the benefice of saint lawrence’s...3 saint peter’s saint peter’s doddington which serves the...

1

Saint Peter’s Church Doddington Lincolnshire LN6 4RU

Saint Lawrence’s Church Lower Church Road Skellingthorpe Lincoln LN6 5UZ

Sharing the Good News of God’s love for all……

The Benefice of Saint Lawrence’s Church Skellingthorpe

and Saint Peter’s Church Doddington

2

Welcome to Saint Lawrence’s and Saint Peter’s 3

About You 4

Our Mission and Vision at Saint Lawrence’s 5

Saint Lawrence’s church at worship 6

Mid-week groups at Saint Lawrence’s 7

Connecting with the community at Saint Lawrence’s 8

Finance and meetings at Saint Lawrence’s 9

Saint Lawrence’s Church Building 10

The Parish of Skellingthorpe 11

St. Lawrence’s School 12

City of Lincoln 13

The Rectory and Local Amenities 14

Strengths and Challenges 15

The Church Community at Doddington 16

And Whisby

The Church Finances at Saint Peter’s 17

Saint Peter’s Church Building 18

The Parish of Doddington & Whisby 19

Supporting Mission 20

Map showing the Benefice of Skellingthorpe and

Doddington

2

1

Contents


3

Saint Peter’s Doddington which serves the

parish of Doddington and Whisby. This was

created from the Skellingthorpe Parish on 1 May

2002. We are part of the Skellingthorpe benefice

and share the same Rector, but in population are

one tenth that of Skellingthorpe. As the smallest

Parish in our Deanery, it may have been a

surprise to some that we not only survived but

prospered as a stand-alone Parish. This has

been greatly helped by our retiring Rector

Richard Billinghurst, who with the help of his

very able Curate Frances Clarke has taken a

pragmatic approach to the needs of our Parish.

This has enabled him to provide the traditional

form of services expected at Saint Peter’s as

well as the more evangelical approach popular

at Saint Lawrence’s in Skellingthorpe.

We look forward to giving a warm welcome to a

new Rector becoming part of our community.

Saint Lawrence’s is a small welcoming

Evangelical church which is open to the leading

and gifts of the Holy Spirit. There is a

charismatic feel to the praise and worship with

active participation by members of the

congregation who come from a wide range of

Christian backgrounds (from unchurched to

conservative evangelicals, Baptists, free church

and Roman Catholics).

Our services reflect the importance we place on

informal style of worship, bible based teaching

and the power of the Holy Spirit to change lives,

as well as the role of liturgy in drawing us

together.

Members are encouraged to participate in bible

reading, prayers and leading open times of

worship. Our spiritual journey continues during

the week with house groups, prayer meetings

and fellowship meetings.


Welcome to Saint Lawrence’s and Saint Peter’s

4

We are looking and praying for a spirit filled, gifted leader, able to motivate a congregation

who:

will see the potential of reaching out to a combined population of around 4000 people in two

beautiful rural parishes with two schools including a thriving church school;

listens to God and whose life and witness is rooted in prayer, thereby developing the

spiritual life and outreach of the whole church;

through the worship of the church, will move people to experience God’s love and will

encourage the people to serve God and one another;

will be able to connect the Bible to everyday life in a modern, imaginative and creative way -

with an awareness of Fresh Expressions to re-connect with the community;

will be ready to listen to, and encourage, those whom he or she meets, both inside and

outside the church congregation;

will want to grow and build an effective ministry team and encourage all to use their skills

and talents in the service of God;

is a good communicator who will be comfortable both in a traditional and evangelical

church;

will encourage and lead a positive link between the church, staff and the young people and

parents at our school.

We will assist you with good lay support:

Hard working Church Wardens in both parishes who help with the worship and provide

excellent support managing the fabric of the buildings;

Experienced leaders of home groups;

Leadership of Church Prayer meetings;

Facilitating a weekly coffee morning called ‘Coffee Cup’;

Leading a weekly parent and toddler group called ‘Toy Box’.

About You and how we will support you


5

Parish Mission Statement

As those called to be God’s people in

this parish, we seek to:

Firstly, to express our relationship with

God in Worship, Prayer, and Christian

Fellowship, seeking to know our

Heavenly Father’s blessing;

Secondly, to follow our Commission, to

bring the Good News of God’s Love for

all, through the Saving Death of His

Son Jesus on the Cross, to the people

we encounter in our lives.”

We trust in the Spirit of God to motivate

and empower the life and mission of

our church, as we seek in turn to follow

God’s Word in loving obedience.

Our Mission and Vision at Saint Lawrence’s


6

Services

The Sunday service is at 10.15 am. Until recently, there was also a service at 6.15 pm, but this

was attended by only a very small number of 3 – 4 people. The main morning service typically

attracts 40 to 50 people, including a small number of children under 15. The age range is from

toddlers to 80+ years, the majority of the congregation being 50+ years. Approximately one third

of the congregation live outside of the parish. Special services are held at Harvest, Christmas

and Mothering Sunday, when children from the local school and Toy Box are invited to

participate and attend with parents.

There are alternating Holy Communion and Morning Prayer (both Common Worship). The

morning service usually lasts 75 – 90 minutes and includes a time of worship and then separate

teaching for under 15’s in their own Sunday Club. We use ROOTS Resources for the weekly

Lectionary, the children learning through Bible stories, craft activities and singing. At

Communion, children are welcome at the communion rail and receive the bread.

There are two Bible readings each week from ROOTS Resources and the Word of God is

preached from those readings. We sing from Songs of Fellowship, accompanied by piano and a

small music group (all volunteers). Lay people lead the opening worship at the beginning of the

service, which is a time of “open praise” where the congregation are free to pray between the

songs/hymns as the Holy Spirit leads.

The readings and the intercessions are led by lay people.

Traditionally, the clergy do not robe for Sunday services, although they do for weddings, funeral

and baptisms. Usual Clergy Sunday attire is “suit and collar.”

Saint Lawrence’s at Worship


7


Prayer groups

There is a church prayer meeting on the fourth Thursday of each month which consists of

worship, praise and prayer open to the Holy Spirit’s leading. The informal intercessory

prayer meeting every Monday evening provides an opportunity for requests from the

Sunday service to be prayed for.

House Groups

St Lawrence’s currently has two house-groups meeting regularly for worship, prayer, Bible study and fellowship, enabling members to deepen and strengthen their spiritual lives and to pray, care for and share with each other.

We believe that house-groups are an excellent additional strategic tool, which help in creating and maintaining a healthy church life. They also provide an opportunity to link newcomers easily into the life of the church. We currently meet fortnightly in the evening. We allow plenty of time for relaxed fellowship over light refreshments and this is a great time to catch up. We begin with a short time of worship and prayer around the theme of the Bible passage to be studied and this is followed by shared reading and study of the passage, section by section, with a view to application in our daily lives. We finish with a time of personal pastoral prayer. Folk rarely want to go home!

Mid-week groups at Saint Lawrence’s

8


As we seek to fulfil our mission of bringing God’s love to all, alongside our Sunday services

we hold weekly coffee mornings and a mother and toddler group.

Coffee Cup

Drinking tea and coffee, chatting over biscuits and cakes in a friendly atmosphere is what we

do at ‘Coffee Cup’. This is a weekly chance for church members, neighbours and friends to

meet in the church with one another. The clergy join us from time to time. It has become a

real support for some of our elderly members and we have been visited by folk from the old

people’s home in the village. The children from the pre-school next door have also popped in

to try out the biscuits and squash!

Toybox

Toybox is run by church members and child minders from the village. It is a good opportunity

to share the love and grace of Jesus with all who come in. It is a weekly, popular, informal

occasion for parents and carers to bring their babies and pre-schoolers. We meet in the

church building, where the children have plenty of room to play safely with toys and ride-on

vehicles. Each week a craft activity is designed to go with a short bible story. Coffee and

biscuits are served and birthdays are celebrated with cake and candles! Numbers are

regularly 40 plus children.

People who come say that Toybox is, “…a very friendly, welcoming place, the children love it

and enjoy the craft. The train track is brilliant!!”

Connecting with the community at Saint Lawrence’s

9


Finance

Our primary objective is to meet our parish share. Once this is met we support a range of

missionary activities and charities in both the UK and overseas. St Lawrence’s is debt free.

See below a summary of the finances for both 2017 and the prior year:

The Parish Share for £2018 is £42,909.

Year Parish Share

Total Income

Total Voluntary Income

Missionary & Charity Giving

2017 £41,700 (100%)

£50,082 £48,400 £680(1)

2016 £39,700 (100%)

£53,000 £51,347 £1,574

(1) Excludes £400 donated to Tear Fund directly by Toy Box and Coffee Cup

Apart from the General Fund, the church has access to income from two other funds: “The

Howden Memorial Fund” (specifically for Church Building and Churchyard Repairs) and “The

Bungalow Fund” (specifically to support the costs of a Church Administrator).

In 2017, £5,407 was expended on three large items: a new gas heater, electrical up-grades

and repairs, and a new mixer desk . The whole of this expenditure was supported by the

income accumulated in the Howden Memorial Fund over past years.

89% of voluntary income is sourced through Gift Aid and Stewardship, 6% from Cash

Collections, and 5% from other Planned Giving and Designated Gifts.

The 2017 Accounts have been passed by an independent External Examiner.

Church Meetings

Parochial Church Council meets four times a year; there are monthly Chapter meetings and

Deanery Synod meetings are held three times a year.

Finance and Church meetings at

Saint Lawrence’s

10


There has been a place of worship on the site of Saint Lawrence’s Church in Skellingthorpe

since at least the beginning of the 13th century. Until 1854 the church was similar to that of

today, except that there was no vestry, south aisle or porch, but had a balcony at the back

with a staircase from the north aisle. The building was in such a decayed and dilapidated

condition, and the accommodation was insufficient for parishioners, which in 1855 it was

rebuilt using much of the materials of the old church. The re-built church was the shape and

size of the present day building. Following a severe fire in 1916 the church had to have a new

roof in the chancel and the nave had to make do with a temporary roof which lasted 80 years.

In order to provide a more versatile place of worship for a modern congregation the church

was re-ordered in 1992. The nave and aisle roofs, pillars and pews were removed and a new

roof was built and a toilet and kitchen was provided in the old choir vestry. The church organ

was restored and remains in good working order, used when required for weddings and

funerals, providing an organist can be commissioned. The large open space is used in a very

flexible way that now enables the chairs to be moved making space for Toy box to

accommodate large numbers of parents, carers and children each week. Furniture is also

moved to accommodate the weekly coffee morning.

The church also has access to the use of the adjacent school buildings on a Sunday for

children’s activities during morning services and the use of the school playground for car

parking.

Saint Lawrence’s Church Building

11


The village of Skellingthorpe is in the agricultural county of Lincolnshire spreading over a large area

of flat countryside three miles from Lincoln. It has a population of approximately 4000 made up of a

core of old families who have lived there for several generations, and a large proportion of the

‘relative’ newcomers who started arriving when the village first began to develop in the 1960s. The

population is expected to rise to 5000 within the next ten years as planning approval has been given

for an additional few hundred dwellings. Most of the housing stock has been built since the last war

with a large proportion being bungalows. There is some social housing including bungalows for the

elderly.

Although there is some employment in agriculture and some local businesses, most of the working

population are employed outside of the village, mainly in Lincoln or surrounding area.

Unemployment is below the national average.

It is not a pretty picture postcard village, but a good place to live. It has two local food/newspaper

shops; a pharmacy; a post office; a doctor’s surgery; a hairdressers; two pubs; an ice cream shop

and café; car sales and servicing; two residential homes; a community centre including a Youth

Hall; a travelling library; a health centre and two primary schools. There is a fairly regular bus

service to Lincoln and a cycle path to the city and nearby countryside. There are a lot of clubs

catering for all interests and ages.

Skellingthorpe has its own village magazine called the Chat. It provides information, gives village

organisations a way of letting villagers know what is going on, advertising for local businesses and

generates interest and discussion of local issues. The magazine is a historical archive of life within

the village through the residents’ eyes with both articles and pictures. It gets people talking to each

other and acts like a companion to otherwise housebound folk in the village.

The Parish of Skellingthorpe

12


Saint Lawrence CE Voluntary Controlled Primary school, one of two primary schools

in the village, is located alongside the Church where the playground becomes an

excellent car park for Church Sunday services. It is a Church school which greatly values

and appreciates the spiritual presence of St Lawrence’s Church. The daily act of

collective worship is a very special time in school and takes place at 9am every morning.

The school is mission-minded and has links with a deprived school in a remote bush

village in Malawi. Once each week, collective worship takes place in Saint Lawrence’s

church.

The Diocese of Lincoln considers Church schools to be at the centre of the mission of the

Diocese and there is excellent support available for the school and the Church as they

together live out the Christian foundation of the school. The mission statement of the

school speaks of being ‘Passionate about Learning, Proud to Shine’ and promotes active

and creative learning for all, based on Christian values. Saint Lawrence’s Church offers

prayerful and practical support to the school. This may be through volunteering in class or

as a governor, or it may be of a more overtly spiritual nature.

The Church hosts services at Easter, Harvest, Christmas and in July when the children

move onto their senior schools. As a Church school, the Foundation Governors are

appointed by a combination of the Saint Lawrence’s PCC and the Diocese of Lincoln. The

Rector is an ex-officio member of the governing body and one of three Foundation

Governors provided by the Church. Members of the Church are encouraged to serve in

this way as the school works to uphold its Christian Foundation and the Church builds on

the opportunity to reach more young families in the village.

Saint Lawrence Church School

13

The cathedral quarter is set on cobbled streets, with a quaint yet historic atmosphere, it is

both unique and vibrant. Castle Square nestles between Lincoln Cathedral and Lincoln

Castle and is home to the Visitor Information Centre and regular farmers' and artists'

markets. To the north is the famous Bailgate shopping area where you can find the award

winning Steep Hill, which was voted Britain's Great Street. Skellingthorpe sits just 3 miles

outside the historic city of Lincoln. Lincoln's history can be traced back as far as 300BC

and links to the city's past heritage can be seen even today 'downhill' and 'uphill' Lincoln.

The road between ‘downhill’ and ‘uphill’ is steep as its name suggests, but well worth the

walk!

‘Downhill’ Lincoln is home to the Brayford Waterfront which is England's oldest inland

Harbour and offers a great selection of eating, drinking and entertainment venues. This is

also where one of the UK’s fastest growing universities is based. There is a lively evening

economy which is supported by an established team of street pastors every Friday and

Saturday night.

Lincoln's High Street offers a unique shopping experience with a great mixture of large

high street retailers, local markets, independent shops and boutiques. Many of Lincoln’s

attractions are all within a short walk from the city center.

Lincoln offers an experience rich in history combined with arts and culture and a wealth of

places to eat and drink.

City of Lincoln


http://www.visitlincoln.com/things-to-do/lincoln-cathedral

http://www.visitlincoln.com/things-to-do/lincoln-castle

http://www.visitlincoln.com/things-to-do/lincoln-castle

http://www.visitlincoln.com/things-to-do/visitor-information-centre

http://www.visitlincoln.com/things-to-do/bailgate-shopping

http://www.visitlincoln.com/things-to-do/steep-hill-the-strait

14

Leisure

Local walking areas include the Old Wood in Skellingthorpe and in nearby Hartsholme Park and Whisby Nature Park. Children’s outdoor play areas are within easy reach. Lincoln also boasts a wide variety of leisure opportunities. Nearby you will find sports facilities of all descriptions and a number of excellent arts venues.

Education

The primary school already mentioned is adjacent to the church and a second state primary school is at the other end of the village. In the city, there is more than one secondary school that is within easy reach, there is a College of Further Education; Bishop Grosseteste University and Lincoln University which offer a wide variety of courses. The University Technical College in Lincoln, established 2014 and working closely with employers including the prestigious firm, Siemens, gives unique opportunities for 14-18 year olds to develop Science, Engineering and Computing skills to prepare them for the world of work.

The Rectory

The Rectory stands in approximately one third

of an acre of grounds laid to lawns and

surrounded by trees. The accommodation has

been fully refurbished internally and externally

in 2018. It comprises of two reception rooms,

a kitchen, a utility room, a cloakroom and a

large study which provides sufficient space for

the Rector’s office and for welcoming visitors.

Upstairs there are four bedrooms, a box room

and a family bathroom.

Outside there is a garage and ample parking space.


The Rectory and local amenities

15


Strengths

We are blessed in having a non-stipendiary curate who leads,

preaches and takes the occasional offices in addition to being

employed to carry out some of the administrative duties of the church.

We are a group of enthusiastic church members with many gifts and a

strong desire to serve God and extend his kingdom.

We are open to exploring new ways of building up the church family;

Flexible worship space.

A warm and inviting church building that is used for a variety of

activities in addition to Sunday services.

We form a supportive network to assist each other through the various challenges of life.

Always pay parish share in full.

The church school greatly values and appreciates the spiritual

presence of St Lawrence’s Church.

Challenges/Opportunities

Reaching out to a rapidly growing village with large housing

development planned.

Attracting new families as they move into the village.

Enthusiastic but ageing congregation.

Encouraging families who come to Toybox to see, hear and respond to

the Good News.

Exploring fresh ideas of church.

Meeting the spiritual needs of the local community.

Strengths and Challenges at Saint Lawrence’s

16


There are normally 9 or 10 services a year, typically at 6.30 pm, apart from 8.00 am Early

Communion at Christmas and Easter and an Hour at the Cross at 2.00 pm on Good Friday.

Attendance is typically between 8 and 25, but between 110 and 140 at Carols by Candlelight on

the Sunday before Christmas. The Carol Service draws its congregation from far and wide, but

attendance at the remaining services is essentially from Doddington village and those from

Skellingthorpe who prefer a more traditional service. Lewis Paul, who rebuilt the organ, normally

plays at the Harvest and Carol Services but we otherwise use the CDs from “No Organist No

Problem” very successfully.

The Clergy wear cassock and surplice for services, which are taken from Common Worship Holy

Communion or Evening Prayer with traditional Hymns from the Anglican Hymn Book.

In part because of the small size of the community there is no Youth Group or Sunday School, or

indeed at the present time any Bible Study Course. The only other Church event is the annual

Harvest Supper, last year attended by 30 people, which is essentially a social fund-raiser.

There are 37 names on the Electoral Roll.

There are 5 members of the PCC, chaired by the Rector who also serves as the treasurer; the

Curate, Frances Clarke, the lay vice chairman and Church warden Jane Marsden and the second

Church warden and Buildings officer, Antony Jarvis, and PCC secretary, Ian Macalpine-Leny. The

PCC secretary is the elected member of the laity serving on the Deanery Synod.

There are no additional paid or unpaid Church staff. The Church yard is cut as and when by a

contractor.

There is a Church Bulletin produced four times a year and hand delivered to every house – see

www.doddington-parish-church.org.uk/ for back issues.

The Church Community at Saint Peter’s

http://www.doddington-parish-church.org.uk/

17


Although it is unwise to be complacent, we are fortunate because:-

We have three regular monthly donors;

An active fund raising programme has produced more than £20,000 over the last 12 years;

The Doddington Hall brochure includes a piece on Saint Peter’s Church and the staff in the Gatehouse encourage visitors to visit the church at the end of their tour. In consequence the Church Box yields about £600 annually;

We receive £200 a year from the Parish Council and c. £150 a year from the Mary Seaton

Trust as contributions towards Churchyard maintenance;

We have recently received an unexpected legacy of £13,500 from a former parishioner.

Our Parish Share has always been paid in full. It is £2,206 for 2018.

Year

Parish Share

Total Income

Total Voluntary Income

Missionary & Charity Giving

2017 £2,076 £19,105 £5,367 £650

2016

£1,923

£20,686

£3,740

£650

The Doddington Church Annual Report for 2017 shows that finances have been generally good.

Although Sunday collections are small (due to low attendance numbers and infrequency of

services) there is regular support from three members of the congregation, and this enables the

day to day expenses of the church to be mostly met.

The costs of Fabric maintenance are of course very high. Some very effective fundraising is

carried out by two church members, which has cleared the costs for a long programme of window

restoration, completed in 2017. The church building is in good repair. A recent legacy has been

invested, the income being applied to the Fabric Fund, providing some finance for future

maintenance and repairs.

The accounts for 2017 have been passed by the External Examiner.

The Church Finances at Saint Peter’s

18


Saint Peter’s Church is a Norman foundation, listed in Domesday and connected in its

foundation with the great Abbey of Saint Peter at Westminster, which also had connections with

Skellingthorpe. Today the church stands as a delightful Gothic revival building, built by Lord

Deleval of Doddington in 1775 from the earlier church. It is close to the Hall gatehouse but with

independent access, while the practical benefits of toilets and car parking are provided by the

nearby estate Farm Shop. The church is listed Grade 1 by Historic England, as the earliest

Gothic revival church in the country.

The elegant interior of the church is light and airy with a wonderful set of seven stained glass

windows by William Wailes of Newcastle. The church can sit up to 150 in comfort, and with a

plan that is nearly square, has excellent acoustics. It is open whenever the Hall is open to the

public which generates a considerable footfall and a useful source of income from the offertory

box. A glance at the visitor’s book shows the very positive impact made by the special

atmosphere of the church.

Structurally the church is sound throughout. We are also nearing the end of what had evolved

into a 10 year programme of repairs, improvements and conservation. Work completed includes

relaying the lead aisle roofs; rebuilding the organ; installing electric under pew heating;

re-gilding the clock face; installing security for the lead roof; restoring the seven stained glass

windows and their attendant masonry and finally the complete redecoration of the church

interior in limewash.

A few tasks remain, but the church today stands in good order. The work has been funded by

grant aid from Historic England and WREN, payment of insurance claims, magnificent fund

raising and now a substantial bequest.

The Church Building at Saint Peter’s

19


The village of Doddington is dominated by the privately owned Elizabethan mansion house,

Doddington Hall, and the numerous estate owned commercial enterprises that support it. A high-

end Farm Shop; Self Service Café; Restaurant; Doddington at Home and Doddington Country

Clothing Stores and the Giant Bike Shop. In the lead up to Christmas, Christmas trees, decorations

and lights as well as presents are all for sale. See www.doddingtonhall.com for more details. This

has become a major local tourist attraction and including part-timers, the estate employs more than

180 people. The Parish Church of Saint Peter’s is adjacent to the Hall grounds.

The Doddington Estate owns the majority of the houses on the main street. A string of mostly

privately owned former council houses lines the Lincoln Road to the east of the village. Opposite the

Church at the entrance to Kennel Lane lies a development of 10 houses completed about 2002 on

the site of the former Church Farm yard. There are further privately owned properties down Kennel

Lane and a number of outlying farms.

The hamlet of Whisby consists of a number of privately owned houses in several scattered ribbon

developments with no obvious centre and in consequence little social cohesion between them.

There is a thriving and extensive Farm Shop on the edge of the A46 bypass and a large Country

Store, Thorpe Farm Machinery (TFM), on the road leading south to Thorpe-on-the-Hill. The row of

houses at Eagle Moor are also technically within the parish but play no part in the community, either

religious or civil, and would be more appropriately part of the neighbouring parish of Eagle.

There are approximately 134 individual dwellings in the Parish and an estimated population in 2011

(C of E Spotlight) of 300. The age profile is estimated to be:-

0-4 = 4%; 5-15 = 12%; 16-64 = 63% and 65+ = 20%, with only 1% or less of minority ethnic back

ground.

There are no schools, pubs, or other public buildings in the Parish but the Doddington Estate does

let the Parish use their wedding venue for Parish events free of charge.

The Parish of Doddington & Whisby

http://www.doddingtonhall.com/

20


As the two churches we support the following missions:

Tear Fund

Tear Fund work tirelessly to help communities around the world escape the very worst effects of poverty and disaster.

And they believe that the same people facing these troubles also have the best idea as to how they can overcome them. Tear fund listens: helping people to rise out of their poverty, utilising their resourcefulness and determination. Tear fund works alongside local churches and other locally-based organisations to help realise these plans for a better future.

Saint Lawrence’s regularly give to Tear Fund and have a visiting preacher once a year. St Lawrence’s and St Peter’s gave a total of £1,080 and £130, respectively to Tear Fund in 2017.

The Nomad Trust Lincoln

The Nomad Trust and Lincolnshire YMCA joined forces in April 2013 to provide a more joined

up night shelter service. The night shelter provides the only direct access shelter service for

the homeless in Lincolnshire. They offer a bed in dormitory style accommodation and provide

shelter, warmth, laundry and shower facilities, hot drinks and a hot home cooked meal, in a

welcoming, safe and supportive environment. Their aim is to help those in the greatest need

to move forward with their lives by working with them to gain access to appropriate health

care, other support services where necessary and crucially suitable accommodation.

The congregation at Saint Lawrence’s send Christmas gifts to the Nomad Trust and food

parcels at Harvest and the congregation at Saint Peter’s gave £260 to the Nomad Trust in

2017.

Mission Aviation Fellowship

In today's 'connected world', the irony is that never have so many people been so isolated. Flying onto desert and jungle airstrips, lakes and rivers, tracks and roads, MAF’s light aircraft and their mission pilots go the extra miles to provide a lifeline.

Working in partnership with hundreds of other Christian and relief organisations MAF enables practical help, physical healing, and spiritual hope to be delivered to many of the most remote and inaccessible communities on the planet.

For 70 years, MAF has been flying for life.

Each year, St Lawrence’s has a visiting preacher from MAF and support this charity through a cash collection on the day of the visit.

Both churches also support the following missions on a regular basis: The Church Pastoral Aid Society, The Church of England Pension Board Charitable Funds, Evangelical Alliance, and Churches Together in Lincolnshire.

Supporting Mission

21

The Benefice of Saint Lawrence’s, Skellingthorpe and Saint Peter’s, Doddington outlined in dark green in the

Graffoe Deanery


the benefice of saint lawrence’s...3 saint peter’s saint peter’s doddington which serves the...

Documents