Parish Profile Statement of Needs Parish Profile

Parish Profile and
Statement of Needs
www.stpaulsdorking.org.uk
February 2014
Contents
Page
Our vision
sion and journey ………………………………………………………………..
3
The story so far …………………………………………………………………………..
4
The town and parish
arish …………………………………………………………………..
5
Our churchmanship and worship ………………………………………………..
6
Our people ………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………
7
Our church life ……………………………………………………………………………
9
Education and local
ocal links ……………………………………………………………
12
Our Church Centre development ………………………………………………..
14
Facilities ………………………………………………………………………………………
15
Finance ……………………………………………………………………………………….
16
SWOT…………………..
SWOT…………………..……………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………..
17
Statement of needs……………………………………………………………………..
19
2
St Paul’s Church
Dorking
Our Vision and Journey
Where we have come from
A church that has a ‘servant’ leadership structure
and decision making process that is visionary,
accountable and involves every church member in
the outworking of vision.
A church that is well resourced both financially
and through training, and is refurbishing and
extending its buildings to meet both ongoing
needs and those of the next generation.
A church that works alongside other churches and
St Paul’s church is built on a hill and has always sought to
declare the good news of Jesus Christ through its ministry and
people. For over ten years a plaque on the wall of St Paul’s
Church has declared this vision and mission:We are here to be a beacon of light for Jesus.
Christian organisations who share these values.
Current update to our vision
Matt 5: 14-16
14
More recently …
For the last decade under the previous incumbent, the church
has been pursuing what it has termed ‘The Three Love
Vision’:
Passionate about loving God - called to worship
Committed to loving one another - called to
community
Convinced of the urgency of loving all in God's world
- called to mission
At St Paul’s we have been working this out by discovering new
ways of being God’s Church for the 21st Century and living
livi out
our faith both in Dorking and through our contacts around the
world.
Our values
Ten key values express the heart of our vision and undergird
the life and mission of our church. At St Paul’s we seek to be:be:
A church that meets with Jesus and in the power of
the Spirit makes a difference in the world.
A church that has worship and prayer at the centre
During 2013, as our church extension has become a reality
after 20 years of planning, we have sensed that God is also
seeking to extend our vision and outlook as a church. This
has been summarised as our “Salt and Light Vision”. It
represents a shift from
m where we have been as it is a more
community-based
based statement and reflects our hope that our
church extension project will be a great enabler in our
ministry to our community. This has been summed up in a
Salt and Light acronym:-
S = To be a church that SERVES all in our community.
A = To be a church that AFFIRMS
FFIRMS and welcomes all
L = To be a church that LIVES out its faith for those who
have yet to become disciples of Christ.
of its life - corporately, in small groups and
individually,
T = To be a church that equips and TRAINS all to be good
A church that has teaching and worship that is Bible
L = To be an inter-generational
generational church family that LOVES
based, inclusive, diverse and welcoming.
welcomin
A church in which every member discovers and uses
their gifts, abilities and resources.
A church that provides support and pastoral care for
those in need.
A church that loves those who have yet to come to
know Christ and actively reaches out to the local
community and to the world.
news for the local community
God, one another and all in God’s world
I = To be a church where people are INSPIRED to meet with
God and encounter him
G = To be a church that GROWS
ROWS in both numbers and
discipleship
H = To bring HEALING and hope to our community
T = To be TRANSFORMED by the power of Christ’s salvation
and to be part of His transforming action in His community.
A church with small groups at its heart, with each
group expressing the ‘three loves'.
3
St Paul’s Church
Dorking
The story so far
A brief history of St Paul’s
The St Paul's Church that you see today is the result of its
growth and development from more humble beginnings.
The Church was consecrated in 1857 and at this stage
consisted of just the central aisle of the current building.
The church today
In 2003 the church was reordered. The pews were removed
allowing for a more adaptable and usable space, and new
flooring, lighting, heating, sound and multimedia facilities
were installed.
The ground for the building and the finance were both gifted
by two local Christian men, and from the beginning it was to
be an evangelical church.
As the congregation increased, financial
ncial subscription allowed
the north side to be added in 1860 and the south side in 1869.
In 1903 the whole church was restored in oak and at the same
time electric lighting and heating were fitted.
During this period the church family grew in numbers and
maturity.
However, sadly, in the late 1960'ss numbers were falling and St
Paul’s reached a crisis point where the Church
rch was in danger
of closure.
The appointment of a new vicar in 1973 reversed this
situation with the church undergoing a renewal, and
significant development of its ministry and activity with the
advent of children's groups and family-style
style worship, all
grounded on Bible-based teaching.
This firm foundation has been built upon over the last 40
years.
During this time a church room was erected adjoining the
church building. This consisted of one large hall area, a lower
church room, small kitchen and toilets.
In the 80's and 90's, under new leadership small groups
emerged, Alpha courses and the Bible School were started,
and we saw the development
ment of pastoral assistants.
From the year 2000 onwards, under the leadership of our
previous incumbent, we have seen the emergence of Cafe
Church, Early Bird Café, Nursery School and the many other
expressions of church life and initiatives that are outlined
out
in
this document.
We have long since outgrown our present facilities and for
the past 20 years have sought to build a new church
extension. After many setbacks, planning permission has at
last been obtained and the building of the Centre started in
June 2013 and is due to finish in Summer 2014.
So here we are in 2014, with this rich heritage behind us,
and looking forward with eager anticipation to welcoming
the new vicar whom God will send us.
4
St Paul’s Church
Dorking
The Town and Parish
Parish profile
St Paul’s is an Anglican Church in the Diocese of Guildford
with a congregation of around 350 including approximately
100 children. About 150 adults meet in small groups during
the week.
St Paul’s parish extends southwards from the main Dorking
High Street to the A24 by-pass.
pass. Over two thousand
households provide homes for over 4,500 people. Housing
varies from small terraced
rraced town houses and two small estates
to large detached homes.
Along with St Paul’s Church, St Paul’s Church of England Aided
Primary School is at the heart of the parish and is situated in
the same road.
Adjoining our parish is The Priory School, one of only two
Church Aided Secondary Schools in the Diocese. See page 12.
The Town of Dorking
Dorking is a long-established market town set in the valley
va
of
the River Mole and Pippbrook between the North Downs and
the Greensand Ridge, approximately 21 miles (34 km) from
the centre of London and 6 miles south of J9 of the M25. It
has a population of 11,154 and 3,718
18 households. (2011
(
census).
Sport and Leisure
Dorking became more famous recently when it was on the route
of the Olympic cycling races in 2012 and has become a centre for
cycling. As well as a number of road cycle routes there is also a
large area popular with off--road cyclists on the North Downs Way
covering Box Hill and Ranmore.
Dorking has two non-league
league football clubs based in Dorking and
Westhumble, and a rugby club based in Brockham, which
attracted attention when it won the Powergen Vase in 2005/6. It
also has a very active Athletics club based at the Pixham Sports
Ground.
Walking and rambling are also very popular in the North Downs
and surrounding areas.
Dorking Halls has three cinemas, one of which can be set up as a
theatre. As well as showing films it also has a variety of live
shows and concerts, a pantomime at Christmas and an antiques
fair once a month. There is an Arts Alive festival and the Leith Hill
Musical festival each year.
In 2003 a new modern leisure centre was added to the Dorking
Halls Complex. There is a 25-metre
25
pool, a shallow pool, a gym
and various rooms which provide other sports and activities.
Dorking also has a new library and
a a local museum.
Town Centre
The three main shopping streets have a mixture of small
independent shops, and larger outlets plus three supermarkets;
Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Lidl with a small Tesco Express just out
of town on the A25. Dorking Food Float
Floa has a stall in the High
Street on a Friday and Saturday run by a member of the
congregation sellingg locally-sourced
locally
produce. It also delivers
weekly vegetable boxes. There is a weekly market and a farmers
market once a month. West Street is famous for its
i antique shops.
Education
As well as the St Paul’s Nursery there is Dorking Nursery and a
number of other nurseries and pre-schools.
pre
Powell Corderoy, St Martin's,
Martin's St Paul's, St Joseph's, and St John's
are the Primary Schools.
Secondary schools in the town are The Ashcombe and The Priory.
As well as these state schools there are also a number of private
schools in the surrounding area
Dorking is today mainly a commuter town but has some large
local employers including Friends Life and Unum in Dorking
and Esso in Leatherhead. There are three railway stations one
on the London Victoria and London Waterloo lines and the
other two on the North Downs line between Reading and
Gatwick Airport. There are buses
ses to Guildford, Redhill,
Horsham and Kingston.
Geography
Just north-east of the town the River Mole cuts a steep-sided
steep
valley through the North Downs. On the left bank is Denbies
Vineyard, the largest vineyard
ineyard in the UK, and Ranmore, and on
the right bank is Box Hill, owned by the National Trust and
Britain's first Country Park.. The hill has been designated a Site
of Special Scientific Interest, because of the
he large number of
rare orchids, which grow there in the summer.
5
St Paul’s Church
Dorking
Our churchmanship and
worship
Our churchmanship
We are an open evangelical church,, committed to the
authority of Scripture and to bringing the reality of Christ’s
salvation to our community via a wide range of worship styles,
activities and a focus on small group membership.
membership We are
strongly committed to the Diocese and Deanery, have had a
long term association with Spring Harvest, and over the last
decade have developed a relationship with New Wine and its
vision of “local churches changing nations”. Some of our
clergy team attend the New Wine leaders’ conference each
year and a significant number of the congregation goes to the
summer event.
We have three services on a Sunday (see page 8 for
attendance numbers):•
9.00am - using the common worship liturgy, usually
with communion and song/hymn books,
books choir and
organ or piano accompaniment.
•
10.30am - an open liturgy family service with
worship led by a music group and an informal style.
On the first Sunday of the month we have Café
Church (see website link from “services” for more
detail).
•
6.30pm - content varies term by term, but has
recently included DVDs of speakers from New Wine
and usually includes a monthly reflective time called
Sanctuary.
We encourage members of the congregation to be involved in
the many roles needed to make Sunday worship
ip a time when
gifts are used and all made welcome. This includes a welcome
team, coffee team, sides people and assistant wardens.
Involvement is also encouraged in preaching, leading
intercessions, assisting at communion, Bible reading and
prayer ministry. At the 10.30 service, occasionally there may
also be the offering of a word, picture, tongue or prophecy as
the Holy Spirit leads.
Our worship
Each term the Leadership team asks the question ‘What
‘W
is the
Spirit saying to the church?’ In response,
response we follow a particular
theme week by week in our preaching and teaching. The same
sermon is preached at both morning services and is available as
a recording on our website.
The teaching and preaching on Sunday is applied through small
groups which meet during the week. Notes based on the sermons
are available to everyone each week.
We have run the Alpha course a number of times for newcomers
and last year ran the course as a refresher
r
for the whole church
(see Church Life section).
Baptism
We have an open baptism policy for children who worship at St.
Paul’s or live in our parish after due preparation. Apart from our
occasional sea baptisms, all baptisms take place during the 10.30
Sunday Service.
We offer baptism to infants, to give the opportunity for parents to
bring their children before God in a public declaration of their
intent to raise them in the family of the Church.
We also offer baptism to young people and adults who have not
previously been baptised,
aptised, but who want to make a public
commitment to their Christian faith.
faith We have baptised individuals
in the sea at our annual church picnic near Worthing.
Thanksgiving
A service of thanksgiving is available which does not involve
baptism but gives parents and the church family the opportunity
to give thanks to God for the gift of a child and to receive prayer
and a blessing.
Marriage
Couples preparing for marriage meet the clergy and are invited to
attend the nationally
ationally recognised “Marriage Preparation Course”.
Where appropriate we marry divorced people and follow the
House of Bishops’ guidelines in these matters.
matters
Funerals
We provide services of remembrance and thanksgiving, but there
is no graveyard at St Paul’s.
6
St Paul’s Church
Dorking
Shona Hoad, Assistant Curate
Our People – the Staff
Jeff Yelland, Associate Vicar
Following ordination in 2010 Shona and her family moved
to St Paul’s as part of the process of training in ministry.
Shona has also taken on the role of Chaplain at Dorking
Hospital. Shona’s ministry and license at St
S Paul’s is due to
finish in June 2014.
Steve Henwood, Children’s & Youth Minister
Ordained later in life following a career as a Consulting
Engineer, Jeff has a passion to see men, women and young
people grow in faith and love with Jesus. He has been with St
Pauls as NSM for 11 years, and is currently our Associate
Vicar.
Jenny Firth, Assistant Minister
After working as a Primary Teacher
eacher in Kent, and then for a
church in Epsom, Steve now works at St Paul's alongside a
team seeking to develop and oversee a diverse, Spirit-filled
Spirit
Children's and Youth Ministry across the
th area. He works full
time for St Paul’s.
Penny Barker, Church Operations Manager
Jenny has lived in Dorking and been a member of St Paul’s
church since 1975. Having been a secondary school music
teacher for many years, Jenny took early retirement and was
ordained as a local minister in 2007. She currently works partp
time for St Paul’s.
Penny has managed the Church Office for the last 12 years,
and is now ably assisted by Nicola Glass. Both attend St
Paul’s church
urch and work part time in the office.
o
The Church Operations team also includes part time Verger,
cleaners and Property Manager..
7
St Paul’s Church
Dorking
PCC
Our two Church Wardens are Phil Mockler and Sue SwainSwain
Fossey.
Our people
Lay ministers
At St Paul’s Lay Licensed Ministers (Lay Readers) have been
active in a range of areas of church leadership, including
preaching, leading small groups, mentoring, and prayer
ministry etc.
Here at St Paul’s we have two lay ministers; Martin Hoad and
Dr Pat Goode.
Martin Hoad, Lay Minister
Martin has been licensed as a Lay Minister for more than 10
years and currently serves on Guildford’s Diocesan Reader
board. Married to Shona, he will also be leaving us in June
2014.
Dr Pat Goode, Lay Minister
In addition to the two wardens the present PCC
PC is made up
of 21 members. Some are elected, some are Deanery Synod
members plus all our ministerial team and Lay Ministers
have ex-officio roles.
Members serve a three year term before having to stand
for re-election.
election. Our outgoing vicar has chaired the PCC and
during the interregnum one of the wardens will chair the
meetings. We meet once a month - alternate months being
either business
ess or prayer meetings. We hold an annual
meeting in April and a PCC away day for prayer and
reflection in the autumn of each year. The PCC Exec, which
includes the vicar, another minister, two wardens, secretary
and treasurer, meets twice a month.
Meetings cover all aspects of church life and members are
encouraged to participate and also to take on specific roles
of responsibility.
At present we also have a Building Implementation
Implemen
team
and a Buildings Funding team which meet regularly,
regularly as well
as a PCC sub-group for new
ew Centre Steering.
Steering They are
accountable to the PCC.
Our congregation
Our congregation is made up of people
p
of all ages from
birth to over 90.
Our average attendance over the last four months of 2013
(excluding Christmas services) was:
Dr Pat Goode is a retired Medical General Practitioner and has
been a Licensed Lay Minister for 29 years.
The Pastoral Team
St Paul's Pastoral Assistants have been trained by the Diocese
of Guildford in order to be able to offer specific support
during times of need. We have an ever-expanding
expanding team of 1010
12 Assistants, under the leadership of Jackie Goel.
9.00 am service – 62 adults and 1-2
1 children under 16
10.30 am service - 164 adults and 61 Children
Our evening services vary each week from 4-40
4
However, as mentioned in our SWOT analysis, due to the
number of our congregation who attend regularly but not
every week, the church attendance figure over the course
of a month in reality is nearer twice these numbers.
During 2013 there were 15 funerals,
funerals 4 in church and the
rest in local crematoriums. 2 weddings, plus one re
rededication.
rd
Baptisms are usually held at the 10.30 service on the 3
Sunday of the month.
In addition this year we held:
Approximately eight school services
An evening carol service - 83 children and 332 adults
Christingle - 110 children and 147 Adults
Crib Service - 106 children and 214 adults
We have 263 on our electoral roll, which was fully revised in
April 2013.
8
St Paul’s Church
Soul Connect
Dorking
Our church life
St Paul’s is not so much a church with small groups as a church of
small groups! Over 150 adults meet weekly in small groups.
groups On
Sundays, as well as during the week, around 100 children and
young
people
meet
in
age-related
related
groups.
We also run groups for Alpha,, and have run Marriage
Preparation and Refreshment, Family Life, and Training in
Discipleship and Evangelism (TIDE).
Other groups in the St Paul’s family include Work Out, our
worship group and choir, as well as our Monday Group which
funnily enough meets on Mondays! Everyone is encouraged to
join a group.
Small groups
Small groups are the main
n focus for a whole range of church
activities at St Paul’s, including worship and prayer, love and
care, outreach, social action and practical support. They are vital
to the life of the church offering close relationships, prayer
support, learning and encouragement
ouragement to church members that
can often be difficult to find in a Sunday service alone.
Small groups give the opportunity to learn and grow together in
mission and ministry both in individual everyday life and
together as an expression of the church’s vision and outreach.
They are often the first place for the discovering, building up and
use of the gifts of every member. They are linked with a World
Church Mission Partner and are encouraged to take part in a
Besom project once a year.
Groups meet during the day and most evenings during the week.
There are small groups particularly for men, for women and an
18–30s small group.
18-30’s group
Our 18-30s ministry has been growing over the past four years
and provides a weekly small group for individuals either
temporarily (due to university) or permanently.
ermanently. In addition to
this it supports the church through the running of the Sunday
cafe, the provision of 24/2 Prayer tents at Easter and the group
tries to get away annually to a large Christian event such as New
Wine.
Children’s & Youth Ministry
St Paul’s has had a long standing belief in the importance of
investing in the future generations. This was demonstrated
further with the commitment in 2009 to employ a fulltime
Children’s and Youth Minister. We currently have a diverse range
of programmes for all ages, some of which are born out liaison
with other churches in the community.
Soul Connect is the umbrella name for the Dorking Churches
Together’s joint children’s and youth ministry. St Paul’s plays a
key role in this through the work of the young people, adult
volunteers and the Children’s and Youth minister. This includes
weekends away, schools ministry and the town wide Youth
Alpha.
Saltmine
Saltmine
altmine is the name for our Sunday children’s and youth
programme, catering for 0-16s.
16s. It is staffed by a dedicated team
of volunteers.
Leading, Training & Practical service
One of our core aims at St Paul’s is to maximise the
opportunities for children and young people to serve and grow
in their personal God-given
given gifts.
Children and young people are encouraged to be involved in all
areas of church life. This can be anything from outreach, social
action (e.g. Besom projects), running the tech or sound,
sound working
as a leader/helper in Saltmine or being in the worship band. In
fact, many of our programmes and events such as Holiday Club,
Youth Alpha or XL would not run without them.
We are continually seeking to find ways of resourcing and
supporting this. Currently this includes Worship Academy and
our Children’s Leader Training programme (both of which are
also attended by young people from other churches).
XL
XL is our main midweek
ek discipleship group for 8-13s.
8
It includes a
cooked meal together, everyone doing washing up together,
worship, Bible study, prayer and games. This growing group is
primarily St Paul’s children, with some children from other
churches. (At the time of typing
ing we cater for 60 each week).
CYFA
CYFA iss the St Paul’s midweek group for 14s-18s
14s
and meets on
Sunday nights. Through the Soul Connect links it is also attended
by young people from other churches.
The Point/Deeper/Youth Alpha
These are Soul Connect programmes for 11-15s,
11
run and
throughout term time on Friday nights. They are hosted at
Crossways Baptist church and led by a team from St Paul’s and
New Life (New Frontiers).
Occasional
The year is full of numerous other events including
i
a half-term
Holiday Club, mum’s and toddlers services, Soul Survivor trips,
and children’s worship events.
9
St Paul’s Church
Worship Leadership
Dorking
Our church life (continued)
St Paul’s Nursery
The Nursery is an expression of St Paul’s Church’s heart for
the community and an outworking of our church’s vision to
demonstrate Christian love and service. Established and
managed by the Church for the benefit of local families, it was
classed as ‘Outstanding’ in a recent OFSTED inspection.
inspection
The aim of our Nursery is to offer high quality education and
care to children and families from all sections of the local
community providing a safe, secure and loving environment
for children to learn and grow, and where the emphasis is on
learning through play. An enjoyment of learning is fostered
by a broad, stimulating and balanced curriculum
lum both indoors
and out.
Qualified staff members work in partnership with parents and
carers to ensure that children are valued, loved and educated
as we encourage their individuality and development.
We also offer places to children with special educational
educat
needs and work in partnership with parents, other
educational establishments, health and social services.
Christian values are incorporated into our provision, whilst
remaining aware of and respecting views and opinions of
those of different faiths.
The Nursery is open every weekday morning
ing during term time
and two times a week in the afternoons during the Spring and
Summer terms.
SPOT
SPOT -St Paul’s 0-2’s- is a group for children from birth until
they start nursery or pre-school. It is staffed by qualified early
years practitioners providing a safe, secure, loving and
friendly environment reflecting Christian values and ethos.
SPOT meets in the Church on Wednesdays during term time
from 10 am to 11.30 am.
At St Paul's the worship at our 10.30 services has a
contemporary feel, drawing on worship movements such
suc as
Hillsong, Worship Central and Soul Survivor alongside
familiar hymns. We have a team who help to lead us in
sung worship, enabled by the Holy Spirit. The team includes
those involved in the worship bands, and sound and
multimedia desks. Those involved in the worship
worshi ministry
are drawn from across the church and we are always keen
to hear from anyone with a heart for worship who is
interested in helping, whether from a technical or musical
point of view.
We are continually seeking God’s heart in growing his
worship ministry. As part of this process we recently ran the
Worship Central Course for our worship team, and at the
end of the course the team agreed a vision for worship at St
Paul’s. We believe God has been shaping this vision over
the past two years, and thatt he calls us to move into this as
we worship him.
The St Paul's worship team get together as a whole group
eight times a year to share fellowship and grow God's vision
for worship at St Paul's.
Our 9.00 am Sunday morning service follows a more
traditional form of worship, benefitting from the organ and
the adult choir.
Choir
Music has always played a very important place
plac in the
worshipping life of the St Paul’s family. Over the past 30
years the church choral and organ traditions have been
joined by instrumentalists, soloists, contemporary bands
and ensembles, and even occasionally by an orchestra,
orchestra to
add to the rich variety of music that can be heard at St
Paul’s with which
ich to worship and glorify our great
g
God.
The Adult Choir at St Paul’s practises on Fridays in the
church room from 8.00-9.00
.00 pm during school term time.
The choir leads thee worship every week at the 9.00 am
a
service and sing at other services
vices on special occasions and
festivals. During November and December our numbers
increase as we rehearse for the carol service and other
Christmas services, and we are joined by an enthusiastic
and lively Children’s Choir.
We love to sing with the musicality
music
God has already given
us to encourage our church family to worship Him together
in a wide variety of musical styles, from Early Classical
through to contemporary, including Taizé and Iona music.
We are always open to finding new ways of expressing our
o
love for God and our reverence for Him.
Him
10
St Paul’s Church
Alpha
Dorking
Our church life (continued)
World Church
"Loving all in God's world" is a key element of the vision for St
Paul's church, and the World Church team aims to help achieve
this. We do this by supporting several individuals and
organisations around the world. Each Small Group is encouraged
to keep in contact and pray regularly for at least one of our
partners. Communication to the church family is through
monthly emails sent from the website.
We have a team of seven, with most members having been
involved in overseas missionary or support work. The team
t
also
manages a Gap Year bursary which can help with the finance for
students doing Gap Year service either overseas or in this
country.
The church provides a budget for World Church support, which
is supplemented by particular gift occasions and by individual
in
donations.
Leadership training
Twice each term we hold LEADTIME,
TIME, a gathering of the leaders
of St Paul’s Church (small group
roup leaders and leaders of other
aspects of church life) to inform and inspire them concerning
the teaching programme of the forthcoming term, as well as
providing specific training and equipping sessions. We also have
a system of Leadership Partners.. This is a partner and
mentorship programme providing access for church members to
leaders when they need it.
Work Out
We have run the Alpha course many times over the last 12-15
12
years for newcomers and last year we ran an Alpha refresher
for the whole church. There were several groups meeting on
different days/times
times of the day, the largest being 110 people on
a Thursday evening. This enabled many to serve each other and
find new ways of expressing their faith, including leading
discussions, laying tables, cooking and washing up! Several
discussion groups continuee to meet as new small groups.
Little Notes
Live music with professional musician for babies, toddlers and
carers. Little Notes is held in
n the church on Monday mornings
during term time.
Early Bird Café
Early Bird Café is in Church between 8.45 am and 10.00 am
each weekday in term time. Everyone is welcome, with a
toddler play area, daily newspapers, free wifi and space to
prepare for the day.
Prayer Partners and Pray Pals
Many of our church family have prayer partners or are in
prayer triplets, and we have an initiative called Pray Pals which
encourages groups of three people of different stages of faith
to promise to pray, contact and meet regularly together.
Contact the Elderly
Contact the Elderly provides monthly support for elderly people
who
o ordinarily do not access other services and may therefore
feel isolated. Volunteers accompany elderly guests to various
hosts for teas, friendship and support.
Work Out is a midweek fresh expression of church,
church meeting
monthly on Friday lunchtime with a light lunch provided. It is a
network for those seeking to integrate the life of work to
Christian faith. Its meetings are short, sharp and packed with
practical stuff connecting faith with work. It is not just for those
who can attend meetings -much
much of the group’s activity is
involved with networking and is conducted electronically!
New Wine and Spring Harvest
Each year some members of our church go to the New Wine
Summer Conference; this year over 80 are attending. In previous
years up to 100 have attended Spring Harvest but there
ther is no
group going this year. Both groups bring back learning and ideas
to share with the wider congregation.
Residential and Nursing Homes
There are a number of residential homes within our parish. In
three of them we hold
d services of Holy Communion and
Evening Prayer each month and other informal worship, where
we enjoy fellowship with those in our parish who are unable to
join us on a Sunday. Members of the St Paul’s family are able
to visit and offer opportunity for Bible
Bi
Study and recreational
support as individual circumstances require. In addition we
are able to share worship and ministry at Pelham Woods, a
locked rehabilitation service which provides for the
rehabilitative and ongoing needs of women who have complex
compl
mental health problems.
11
St Paul’s Church
Dorking Primary Schools
Dorking
Education and Local links
Assemblies, PHSE support and RE lessons take place in local
primary schools under the Soul Connect banner.
Bible Explorer
St Paul’s School
Bible Explorer is a national primary RE programme that teaches
year 5 or 6 children a comprehensive overview of the Old or
New Testament narrative. Very popular with staff and pupils,
this highly interactive programme is growing in demand so we
are currently
ly training additional presenters to offer it to more
schools.
Shortly after St Paul’s Church was consecrated in 1857, a request
was made by the minister and church wardens for land to build a
school. On 16 May 1859 land was given and St Paul’s School was
built at the cost of £2,126 opening in 1860. Situated just up the
road from the Church, both school and church have always
enjoyed a close relationship.
St Paul’s School aims to serve the surrounding community by
providing an education of the highest quality for children of all
faiths and none, within the context of Christian belief and
practice. Christian values are promoted and encouraged as is an
understanding of the meaning
aning and significance of faith.
faith One of
our ministers takes weekly school assemblies.
The Ashcombe Secondary School
Assemblies at Ashcombe are taken weekly by Church / Youth
ministry leaders from Churches in CTD (Churches Together
Dorking). The Church also hosts carol services from both
Ashcombe and Priory schools.
The Priory CofE Secondary School
Many children from church attend the school with a number of
the congregation serving on the Governing body.
On Sundays our young people meet at the school for the regular
reg
children’s work activities,, whilst during the term the church is
used for special services such as at Christmas, Easter and other
festivities.
St Paul’s School has eight foundation governors, including the
Vicar on the Governing Body.
The Priory has a team of chaplains, one
on for each year group.
(Currently our Children’s and Youth Minister is year 7 chaplain
as he also works in the primary schools). They resource and
support a number of events including; assemblies, communion
services, pupil and staff retreat days, assemblies,
assemblie OMG week
and Prayer spaces.
Prayer Space in Schools
Other Local Schools Ministry
Soul Connect now has the resources to run the Prayer Space in
Schools project. This has been run twice in Priory school and is
being offered to other schools in the area.
In partnership with other churches in the community, there is a
range of other Schools Ministry that St Paul’s is involved in. There
are two main secondary schools and a handful of local primary
schools. This work comes under a variety off banners, including
SoulConnect, Bible Explorer and Priory Chaplaincy.
Additional Schools Support
Members of the church serve on governing bodies as
community governors and PTAs in many of the local schools.
12
St Paul’s Church
Dorking
Education and Local links
Rainbows, Brownies and Guides
Rainbows, Brownies and Guides meet on Tuesdays in church.
The Rainbows, Brownies and Guides join with us for parade
services at Remembrance and Mothering Sunday. In addition
they give valuable assistance in making Christingles and
Mothering Sunday posies - we all enjoy a bacon butty
breakfast together as we work!
Churches Together in Dorking
We are active members of CTD which is a collaborative group across
the churches in Dorking. St Paul’s is committed to supporting and
working alongside other churches across the town with both clergy
and lay members taking an active involvement in joint worship,
discipleship opportunities and fellowship. Examples have included
the funding of a Town Youth Worker, the annual Good Friday walk
of witness and the support
pport of the various cross-church
cross
initiatives
such as Street Pastors and Beatitudes. Alongside this work is the
Dorking Ministers Fellowship which enables the town’s ministers to
meet each month for fellowship and support. We are also a
member of Mole Valley
lley Christians against Poverty.
Poverty
Beatitudes
Traidcraft
We support Traidcraft with a monthly stall at our morning
service and are a Fair Trade organisation. We seek to use
Traidcraft products as much as possible and make regular
deliveries to people at home.
Dorking Hospital
Ranmore Ward at Dorking Community Hospital provides
nursing care and rehabilitation support for those looking to
return to their homes following strokes, falls or surgery. The
hospital also provides palliative care as necessary. As Hospital
Chaplain, Shona Hoad is able to meet with patients each week
as well as lead services in the Hospital Chapel on a regular
basis.
Deanery Synod
Several
al members of St Paul’s serve on the Deanery Synod and
currently the secretary is a member of St Paul’s. The churches
that make up the deanery are supportive of one another and
work in collaboration where possible. Over the years a good
relationship has developed
eveloped and in recent years there has been
an annual Vision Sharing Day for Deanery Synod which has
been enthusiastically supported by the members. Our staff
team all attend Deanery and Chapter meetings
The Beatitudes Dorking shop sells very low priced children’s clothes,
toys and equipment with a focus on low income and struggling
families in the community. Within the shop is a coffee area giving
mums, dads, grandparents and carers a chance to relax while
children can play. Their mission is to:to:
Bless the community with a touch of Christ
Create a place and space to build community
Develop relationships, listen and pray for families
Encourage creative and diverse solutions to life challenges
Street Pastors
This is a new outreach activity in the town, in association with the
Police and CTD and seeks to give support to people late at night.
The Besom
The Besom is a practical, equipping ministry, providing a bridge
between those who want to give time, money, skills or things to
those who are in need.
Deanery Statement –
Ongoing discussions in the Dorking Deanery Chapter and
Synod are exploring steps towards the possibility of pastoral
reorganisation across the Deanery which could result in the
formalising of new groups of parishes; such groups would be
groups of ‘equals’ with each parish maintaining its own
worship styles and traditions and financial independence, yet
working and sharing together in the opportunities for vision
and mission. St Paul’s will be looking towards playing a full
part in any new group within the Deanery that would embrace
Dorking and North Holmwood.
The Besom in Dorking has been running since 2007 in partnership
with St Paul’s Church and others in the town. The Besom seeks to
serve those who have been referred to us by local social workers,
health and housing workers working throughout Mole Valley.
13
St Paul’s Church
Dorking
Our Church Centre
development
The building work is underway
An overview of the project
The church building is in good repair, with regular Quinquennial
inspections and repair work undertaken as and when required. The
church was fully refurbished ten years ago.
Our former church rooms, which were built in 1977, were
demolished in 2013 to makee way for the new Church Centre, which
is more suited to our current and future needs. The rooms had
become
come inadequate for the needs of the St Paul’s nursery and our
other activities. The nursery is now based in a temporary building on
site.
Full details of our new Church Centre can be found on the website.
In brief, the new two storey building
buildi is due for completion Summer
2014. A large entrance porch will lead to facilities for the nursery,
multi-purpose
purpose meeting rooms, office, kitchen and toilets (see
website for more detail).
The Centre will be accessed via the church as well as independently,
and is viewed
iewed as an extension to our church building.
The cost is circa £1.8m and 85% of this has been either donated or
pledged by the church family. A small number of grants have been
applied for/received. The remaining 15% is covered by a short
s
term
loan from the Diocese - we can have this loan for up to two years,
but are committed to fully funding the Centre by the time it opens in
Summer 2014. To this end we have various communication activities
and a Gift Day planned for early 2014.
14
St Paul’s Church
Dorking
Facilities
The Vicarage
The Vicarage continued
The vicarage will be inspected by the diocese and any
necessary work will be undertaken. The parish will arrange
complete decoration when a new vicar has been appointed.
The Vicarage is a 1930s four-bedroomed
bedroomed detached house with
double glazed windows. There is a detached garage and
lawned gardens with hedges to three sides. It is about 100
yards from the church and is approached by a tarmac
driveway suitable for parking several vehicles.
Ground floor accommodation consists of entrance hall, study,
utility room, kitchen, cloakroom and two reception
ception rooms.
The study has a separate entrance. The kitchen opens onto
one reception room, which can also be opened onto the
second, allowing for flexible use of the space, as required.
Upstairs are 4 bedrooms, (one en-suite)
suite) and a family
bathroom.
Other church property
The Curate’s House
St Paul’s has responsibility for a house obtained via a
church commissioners’ loan. This is about half a mile from
the church at 6 Falkland Road.
This semi-detached three-bedroomed
bedroomed Victorian house has
been used in the past to accommodate our curates, and is
now the home of our Children’s and Youth minister and his
family.
The School House Flat
At St Paul's School there is a separate two-storey
two
building.
The ground floor is used as offices by the school. The upper
floor is a two-bedroomed
bedroomed self-contained
self
flat which is the
responsibility of the church and is rented out (to a member
of the congregation).
The Current Curate’s Accommodation
The current curate and her family live in a rented property
funded through the church budget until June 2014.
15
St Paul’s Church
Dorking
Finance – Church giving and budget
Income
Income for 2013 is expected to be £517,000 split between the General Fund (£250k) and the Building Fund (£267k).
Regular giving by standing order makes up 67% of General Fund income – 81% if you add Gift Aid. A further 10% comes from envelopes,
collections and donations. The church enjoys also rental income from a flat at St Paul’s School and from St Paul’s Nursery. The
T pie-chart
below shows the various sources of general fund income
2%
4%
3%
3% 2%
1%
2%
Regular giving
1%
1%
Gift Aid
Donations
Envelopes
Collections
14%
67%
Rent
Investment income
Events
Clubs
Nursery income
Lettings
.
Expenditure
The largest single item of expenditure is of course the Parish Share which is fully paid and accounts for 38% of our expenditure.
expendit
Additional ministry costs include the wages and accommodation of the Children’s & Youth Minister, plus accommodation costs for the
Curate. It also includes the expenses of the other clergy, including vicarage running costs. Central Services includes the wages
wa
of the Office
Manager and Office Manager Assistant, the Verger’s honorarium, utilities and the costs
costs of the Church Office.
1%
4% 3%
1%
Parish share
1%
Ministry costs
8%
38%
Central services
20%
24%
Grants
Other operational
costs
Worship and services
Cash and Reserves
The General Fund has been reduced to almost zero in 2013, although we still have a designated Quinquennial Fund of around £40k. The
PCC has agreed a budget for 2014 which will reduce this by a further £18k to £22k.
£2 A Quinquennial
uinquennial inspection will take place in 2014.
Whilst total income including the restricted Building Fund has greatly exceeded General Fund expenditure in the last three years,
ye
the
General Fund itself is very low and is not expected to be built up again before 2016.
Building Fund
All donations for the new Church Centre and all expenditure on the building to date are recorded in the (restricted) Building Fund, which
stood at £1.6m at the end of December 2013. This was made up of approximately £745k spent to date and £890k of cash with CAF Bank.
This cash balance will all be spent in the first six months of 2014.
2014
16
St Paul’s Church
Dorking
SWOT
Our Strengths
Small group system (20+ groups)
Strong children's and young people's work
All who come into St Paul’s comment on the warm welcome and atmosphere of friendship
Growing group of 18 to 30's
Varied service types and worship styles and strong worship leading
Significant number of very mature/
mature experienced Christians who are playing key roles in ministry
and lay leadership
Strong team of 12 Lay Pastoral Assistants
Commitment to World Church - links with Kisumu in Kenya, and support of several missionaries
linked with St Paul's and opportunities for
f young people
An open community - people come to us via natural touch points, including the Nursery, School
and Café church
Good relationships and shared ministry with other local schools, Churches Together in Dorking,
Besom, Street Pastorss and Beatitudes
Generosity - over £2m raised for Church Centre in last decade
Flexible church building, and new opportunities with completion of new Centre in 2014
Large group of musicians and a good group of adult singers
Our Weaknesses
Our seeker-friendly/open
open style has put the emphasis upon "journey"
"journey" rather than conversion. This
has been affirming and welcoming but has struggled to bring significant numbers to personal
salvation
People can drift out of faith/church life relatively easily; attendance and electoral roll numbers
havee not increased in recent years indicating that as some join, others are leaving
Financial pressure;
re; to finish paying for Centre and fund the on-going
going cost of running it
There are different needs and preferences between some of those who attend the 9.00
9.0 am service
and some of those who come to the 10.30 service, but we all want to feel part of the same family.
We would like to improve connectivity between the congregations
There
here are different opinions in our diverse congregation,
congregati
with
h some wanting more focus on inin
depth teaching and others valuing
valui a more seeker-friendly style
Irregular attendance at Sunday services (we have a relatively mobile/transient congregation)
Despite initial welcome and friendliness it can be difficult
difficult to integrate fully into church life and
friendship due to long standing groups of friends
17
St Paul’s Church
Dorking
SWOT
Our Opportunities
Be accessible as a Church Family to the wider social and economic demographic
demograph
To truly live out the vision of the church to be ‘salt and light’ in the community,
community, we estimate that at
least 95% of the c 4,500 people in our
ou parish do not yet know Christ; this is a huge opportunity to
bring people into thee reality of personal salvation
Develop
elop disciples and spiritual disciplines within our ‘fringe’
To give stronger central church support to local Churches Together in Dorking initiatives that
individuals from St Paul’s are involved in, e.g. Besom, Beatitudes. CAP, Street Pastors, Prison ministry
mini
To bring in inspiring financial stewardship teaching
To use our new Centre to train, equip, serve and develop new fresh expressions of church
Develop and strengthen corporate prayer life
To bring newer families into the ‘core’
To continue to inspire our
o staff and key leaders
To have a more open use of spiritual gifts in our services and groups
Encourage more people to go forward for accredited Diocesan Ministry
To strengthen the partnership between the Nursery and the Church
Build on existing links with
wit neighbours who live near the Church
Our Threats
Need for deeper and wider understanding of stewardship to fund all aspects of our vision
including the new Centre, especially to those who are new or fringe
Our ‘Core’ is relatively burdened and thinly stretched. Many have been leading in various roles for
many years – as most are within the 45-60
45 60 age bracket many have external time pressures, i.e.
carers of elderly parents, etc.
Leadership team will reduce in 2014, including loss of Curate
The social and emotional needs may not be obvious; due to maintenance of ‘face’ (e.g. many in
Dorking face money or relationship issues)
Time pressures of Surrey life and work patterns, including commuting and limited availability
Parking restrictions
ons and limitations for using the Church Centre
Sound and multi-media
media systems need updating
18
St Paul’s Church
Dorking
Statement of Needs –
Person Profile
Overview
St Paul’s is a church with many activities and lots of enthusiastic and
talented leaders and helpers. However, we recognise that none of this
activity has any value if it does not bring people to a deep and
meaningful faith in Jesus Christ. We are looking for a leader who will
work with us to help us direct our energies and talents to where we
can best show
ow God’s grace and love, and help us to develop the faith of
those who come to us and those to whom we go out.
out We recognise
that this ambition needs inspirational leadership, with clear teaching
on the true purpose of our activities and the essentials of Christian
faith.
Therefore, we are looking for: A person of prayer, with God firmly rooted
ted at the centre of their
life
A leader with a passion for the witness to Christ within the local
and wider community
Someone with vision and energy
Someone who readily engages with all ages,
ag
backgrounds and
experiences
Someone
omeone who will relish leading a full devotional and teaching
programme
A capable and well organised manager of the business of the
parish – someone who can develop and lead our staff and leaders
l
to help them step into new and powerful ministries
A good communicator
An individual willing to support the challenge to get the increase
in giving necessary for our vision
A person able to lead and support the congregation through
change
Personal Qualities
We are seeking a person who: Models the behaviours and life of Christ in all his/her leadership,
inspiring us to do the same
Personal Qualities continued
Iss a person of prayer who can enable us to develop our
own prayer lives both corporately and individually
Iss sensitive to the work of the Holy Spirit in their own life
and equipped to lead others into a fuller experience of
the power and gifts of the Spirit in their lives
Will
ill be flexible and sensitive while leading our church
through change and growth
Will
ill be supportive of continuing a broad range of worship
and music styles
Has a pastoral heart and gift of coming alongside those in
crisis or need as well as being able to inspire and support
our Lay Pastoral Assistants
Is excited by extending the potential of technology to
enhance worship experiences and aid communications
Has
as a collaborative style of management and who is able
to motivate and inspire the staff team
The task ahead
We would
uld like you to be passionate in:
in
leading and working with an enthusiastic and able
congregation through Bible
B
teaching and personal
influence and bringing
ing a new insight and encouragement
into the life of our more mature church members
Inspiring us to release further finances, through better
understanding of stewardship, to enable us to maintain
our general fund, run the new Centre
C
and to fund the
repayments
ments of the loan we have received for the
completion of the building
Motivating us to be accessible as a Church Family,
Family to
enable us to bring people from the whole social and
economic demographic of our community into a closer
relationship with God. Specifically, helping us lead our
large ‘fringe’ into a personal relationship with God and
discipleship
Is an inspirational teacher, with skills in both expository and
topical preaching, who will help us interpret the Bible and reveal
its relevance to our everyday lives and circumstance
Exciting us to be “salt
salt and light”
light in our community by
building relationships and working in collaboration with
Besom, Beatitude, Street Pastors, CAP
C as well as in local
schools and with local churches
c
and all our other links
Uses
ses teaching to inspire and ignite our small groups and form the
basis for deeper discipleship
Strengthening the partnership between the nursery and
the church
Has
as the ability to encourage those who are either uncommitted
or still seeking, into a closer walk with God so that they become
fully committed to Him
Developing, planning
ning and having a passion for how we
can prioritise and practically
practical work out our vision in the
context of our new Centre.
entre.
19