Profile of the Parishes Serving

Ventnor and Bonchurch

The Isle of Wight

The Island is approximately 24 miles long east to west and 12 miles wide north to south, with a population in the region of 130,000. There are good ferry links with the mainland, from Portsmouth to Fishbourne and Ryde, Southampton to Cowes, and Lymington to Yarmouth. There is also a hovercraft service from Southsea to Ryde, which is particularly useful when visiting Portsmouth Cathedral. Two bus services link Ventnor to the rest of the Island and the ferries. The county town, Newport, is 12 miles from Ventnor.

The Plurality

Ventnor

Ventnor is a small seaside holiday town on the south coast of the Isle of Wight, which reached its height as a resort in the Edwardian period. Much of the town dates from the mid 1800‟s. Since 1945 there have been changes similar to those experienced by other seaside holiday centres. There are new developments in the town, among them a small harbour, and the town benefits from regeneration funding.

A large proportion of the population (around 20%) is retired, and the area has above average unemployment with around 40% employed. Some travel out of the area for work, with a number commuting to the mainland. Others are involved with the holiday industry, local shops, schools, and the normal infrastructure of a small town, including a few small industrial units. There are a considerable number of care and residential homes in the area. An increasing number of homes are holiday lets or short term lets.

The approximate population of the parish of St Catherine’s is 1848, and Holy Trinity 1575. There are many, usually small, social gatherings, meetings, initiatives and opportunities in the life of the town, which include music groups, sports clubs, drama groups, etc. When the traditional socio-economic measures are applied, Ventnor is in the lowest 25% in relation to the country as a whole.

Bonchurch

Bonchurch is thought to be one of the earliest areas settled on the Isle of Wight. There is evidence of both Stone Age and Roman occupation. Saint Boniface, an important saint in medieval times who started the tradition of the Christmas tree, is traditionally thought to have come ashore on Monk’s Bay in Bonchurch where he preached briefly before relocating on the continent. There is an entry for the village of Bonchurch in the Domesday Book. Many artists and writers have lived in Bonchurch during the last two centuries.

This small village, with a population of 500 souls, has two churches dedicated to Saint Boniface. The Old Church, rebuilt in AD 1070 to replace what is thought to be a Saxon wooden predecessor, and the Parish Church, built by public subscription in 1848 by local craftsmen in order to accommodate the increase of parishioners during the Victorian Era. The Parish Church celebrated its 160th anniversary in 2008. This unspoilt village is now a popular venue for walkers and those who prefer a seaside holiday without candyfloss and amusement arcades. It is fortunate in having a small but active community which takes real pride in the village which has won many ‘Best Small Village’ awards. Bonchurch Parish is a rural seaside parish which includes the nearby hamlet of Luccombe. There is a high proportion of retired people from all professions. Those in active work are mostly employed on the Island, but a few commute to the Portsmouth and Southampton areas on the mainland. A significant proportion work locally in the tourism industry.

Schools

There is one local authority primary school serving the area, St. Francis Primary, which is a joint Church of England and Roman Catholic Voluntary Controlled School. This school is at present on two sites, but is due to move early in 2013 to a new purpose-built school in the north of Ventnor, in the parish of St Alban. It will take children from aged 4 to 11.

At 11 the children have an opportunity to attend one of four high schools. Medina College in Newport is the main catchment area school. However, a number of children attend Carisbrooke College and Sandown Bay Academy. There is a combined Sixth Form College (Island Innovation Trust) also in Newport serving Medina College and Carisbrooke College. There is also a Sixth Form Centre at the Isle of Wight College in Newport.

Christ the King College in Newport is a joint Church of England—Roman Catholic Aided Secondary School, and has this term expanded to include a Sixth Form.

St Catherine’s School in Ventnor is a non-maintained, mainly residential special school for children with speech and language difficulties and takes children from aged 7 to 21. This school, which is a registered charity, is also the biggest employer in the town, and has close links with St Catherine’s Church. The Local Authority has recently undergone a major revision of the schools provision by moving to a two tier system from the former primary, middle and high school system.

The Plurality

The Plurality is made up of three parishes, St Catherine’s, Holy Trinity, and Bonchurch in the Archdeaconry of the Isle of Wight. Our new Archdeacon, the Rev’d Canon Peter Sutton, will be taking up post on 12th November.

The nearby town of Shanklin has several churches, and the outlying villages of St. Lawrence, Whitwell, and Niton and Upper Ventnor each have at least one church. Other denominations in Ventnor include Roman Catholic, Baptist, and Methodist congregations. The parishes of St. Catherine’s and Holy Trinity have shared an incumbent for a number of years before Bonchurch joined in sharing a vicar/rector with the Ventnor churches about 12 years ago.

The Ministry Team: The Incumbent

One Self-Supporting Minister working 2 ½ days per week

Four Licensed Readers working across all three parishes

The pattern of ministry for the area is expressed through a ‘group’ style of working using the strengths of colleagues across the three parishes. The parishes offer a wide range of Anglican Church tradition. St. Catherine’s Church is within the evangelical tradition, Holy Trinity is moderate catholic, and Bonchurch is traditional in its style of worship. We believe it is important to preserve the distinct charism of each church in terms of ministry and mission across the parishes. There is a commitment to embrace the opportunity of using Common Worship across all three parishes. At the Old Church of St. Boniface during the summer we have a tradition that embraces all styles of worship from Taize, Iona, BCP Compline and Common Worship. Sometimes colleagues on the Ministry Team will devise a particular piece of liturgy for these services, which are by candlelight, usually at 8pm and last for approximately 30 minutes.

Worship and Liturgy

The daily office is said at St Catherine’s on Tuesdays to Fridays at 9am with colleagues gathering for Morning Prayer whenever the opportunity allows. The current pattern of worship across the three parishes is:

St Catherine’s Ventnor

Sundays

10:30am Service of the Word on the 1st Sunday

Holy Communion on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month

All Age Worship on the 3rd Sunday of the month

6:30pm Holy Communion with prayers and occasional emphasis on healing on the 3rd Sunday of

the month.

Average Attendance 70 including 8 children.

Wednesdays

10:30am Midweek Holy Communion

Lay Readers play a full part in the leading of worship and there is a robed choir. Lay members take the sacrament out to various care/residential homes.

Four Home Groups meet for bible study and fellowship, a Julian Group meets regularly, and a prayer chain is used for focussing prayer for specific requests.

As a town church services such as civic services and Remembrance Sunday services are held in conjunction with the British Legion.

St Catherine’s Church, open every day.

The Hub

This is a small administrative base working from St Catherine’s Church supporting the administration of our three parishes. The Link monthly magazine is printed at The Hub, along with the Sunday notes pew sheets which go out to all three parishes. The Hub provides a drop-in centre for coffee every morning of the week, and a Fairtrade outlet selling goods, foodstuffs, and Christian goods. It is also an outpost of the Castlebooks Christian Bookshop in Newport. The Hub is also the focus for a number of meetings across the three parishes and has become the focal point for the sharing of information. The website for the three parishes, www.ventnorcofe2.btck.co.uk, is managed from here.

The HubHoly Trinity Ventnor

Sundays

9:30am Service of the Word on the 1st Sunday of the month

6:30pm Sung Eucharist 1st Sunday of the month

2nd, 3rd and 4th Sundays

9:30am Sung Eucharist.

Average attendance 30 adults and 2 children.

Thursday

10:00am Holy Communion (BCP)

A robed choir and a team of lay members assist with the service. The worship is modern catholic with full vestments, bells and incense on special occasions. Lay members take the sacrament out to various care/residential homes

Holy Trinity Church.

St. Boniface Bonchurch

Sundays 1st, 2nd and 3rd

10:30am Parish Communion in the Parish Church using Common Worship in traditional language with a good Anglican organ and choir tradition.

4th Sunday

10:30am Service of the Word at the Parish Church

Average attendance 35

8:00pm Candlelit Service at the Old Church on Sundays in July and August which may be in the style of Taize, Iona, Songs of Praise, Evening Prayer, Common Worship, or Compline. Lay members take the sacrament to various care/residential homes.

The fifth Sunday of the month and Patronal Festivals are celebrated as a joint service with a rotated venue. The four churches provide opportunity for all of the occasional offices, as well as some services, for example: remembering the departed, Lights of Love Hospice Services, and a Remembrance Sunday parade. It is envisaged, following the appropriate induction, that our new priest will be fully involved in the liturgical life of our three parishes.

The current ethos of our life together can be expressed through a „group‟ style of working, with our Ministry Team working across all three parishes. Monthly team meetings are held where each member of the team takes a turn at chairing the meeting and sharing responsibility for the life of mission and ministry across the three parishes working with the Incumbent. It is envisaged that the new colleague will also be part of the team style of working. In sharing we try to release individuals

to concentrate upon their own areas of interest and expertise, thereby enriching what we can offer to these parishes. As colleagues we resist the pressure of being labelled as belonging to any one parish as we belong to all three.

Opportunity to embrace change and update the fabric of our buildings.

All three parishes have undertaken extensive works in the refurbishing of their buildings. St Catherine’s has carried out major refurbishment in the form of a new kitchen, provision of a small music room, new nave floor, and removal of the bench pews. The second phase was the restoration of the tower. The third phase, which is in its infancy, is the creation of a precinct involving the moving of some gravestones. The Friends of St Catherine’s have recently installed solar panels.

St. Boniface Parish church has had a new kitchen area and robing area accommodated in the North transept, which has provided much needed facilities and has opened up the possibilities of doing much more with the building. The existing hearing loop and microphones were upgraded about four years ago. New toilet facilities have been incorporated into the former vestry alongside a new central heating system. At the Old Church of St. Boniface a new pathway has opened up the possibilities of doing even more at this church, which is possibly the Island’s oldest. The large number of tourists visiting this sacred place contributes to the atmosphere of a pilgrimage centre.

Holy Trinity has also undergone improvement to the facilities of its building with repairs to the clerestory windows and replacement of the weathered stone in the tower. Recently an extensive sound re-enforcement system including a hearing loop has been added. The PCC and Hall Committee recently have improved disabled access and the hall facilities have been upgraded.

All three parishes were involved in the recent Diocesan initiative focussing upon maximising the use of their resources. In all three parishes a good balance between preserving sacred and community space is evident in the activities promoted within the context of worship and opening up to the community. There is a real willingness to embrace new ways of being church through differing styles of liturgy as offered in the current Ministry for Mission framework.

Spirituality and Prayer

The prayer life of the congregation is encouraged through four home groups in which fellowship in prayer with Bible study is the focus. Groups are held at St Catherine’s and embrace members from all three parishes. We operate a prayer chain to support those with particular needs and those who ask for this type of prayer. There is a monthly prayer calendar which focuses upon different aspects of the life and needs of the community in which we live and serve. A monthly Julian Prayer Group meets offering an opportunity for a more meditative approach. There is a ministry of listening prayer offered during and after many of the services.

Teaching and Nurture

A Junior Church (Sundays Kool) operates at St Catherine’s. The young people who attend Holy Trinity all stay in for the whole of the service in the choir or as servers. As the need arises Confirmation Classes are provided, and recently six young people were confirmed at the Cathedral and two adults are continuing their preparation. Baptism and wedding preparation are seen as important opportunities for sharing and teaching as is funeral follow-up work. Members of all three parishes belong to “Hatching, Matching and Despatching” groups, which prepare for baptisms and weddings and follow up after funerals.

Mary and Joseph made by the Sundays Kool young people.

Fellowship

Across all three parishes many activities form our parish life together. We seek to work as a „family‟ of parishes. Examples of this are the harvest celebrations, Christmas fairs, and patronal festivals and many more, both formal and informal, from pudding parties to Bishop’s visits. In terms of social activity and fellowship, the three parishes are noted for their hospitality. The concept of the fellowship of the wider church is seen in the approach to missions.

Mission

The parishes have a number of key mission focuses. All three churches are collection points for the Foodbank.

From St Catherine’s Parish:

In Ghana, both St. Paul’s Anglican Parish, Wenchi and the Tamale Diocese Church Urban Fund Missionary Aviation Fellowship Youth for Christ Embrace the Middle East (formerly Bible Lands) Christian Aid

St Catherine’s aims to be a mission-minded church in prayer, activity, and giving, and understands itself to have a mission responsibility to the local community of Ventnor, exercised through involvement which is both social and evangelistic.

Holy Trinity currently supports the work of the Diocese of Tamale having particular links with the Cathedral at Tamale and the Anglican Babies‟ Home in Bolgatanga. A regular consignment of gift boxes is sent by members of the parishes to the Babies‟ Home. Holy Trinity has supported various projects and charities over the years, such as:

Shoebox Appeal Children’s Society Hope Africa Earl Mountbatten Hospice Missions to Seafarers Christian Aid

Bonchurch Parish supports Holy Trinity in its work in Ghana. On an annual basis Bonchurch also supports:

Christian Aid Shelter Mountbatten Hospice Bishop’s Lent Appeal

Tourism also provides a real opportunity for outreach for visitors to visit the Old Church of St. Boniface where the Parish Church and the Old Church are open daily for inspiration, meditation, prayer, and prayer requests which are incorporated into intercessional prayers on Sundays.

Ecumenical

The local churches work together as Christians in Ventnor providing volunteers as Street Pastors, Prayer Pastors, and Food Bank helpers. The ministers meet on a monthly basis for breakfast in one of the local cafes in Ventnor.

The Future

Like many parishes, each of our three parishes experiences the constant pressure of maintaining a Victorian building. The added pressure on our finances requires us to be creative and energetic in finding the resources to carry out the mission of the church. We resolve to do this through our commitment to prayer. We seek to discern God’s will for us through a careful reading of the scriptures and being open to God’s Holy Spirit nurturing and enabling us to remain faithful to the task of reaching out to those within our community and to visitors. Our commitment to the Gospel and the imperative to proclaim it and engage with it is undergirded by our commitment to prayer.

An Exciting Place to Live and Work

The three parishes working together offer the opportunity for an active ministry. It is envisaged that the new priest-in-charge will have a Sunday responsibility in at least one of the three parish churches on a regular rotating basis.

Personal Profile

We are looking for someone who is:

Prayerful Approachable and adaptable Able to embrace the full breadth of the Anglican tradition whilst fostering lively

worship Committed to outreach and pastoral care across the community in order to be

a visible, leading and active presence to all Able to engage with children, teenagers, and young families in the life of the

church and school

And who can:

Harness the gifts of Readers and laity in a team ministry

And who has:

A feeling for music, liturgy, both traditional and contemporary A sense of humour A real sense of their calling and vocation to ministry

Our new priest-in-charge should be someone who enjoys their own personal faith in Jesus as Saviour and Lord and is keen to share that faith with others. He/she should be able to offer a Gospel based teaching and preaching ministry and to accept the authority of Scripture in matters of faith and personal behaviour. Though the work in the parishes is demanding, Bonchurch and Ventnor offer many opportunities for a fulfilling and effective ministry. We seek a priest who is open to the Holy Spirit. Our new priest will need to recognise, encourage, and use the gifts of the members of the congregations by being willing to share and delegate responsibilities. Flexibility of approach will be needed in dealing with the diverse requirements of the three parishes and the needs of the community. We need someone who will work enthusiastically with the other Christian leaders in the area, and who will continue and extend the work in schools and the wider community. We look forward to welcoming the person whom God has called to our parishes.

We can offer:

Collegiality A good working house A supportive environment And exciting place for ministerial growth

Our numbers on the Electoral Roll as of Easter 2012:

Bonchurch 49

Holy Trinity 49

St. Catherine’s 70

Our Joint Mission Statement:

We are

Three parishes,

Working together

Maintaining symbols of faith

At the heart of our communities.

We seek to do this by

Prayer

Engagement

Proclamation

“Let all be done decently and in order” - 1 Corinthians: 14. 40