2011

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TheTettenhall Wood and Perton Team

Parish Profile

2011

Greetings from the Benefice Council of Tettenhall Wood and Perton

The Benefice Council warmly thanks you for your enquiry about the vacancy we have for a Team Rector. We recommend the attached profiles of our two parishes and fully endorse them as being accurate accounts of where we are in our journey of faith and we hope you will be sufficiently interested to make an application. We anticipate that the role of the Team Rector will vary in nature as the three churches are varied in their nature. However, because Perton Parish is a Local Ecumenical Partnership with the United Reformed Church and has its own full time minister, the Team Rector‟s responsibility toward it within the benefice has been to provide overview and support when needed.

Therefore, it is within Tettenhall Wood Parish that the predominant responsibilities of the Team Rector will lie.

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Within the Benefice the Key Challenges will be to …

encourage and work with the faithful to reach out to our local communities

challenge the congregations to move on in their faith

further develop lay ministry

reinvigorate the healing ministry

build closer relationships between the three churches.

The Person we seek will…

have a strong faith which is well grounded in scripture and prayer and be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit

be keen to share his or her faith

be sensitive to pastoral need

have a sense of humour

be committed to ecumenism

have good leadership qualities,

be able to work with others - volunteers and paid –

delegate effectively The Mission Statement of Christ Church “Our mission is to serve, inspire and renew, as a church called to share Christ‟s love through Fellowship with families.” The Mission Statement of the Church of the Good Shepherd “Our mission is to love, delight and mature as a church called to share Christ‟s love through worship for and with the community.” The Mission Statement for the Church at Perton “Our mission is to illuminate, delight and nurture through fellowship, sharing of the love of Christ with the vulnerable in our community.”

Brief overview of the benefice The Benefice is within the Diocese of Lichfield, the Wolverhampton Episcopal Area, the Archdeaconry of Walsall, and the Deanery of Trysull. It is on the western perimeter of the city of Wolverhampton, partly within the city and partly within the county boundary of South Staffordshire. The landscape is both urban and rural, the rural part being undulating land used for agricultural and leisure purposes, with the Shropshire border a ten minute drive away. The urban part is, with the exception of the busy A454 Compton/Bridgnorth road, a quiet suburb of the city with wooded areas, green open land and housing ranging from large owner-occupied detached houses with manicured lawns to Housing Authority houses and flats.

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There are two parishes within the benefice : -

The parish of Tettenhall Wood, the population of which lives mostly within the city boundary, has two churches, Christ Church and the Church of the Good Shepherd.

The parish of Perton in South Staffordshire has one church, The Church at Perton.

None of these three churches has a churchyard nor do they have a bell-tower !

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Tettenhall Wood Parish The Policies of Tettenhall Wood Parish Baptism The vast majority of baptisms within Tettenhall Wood parish are of infants. With all families, there is an exploration of their reasons for wanting a church baptism. The families and Godparents are invited to preparatory sessions led by a member of the clergy and a lay person. On the Sunday following the baptism, the family are invited to bring the newly baptised child to the morning service for a presentation of the baptismal candle and a welcome into the church family. The family are encouraged to come to church from the outset. Marriage As we have relatively few marriages in the parish, less than 6 a year, each couple is prepared by the minister taking the service and they usually meet 3 or 4 times. We offer remarriage after divorce when appropriate. Funerals We encourage funerals to take place in the parish church with committal afterwards at the local cemetery or crematorium, but at least half go direct to the crematorium. Both clergy and Readers take funerals and minister to the bereaved. We have approximately 70 funerals a year across the Parish. A joint parish bereavement team make follow up visits. Children and Holy Communion The parish has participated in the Diocesan pilot scheme for the administration of holy communion to children prior to confirmation. This initiative has been welcomed and embedded in both churches. Further work needs to be done with families wishing to avail themselves of this opportunity. Planning and Leading Worship The Team Rector with the Ministry Leadership Team prepares the preaching rota for the formal services though each church has its own team of leaders for the informal services. Occasional Services We have several joint services each year in which Christ Church, Good Shepherd and Tettenhall Wood URC participate. These include Ash Wednesday, services on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, Ascension Day, Remembrance Day and carol services. We hold ecumenical confirmation services across the benefice when required. Memorial Services, Christingle and crib services are also held in each church. The regular services are described later within this profile.

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The Leadership of Tettenhall Wood Parish We have a Diocesan Mandated Team Carol is an OLM who is Christ Church based but works across the parish. For mobility she is dependent upon a powered-wheelchair. Norman, is an elderly retired Anglican minister who preaches occasionally but is now registered blind. Julia has just been appointed as Team Vicar at Perton and will take up her post in January. It is the turn for Anglican leadership and she replaces Anthony, a URC Minister, who has been in post for 10 years Curates : we have been an active training parish for newly ordained clergy and have greatly valued their ministry. There is not a curate currently. The Lay Team Chris Tough Reader mainly based at Perton and until 2010 part-time ( 0.5 )salaried children and youth worker. (This post will be vacant at the timeof the interviews). She is a member of the Ministry Leadership Team. Joy Dipple Reader based mainly at Christ Church Preaching and funerals. She is a member of the Ministry Leadership Team Jane Brough Reader based mainly at the Church of the Good Shepherd Preaching and funerals. She is a member of the Ministry Leadership Team.

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Wendy Needham Reader at Perton preaching and funerals. Sue Ridley paid Parish Administrator, works 2 hours per day,Monday to Friday Parish Wardens Angela Williams Warden at Christ Church Judith Cross Warden at Good Shepherd

There are two Deputy Wardens, one at each church.

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Christ Church Worshipper numbers There are 237 adults on our electoral roll. In 2010 our Usual Sunday Attendance figures were 108 adults and 19 under the age of 16. Styles and Traditions of Worship A wide variety of worship is represented from liberal anglo-catholic to charismatic evangelical. Lay involvement has been a feature over recent years, especially in the First Sunday Service, and this is being actively developed. Overall, there‟s a strong Eucharistic focus and Common Worship is the liturgy used apart from one Friday a month. We have installed a data projection system to enhance worship and presentations. Music There is a small choir for the communion service on all Sundays except for the first Sunday of the month. We have two volunteer organists who play on a rota basis. The organists lead the choir. Recorded music is also played through the sound system. On the first Sunday, a talented and growing music group leads the singing. It has 12 to 15 members of mixed ages who play a varied range of instruments which include keyboard, guitar and percussion. Sunday services At 8.00 we have a said Holy Communion with short sermon and an average attendance of about 20 . Then at 11.00 we have Parish Communion with Junior Church and crèche followed by coffee/tea together. Our lay led First Sunday services are more informal and family-orientated and use mixed liturgy. They are also followed by coffee and fellowship. Mid Week Services On Friday, we have said Holy Communion at 9.30 with an average attendance of 15. Coffee follows. On the third Friday of the month, the Book of Common Prayer is used. Established Activities We have a young and enthusiastic social committee who organise a range of events during the year to cater for all age groups. For example we had a ceilidh, a summer outing, lunch for the older members of the congregation, a quiz night, skittles evening, a local treasure hunt, a barbecue and a number of concerts. There are a number of regular House Groups in the parish and both Alpha and Foundations for Ministry have been run during 2010/11. In 2012 a Bishop‟s Certificate course is being shared with two adjoining parishes. Groups meet regularly for prayer. Mount Road URC & Christ Church meet for Prayer Breakfasts and Prayer Lunches each week. „Prayer Companions‟, which enables elderly or housebound people to pray regularly in their homes about church activities and concerns, was formed a couple of years ago. The Covenanting Churches hold Lent Lunches every year with each church hosting one. We have at least three joint services each year with our neighbours at Mount Road URC church and a number of joint activities for children from both churches are organised including a Summer Holiday Club. In 2011 we had a very successful Palm Sunday outdoor service with a donkey.

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In addition to the events organised by the Social Committee there are a number of groups which meet within the church community.

a thriving and growing Mothers‟ Union which has more than 40 members and which is responsible for many good things that take place in the church and community.

Christ Church Ladies' Fellowship which meets monthly to enjoy a varied programme of speakers,

The Church Built in 1866, the church stands in walled grounds which are not much larger in area than the floor plan of the church itself. Whilst there are small flower-beds, the majority of the grounds are paved or tarmacadamed. The nave is high and wide and there are north and south aisles as well as a lady chapel.

An extension was built at the back of the building in 1975. This is currently being demolished and a larger one more suited to current church life is being built with all the usual offices and a larger hall, kitchen and parish office. By means of 12 rows of traditional pews, the nave can seat about 320. The chancel choir stalls can seat about 30. The meeting room will have a capacity of about 100. Junior Church is held here. For the crèche, space within the south-west corner of the nave is used. The standard of maintenance has been very high over the years. Where possible, day-to-day maintenance and minor repairs are undertaken by a group of volunteers; more specialist maintenance, as required by quinquennial reports for example, are completed by contractors. The Team Rectory The house was built in 1967 and is on a different site but within easy walking distance of Christ Church. It has four bedrooms, a lounge, dining room, kitchen and laundry. An extension to the house accommodates a study. The building is heated by gas-fired central-heating. To the front and rear are moderately sized gardens. There is a double garage.

Finances In recent years, Tettenhall Wood PCC has paid its Parish Share in full and on time and for 2011 the Parish Share is £89,423 In recent years, from our income and from special collections, Christ Church has provided up to £15,000 annually for up to 30 missions and causes.

Children and Young People Christ Church has a long tradition of young families attending the main Sunday service. This is fed by the active relationship we have with two church controlled infant and junior schools. There is a thriving Junior Church on Sunday mornings with up to 20 young people attending ranging in age from 3 to 16 years. We have a committed group of 8 mutually supportive leaders. Junior Church joins the congregation for the first Sunday service, which is informal and non- Eucharistic, and the children often have a role to play there. During School holidays we also run a Good Friday workshop, a summer holiday club and in November a Light Party as an alternative to Halloween.

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Good Shepherd Worshipper numbers There are 93 adults on our electoral roll. In 2010 our Usual Sunday Attendance figures were 54 adults and 10 under the age of 16. Styles and Traditions of Worship There is a palpable congregational spirit at Good Shepherd and the congregation readily accept more relaxed and informal expressions of worship. Our lay-led second Sunday services, for example, can be lively and noisy, engage the little ones and involve Junior Church members in reading the lesson and leading prayers; some adults will let their hair down occasionally too! But generally, Good Shepherd is traditional in style. We have a Eucharist every week with Common Worship as liturgy. Music Our small choir leads our singing in Sunday morning worship. The church owns a modern organ and a Hymnal Plus. Since we purchased the Hymnal Plus unit we have used this most and it gives the benefit of a full range of organ sounds as well as other orchestrations of our hymn and song repertoire . We also enjoy Taizé chants and play meditative CD tracks at appropriate places within worship. Sunday services At 9.30 we have a sung Holy Communion with crèche and Junior Church. On each Second Sunday we have all-age informal worship including communion. Every Sunday ends with coffee and chat. The average attendance is 55.

Mid Week Services We have said Holy Communion on Wednesday at 9.30. On the first Wednesday of the month, the Book of Common Prayer is used There‟s an average attendance of 10 and most gather afterwards for coffee and biscuits. April 2010 initiatives Some new things have started even during the vacancy!

On Tuesday afternoons „Seekers‟ meets in the home of Revd Norman Lewis. We are Christian friends enjoying a shared book or books, saying what we think and generally getting to know one another better.

A prayer group now meets in church for 30 minutes every Thursday. Established Activities Good Shepherd also has an enthusiastic though small social committee who offer a varied range of events throughout the year. These events appeal to all ages, the wider community and church members alike. Good Shepherd has a reputation for a warm, homely welcome and good food especially home made soups and cakes. Each year we hold a Lent Lunch for the Bishop‟s Lent Appeal either in church or in the home of someone and, on alternate years, we host a Lent Lunch for the Covenanting Churches.

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Our renowned Christmas Fayres and Strawberry tea afternoons bring in non-church members. They‟re fun and raise funds. Summer afternoon teas are held in several homes or gardens and are also very popular! We usually have at least one faith lunch a year and in 2010 we held a flower festival. During the year we also have bargain sales, table top sales and mornings of bring and buy with coffee. Ladies Guild meets in church and so do guides and brownies. Body Awareness, a recently formed group led by a church member and open to all local residents over 60 years, meets weekly for mobility and posture exercise with

music. It is followed by chatty conversation over a hot drink.

Buildings

Built in 1955 as a dual-purpose building and designed by the local architect Richard Twentyman, Good Shepherd can seat 120 within the hall all on moveable seating. There is a sound amplification system and loop-aid for hearing impaired. There is a small kitchen, a vestry and choir vestry. The meeting room is used for Junior Church as well as for meetings. The church has the benefit of a medium sized car park on the same site. The Vicarage Also, on the same site as church and currently let out by the diocese to private tenants. The Church Hall As already mentioned, the Good Shepherd is a dual-purpose building having a windup / wind-down screen to separate the hall from the chancel. From Monday to Thursday, the larger community make use of the hall - toddlers, brownies, guides, slimming groups and line dancers and the rentals contribute toward the upkeep of the building. Finances In recent years, Tettenhall Wood PCC has paid its Parish Share in full and on time to which Good Shepherd contributes on a pro rata basis according to ASA. Income has remained constant during the last few years. We donate 9% of income charitably both at home and abroad and we have committed to raise this to 10%.

Children and Young People Junior Church on Sunday has been numerically small but enthusiastically led. More leaders are needed at this time and we would like more space too. There has been some discussion about constructing a larger extension at the rear of the building, but there are no definite plans for this. Good Shepherd has a summer holiday club often in parallel with Christ Church. The church grounds are used for these occasions in good weather.

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Some additional background material about Tettenhall Wood Parish Demographics According to statistics extracted from the 2001 census for the political ward of Tettenhall Wightwick [ the best available match with the boundary of the Tettenhall Wood parish ] the ward has the highest density of people aged 60 or over 30.9% a main ethnic grouping which is „white‟ 90.1% a secondary ethnic grouping which is „Asian‟ 6.6% the highest proportion of widows(ers) 12.6% the highest proportion of owner occupiers with no outstanding mortgage or loan 42.3% Medical Provision

Compton Hospice www.compton-hospice.org.uk

Nuffield Hospital www.nuffieldhealth.com

Private and Council run homes for the elderly

Castlecroft Health Centre on Windmill Lane – newly opened

Wood Road Health Centre in Tettenhall Village Centres of Community

Tettenhall Wood Institute for meetings, learning and hobbies

Wightwick and Regis Enterprise Network (WREN), engaged in community projects

Windmill Centre with a youth club

The Crescent Children‟s Centre, supporting families with a child under 5 Shops and Other services

Lidl in Finchfield

Daisy Fresh and Essential in Compton Then there are smaller shops such as chemists, a flower-seller, an optician, a laundry/dry cleaner, a butcher, news-agencies, general stores, hairdressers, a coffee house, a building-society branch and a post-office counter within a SPAR supermarket and another within a Co-Op. In Tettenhall Wood, there is a large hotel, The Mount, with conferencing facilities. In Finchfield and Perton there are branch libraries. One of the National Trust‟s gems, Wightwick Manor lies between the two churches. It draws many visitors to both house and gardens because of its Pre-Raphaelite architecture and artefacts. Eating out in the parish There are several good restaurants and traditional pubs, Chinese, Indian and other Oriental takeaways. Involvement with local schools Within the parish of Tettenhall Wood, we have beneficial connections with five schools :

*Christ Church ( CofE ) Junior School in Woodcote Road, Tettenhall Wood. A foundation school, supported by three governors from Christ Church

*Christ Church ( CofE ) Infant and Nursery School in Shaw Lane, Tettenhall Wood. A foundation school which is supported by four governors from Christ Church

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Castlecroft Primary School and Resource Area for Visually Impaired in Windmill Crescent, Castlecroft. A Local Education Authority school

Tettenhall Wood School, School Road, Tettenhall Wood, a special school for children with severe learning difficulties. ( To be relocated within the site of Kings‟ School )

The King's Church of England School in Regis Road, Tettenhall ( On the boundary between Tettenhall Wood parish and Tettenhall Regis parish ). Voluntary aided.

The schools marked * have separate head teachers and are supported by individual Boards of Governors. The Chair of Governors has in the past been the Team Rector though this, whilst welcomed by the Schools, is not obligatory. End of term services are held in church at Easter and Christmas also at the end of the academic year. The children make study visits to Church. Lay people take the „church‟ into the Nursery to explain and explore the Christian Message. The Foundation Governor associated with the Nursery unit has invested a lot of time with the children and their families and this is evident in the high number of young families in our congregation. We support Kings School with a Governor. List of other schools and colleges within the benefice

Smestow School, a specialist sports college, Windmill Crescent, Castlecroft. (A new church, Life Spring has just opened here)

In Wightwick – a special school for pupils of secondary age who have moderate learning difficulties or autism.

Huh! Lonely Planet! Despite the view of Lonely Planet, Wolverhampton is a city of culture and life, situated on the borders of Shropshire and Staffordshire. Both counties offer a wealth of beauty and historical interest to all ages. Birmingham is a short train or tram ride away again with a great deal of social and leisure activities to keep you occupied on a beautiful day, or a wet one. For a full insight into what the city has to offer please go to www.wolverhampton.gov.uk

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Parish Profile for The Church At Perton The Challenge

To encourage and empower the congregation to reach out to the local community with God‟s love, building up and strengthening relationships with God – both for people in the church and those outside it.

To be sensitive to the diverse needs and backgrounds of the congregation, whilst challenging them to move on.

To encourage, support and develop lay ministry across the Benefice, and to work with the Team Vicar to develop further collaborative ministry.

To build closer relationships between the three churches in the Benefice.

The Person

Someone of strong personal faith, grounded in Scripture and prayer, open to and guided by the leading of the Holy Spirit, combined with the desire to share that faith with others.

Has a good knowledge of, and commitment to, the Ecumenical movement, and will be supportive of the agreement/constitution of The Church At Perton.

Able to discern the pastoral needs of individuals.

Possessing good leadership skills, with the desire to work collaboratively.

Able to provide support for the Benefice staff team.

With a sense of humour.

Styles and Traditions of Worship The Church at Perton seeks to engage in worship that is scriptural, uplifting, and challenging. Sermons are taken from the lectionary readings, or other teaching schemes as may be appropriate. The congregation are used to participating in open prayer, sharing of concerns, and discussion and comment during a service. Visiting speakers from missionary and aid organizations etc. are regularly welcomed to the church. The Bible is taken as the foundation of our faith. We recognise that not all will agree on its precise interpretation, but we work together to bring the good news of God‟s love into people‟s lives, and we seek to make a practical difference within our community and further afield. In keeping with our ecumenical foundation, the church uses liturgy from Common Worship and the United Reformed Church service book, for Communion services. Other Free Church sources are also used. Communion is distributed using either a common chalice or individual glasses, according to the liturgy being followed. Communion is celebrated twice a month, and other Sundays are used for family worship and services of the Word. There is a large degree of lay involvement in services. A team of worship leaders takes regular turns in preaching and leading services; scripture readings and intercessions are always given by members of the congregation; the whole congregation are willing to participate in informal response during sermons, and there is occasional café-style and other informal settings for Sunday worship.

The Mission Plan The mission plan for The Church at Perton is to illuminate, delight and nurture through fellowship, sharing of the love of Christ with the vulnerable in our community.

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Through Nurture we will seek and appoint a mentor who will recognise and encourage from within our congregation the gifts that God has given to us all. The beginning of new challenges is to bring people out of their comfort zone giving support whenever it is needed in these new ministries. Evangelism is a gift given to many but is a requirement of us all and we want to encourage this in people in as many ways as possible. We see the future of Church in young people. Through the work of the Drop-in centre and community events such as Hope 08 we will invite young people to become involved in Christian groups such as Essence and Chrysalis. Our hope is to encourage these young people and develop the gifts within them and hopefully one day they may become involved in youth leadership themselves. Worship comes in many forms and healing is as an important part of the mainstream ministry of our Church. In our services prayer for healing is encouraged and taken by many in the congregation. In the community we are involved in „Healing on the Streets‟ which is a very important service reaching out to the many people in need showing them in their own streets that the Love of God is there for everyone. In Service to the community of Perton we seek to develop an outward focus to the pastoral care we have nurtured within Church. We welcome and work with our local schools, uniformed organisations, day centre, Corsers Court retirement home and Perton charitable trust where the needs of the local community can be identified and supported. Nurture, Evangelism, Worship, Service – NEWS - Good News for all. The complete Mission Action Plan document is attached as an appendix.

Church Leadership Whilst we do not have a Diocesan Mandated Team in place, there is a recognized leadership team. This consists of the Team Vicar, Lay Reader, Youth and Children‟s Leader, two Churchwardens, Church Secretary and Treasurer. We have two Readers. We also have a Pastoral Care Co-ordinator and a Music Leader. There is currently a vacancy for an Evangelism Co-ordinator. Our Ecumenical Church Council (ECC) carries out the role of a PCC and fulfils the URC requirements of an Elders Meeting. Church Meetings also take place in line with URC traditions. Our current minister, who is from the URC, will be leaving us in July after 10 years service. We shall then appoint a Team Vicar from the Church of England, under the alternating ministry arrangements.

The Parish Perton is a new village in South Staffordshire on the borders with Shropshire. It was built on the site of an old airfield and the parish as a whole has Perton village and two hamlets, Kingswood and Trescott. The village has a central park with the upper lake and a lower lake connected by the River Penk. There are lovely walks in the parish, including the Staffordshire Way. The village has 4500 homes and nearly eleven thousand people, a Civic Centre, alarge Sainsbury's supermarket, a newsagent with Post Office, chemist, two pubs and several small shops. There are three schools, Perton Middle [9-13], Sandown First and Perton First, a branch library with a new family centre and computer access, two medical centres, two dentists, and a golf club with bowls and tennis facilities. Perton enjoys close proximity to attractive open countryside yet is within easy reach of Wolverhampton for theatres, cinemas, the museum and art gallery and shopping. The towns of Bridgnorth, Telford, Shrewsbury and Birmingham are nearby with good road networks and rail connections [from Codsall or Wolverhampton].

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Most of the housing is privately owned and there is a full range of housing available, which means that many people move within the village. There are two housing association developments, with blocks of flats in the central area, terraced and semi detached houses and some bungalows for the elderly. There is also a large sheltered housing complex in the central area and a residential nursing home on the edge of the parish. Many people work in the Wolverhampton area and travel, as there are few opportunities to work in the parish. Sainsbury's is the largest employer. There is a frequent bus service to Wolverhampton. There are a few agricultural tenancies in the hamlets and residents there tend to associate more with their Shropshire neighbours.

The Fellowship We have a lively, friendly and warm fellowship. We enjoy worship together and many members stay for coffee after the services to share their week's experiences. There is a stewarding team to welcome newcomers, and a good pastoral care system, which means that we do not overlook those who are away or ill. We enjoy our social occasions together, which include prayer breakfasts, faith lunches, curry nights and concerts and our fund-raising events. Many members attend one of several midweek home groups for prayer and Bible study. We have, as a congregation, wide links into the community: we offer shoppers coffee on Saturdays, and are pleased to support other local groups such as Perton Carnival and join with our neighbouring group Lakeside Community Church e.g. Good Friday craft workshops and holiday clubs. As an LEP Perton has joint membership with the two denominations, the Anglican Church and United Reformed Church. All new members are offered joint membership, which gives voting rights in both denominations. We are involved in both our sponsoring denominations, and enjoy the varied and diverse opportunities and resources, which this brings. As part of the ecumenical covenanting group of churches locally we join for Lent study courses, Saturday Lent Lunches and other social occasions. Social events are organized in support of Fairtrade and other causes.

The Church Building & Church Hall The Church At Perton is situated right in the centre of the Village of Perton and is a modern multi purpose building completed in 1981. We have a main Sanctuary supplemented by a large hall that opens up by the use of sliding folding doors. This hall is used during the week by a variety of organisations. We then have a second independent hall, kitchen facilities, Vestry, Internal lobby, Entrance lobby and toilets. The building affords ground floor access throughout and is compliant with DDA requirements. We have a Baptistry for baptism by total immersion within the Sanctuary area. We have external car parking for a limited number of cars. Our neighbours include Sainsbury‟s superstore, The Community Centre, Library, two doctors‟ surgeries and a Clinic, a public house and a variety of smaller retail units. A landscaped lake sits to the west of the Church along with a recently renovated children‟s playground and games area. We have a sound system with mixing desk and use data projection during our services. We have a Johannus Digital Organ with twin manual and a base pedal board giving us facility for both a traditional and modern approach to our worship.

Church Finances Both our Anglican Parish Share and URC Maintenance and Ministry were paid in full up to the end of 2009, with a small surplus income showing on the annual accounts.

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However this is the first time in several years that this has been the case, so there is no room for complacency. There is a trust fund of some £16,000 held at Lichfield where the income is available to us for capital purchases. Additionally there is some £23,000 of designated reserve funds. We have used the URC TRIO (The Responsibility Is Ours) presentation as the basis of our regular stewardship campaigns and have achieved excellent results. We tithe 10% of general giving, donations and fundraising to charity once a year and we have also just completed a 3-year programme of financial support for a young lady in Uganda, enabling her to attend and graduate from University. We have also donated funds for her to purchase a plot of land for her family home. We aim to follow URC guidelines regarding Lottery funding. This allows for application to the Heritage fund for improvements to a listed building, when this is the only realisticavenue for securing funding. The 2009 Annual Accounts are attached.

Parish Activities and Programmes Activities within the life of the Church within the Parish include:-

Weekly Rainbows, Brownies & Guides, Day centre for local elderly (twice weekly), Various House groups, Morning prayer group, Music group practice, Saturday coffee morning, Tradecraft, Sunday services, Kidz Count, and Crèche facilities

Fortnightly Friday night Drop in (Local youth outreach); Essence (Church Youth Group 7 - 11 yrs); Chrysalis (Church Youth Group 12+ yrs); Midweek communion; Sunday Evening Services

Monthly Teddy Bear Service (Pre-school children and parents / guardians)

Seasonal / Annually Men‟s Breakfast and Worship; Holiday Club – 5 day activity club for 5 – 11 year old - during August; New Wine (averaging 40 in attendance); Community Saturdays – continuation of „Hope 08‟ initiative; Baptism‟s Weddings & Funerals; Ladies group – Ladybirds; Community Family Fun Day; Attendance at Perton Carnival; Healing Services; Games Evenings; Lent Lunches; Christian Aid Week house to house collection; Christmas Carols at Sainsbury‟s; Church camping weekends; Christmas tree festival; Lent courses

Others Many of the above activities are worked in partnership with our neighbouring independent Christian Fellowship – Lakeside Community Church. Many of our congregation are involved in various capacities with outside organisations within the Parish including – Councillors, Teachers, Uniformed organisations, WI, School boards of governor‟s, Whist Club for the elderly, Carnival Committee, Perton Village Nursery to name but a few.

Children and Youth Work There are thirty children on register for worship on a Sunday morning, aged 3 – 16 years with at least 20 regularly attending each week. There is a group of 9 adult leaders working 3 at a time. The teaching consists of looking at a Bible story, which is acted out by the children followed by a period of craft activities. The style of teaching is very interactive and all ages work together. There are 2 mid-week youth groups held fortnightly on a Thursday for those aged 12 + with 3 adult leaders and on a Friday for children aged 7 - 11 years with 2 adult leaders.

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There is also a crèche, which is available every Sunday morning run by 2 leaders and currently has approximately 3 babies/toddlers catered for. The church runs a summer holiday club and this attracts a large number of local children, on average there are usually 50 - 60 children on register during the week. We also hold a "Light" party each year on 31st October to discourage the children from becoming involved in Halloween activities and the usual number is around 50 children. Each Good Friday morning we have an art and craft workshop which is open to everyone irrespective of age, followed by a short act of worship and a light lunch, and this also attracts in the region of 50 - 60 children and their parents. There is a monthly Teddy Bear service on the Thursday of each month with 2 leaders and up to 15 pre-school children and parents/grandparents or carers. We are also in the process of trying to set up a Messy Church service after school during the week as there are a large number of children walking past the church on the way home after school. There is also a Friday night drop-in facility which is run fortnightly on a Friday evening for un-churched young people aged 12 - 16 to build relationships, and to encourage them to engage in social activities in a safe environment. There is a team of 8 adults on a rota basis. The church invites young people who are baptised to share communion, regardless of age or whether they have been confirmed, at the discretion of their parents.

Schools Work The Parish has good links with its 3 community schools. The church is invited to take regular assemblies at both the First schools. The schools are keen to keep regular contact with the church, and use the building for Easter, Harvest and Christmas concerts and services. In addition, the Team Vicar in Perton has traditionally served as a Community Governor at the Middle School.

Services Every Sunday Morning Worship 10.00am 1st & 3rd Sunday Evening Worship 6.30pm

Morning services: Communion is celebrated twice a month, usually alternating between Anglican & URC traditions, with a Family Service and Morning Worship being used on the other two Sundays. Fifth Sundays are used to experience a range of worship styles including Taizé, Quaker style etc. Kidz Count (Junior Church) meets every week except 2nd when a family service is held. A crèche is available every week. Hymn books in regular use are With One Voice, Worship Today and Mission Praise. Average attendance is 65, plus an average of 20 children. Baptisms and Thanksgivings are included as part of our Morning Services.

Evening Services: These vary in style and content. This is an opportunity to develop new forms of worship, or to hold small informal gatherings. Attendance varies. There is a weekly Prayer Meeting on Tuesday mornings.

Monthly Services: Day Centre Communion, Order Two style Communion Service, Teddy Bear Service, Communion at two Residential Homes, Worship at Corsers Court (sheltered housing scheme) in partnership with Lakeside Community Church.

Occasional Services: During last year these included Ash Wednesday, Services during Holy Week, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday (with activities for children), Ascension Day, Remembrance Day, Annual Memorial Service, Compassion Sunday, Pastoral Carers

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Service and Services of Healing (held jointly with neighbouring Lakeside Community Church). Services are generally led by our Team Vicar, other Benefice ministers, Lay Reader or Youth and Children‟s Leader. Lay members play an active part in many aspects of worship preparation and leadership. The Team Vicar, Reader and Youth and Children‟s Leader meet regularly to organize leading and preaching rotas. Reading and Intercessions rotas are prepared by lay members. We would list our successes as: The variety of worship styles, with many leaders and preachers, has always been a feature of The Church At Perton, adding strength to our worship life. Using 5th Sunday mornings to explore other styles and traditions has also enriched our worship. The flexible setting of the church allows us to use Café style worship occasionally. We are at present trying to introduce an after-school Messy Church Service. The monthly Thursday morning Order Two Communion service is also proving popular with average attendance of 20-30.

Music The congregation at Perton enjoys having a variety of music, and draws from many traditions and sources. There is a regular organist who is a member of the congregation. Another member is able to deputise on occasions. There is also a group of singers and musicians who, together with the organist, lead all aspects of music on a Sunday. Music is chosen to reflect the style and content of each particular service, and all musicians are involved, singing or playing as appropriate for the song. In addition, a group of young people offer their musical talents in leading our monthly family service. Services at Perton cover the whole musical spectrum, from lively modern praise, through traditional hymn and song services of the Word, to reflective Taizé and silentQuaker worship. Congregational songs are normally decided by the music co-ordinator working in conjunction with the service leader. The music group will often suggest additional items for use during communion, or before and after the service.

Communications and Policies Information is distributed through a weekly notice sheet, a monthly magazine, a notice board outside the church, and a website. At Easter and Christmas, the church distributes 4,100 cards to homes in the parish, with detail of services and special events. There is a telephone prayer chain for the communication of urgent pastoral needs. A list of longer-term prayer needs is available to members by email, and is updated monthly.

Baptisms As the parish church, there are regular requests for Baptism of infants. All families are seen by the team vicar, and encouraged to attend Sunday worship, and a short preparation course. A service of Thanksgiving is always offered, and parents are then encouraged to consider the serious commitments required by the Baptism promises. The LEP is able to offer the Free Church service of Dedication and Thanksgiving as an alternative, for parents who prefer to make Baptism available for their children at a later date, or who are uncomfortable about making promises of faith. The church has a Baptistry. This is used occasionally, sometimes in conjunction with the Ecumenical Confirmation service. The Baptistry is also used by the Lakeside Community Church, who worship in the adjoining community centre.

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Marriage The church welcomes all applications for Christian marriage. Couples are seen by the team vicar, and this includes discussion of the recommended pastoral issues, in the case of remarriage of divorced people. There are very few marriages at the church. One or two couples per year elect to marry in the church, and often they are church members or their relatives. This low number is due to the modern appearance of the church building; the church regularly calls Banns for local residents who wish to marry in adjacent parishes.

Funerals The team vicar of Perton conducts an average of 2 funerals per month. These are usually for residents of the parish, and most take place at Bushbury Crematorium, in the north of Wolverhampton. Of these, there may be 4 or 5 per year where a service is held at the church. These tend to be funerals of church members, although occasionally a local family will request a church service. The funerals are normally conducted by the team vicar; some holiday cover is available from the parish Readers.

What the area has to offer Brief History of Perton The old site of Perton lay on the south facing slopes from Perton Ridge to the Bridgnorth Road and it was here that a particular type of pear was grown. Earliest records of Perton indicate that the manor was owned by Edward the Confessor (who died in 1066) and in 1086 by the Abbot of Westminster. The manor of Perton was held by the Abbey until 1162 when it was lost to the crown who passed it to Lord William Perton. Until the 1960's Perton and many of the farms in the area were part of the estate of Lord Wrottesley whose seat was at Wrottesley Hall until one of the Lord Wrottesley successors sold off the land and emigrated to South Africa. During the World War 1 Fern Fields were used as a relief landing ground for No 38 (Home Defence) Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps and in the period between the first and second world wars the site was used for Barnstorming. The original intention was for Perton to be used a fighter station however this instead RAF Perton served as a relief aerodrome for the training of pilots of one of whom included Princess Irene Brigade of the Dutch Army who later took part in the liberation of her country. In 1947 RAF Perton was abandoned and given to the Agricultural Land Commission with the Dutch part of the camp becoming a refugee camp for Poles, Latvians and Lithuanians until 1950. In the 1970s and 1980s, a new housing development was built on the site of the former RAF station. The name Perton now refers to this newer settlement with the old Perton now being known as Perton Ridge. The only reminders of Perton‟s history is a Memorial in honour of all who trained at RAF Perton - many of whom gave their lives during the war and remnants of air raid shelters which can still be found in the surrounding woodland.

Perton Today Located within Perton centre are Sainsbury‟s supermarket (including a petrol station) and various small retail outlets including a hardware shop, chemist and an Optician. In addition to this there are two pubs, an Indian restaurant and Fish & Chip takeaway. Civic facilities include a large community centre, church, library, three schools (Perton Middle School, Perton First School and Sandown First School), a medical centre and dental surgery. On the outskirts of Perton itself is an 18 golf club with floodlight driving range and tennis facilities.

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Perton also boasts two man made lakes which link a number of walks that can be undertaken around the local area. From Perton Centre itself there is a walk between these two lakes and onto to an area known as Bluebell Wood. Bluebell Wood was developed from a previous wood around the former RAF airfield. The wood is named due to this being internationally important site for Bluebells and the abundance of these which appear. The wood has a number of paths where in parts decking walkways have been installed so that these walks can be enjoyed all year round. Within the wood, parts of the former RAF airfield can still be found.

Transport Links Perton is well served by A Category roads from Wolverhampton (A41 & A454) which themselves continue on to locations such as Albrighton, Newport & Bridgnorth. There is a local access to the M54 from the A41 between Albrighton and Newport which provides an easy link onto either the M6 or to the nearby shopping facilities at Telford. Perton itself is well served by a direct bus service into Wolverhampton with a frequency in the region of every 20 minutes at peak times. From Wolverhampton onward bus travel can be made to the majority of areas within the West Midlands. A short walk from the bus station is the starting point for the Midlands Metro, a light rail tram system operating seven days a week linking Wolverhampton to Birmingham with a peak time frequency of 6 to 8 minutes. Wolverhampton Bus station is also adjacent to the main railway station, which being situated on the West Coast Main Line enjoys a regular high-speed rail service to London which can be reached in just under two hours. Codsall Railway station is located approximately three miles from Perton which operates local services to Wolverhampton and westwards towards Shrewsbury and Mid Wales.

Surrounding area Although Perton is nearer to Wolverhampton than any other town many residents travel to Telford or Bridgnorth for shopping. Located closely to Perton other leisure facilities include Baggeridge Country Park, Wightwick Manor (National Trust property), Himley Hall and Wombourne with its walking and cycling path along a disused railway line. Places slightly further afield, though easily reachable within a 30 minute drive, include West Midlands Safari Park, Severn Valley Country Park and Severn Valley Steam Railway.

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“Going for Growth” in the WOLVERHAMPTON AREA Since the early 1990s the Diocese of Lichfield has had a shared vision entitled „Growing the Kingdom‟. This identified four „Primary Purposes‟ of the church to which all churches and clergy are expected to be committed. The vision is that all churches should be growing their life and ministry in four dimensions: • WORSHIP AND PRAYER. • TEACHING AND NURTURE. • EVANGELISM AND OUTREACH. • JUSTICE AND CARE. Much progress was made, but yet church attendance continued to decline quite sharply, thus undermining the strength of the churches to fulfil their purposes and even threatening their very existence. Accordingly, the Diocese adopted a new central strategy in 2004 entitled „Going for Growth‟. This is a long-term mission strategy to move the Diocese from numerical decline to growth and so to strengthen its ability to fulfil the four primary purposes. Each parish is encouraged to develop and implement its own Mission Plan that will enable it to grow spiritually, numerically and in the effectiveness of its ministries. We are looking for clergy who can demonstrate: 1. A track record (where appropriate) of leading growing churches. 2. An understanding of how churches can grow and flourish. 3. Enthusiasm for the „Going for Growth‟ strategy and a commitment to mission and evangelism through the local church. 4. Commitment to reaching the younger generations we have been losing. The Diocese is committed to providing a helpful environment, within which churches can be born, grow and flourish. Bishops, Archdeacons, and Diocesan staff give a high priority to helping churches shape and implement mission plans. A Growth Fund is available to make grants to help churches have the financial strength to grow. Training programmes are geared towards the „Going for Growth‟ objectives. Clergy are encouraged to experiment, to try „Fresh Expressions‟ and to be leaders in mission and enablers of lay ministry. We are looking for clergy who will focus their ministry on growing the numbers, maturity and ministry of their church members. BENEFICE BUILDINGS COMMITTEE (BBC) „INGOINGS‟ POLICY – INFORMATION PAPER 1) Principles i) The BBC has responsibility to:- • Via the Benefice Buildings Measure to provide „fit for purpose‟ housing • Be good stewards of the allotted budget • Care for the clergy and family and thereby minimise stress and inconvenience in housing matters. ii) BBC are to work with Archdeacons and Area Bishops, by ensuring, wherever possible, that a house be suitably upgraded and ready for occupation by interview stage (bar decoration). 2) Practice i) Once the relevant Archdeacon confirms an interregnum anticipated of less than 12 months then a Survey is carried out by the Diocesan Surveyor (accompanied by a

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member of the BBC and/or Property Department) once the property is vacated. (Assume a window of three clear months until interview stage (to complete works) ). ii) Specification of work tendered iii) Works scheduled to be completed within 4 weeks. iv) Snaggings and works signed off and house ready for clergy‟s interview stage. 3) Comments: i) If a long interregnum anticipated (i.e. circa 12 months+), house is put out to let and, where possible, vacant possession secured in time to undertake new ingoing process in good time. ii) Sufficient time is given to survey and spec prior to interview process in order to execute works in an orderly manner. iii) Acknowledgement that there may be some minor unforeseen maintenance required post interview and pre-occupation and/or incoming clergy may choose at their cost and our agreement to upgrade their new house. iv) Releases newly appointed clergy to concentrate on their new pastoral responsibilities rather than engage in debate over refurbishment issues. v) Removes uncertainty from the candidate selection process, as house will (where possible) be ready for occupation (bar decoration). vi) Sufficient time for clergy to put their own „stamp‟ on the house, through decorating to their personal colour choice, and then move in. Andrew Mason, Property Manager