the parish profiles of st luke derby and st

THE PARISH PROFILES
OF ST LUKE DERBY
AND
ST. BARTHOLOMEW DERBY
See of Ebbsfleet
Forward in Faith
INTRODUCTION
The parishes of St. Luke & St. Bartholomew are located within the city of Derby and are
members of MMA (Mission and Ministry Area) 37. Both churches are members of Forward in
Faith, have taken resolutions A,B and C and are under the Episcopal and Sacramental care of the
Bishop of Ebbsfleet. St. Luke’s is in Derby North Deanery. St. Bartholomew’s is in the Deanery of
Derby South. In recent years St. Luke’s and St. Bartholomew’s have shared Holy Week and
Easter services, and supported each other’s Patronal Festivals. Services are in the modern Anglo
Catholic tradition and the Blessed Sacrament is reserved. Vestments are worn and incense used
at all Sung Masses. It is intended that St. Luke's and St. Bartholemew's will be linked together
under one Priest who will live in St. Luke's Vicarage.
CITY OF DERBY
Derby is a city in the East Midlands region of England lying on the banks of the River Derwent, in
the south of the county of Derbyshire and the beautiful Peak District. With a good industrial base
including Rolls-Royce, Bombardier and Toyota, it has a population of approximately 248,700
consisting of many ethnic groups and different Faiths, and has good road and rail links with the
rest of the country. A mainline station on the Midland main line together with close access to the
M1, M42, A50, A52 and A38 makes easy access to and from the city. The nearby cities of
Nottingham, Leicester, Sheffield, Birmingham and Manchester are all within approximately a one
hour drive. The city centre has a recently opened large shopping complex called Westfield Derby
which together with an indoor market and other independent retailers gives a good choice of
shopping. The Assembly Rooms, Derby Theatre, and Guildhall as well as three multi-screen
cinemas and the Quad centre offer a wide range of entertainment. The city also boasts a
university, some superb parks and a new Royal Derby Hospital. The nearby Peak District offers
beautiful countryside for walking, climbing, caving and relaxing with a number of notable National
Trust properties (Calke Abbey, Kedleston Hall and Hardwick Hall) and private stately homes
(Chatsworth House and Haddon Hall) to visit.
OUR NEXT PRIEST
As our next Priest we would welcome a committed Anglo- Catholic with the energy,
enthusiasm and experience to lead and teach the people.
Our next priest will be strongly committed to the Church of England, and be prepared to
work to build up the life of the churches.
He will have the ability to communicate effectively with all ages and social groups.
He will lead us Forward in Faith and enable the Mission of the Gospel to reach those set in
a modern society, where Christianity is often at the margins of people’s thinking
More detail may be found in the individual Profiles of St. Bartholomew and St. Luke.
ST. LUKE’S PARISH PROFILE
THE PAST
The Parish of St. Luke is in the California district of Derby. The fine Gothic revival Church of St.
Luke (Grade 2*) was consecrated on St. John the Baptists Day 24th June 1871.
From its
beginnings there was an adherence to the principles of the Oxford Movement and the Catholic
revival in the Church of England. The working class population of the parish grew rapidly, at its
heart the Church, surrounded by back to back terrace properties on Stockbrook and Parliament
Streets. All that changed in the 1970's when the town Council moved to re-develop the area.
The old housing was torn down and replaced with modern units and the displaced people did not
return. Other church buildings adjacent to the Church itself were also pulled down. This had
consequences for the effectiveness of the worshipping community to minister to a population in
excess of 9,000 people. More recently most of the remaining mills have been replaced by private
flats and student accommodation.
ST. LUKE'S PARISH
St. Luke's Church boundaries lie close to the city centre and within the ring road. The new Derby
Royal Hospital lies just outside the parish boundaries, and the University is about 2miles away.
Bishop Lonsdale School is a Church Aided Nursery and Primary School, with which St. Luke’s has
strong links. The previous Parish Priest was invited into the two other Primary Schools in the
Parish and their Harvest and Christmas Services were at St. Luke’s. There is also a Secondary
School. The population of the Parish continues to grow, with old mills being replaced by blocks of
flats. Other housing includes student lets, owner occupied properties and sheltered housing for
the elderly. The Church Electoral is 74 of which 41 are non resident. The average of the usual
Sunday Communicants last year was 47 with 7 children (and this number accurately represented
the numbers attending on a Sunday,) although during the interregnum the numbers have fallen.
Whilst the average age of the congregation is in the region of 60 years, it is heartening to know
that we have a strong and growing core of younger worshippers. We have the reputation for
being a friendly church and long may that continue. The PCC reflects a good age mix. St. Luke's
has the heaviest ring of 8 bells in the Diocese with a practice night each week and the bells rung
on Sundays.
Parish Boundary
PASTORAL
The children's Sunday Club is well run by a committed team of adults. There has been a steady
stream of confirmation candidates in recent years, and there are Bible Study and other group
meetings for the purpose of deepening our faith and empowering us for Mission. There have
been strong ecumenical links through the Churches Together in Stockbrook. Led by our former
Reader and visiting facilitators we hosted a successful 'Fan the Flame' mission week. This was
supported by other Anglican churches and by Roman Catholic, Methodist and Baptist churches
nearby. In Bishop Lonsdale school we have the blessing of a Church Aided Nursery and Primary
Aided School. The previous incumbent visited regularly to take assemblies in his capacity as ex
officio foundation Governor.
The children visit the church building for worship and for the
purposes of topic work. The previous incumbent was also invited into two other primary schools in
the Parish, and we hosted their Harvest and Christmas Services. Bemrose Secondary School is
also in the Parish. Shoots of growth are to be seen in a small, but vibrant Mother's Union branch
who sponsor baptisms. The Baptism preparation during the interregnum has been undertaken by
members of the Mothers Union. Important pastoral care is offered to the bereaved through the
Dove group by church members, all of whom have been trained by an accredited bereavement
counsellor and an annual service for the bereaved is held on Remembrance Sunday.
WORSHIP
Sunday morning worship at St. Luke's is Eucharistic and in the Catholic tradition, with flexibility
and variety on the first Sunday of the month. Evening worship was also varied; on the first, third
and fifth Sundays the form was Evening Prayer and Devotions, on the second Sunday there was a
Holy Hour and on the fourth Sunday an evening Mass for healing was said.
During the
interregnum evening prayer is led by a core group of laity. Mass was said daily apart from
Thursdays, alternating between morning or evening, but during the interregnum we are only able
to have one weekday Mass. Stations of the cross are also regularly visited. We have a Cell of the
Holy House of Our Lady of Walsingham which usually meets monthly and St. Luke's hosts the
annual Walsingham Festival. The liturgy is supported by a faithful band of servers, both adult and
children. St. Luke's has a fine Abbott Organ. We have a small choir and the choir mistress plays
the piano for the evening service held in the crypt and other times when required. We have a few
weddings each year and several funerals and in 2012, 8 baptisms
FINANCE, BUILDINGS
The parochial share is always paid in full and the amount for 2014 will be £19,348 of which £1,000
is paid monthly by direct debit. We have also been able to raise funds towards the provision of a
new heating system, repairing the church roof, restoration of the fine Rose window, refurbishing
the Crypt Chapel, and re-hanging the bells. We have just installed 3 new toilets in the Narthex
and refurbished the one in the crypt.
This has been done along with many other minor
improvements to the fabric and church surrounds. The next Quinquennial is due in 2014.
THE VICARAGE
The Vicarage, a couple of minutes walk from the church, was built in the 1970s and has the usual
study entrance hall and toilet before an inner door connects to the rest of the house consisting of
sitting room, dining room, kitchen and utility, 4 good sized bedrooms and a bathroom. The house
has a garage with a small amount of parking and a small garden. It is on a good bus route
between the City Centre and the Hospital.
SOCIAL
Regular social and fund raising activities are organised by a social committee. These include
regular coffee mornings, Christmas Fayre, various concerts, meals, auctions etc. If possible the
West End of the church, which has been adapted for social occasions is used, or an adjacent hall
is hired. The events are well advertised and seek to bring in new people from the area.
ST BARTHOLOMEW’S PARISH PROFILE
THE PARISH OF ST. BARTHOLOMEW
The parish of St. Bartholomew Osmaston is a largely residential
area in the city of Derby which includes Osmaston and parts of
Allenton in the south east of the city, with a reasonably static
population of 8,250 people. The church was built in 1926 on land
given by Mrs Walter Evans to serve a growing area of the city,
and was extended in 1966 to give a new Chancel, Lady Chapel
and Vestries. It is in the Deanery of Derby South, has taken
resolutions A, B and C, is a member of Forward in Faith and is
under the Episcopal and Sacramental care of the Bishop of
Ebbsfleet. It is the only church of this integrity in the Deanery.
There are no other churches of mainstream denominations within
the parish. The Bishop of Derby is the Patron.
The Parish Boundary
St Bartholomew’s Church
The parish comprises roughly fifty streets of mainly Housing Association properties. There is one
local nursing home, a fire station, police station, a primary school (immediately opposite the
church gates), a large park with nearby swimming pool and sports track, two community centres
and some industry (notably Rolls-Royce and Bombardier). A large number of the population are
unemployed and the area has a low ethnic mix being predominantly white working class. The
former site of the Rolls-Royce main works has recently been demolished and will see a huge redevelopment in the coming years.
PARISH WORSHIP
Sunday school Children
Parish Mass
Sunday morning worship at St. Bartholomew’s is Eucharistic and uses a plain mass setting in the
modern Anglo-Catholic tradition, with a Sunday school which takes place during the Eucharist.
The Blessed Sacrament is reserved in the church. Vestments are worn and incense is used at all
sung masses, with the services accompanied on the organ, but there is no choir.
Members of the congregation read the lessons and lead the intercessions. We had a tradition of
daily Mass and observe all Festivals and Solemnities. Prior to the interregnum Evensong and
Benediction were celebrated in Lent and Advent. There is one licensed Eucharistic Minister and a
small team of servers. The local school was involved with the church using it for end of term
services, Harvest Festivals etc., and before the interregnum a large number of baptisms and
funerals took place in church. The parish has been in interregnum since August 2007 and in
March 2011 we were affected by the loss of approximately half the congregation together with
retired priest who had been conducting services, to the Ordinariate. This has left a small,
dedicated, mixed age group congregation of whom about 40% are resident within the parish. Our
usual attendance at 10 am Sunday Parish Mass is between 12 and 15 people including children.
We have an electoral roll of thirteen.
THE CHURCH BUILDING
Lady Chapel
East End
North Aspect
The church was built in 1926 and extended in1966 to include a new chancel, Lady Chapel and
vestries. It has a good open nave with a light and airy chancel making it a good environment for
worship. To the north side of the chancel is a Lady Chapel and to the south side the clergy and
servers vestries. At the west end there is a gallery which houses the organ and a small upper
room. During the last ten years extensive work has been carried out to the church including a new
heating system and major repairs to the roof and ceiling, together with a disabled access toilet,
hearing loop and sound system. The last quinquennial inspection took place in 2011.
CHURCH HALL
A new long awaited church hall was opened in October 2006 for
use by the church and local community. It consists of a large
room (14x11.5m) and a smaller meeting room (4.5x4.5m),
kitchen and toilets. Local residents’ meetings take place there
and it is also used as a polling station. Unfortunately because of
the interregnum the use of the building has been somewhat
curtailed but it has great potential for the future development of
the parish.
The Church Hall
PARISH FINANCE
In common with many churches parish finances are tight, but with careful management we have
taken steps to reduce expenditure where necessary to enable us to remain solvent. Due to the
reduction in the size of the congregation, there has been a fall in income although the parish share
has continued to be paid in full. The church owns a house which was originally used as
accommodation for a curate, but is now let to bring extra income.
THE FUTURE
After a long interregnum, both churches need the impetus which only an effective new Priest can
give. We need to build up the life of the church and create stronger links with the community in
general and especially among the younger people, renewing links made by our former Parish
Priests with the local schools, so that we can show that the church has a positive role to play in the
lives of its parishioners.
When Jesus saw the multitudes he was moved with compassion on them, because they were faint
and scattered abroad as sheep having no shepherd. Then he saith to his disciples, ‘the harvest is
truly plenteous, but the labourers are few, pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest to send
labourers to the harvest’.
CONTACT DETAILS
The Archdeacon of Derby
Ven. Dr. Christopher Cunliffe
Tel:( 01332) 388676
Email:[email protected]
St. Bartholomew’s Church
St. Luke’s Church
Mr Ian Dew
Tel:( 01332) 760195
Email: [email protected]
Mr Jeffery Adams
Tel:(01332) 608659
Email: [email protected]
Mrs Rebecca Johnson
Tel:( 01332) 676968
E Email: [email protected]
Mr Colin Lancaster
Tel:(01332) 676567
Email: [email protected]