

> Bible Bats – for young people from 11 years old who meet in the church tower on the 3rd Sunday of each month to learn more about their faith.

> Holiday Club - for children aged 4 - 11 in each half term. Christian teaching, games and craft.

> We continue to give serious consideration to starting Messy Church, but have so far not seen how we could staff it.

Children and Young People

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We aim to complement the work of ministry and mission with fun and fellowship. Some of the events are organised on behalf of the PCC, whilst the Friends of Aylesford Church also has a comprehensive programme. We hold frequent parish lunches, and the Brassey Bazaar offers a meeting place with refreshments most Saturdays. Every other month we have a Men’s Supper jointly with our neighbouring parish of Burham and Wouldham.

The church has been a venue for musical concerts, of all sorts including jazz, choral, brass band and organ music. Less conventionally it has hosted murder mystery evenings and a family games

Fun and Fellowship

Links with the wider world, sharing our love of Jesus.

> We hold an annual Community Service inviting parish councillors and schools.

> Christian Aid annual collection (2015 raised £3,494).

> We are a Fair Trade church and hold Traidcraft sales.

> We have an active Environmental group.

> Chaplaincy: The vicar is usually asked to be the Chaplain to the Royal Naval Association and also help at the Royal British Legion services.

Outreach & Church in the Community

> The Friars, Aylesford: a Roman Catholic Carmelite religious community with whom we have a good relationship.

> Eccles Methodist church: Our vicar or one of our Readers usually takes one service each month in Eccles church.

> Heart of Kent Hospice: our vicar or a Pastoral Assistant is invited to take an afternoon service several times each year.

> Sports Clubs. There are a number of active sports clubs in the village which provide opportunities for outreach, something we have not so far tackled.

The ”Prayer Visiting Team” out and about

The Prayer line is always there for the whole community

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night. All have proved popular, drawing in non-churchgoers and helping to establish the church as a familiar and friendly place for all.

In recent years many of us have enjoyed all age days out to various interesting locations in Kent and Sussex including a vintage Big Red Bus trip and a voyage of discovery up the Thames.

We are looking forward to a Saint Peter and Paul celebration week held annually with a variety of events planned.

We have helped run the village Big Lunch (part of a national scheme) held in the summer on the Village Green.

We produce and distribute a monthly magazine with a circulation of approximately 550.

Parish Notes are issued to the congregations with announcements and requests.

We have a well-established website (www.aylesford-church.org.uk) and, more recently, have opened a Facebook page.

We recognise that communication (internal and external) is key and that we may need to overhaul our arrangements, particularly as social media in all its forms becomes more and more important.

Communications

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We have three pre-school playgroups in the parish, one in Eccles, and two in Aylesford.

In neighbouring towns are other secondary and grammar schools which also serve the parish.

Sports College.

Mentors from the congregation go into the schools under the auspices of the charity CAST (Churches and Schools Together); the schools say this has been very valuable.

education. A particular success was the Easter Experience, a Gloucester Diocese initiative bringing together schools and church to share the story of Holy Week and Easter. Pretend baptisms and weddings also proved popular and enlightening.

The Vicar regularly held assemblies and visited all four schools. In addition special Christmas and Easter services were arranged for each of the schools.

There is an expectation that the vicar will be a Governor of both church schools and would also be enthusiastically welcomed to join the Governing body of Aylesford

More than 2200 attend schools in our parish. The church has close links with two local Church Schools (both recently rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted): St Peter’s (Voluntary Aided) Primary School, which is just next to the vicarage and St Mark’s (Voluntary Aided) Primary School, Eccles.

The church also has links with the other two schools, Aylesford Primary School and with the secondary school, Aylesford Sports College which, although not faith schools, value their links with the church.Our previous vicar invited students from all schools into the church for special events and provided support in religious and spiritual

Schools

St. Peter’s Church of England (VC) Primary School

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Our Rural Dean, Matthew Buchan, writes:-

Malling Deanery has a good variety of parishes, some rural and some more urban, and a good mix of styles of worship. We are committed to working together as much as we can. We have recently completed a deanery audit and meet together for worship as a deanery at Ascension and for our annual deanery Confirmation.

We have a lively and

Malling Deanery

forward looking chapter with very active retired members - 12 recently retired clergy who offer themselves for ministry in the deanery - the chapter meets together monthly and for an annual three day retreat. We are committed to monitoring and implementing the Deanery Mission Plan.

We offer support and advice to each other and get on well - the only issue we face is finding a living room big enough to accommodate us all!

The Church - Set on a hill overlooking the ancient village of Aylesford, the church is a major landmark. Dating back to Norman times the church is in good repair, with usual ongoing maintenance costs cropping up from time to time. The church, with Lady Chapel, can comfortably seat about 250 people and has a large area at the rear of the pews for

Buildings

refreshments including after service coffee and tea and for additional seating.

A large amount of repair work has been carried out recently and the last Quinquennial revealed only a few relatively minor issues. In recent years the eight church bells have been re-hung; a kitchenette and toilet have been built in

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Our part time Parish Administrator arranges weddings and baptisms. She maintains all church records and registers and undertakes searches. She manages Brassey Centre bookings, liaises with the caretaker and other tradespeople, orders supplies, produces service sheets and weekly notices, amongst many other things.The Church Office is well equipped with a computer and two photocopier/printers.We have two wardens and a PCC of 17. Meetings are held every two months; they are lively but good tempered.

We are assiduous in observing legislation and diocesan guidelines regarding the safeguarding of children and adults when vulnerable.

Administration

hired out and also houses the church office. The smaller hall is permanently laid out with various merchandise and open to the public every Saturday as the Brassey Bazaar. Run by volunteers, the Bazaar sells a variety of second hand and hand made goods, and brings in a significant amount of money.PCC income from lettings does not cover the expenses of operating the centre. However, on balance, the PCC has concluded that the Centre still proves to be a net asset to the parish.

140 The Avenue - the Church owns a house in the parish. It is commercially let and provides a regular income.

bedrooms, kitchen, lounge, dining room with a separate study and downstairs toilet for visitors. There is a double detached garage, a good sized garden is at the rear.

Brassey Centre - formerly a school, this building is owned by the Brassey Trust and let to the church.

The Brassey Centre is essentially our “Church Hall”. It has two halls, toilets, a catering kitchen, a good sized car park and is an asset for the parish and village. It is

The Churchyard – is closed for burials, apart from the burial of ashes. This means that churchyard maintenance is the responsibility of the Parish Council.

The Vicarage - The vicarage is a modern detached building near the church. It was built in the late 1980’s and has four

the base of the tower, and the organ has been cleaned, rewired and enhanced.We have, with some reluctance, accepted police advice to keep the church locked but the key is always available for visitors. From time to time we provide hospitality to pilgrims en route to Canterbury on the nearby Pilgrims Way.

Canterbury Pilgrims The Vicarage

The Brassey Centre

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> Overall position: always a challenge to balance the books; an active Finance Committee works with the Treasurer to keep our financial position under control.

> Financial Stewardship campaigns are held regularly (a “refresher” one planned for Feb/ March 2016); giving represents more than 50% of our income.

> Other principal income sources are: - fees, rent for house, Brassey Bazaar, fundraising (social benefits as important as funds raised).

> Main expense is the annual parish offer to the diocese covering stipend etc, housing and clergy recruitment and

training and a contribution to other diocesan costs.

> Substantial funds have been raised and expended for major improvements and renovation, most recently more than £50k

more provision for future fabric repairs.

> The main risks are further losses of planned givers, and major repair requirements for the church building.

Parish Finances

for the organ.

> Cash reserves have reduced and now stand at about £30,000 (rather below our policy level of four months expenditure). We would like to be making

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The church has always been a central point of the community. Our prayers are that in today’s world we will reach out more in love and service to the community so that people can come to share the building, enjoy the fellowship, catch the faith, and join the worship. Our principal challenges are:-

> Growth.

> Getting our finances on a sounder footing.

> New Housing.

> A comprehensive Communications Plan.

> Further strengthening our links with the wider parish community.

> Recently focussing on “intentional growth” but work needed to select the initiatives we should pursue.

> Deliberate use of prayer (and “pray-ers”) to discern the way forward and support our initiatives.

> Use of small groups to build discipleship.

PCC on setting priorities.

> Active committees working to reach and involve people.

> Some initiatives not followed up for lack of people.

> Deliberate fuzzy edges to church membership; we aspire to be a place where it is easy to belong and people are accepted wherever they are in their faith.

> The importance of baptisms, weddings and funerals and the opportunities they bring (the inclusion of baptisms in the monthly family service has been a challenge!).

> We think of ourselves as a friendly and welcoming congregation; we need to be careful that this is the reality.

> Prominent and attractive church building, suitably equipped and regularly used for concerts and other less conventional events, as well as services.

> Wide lay involvement in leading services.

> Variety in worship, willing to try new things.

> Very conscious that we are an ageing congregation.

> Excellent relationships with our local schools.

> A growing emphasis by the

Facing the FutureReflecting on where we are now

Carol singing in the square

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Aylesford parish, despite being close to Maidstone, is within the Borough of Tonbridge and Malling. It is well served by road and rail including access to the High Speed line – London just 56 minutes away.

Aylesford Village has a general store, two restaurants, a coffee shop, two pubs, a community centre, a village club and nearby leisure and sports facilities.

There is a large retail park in the south of the parish and several small industrial estates.

There are doctors’ surgeries and dental practices in and around Aylesford and Maidstone General Hospital is also very close with full A&E facilities.

Facilities, Shops and Leisure

The Geography of Aylesford and Eccles

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assisted) for veterans, elderly, or vulnerable adults, and social housing for young families and individuals.

Located on the same site is The Royal British Legion Industries which provides employment to many veterans. More information is available at www.rbli.co.uk.

Trinity Court Almshouses

Aylesford has 14 Almshouses located in Rochester Road, which are occupied by the elderly and managed by a board of trustees. The Vicar and two Churchwardens are ex-officio trustees.

Royal British Legion Village

The Royal British Legion headquarters are located in Aylesford. The HQ buildings are surrounded by light commercial buildings, offices and a good deal of social and sheltered housing which is currently expanding to provide another 200 houses. This community provides housing (some sheltered or

There are a number of trust and charitable institutions in the parish. Those most often associated with the church are the following:-

Brassey Trust

Set up to commemorate a Victorian benefactor it is a legally independent charity whose aim is to support the work of the Church of England in the parish of Aylesford. The Vicar and Churchwardens of Aylesford are ex officio trustees. The Brassey Trust owns the old school buildings now set up as the Brassey Centre and let to the PCC. The trust has provided grants to the PCC for a variety of projects.

Parish population is growing; as of the 2011 census, it stood at 6,700 (up by 8% on 2001).

The age profile in 2011 was:-

0 -15 18%;

16-64 63%;

65+ 19%

The population is almost all white, with only 3% describing themselves in 2011 as having a minority ethnic background. 63% of the population described themselves as Christian in 2011.

The older buildings of the origi-nal settlements are now greatly outnumbered by housing estates of the last century and this. Another 550 houses are under construction in different parts of the parish.

Local Trusts and CharitiesDemography

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Church Office:

Brassey Centre,

Aylesford,

Kent,

ME20 7QR

E-mail: aylesfordchurch@btconnect.com

Phone: 01622 719366

Open Tuesday and Thursday 9am – 2pm

Web site: www.aylesford-church.org.uk.

Facebook: St. Peters and St. Pauls Aylesford

Contact Details

Vicarage:

The Vicarage,

Vicarage Close,

Aylesford,

Kent,

ME20 7BB

Phone: 01622 717434

Archdeacon of Tonbrige

Ven Clive Mansell

E-mail: clive.mansell@rochester.anglican.orgPhone: 01892 520660