THE STAFFORDSHIRE BORDER GROUP OF CHURCHES

BENEFICE PROFILE

March 2016

CONTENT Page

Mission and Objectives of our Benefice 2

Our Vision for a Team Vicar 3

Our Diocese and Deanery 4

The Benefice Team 4

The Locations and Character of our Parishes 5

Working Together 5

The Vicarage 6

Map of the Benefice 7

Map of the Diocese 8

Appendices

Gnosall 9

Norbury 14

Moreton 16

High Offley with Knightley 20

Adbaston 22

1

Mission and Objectives of our Benefice

Our Mission is to follow Christ’s command to ‘Go..... and make disciples.’

Our Benefice Objectives are:

To build and deepen relationships between our churches and the communities we serve.

To grow disciples and help each person to fulfill their God given potential.

To reach out to all age groups and make our worship relevant and attractive without

compromising the Gospel of Christ.

To continue to develop an attitude of loving care and support between the parishes in our

Benefice.

To strengthen our links with other Christians in our community

To aim to be aware of the needs of our communities and the wider world and try to

respond to those needs in a practical and loving way.

2

Our Vision for our Team Vicar

To work with the Benefice Rector and lay leaders of our churches, sharing gifts and support as we explore together where God is leading us.

To live in the village of Gnosall and have the day to day care for the two parishes of Gnosall and

Moreton.

To work closely with the village Primary School, Gnosall C of E Academy, alongside the existing church school team, to support the teachers and children.

To develop the various styles of worship in St Lawrence’s Gnosall and St Mary’s Moreton along with the active lay worship leaders.

To work with the Rector in developing the vision for the Benefice

We need:

a prayerful priest who can encourage each of us on our faith journey;

someone who sees building relationships as an important part of ministry

a people person, inspirational, energetic and collaborative, willing to maintain traditions and also explore with us new styles of worship;

a leader who will motivate people to take on responsibilities;

someone who is keen to become part of the community and build friendships.

3

Our Diocese and Deanery

Our Diocese of Lichfield is one of the largest in the Church of England, stretching from the Welsh Borders to the Peak District and from North Staffordshire to the Black Country. Our new Bishop Michael has recently been appointed and will take up his post later in the year. The Diocese is divided into three zones, each with an area Bishop. There are 583 Churches and 427 parishes in the Diocese.

Our Benefice looks to the Rt Rev'd Geoff Annas, the Bishop of Stafford, and the Venerable Matthew Parker, Archdeacon of Stoke-upon-Trent.

This Benefice is part of the Eccleshall Deanery. There are 20 parishes in the Deanery which is largely rural with a population of some 21,000. Our Rural Dean is the Rev'd Nigel Clemas.

The parishes are administered within 5 benefices including our own, four of which are served by a full time stipendiary priest and one by a half time priest (soon to be appointed), there are also several part time non stipendiary or retired priests and lay Eucharistic ministers and readers. Chapter meets monthly and the Deanery Synod three times a year.

The Benefice Team

The Benefice Team consists of:

Team Rector Rev'd Kathryn Hammond

based at the Rectory in Woodseaves.

Team Vicar House for Duty Post - vacant

Reader John Underhill, who lives outside the Benefice and takes one service per

month at Adbaston.

Benefice Worship Team Comprising five church members from across the parishes who take

many of the non-Eucharistic services across the Benefice and are greatly

appreciated.

There is a grant from the Diocese to provide administrative cover

4

The Locations and Character of our Parishes

Our Benefice consists of 6 churches in five parishes:

St Lawrence, Gnosall.

St Mary, Moreton.

St Mary, High Offley with Christ Church, Knightley.

St Michael and all Angels, Adbaston.

St Peter, Norbury.

These parishes are located on the borders of Staffordshire and Shropshire. All five parishes are

attractive rural villages populated by commuters, families, agricultural workers and the retired. All

parishes are affected by increasing property values and a lack of affordable social housing, forcing

our young people to look further afield for accommodation.

Gnosall has the largest population. Other parishes are very rural but have lively communities. Please

see the attached map for the exact location of our Benefice.

The individual profiles for all these parishes can be found in Appendices 1 to 5 of this profile.

Working Together

We have strong ecumenical ties with Methodist and Roman Catholics –particularly in Gnosall - which

we value greatly and we look forward to continuing to work together through regular joint services,

and other events. .

Within the Benefice and led by our Team Rector and team Vicar we seek to:

strengthen the love and care between our parishes by sharing gifts and resources.

make our churches effective and relevant in our communities and see many people of all

ages come to faith.

5

The Vicarage

The Vicarage is an attractive large detached four bed roomed house approximately 150 yards from

St Lawrence Church in Gnosall.

It was built in 1954 and benefits from gas central heating. The entrance hall is L shaped and gives

access to all ground floor rooms.

Kitchen Large, well fitted with units and an electric cooker, a utility room and a walk in

Dining Room. A good size with attractive parquet floor.

Lounge A large living area with fitted gas fire, parquet floor, patio doors to the garden and a

large folding glass door to the dining room.

Study A useful office area with parquet flooring and shelving.

Cloakroom

First Floor Has four large bedrooms, a bathroom with separate toilet with wash basin and a

large airing cupboard.

Out Buildings Single garage, a good sized garden and a wide drive to the front with good parking

space.

Pantry.

6

The Benefice

7

8

Appendix 1

ST LAWRENCE CHURCH GNOSALL PARISH PROFILE

www.gnosallparish.org.uk.

January 2016

OUR VILLAGE AND COMMUNITY

Gnosall from the Church tower

Gnosall is an attractive village of some 6,000 people. The village lies on the A518 about 5 miles

from Newport (Shropshire) and 6 miles from Stafford. It has a Health Centre, two Dental

practices, a Pharmacy, co-operative mini supermarket, greengrocers, a bakery, Post Office,

several hairdressers, a petrol station, four car repair sites, an Optician, five pubs, a Sports Social

Club, two Chinese and one Indian Takeaways and a fish and chip shop.

There are many pleasant walks and a well-used cycle track on the

disused Stafford to Telford railway line, which stretches from

Stafford to Newport. The Shropshire Union Canal visits the village

and brings many visitors - boaters, cyclists and walkers.

An area known as The Acres has been reclaimed from a natural bog

and provides yet more facilities for walkers, the village canine

community and children of all ages. The area also forms a wildlife

sanctuary providing shelter for birds, amphibians and mammals of

numerous species. It is a peaceful, quiet and safe facility for all.

Gnosall has good regular bus services to Telford via Newport and to Stafford both every 30

minutes. From Stafford there are rail links to Birmingham (30 minutes), London Euston (80

Minutes) and Manchester (55 minutes).

The village continues to grow with several developments planned or underway. The village is

divided between objectors and supporters of the new building projects.

Gnosall has a large Methodist Chapel and we have close inter denominational connections. Until

2014 the Roman Catholics in Gnosall held Sunday Morning Mass in our Church. This ended due to

the lack of Roman Catholic clergy. Both congregations were very sad to see this end although

excellent relations have been maintained to the joy of all.

9

There are three excellent nurseries in the village all with close links to St Lawrence Church. The

village school (Gnosall St Lawrence Church of England Primary Academy) is very important to us.

Following discussions with the students the school has informed us of their hopes of the new

Team Vicar:

“In terms of a Team Vicar we are looking for someone who will appreciate that for the majority

of our children their experience and knowledge of Jesus and His love is only received through

their experiences at school. We are therefore looking for someone who can reach out to

pastorally our children and their families and who can support our staff who work so incredibly

hard to give our children the best learning, social and emotional opportunities whilst at school.

We are looking for someone with a sense of humour....much needed in the very fast world of

education! We are looking for someone who loves singing and who can bring us some great

worship experiences that are fun and memorable and that bring us closer to God.

We are looking for a friend to the school community.”

The school was designated as “Good” following a recent OFSTED Inspection. There are excellent

secondary state and private schools in Newport and Stafford (approximately 5 and 8 miles from

Gnosall respectively).

The School has produced the following description of itself to assist the new Rector,

“219 Primary Children and 60 Pre-School children want to tell you about our school and our

links with our wonderful Church!

We have four Church members who serve as Foundation Governors at the school, which has a

strong Christian ethos. The last SIAMs inspection (October 2011) rated the school as Good with

Outstanding features and our latest OFSTED Inspection rated both the School and the Pre-

School as Good.

We have close links with our beautiful village Church. The building itself offers a real sense of

awe and wonder, reminding us of God’s wonderful creation.

We have a wonderful School Ministry Team who support us at times of Celebration Assemblies

and our monthly Golden Awards, Harvest Thanksgiving Festival, Carol Concerts, Christingle,

Easter Services, Mother’s Day and the important Welcoming Service to our new Reception

children and the Leavers Service for the Y6s. We hold termly prayer meetings with other

Christian communities in the village and this provides the children an opportunity to share their

spirituality and prayer for those people less fortunate than ourselves.

When people enter our school, they talk of a warm caring welcome, with children and staff

having a happy outlook. Our values (chosen by all stakeholders in 2012) of respect,

responsibility, commitment, caring, perseverance and kindness are evident for all to see in all

of our learning (both children and adults!) and our many before and after-school activities

(zumba, gymnastics, cross country, tag rugby, cooking, gardening, art…. to name but a few!)

Finally we currently are the ONLY school in Staffordshire to have a daily session of Christian

meditation – every class is involved in this – including Pre-School. It offers a time for us “to be”

and to remind ourselves how loved we are by Jesus.”

10

The Gnosall Scouts Group is thriving; it is their request that the new Team Vicar has the following

talents,

A sense of humour

Not a really dull voice

A clear speaker, good with kids

Someone you can talk to

Not boring- exciting!

Caring

Sensible

Doesn’t get distracted.

ST LAWRENCE CHURCH AND WORSHIP

St Lawrence Church is an impressive, well preserved, very beautiful

Norman Church and a Grade 1 listed building. The first incumbent of St

Lawrence is recorded as being appointed in 1086!

The Church structure is very much as it was in the time of William the

Conqueror except for additions in the Middle Ages and the new Vestry

built very much in sympathy with the Norman style in 1994. A full peal

of eight bells (of which we are very proud) hang in the tower, from the

top of the tower we have a stunning view of the surrounding

countryside.

The upkeep of such a building is a great responsibility and the Parish owes a great deal to the Friends of St Lawrence Church Gnosall for their tireless and valuable fund raising efforts.

Friends of St Lawrence Victorian Market

11

Gnosall has a team who can and do lead worship on a regular basis. On most Sundays there are 3

services:

Holy Communion at 7.45am (Common Worship Order 1)

Holy Communion at 10.30am (Common Worship Order 1)

Evensong at 6.30pm

In addition we have:

Morning Prayer on Tuesday at 9.30am alternating between Gnosall and Knightley

Holy Communion on Thursday at 9.15am

Play and Praise on Thursday at 2.15 pm

A fortnightly service at Impstones (sheltered housing) on

Friday 11am

A monthly service at Gingercroft (Residential Care

Home).

Our monthly Messy Church alternating between Gnosall

and Woodseaves has proved popular with parents and

young children.

Whilst our 7.45am Service is said, St Lawrence has a strong musical tradition which we seek to

maintain.

St Lawrence Church holds other services in celebration of the main Christian festivals and

Ecumenical Services are held alternately at St Lawrence Church and the Methodist Chapel.

Since 1985 the Church has organised a summer Carnival.

This raises funds for Church amenities and restoration. It is

attended by some 3,000 people and is supported by other

village organisations. The Carnival is enjoyed by all and

attracts a good number from outside the Parish and is

important in terms of fellowship, team efforts, and

finance.

We echo the Mission and Objectives of our Benefice and the Vision of our new Team Vicar

listed on pages 2 and 3 of the profile

12

St Lawrence Church

The Vestry

13

Harvest Supper 2015

Appendix 2

St Peter’s Church, Norbury

“A Village Cathedral!”

The Church is an impressive 14th Century, Grade 1 listed building with

many notable monuments and features. There is a service held each

Sunday morning and most Wednesdays there is an informal Morning

Worship held in the Village Hall.

Our congregation is presently small, very friendly and extremely

supportive of the work of the church. On special occasions throughout

the Christian calendar the attendance is higher.

We regularly hold fundraising and social events, which are supported by

local residents, as well as parishioners of the other churches within the

benefice and the wider community. Events over the past few years have

included: the Harvest Suppers and Sunday Lunches (which have a

reputation for delicious menus served with a friendly smile), Concerts (music from Big Band to a

Capella, set in the recognised fantastic acoustics of the church), quiz nights, soup lunches, coffee

mornings, promise auctions and Carol Singing!

14

Norbury Junction Canal Festival

Benefice Confirmation Service 2014

Sitting in picturesque countryside Norbury is a popular and peaceful village comprising a mixture of old and newer homes. There are a number of working farms in the parish, both in the village and surrounding hamlets of Loynton, Oulton and Weston Jones. Most of the working population commute outside the parish to work. School age children attend the School locally at Woodseaves or further afield in Newport or Stafford. The Village Hall is a modern popular venue for private parties and regular clubs, including a thriving W.I group.

The idyllic Shropshire Union Canal runs through the parish, a short distance from the village, where a small community, Norbury

Junction, is based around the famous, which is very popular with visitors. The first weekend in May there is a Canal Festival, which has grown considerably over the last few years, where the Church holds an informal service of praise and prayers as part of the programme.

15

Appendix 3

PARISH PROFILE

ST MARY’S CHURCH

MORETON

STAFFORDSHIRE

16

OUR PARISH Lying within the boundaries of the civil parish of Gnosall are the scattered settlements of

Moreton, Outwoods, Bromstead, Wilbrighton and Great Chatwell which make up our parish.

The shops, local pubs and school are long gone from this picturesque rural landscape but sitting

on its high ‘tump’ overlooking the village settlement of Moreton is St Mary’s, a little gem of a

church, even more gem-like when it is flood-lit at Christmas. Housing in the parish consists of

cottages and more modern homes with barn conversions and farms, with a total population of

around 450.

Complementing St Mary’s is a thriving, modern community centre where many and various social activities take place to entertain and delight the local and wider populace. Those aspiring to more mental and physical stimuli are also catered for with the very varied groups that meet on a regular basis.

The Moreton, Outwoods and Bromstead Millennium Community Centre, to give it its full name, stands on land formerly occupied by the Church Hall and for this reason the church is allowed an amount of free use of rooms within the Centre.

OUR CHURCH With a stunted ‘Italianesque’ tower and remarkably long chancel, St Mary’s is a Neo-Norman church built in 1838.

During its life it has benefited

from gifts of a stained-glass east

window, vestry screen and pulpit.

We are fortunate to have a

fortunate to have someone to play

electronic organ and even more

it! Although she only admits to

being an ‘improving’ player, to us our

organist sounds most accomplished.

Our carillon of six bells peal out over the

surrounding countryside each Sunday

to let everyone know we are about to

worship our Saviour.

17

At a push we can seat 80

people but our weekly

congregation is usually between 10

and 15. Even though St Mary’s is

not, by some standards, a very old

church we still have our fair

share of maintenance issues

but we are not down-hearted

and we all pull together and

get on with what needs to be

done, although this is always

a challenge financially. We are a very

friendly group of worshipers, never

happier than when someone new

turns up to a church service.

LIFE OF THE CHURCH Our regular service pattern is three out of four services each month in church with the BCP Holy

Communion service. On the third Sunday of each month we have the added bonus of the

Benefice Worship Team who deliver a 10am service in the community centre. This was

originally started to encourage the less able to come to worship without having to don their

climbing gear to tackle the steep path to the church building but it has become a much-loved

more informal occasion by all who attend. Twice monthly on a Thursday morning, Community

Worship takes place attended by regular church-goers as well as those who do not normally

attend Sunday services.

CHURCH AND COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES With a relatively small congregation we rely on fund-raising events which are well-supported by

the community. There are annual events such as our Summer Fete, Harvest Supper and

Ploughman’s Lunch. In addition to these we arrange other events such as concerts and curry

evenings and are continually striving to come up with more inspirational ideas. In recent years

our Christmas Carol Service has grown into concert proportions, with a community choir and

young people showcasing their vocal and musical talents. Before Christmas the Parish Council

provide a Christmas tree for the village green and there is a ceremonial switch-on of the lights

accompanied by carol singing. The church contributes to the monthly Mobstead News (parish

magazine) and is also featured on the village website. (ww.millenniumhall-moreton.co.uk).

18

CHURCH MISSION St Mary’s PCC sees the role of St Mary’s Church to provide a welcome to all who wish to come

and worship, to have children christened and to be married. We realise that we face challenges in

as much as we have a lack of younger people who will carry on the work in the future. We need

to develop our skills to reach out to the wider population and consider modernising our practices

in order to do this.

THE NEW TEAM VICAR Our parish needs a sincere, approachable minister who can engage with the community at all

levels and raise the profile of St Mary’s to encourage all age groups to join in the life of the

church. Someone who recognises the importance of pastoral care, particularly where the elderly

and housebound are concerned and can spend a fair proportion of their time in the parish within

the constraints of the size of the benefice that needs to be ministered to. It goes without saying

that a good sense of humour is a must! We recognise that we need help to inspire us to take the

church in Moreton forward in ways that can achieve our goals.

19

Appendix 4

Parish of High Offley with Knightley

20

21

Appendix 5

ST.MICHAEL and ALL ANGELS, ADBASTON

The parish of St. Michael and All Angels is a large rural parish made up of seven hamlets and two villages, one mentioned in the Domesday Book, but separated from all neighbouring parishes by large areas of farmland, and is thus relatively isolated with poor road communications – there are no A or B designated roads in any part of the parish. The parish has therefore grown accustomed to being self-contained, and integration into a wider multi-parish Benefice has not been easy. Apart from farming and one factory, there is little by way of employment and young people move away to work, leaving an ageing population who value traditions whilst showing a willingness to embrace new ideas. Nevertheless, the parish church is considered the centre of the community, and most people continue to regard it as essential for rural life, and show considerable willingness to support maintenance of the fabric, whilst actual numbers attending services remain disappointing. Circumstances have dictated that a weekly service is not easy to achieve, and currently there is a range of forms of service on the 1st, 2nd and 4th Sundays in the month. There is a Lay Reader who regularly takes the service on the 1st Sunday of the month. The Church Room, called the Jubilee Room, is run very successfully by the Community Group, providing support and friendship to the people of Adbaston and the wider community, with regular social and recreational events – coffee mornings, sewing, dress-making and knitting groups and painting classes. A series of live classical concerts are given in church four times a year by excellent professional musicians, which attract an audience of between fifty and one hundred from far and wide. Once every second year, a jazz concert replaces the classical theme. The church itself is a beautiful building, with parts dating back to Norman times, and additions throughout the centuries, with the most recent being the oak and glass screen to separate the vestry from the nave, erected to mark the Millennium. We look forward to this new chapter of our church. Our vision for the future is to be a growing congregation and to have more impact on the community.

22