The Appointment of a 0.5 Associate Minister for

The Appointment of a
0.5 Associate Minister
for the parishes of Radley, Sunningwell
and Kennington
Autumn 2014
Contents
Introduction and Prayer .............................................................................................. 3
Statement by the Bishop of Dorchester...................................................................... 4
A Message from the Rector ....................................................................................... 5
Snapshot of Our Churches......................................................................................... 6
St James the Great, Radley .................................................................................... 7
St Leonard’s, Sunningwell .................................................................................... 10
St Swithun’s, Kennington ...................................................................................... 12
Our Churches together............................................................................................. 14
Mission and Ministry ............................................................................................. 14
Services ................................................................................................................ 16
Some Statistics ..................................................................................................... 17
Staff Team ............................................................................................................... 18
Summary of the Role ............................................................................................... 19
Living Faith............................................................................................................... 20
Schools .................................................................................................................... 21
Further Information................................................................................................... 23
2
Introduction and Prayer
The United Benefice of Radley, Sunningwell and Kennington is within the Abingdon
Deanery and consists of three lively churches in villages a few miles south of Oxford.
Each Church is different, with its own individual personality, needs, size and style.
We have been increasingly working and sharing together over the last few years.
Over 30 of us from the three churches are currently doing a ‘Leading Your Church
into Growth’ (LYCIG) course together. We are exploring our common vision and are
excited to be discovering fresh ways of working together and reaching out into our
communities and schools with God’s message of good news.
We are looking for an Associate Minister who will work closely with our clergy team
and the laity of all three parishes. This person will live in the Vicarage in Kennington
and will play a part in helping all our churches develop in key areas in line with our
vision. This is an exciting time and your contributions will be significant in making
a difference!
A prayer for the appointment of an associate minister
Gracious and loving God
call to your church and ours a priest after your own heart;
one of faith and prayer, filled with the Holy Spirit;
one who has vision and wisdom; one who has a true love
for all people.
Prepare them for ministry among us in
the team and our parishes.
Prepare us to receive the person you call with love and joy.
Guide all with responsibility for this task.
We ask this through Jesus the Lord.
Amen.
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Statement by the Bishop of Dorchester
At my meeting with the three PCCs prior to advertising this post I was struck both by their energy,
prayerfulness, God-centredness and vision, and by the strong sense of collaboration that was
present in the room. They clearly enjoy each other’s company and joint working on such things
as LYCIG (Leading Your Church Into Growth) and ‘Open the Book’ in the three Primary Schools
are clearly bearing dividends in all kinds of ways.
As far as the post itself is concerned the 0.5 stipend, plus house, carries with it a requirement to
work Sundays and the equivalent of three days a week (though the exact working pattern will be
something the successful applicant will need to work out with Pam McKellen). In this Diocese a
House for Duty Post is Sundays and two days a week and this post has been deliberately framed
both to ask for more than that, but also to provide a half stipend.
The post itself is under Qualified Common Tenure and is at present for a period of seven years,
though that will be reviewed as things develop and I can say more about that if you would like to
know more.
But that is the ‘nuts and bolts’ of the post. What matters is the invitation to work with Pam and the
Team during part of the week whilst having the freedom to develop other interests during the rest
of it. It is, I believe, a great job potentially and I encourage you to think seriously about applying.
I also greatly look forward to working with the successful candidate in the future.
13th August 2014
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A Message from the Rector
Thank you for expressing interest in the Associate Minister 0.5 post for the Churches in Radley,
Sunningwell and Kennington.
We are at a good time in the life of these churches. Recently we have been working together
more closely and are now becoming one United Benefice within the Abingdon Deanery. We are
seriously committed to sharing resources and supporting each other as we move forward in
Mission and Ministry, bringing the good news of God’s love to those around us.
Being village churches in places where there is a strong village identity and a wide cross section
of people, we offer a wide range of services and activities. Through these, our Occasional Offices
and the lives of individuals involved in our communities, we try to be the people of God in every
sphere of the community. Each Church has a programme of services and activities that is
currently appropriate, but we are ready to explore new ways of reaching out and celebrating our
faith with those around us.
With prayer, we develop new ventures and in the last year or so have introduced a number of
new initiatives for children and young people such as ‘Open the Book’ and ‘Messy Church’.
At the time of writing we are halfway through a ‘Leading your Church into Growth’ (LYCIG) course
attended by over 30 people from across the three churches. The course is stimulating! We are
being challenged about some of the things we do - and don’t do! - and are looking forward to new
ways of working together. This will lead to some changes, which will be challenging and exciting.
We are not perfect. We have lots to learn but we feel we have a lot of potential!
We are eagerly looking forward to welcoming a new Associate Minister to our churches.
Please be assured of our prayers as you consider whether God is calling you to join us here.
Thank you again for your interest.
We hope you find this parish profile helpful in telling you more about our churches and the job. If
you have any further questions, or would like an informal conversation about the role, please do
contact me: 01235 554739, or [email protected]
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Snapshot of Our Churches
We are located just south of Oxford in the villages of Radley, Sunningwell and Kennington which
have a combined population of about 8,000 people and proposed developments amounting to a
possible 900 new homes.
Features of our location

Radley and Kennington are on the 35 bus route
between Abingdon and Oxford

Radley station has trains serving Oxford and the north
and Didcot and beyond to the south

The Thames meanders past Radley and Kennington

Sunningwell is a peaceful village with limited bus links to Abingdon and Oxford

Good state and independent primary and secondary schools

Each village has a local pub and there are others nearby!

The University city of Oxford and the market town of Abingdon are within easy
reach

Hospitals in Oxford offer good care and are leading research establishments
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St James the Great, Radley
 This lively village has a strong community spirit with many
enthusiastically supported clubs and societies and a lovely
primary school.
 Our average congregation of about 110 worships joyfully and
faithfully, and there are an encouraging number of younger
families.
 We are committed to reaching the children and families in the
community
 Through involvement with the clubs, societies, the shop, the
pub and the primary school, the church proactively reaches
out to those in the village who are not churchgoers.
The Village
This rural village, with about 3,000 people, has a wellused village hall, a popular community shop providing
high quality produce at competitive prices (and a place to
chat!) and a local pub with good food and beers. The
village itself has two distinct parts: an old part which lies
between the River Thames and the railway and
comprises old, but now modernised and extended(!),
cottages, timber barns and farm buildings of various
ages all nestling in a rural setting amid paddocks and
arable pastures. The newer part, to the west of the
railway, was mostly built about 50 years ago and comprises a mixture of houses and bungalows
in pleasant estate and non-estate surroundings. There are also four well-established and wellmaintained mobile home parks on the outskirts of the village.
Community spirit within the village is very strong as evidenced by the large number of interesting
and well supported clubs and societies which meet within the village. The popular History Club
has published several books about Radley; the
Retirement Group meets monthly and organises
activities such as film nights, theatre trips, outings to
gardens / historic houses as well as talks and
entertainment. Cafe Radley happens in the Church
Room each week and people pop in for a chat over a
cuppa and a cake. Church members are proactively
involved with most of the village clubs and societies,
giving us an opportunity to reach out to people who
live in the village but are not churchgoers.
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We have strong links with the CE village primary school, and are involved in Godly Play and
Open the Book sessions which are proving extremely popular with both pupils and staff.
At the western end of the village is Radley College
who are one of our Patrons and with whom we have
good links.
The Congregation
Our faithful and enthusiastic congregation numbers
about 110, and comes both from the village and
nearby places. They are called to the 11am service
by six bells, rung with enthusiasm and skill by our
bell-ringers, and led in worship by a small, but
dedicated, robed choir. There is a mix of ages,
although there is a majority of older people. An encouraging number
of families come too. Younger members enjoy the Crèche, Sunday
Club and Young People activities held in parallel with the service. A
less formal All Age service held on the first Sunday of each month is
a joyful mix of story-telling and song, much enjoyed by adults and
children alike. Our Festive services generally have very large
attendances so a challenge for all of us is how to attract at least some
of these people to become more involved in the church!
The buildings
Our parish church is the oldest building in the village, having been
built in 1290. It is a small, but interesting, building with original, and
rare, wooden pillars and many quirky features. The bells ring out
across the village every Sunday and on other special occasions. Inside the church the stained
glass windows, which have crowns and coats of arms of royalty remind us of the times when
Henry VII stayed at the hunting lodge that is now the vicarage. There are also other interesting
features, such as the font, the carved wooden canopy which was once over the Speaker’s Chair
in the House of Lords, a Cavalier’s tomb and a large memorial to the Stonhouse family.
More recently, in the autumn of 2008, the church had to be closed for 7 months while the floor,
pews and organ damaged by death watch beetle were replaced or repaired, and other
ageing items renovated. The significance of the church for
the village was vividly demonstrated as £180,000 was
raised to fund the repair work. We celebrated moving back
into the church with a day of events on the 14th February
2009. The current flexible seating arrangement enables us
to easily meet the needs of more informal services and
other, more general, uses such as the popular Kids Club
which we run for a week in the summer.
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Strengths
Strong community spirit
Welcoming to regular, occasional and new churchgoers
Strong and enthusiastic lay involvement
Good attendance at regular services, numbers increase 2 to 3 fold at Festival Services
Popular and varied small group activities such as bell-ringing, home groups, etc
Struggles
Reaching out to older parishioners
Challenge to attract and retain regular worshippers, especially younger ones
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St Leonard’s, Sunningwell

Our village is picturesque with a
beautiful Church and a duck pond.

It is very sought after and has a strong

community spirit and some good, well
supported activities including a very
well known Art school.
We have a faithful, but mostly older,
core congregation of about 30 which is
increased during term time by between
20 and 40 pupils from a local
independent school and by families at
our popular Messy Church services.
The Village
Our village is the smallest of the three, having a
population of about 800. It nestles in a fold of the
slopes leading down from Boars Hill to Abingdon
and is reached via winding country lanes. The
“well” is the duck pond, still be found in the centre
of the village, and “Sunning” is derived from the
name of an early Saxon clan which inhabited the
Thames Valley.
The recently-renovated pub retains an old world
feel in the lounge bar, and serves good local
beers and tasty food – an excellent place to meet
for a leisurely lunch.
Every few years the Sunningwell Music and Arts Festival brings our village, and the surrounding
area, to life by making imaginative use of locations within the parish to stage concerts and other
events with a variety of excellent performances on staging on the pond. The church is fully
involved, often hosting some of the concerts and
performances, and we hold a Pond service during
the Festival.
The village is also home to the well known
Sunningwell School of Art, situated in the old village
school. The current Primary school is just down the
road and is a popular, lively, CE aided school with
which the church has strong ties.
Our Parish also includes the hamlet of Bayworth,
with its small Baptist Church and mobile home park, and part of Boars Hill. Chandlings, an
independent preparatory school, is on the edge of the parish.
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The Congregation
Our core congregation numbers about 30 people who are mostly older people but are very
committed and enthusiastic and join together gladly for worship and other activities from Hog
Roasts to Jazz Evenings and Classical Concerts. At
various services the average age is considerably
reduced by two factors: during term time we are
happy to host between 20 and 40 boys from the
nearby Cothill House School and once a month we
welcome a large number of families to our Messy
Church service which is very popular with both adults
and children. Similar to St James we see a significant
increase in congregation numbers at Festivals and
face the challenge of how to attract these extra people
to worship on a more regular basis.
The Church
The church is the oldest building in the village, and is simple and beautiful. Parts of it date back
to 1246. Entry is through the unique heptagonal Jewel Porch, designed by Bishop John Jewel
who was once Rector of the Parish. Inside the church there is much to admire including the large
“poppy-head” ends on the pews and the
eye-catching, rare Victorian-tiled pavement in the
chancel which illustrates the fourth chapter of
Revelation. Stones mark the passing of the Fell
family, famous for their connection with Christ
Church in the University of Oxford. Outside, a 600
year old yew tree stands guard in the well-kept
churchyard. There is a peal of six bells.
Strengths
Strong community spirit
Good attendance at regular services, numbers increase 2 to 3 fold at Festival Services
Success of Messy Church
Joint activities with the village, such as concerts, etc.
Popular and varied small group activities such as bell-ringing, home groups, etc
Struggles
Reaching out to older parishioners
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St Swithun’s, Kennington



This village is a ribbon-like development with good
local facilities and a good community spirit.
The more than 30 well-supported local voluntary
organisations demonstrate the strength of our
community spirit, and activities such as
Kennington Overseas Aid and Good Neighbours
demonstrate the friendly and caring nature of our
village.
Our congregation is joyful and faithful in worship and mostly older people. However,
activities such as Messy Church and “Play and Pray” are examples of successful
activities aimed at bringing younger people into church on a regular basis.
The Village
With a population of about 4,000, this is the largest
of the three villages. It sits on a long, narrow
ribbon of land between the River Thames to the
east and Bagley Wood to the west. Much of the
housing is on post-war estates which are pleasant
and well laid out, with a number of larger homes on
the edge of Bagley Wood. The busy main road
which runs the length of the village has a number
of local shops, including a Post Office, a
restaurant, two takeaways, a pub, a thriving and
well-run library, a lively community centre, a Health
Centre, and a dentist.
The friendliness and strength of community spirit within Kennington is illustrated by the many
voluntary organisations that include the Apple Cafe - open twice a week - where a friendly chat
can be had over a cup of tea and a cake, a United Choir Group which welcomes all singers
without auditions, a Toddler Group, Kennington Walkers, a History Society and a Horticultural
Society. The very well supported charitable activities
include Kennington Overseas Aid – which raises funds
for a different overseas charity each year (£25,000 each
year recently) – and the Friends of Kennington Cancer
Fund, which raises money to support the work of the
Oncology Unit at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford.
Through involvement with voluntary and charitable
organisations our church can contact members of the
village we would otherwise never be able to reach out
to.
St Swithun’s primary school has good links with the
church, holding special services there.
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The Congregation
As in the other two churches, we have a happy, faithful congregation, the majority of whom are
older people. Twice a month, and on special occasions,
the choir sings and another week our musicians lead
the worship. We recognise the importance of bringing
younger people into our church with our Children’s
Church, monthly Messy Church services – which are
popular with both children and adults alike – and the
recently introduced “Play and Pray” event for younger
children. We will also be following the example of
Radley and Sunningwell by introducing Open the Book
in St Swithun’s School in the autumn.
We have a strong tradition of ecumenical work with the
Roman Catholic and Methodist churches in Kennington and work and celebrate together.
The Church
The church building is relatively young,
celebrating the 50th anniversary of its
consecration in February 2008. Entering the
church, one sees an attractive, open, plain
interior with a central altar beneath a large
canopy and a striking hanging representation
of the crucified Christ enhanced by a beautiful
stone relief depicting Christ In Majesty on the
east wall behind the choir stalls.
The old grade 2 listed Norman style church, built in 1828 was replaced by the current church
building and is now a church hall that is well-used for both Church and community activities such
as the Apple Café, Art classes and the Kennington Youth Wind band.
Both Church and hall are pleasantly situated, with well-maintained gardens, in the centre of the
village. We are currently exploring how a recent legacy might be spent to enhance the Church.
Strengths
Strong sense of community
Success of Messy Church and ‘Play & Pray’
Ecumenical links with other churches
Willingness to change
Outward looking
Well supported small group activities
Struggles
Reaching out to older parishioners
Challenge to attract and retain younger
worshippers
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Our Churches together
We hope you now have a picture of our Churches and the ways our Benefice is growing.
We share dreams and hopes—and a lot of common struggles!
Together we are seeking God’s ways for our churches and communities and through LYCIG and
meeting and worshipping together we are shaping our future. We want to response to God’s
leading, to play to our strengths, to encourage each other and to grow in faith, wisdom and love and numerically!
Mission and Ministry

Our churches are active and have a strong tradition of lay leadership and ministry.

Prayer is a vital activity in underpinning all the work of our churches and we are keen to
encourage more. Examples of current prayer activities are:

In Radley a group prays together on Saturday mornings and other groups say
Morning Prayer together on Thursdays and Mondays.

In Kennington there is a prayer partners scheme.

Although each church currently has its own PCC, we are beginning to
have some joint PCC meetings. We also have away days together
each year which are becoming increasingly valued and effective.
LYCIG is a current example of a joint activity between our three
churches.

We have 7 home groups, involving about 100 people, that often
use the same materials.

We run regular courses, START being the most recent example.

We have small but lively youth (Radley) and
children’s (Radley and Kennington) work that
attracts many children and families. Our summer
Kids Clubs are very popular each year.

The young people also enjoy longer Sunday
evening sessions monthly at Radley.

An extra ‘Hut’ is being built in Radley this summer,
which will be dedicated to children and young people.
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
We have good relationships with local schools, in
particular with each of the three church primary schools.
We do assemblies, church visits and have recently begun
to do ‘Open the Book’ which is proving very popular. In
Radley a group also do Godly Play for the year 4s for one
term in the school year. We often do ‘Experience Easter’
or ‘Experience Christmas’ for the children of our schools.

The churches each support several Mission organisations
at home and overseas, practically, financially and in
prayer. We have links with Street Pastors, Kennington
Overseas Aid, local Foodbanks, Oxford Homeless
Pathways and so on. We are all Fairtrade churches.

We do a considerable number of well-received
Occasional Offices (see table) and view these as an
important way of reaching out to families at significant
times in their lives. We do Marriage and Baptism
preparation and an annual service of Remembrance and
Thanksgiving.

Ecumenical links are strong in Kennington, with the Methodist and Roman Catholic
churches, and in Sunningwell, with the Bayworth Baptist Church.

We have small church choirs in Radley and Kennington and a number of talented
musicians within the congregations who help lead worship.

There are also groups with a specific focus such as
a men’s group in Radley.
a joint Prayer Shawl group
Women’s fellowship (Radley)
Bus Pass Group and the Guild (Kennington)
Services in residential homes

Church Rooms/Halls are used weekly for church and community events including cafes in
both Kennington and Radley.

Each of the churches is open during the day for people to come in.

Sunningwell uses its attractive church as a venue for Concerts, which are well-supported.
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Services
Time
Church
Radley
Sunningwell
Kennington
Holy Communion CW (a)
Holy Communion CW (b)
MORNING SERVICES
8:00
Holy Communion BCP
9:30
11:00
Holy Communion CW (c)
EVENING SERVICES
6:00
See (d) below
6:30
Compline
MIDWEEK
10:30
Holy Communion CW
Notes:
a. Second Sunday of each month is Morning Prayer CW with MESSY CHURCH
b. Third Sunday of each month is Morning Prayer CW with MESSY CHURCH
c. First Sunday of each month is ALL AGE SERVICE
d. In Radley we aim to provide a program of evening services which will provide for a variety of
tastes in our village:
1st Sunday: Holy Communion CW
2nd Sunday: Reflect@6, where a Christian speaker presents a subject which challenges
the audience’s ethics / values, or just makes them think! Open to all the
village, it is attended by Christians and non-Christians.
3rd Sunday: Evensong
4th Sunday: An Iona Service
5th Sunday: Songs of Praise
Lay people are involved wherever possible: reading, leading, doing intercessions, chalice etc, and
in many other practical ways.
We also have teams who plan and often lead Compline, Songs of Praise, All Age services, Messy
Church, Iona services and Reflect@6.
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Some Statistics
Occasional Offices, Festivals and Finances
The villages of Radley, Sunningwell and Kennington each place a high importance in having a
church within their village as illustrated by the raising of £180,000 in Radley in 2008 to repair
damage caused by the death watch beetle and a similar amount in Sunningwell to restore the
Jewel Porch.
We have a strong core of regular worshippers in each of the parishes and a significant number
who attend Festival and Occasional Office services. There is also a small, but growing, number
of worshippers who are choosing to attend services within the benefice but not at their “local”
church. One of our greatest challenges over the next few years will be how to attract the
occasional attendees to worship on a more regular basis.
The number of people on the Electoral Roll for each Church in 2013 was as follows:
Radley
Sunningwell
Kennington
133
35
65
For each of the parishes the typical worshipping community is:
Type of Service
Radley
Sunningwell
Kennington
Children /
YPs
Adults
Children /
YPs
Adults
Children /
YPs
Adults
Holy Communion
10
90
35 (term)
35
6
45
Messy Church / All
Age Service
15
90
10
18
25
30
Numbers at our Christmas services often treble. The Children’s Crib / Nativity Services have
become increasingly popular in each of the churches and are always packed.
Palm Sunday has a well-attended donkey-led procession through Radley, and Holy Week
includes a programme of evening meditations across the three churches. There is an ecumenical
walk of witness in Kennington on Good Friday and meditations in the other churches. The week
concludes with very well-attended Easter Sunday services in each of the three churches.
Remembrance Sunday services also attract high numbers.
Occasional Office services also have an important role in building and maintaining the links
between our churches and our parishioners and the number of these services in each of our
churches in 2013 was:
Service
Radley
Sunningwell
Kennington
Baptism
20
5
5
Wedding
8 couples
6 couples
1 couple
Funeral
13 plus other crematorium
services
13
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Each church has its own giving scheme, and all our three churches are solvent but not rich!
Copies of our accounts can be seen on request.
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Staff Team
Rector
Associate Vicar
Pam McKellen
Vacant
Curate
Glynis Beckett (8 hours per week)
Retired SSM
Tony Rogerson
Licensed Lay Ministers
Sue Sowden; Martha Young (retired)
Church secretary
Katie North
We are a varied team who enjoy working together. We have different interests and gifts and bring
a variety of experiences to our ministry as individuals and together….. All these people play a
full part in the life of the Benefice and our Churches, taking services and so on…
Sue
Has a background in Education and currently works in a local Independent school. She has
been a LLM for a number of years and enjoys ministry, although her life is pretty busy.
Tony
Is a retired NSM, who has lived in Radley for 24 years and is particularly involved in coordinating
our Home Groups, the Prayer Chain and the Men’s ministry. He likes golf and walking the dogs
… and lots more!
Pam
Has been in the parishes of Radley and Sunningwell for about ten years and has loved seeing the
churches grow and flourish - though not without some ups and downs! She grew up in the north
but has lived south of Watford for two thirds of her life. She has taught Maths, worked in Christian
charities and done some consultancy in management and Fund raising among other things!
Glynis
Was ordained in 2010 as SSM in the three churches. She has been a member of the
Congregation in Sunningwell for a number of years before ordination. Currently she works with
International students at Lady Margaret Hall but will soon be retiring. She is looking forward to
being able to spend a bit more time helping in the churches and is enjoying weddings funerals
and baptisms although she likes being a part of the Iona team too!
Martha
Is our retired LLM but her life is very active! She has just got her judo Black belt and always
brings an element of spice to our discussions. She has a large family who are spread all over the
country, and she helps with services whenever she is around. She masterminds our Songs of
Praise service on the 5th Sunday.
Wardens
The Church Wardens in the three parishes are:
Radley: Charlie Milward
Iain Winton
Sunningwell: Pat Gove
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Kennington: Isabel Baggott
Gerry Bowen-Thomas
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Summary of the Role
You will be fully involved in the leadership of the three Churches and the pastoral care of the
congregations. You will be able to work collaboratively with the clergy team and the laity and
assist in developing and implementing a unified vision across all three parishes
You will be involved in the work and worship of all three churches, conducting services and
Occasional Offices across the benefice. Living in Kennington, you may well be first line of contact
for the village and will be in the Church there two Sunday mornings in a month. Working closely
with the Rector, and as part of the team, you will have a number of specific roles across the three
parishes that will be shaped to fit your gifts and interests. These will be worked out in conjunction
with those of other staff members and in discussion together as we shape up our new team.
They will probably include two or three of the following areas:
1. Schools, children and young people
We are increasing our profile in the local schools with Open the Book, Godly Play etc but
there is plenty of scope to further links with the three Primary schools and to develop
children’s and YPs activities with our committed and enthusiastic children’s and YP's
teams
2. Mission and Evangelism projects
Currently both discipleship and evangelism are responsibilities that are shared among the
clergy, with the involvement of many members of the church. We run START and Alpha
courses as well as other nurture courses such as Lent Courses and Lost for Words. This
could be developed more!
3. Small groups
We recognise the importance of small groups and the effects of training and resourcing
group leaders. We see this as a significant part of our ministry and outreach. We long for
all members of our churches to be maturing as disciples of Jesus Christ, growing in their
faith, and serving God with the gifts he has given them
4. Contemporary services
Oversight of Iona services and Reflect@6. These and other special services may well
benefit from fresh injections of energy and creativity.
5. Baptisms
Includes working with our baptism teams and developing preparation and follow-up.
6. Pastoral and work with older people
Much of our pastoral care currently happens through small groups and informal links. We
would like to develop this area of our ministry more effectively.
7. Bereavement follow-up
Building on our embryonic ideas, develop ways of providing support, care and follow-up
for the bereaved.
8. Ecumenical links in Kennington
The church in Kennington works with the local Methodist and Roman Catholic churches to
plan united services and other events throughout the year.
.
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Living Faith
Living Faith for the Future is the vision for the Diocese of Oxford. The central strands are holistic
mission and sustaining spirituality. The vision is the transformation of all human life under God.
The purpose is to join with God in creating a caring, sustainable and growing Christian presence
in every part of the Diocese of Oxford, enabling every Christian and every Christian community to
live and share the love of God, seen in the life of Jesus Christ. In our Parishes we have embraced
the themes and direction of this vision and made them a central part of our own vision and
Mission Action Planning process. Living Faith is a vital part of our common life in the parish and
we expect this to continue to be so.
I’ve always been clear in my own mind that the health of our
diocese lies not at the centre, but in the vitality and imagination
of the local parish or arena of ministry. What we have attempted
to do with ‘Living Faith’ is to provide a vision, and a set of
priorities, to help you frame your thinking as you live out your
faith together.
Bishop John
Bishop John
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Schools
Radley CE Primary School
Based on Christian values Radley School is a happy and exciting place to learn, where the
children make us proud of their responsible, positive and caring attitudes. We are committed to
inspiring teaching, promoting a love of learning and to high standards in all we do.
Teams from across the Churches go into the school each fortnight to share an ‘Open the Book’
story – then go on to Sunningwell and Kennington!).
For a third of each year another team does a weekly ‘Godly Play’ session with year 4 children.
Two Foundation Governors play an active part in supporting and governing the school.
The school comes into the Church for special services and investigations about church life,
services and so on.
Number of pupils:
Age range:
Funding type:
Gender:
Religious affiliation:
125
3-11 years
Local Authority Maintained
Mixed gender
Church of England
Sunningwell CE Primary School
’Sunningwell is a small rural school in the heart of the Oxfordshire countryside. We are proud
of our connections to the local community, including the church of St Leonard’s in the village and
Dalton Barracks. We are well supported by an active Parents’ Association and Governing Body.
We have a well equipped playground and wildlife areas including a pond and a wooded spinney
which are the focus of many science and outdoor lessons’.
After school clubs run every day and the school has a number of sports teams with
recent successes. Children from the school come to the Church for end of term and special
services as well as lessons on Weddings, Baptism and the church itself. We often run a
Christmas or Easter experience that is popular with the children.
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Teams from across the Churches go into the school each fortnight to share an ‘Open the Book’
story. Two Foundation Governors play an active part in supporting and governing the school.
Number of pupils:
Age range:
Funding type:
Gender:
Religious affiliation:
approx 110
3-11 years
Local Authority Maintained
Mixed gender
Church of England
St Swithun’s CE Primary School
‘This is a happy, vibrant, welcoming school, with a wonderful energy to it.
Children deserve to be successful, and our role is to help them shine, grow and believe that
everything is possible.’
Children from the school come to the Church for leavers’, end of term and special services as well
as lessons on Weddings, Baptism and the church itself. Each year the children come to
Christmas and Easter experiences that are very popular and thought provoking for children of
several different faiths.
Teams from across the Churches go into the school each fortnight to share an ‘Open the Book’
story.
Three or four Foundation Governors play an active part in supporting and governing the school.
Number of pupils:
Age range:
Funding type:
Gender:
Religious affiliation:
Type of school:
400
3-11 years
Local Authority Maintained
Mixed gender
Church of England
Local Authority Maintained, special and voluntary controlled school
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Further Information
Churches:
Radley
http://stjamesthegreatradley.org/
Sunningwell
http://www.stleonardsunningwell.org.uk/
Kennington
http://www.stswithunskennington.org/
Villages:
Radley
http://www.radleyvillage.org.uk/
Sunningwell
http://www.sunningwell.com/
Kennington
http://kennington.org/
Kennington Overseas Aid
http://www.koa.org.uk/
Local Government:
Vale of the White Horse Council
http://www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/
Oxfordshire County Council
https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cms/
Parish Councils:
Radley
http://www.radley-village.org.uk/parishcouncil/parishc.htm
Sunningwell
http://www.sunningwellparishcouncil.gov.uk/
Kennington
http://kennington.org/parish-council/
Primary Schools:
Radley
http://www.radley-pri.oxon.sch.uk/
Sunningwell
http://www.sunningwell.oxon.sch.uk/
Kennington
http://www.st-swithuns.oxon.sch.uk/
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