St John’s with

St Mary’sMansfield

Parish ProfileSeptember 2016

Person SpecificationWe spoke to our congregation, asking what they were looking for in a new vicar.

What we would like a new vicar to do…

Talk to people, listen to people, be relational, pastor and nurture people, teach, encourage and enable people.

Make sure people socialise and interact

Be a voice in, and for, the local community

Identify with and relate to all ages, making the effort to involve and be involved with all ages.

Support and develop worship and preaching, both traditional and more contemporary.

Bring congregations together in terms of breaking down barriers, deepening understanding while still maintaining the distinctiveness of different service styles.

Preach with passion, clarity and substance.

Develop and support lay leadership through effective structures, systems and relationships.

Be evangelical in outlook, encouraging the use of spiritual gifts.

How we would describe our new vicar…

A leader, a good communicator, who relates well to others regardless of age and enjoys being with people

A person, who has a sense of humour, who is fun, friendly and happy

A person of God who stands on ‘The Word’, reverent, intelligent and wise

Determined, focused, forward-looking and up for a challenge

Faithful, prayerful, caring and humble, approachable and accessible

A person who is sincere and has integrity and is able to share vision that inspires and motivates others

Role Description

At St John’s with St Mary’s we are looking for the right person who will work alongside us

and lead us with God’s vision. Therefore we would expect our next leader:

• To help us become a growing parish in line with our desire to be a diocese

that is Growing Disciples, Wider, Younger and Deeper.

• To lead church members and congregations into growth, in depth of

discipleship and service to the community in keeping with the diocese

Growing Disciples vision

• To lead ministry and mission into the wider community so that the churches

are recognised as a sign of God's love, working for the 'common good'

• To lead in pastoral care and teaching, and nurture faith in the planning of

worship and preaching, including occasional offices.

• To lead ministry for all ages, from the eldest to the young; in particular to

continue and develop a productive partnership with local primary and

secondary schools including some active involvement in the Queen Elizabeth

Academy

• To respectfully lead traditional and more contemporary worship when

appropriate

• To encourage lay ministry in all areas of church life, including the participation

of church members in leading worship.

• To lead the stewardship and organization of the parish.

• To support the future development of the church buildings for multi-functional

use and support the continuing mission and outreach of the St John’s Centre.

• To demonstrate a life of prayer, faith, servanthood, and rest

Parish and CommunityMansfield is a town with a population of

80,000 in the town itself, and another 25,000

forming the district council area. It is 15 miles

north of Nottingham and is within easy reach

of the Derbyshire Peak District. There are

good local transport networks (bus and train)

and easy access to both the M1 and A1 roads.

Mansfield is in the former Nottinghamshire coal mining area and has seen huge changes

in patterns of employment within the last four decades. The parish is ranked 1091 out of

12,599 (where 1 is the most deprived) on the Church Urban Fund’s list.

The parish of St John’s with St Mary’s, Mansfield was formed 6 years ago in 2010 when

the parish of St John the Evangelist and the parish of St Mary the Virgin became one,

with a joint electoral role of 195, and a combined Parochial Church Council comprising of

18 members. St John’s is a town centre parish. St Mary’s was geographically much larger

with the majority of its parish comprised of the Ladybrook estate. This estate was

originally council housing but there are now a large proportion of owner-occupied

properties, some private rental and social housing. There are also a number of more

recently built private housing estates.

There is a small shopping precinct near

to the church with a public library, post

office/ newsagent, small supermarket,

hairdressing salon, bakery, pharmacist

and a public house nearby. There is

also a community centre near to the

church, which is well used.

The combined parish has a population

of 16,400. Within the parish there are several primary schools, a church-linked secondary

school, town centre shops and businesses. 20% of residents are aged under 18, and 20%

are over 60.

St John’s church is a grade 2 listed sandstone building dating from 1856 and sits within

the town centre conservation area. St Mary’s is newer, built in 1957 and lies less than a

mile away from St John’s in the centre of community housing. Neither church has a

graveyard. We employ a part time verger. Cleaning is done by a part time employee and

volunteers

Adjacent to St John’s church is St John’s

Centre. This building was formerly St John’s

Middle School but now operates as a

community centre providing a home for

many church groups and events. It is also

used by a wide range of community groups

which provides revenue to run the Centre. The rental of car parking spaces provides

another revenue stream and means that the centre can be financially independent of the

church. The Centre employs a part time Centre Manager, who is assisted by an

administrative assistant, both of whom also run the church office which is housed in the

Centre.

A third building on the St John’s site is the former church hall, and is now called the

Beacon Centre. This is a project which offers support to local homeless and vulnerably

housed individuals. This project employs a part time manager, whose role includes

fundraising for the work.

There is a five-bedroom detached vicarage

which sits in its own grounds, adjacent to St

John’s church.

St John’s with St Mary’s has a team of 5

Licensed Readers who preach and lead

services on a regular basis. There is also a

retired priest and several other lay people

who take part in leading and preaching. There are 4 Churchwardens (two based at St

John’s and two at St Mary’s) with a single PCC. The wardens are assisted by assistant

wardens.

The parish of St John’s with St Mary’s has been through a period of gentle decline, and

during this vacancy we are working hard to strengthen relationships within the churches,

and find new ways to serve the community. We are aiming to grow disciples through

mission, social action and nurture, with each congregation having something special and

unique to offer. Many people are actively involved in the ministry of the parish, and

desire to see the kingdom of God grow in Mansfield.

Both churches have teams of people who act as welcomers to worshippers, stewards,

and assistant wardens. During this vacancy we are looking at ways to enhance hospitality

and fellowship across the congregations and churches through worship and social events.

Ministry and ActivitiesPreachers and Leaders A regular meeting of preachers and leaders who are involved in

th e delivery of ministry on Sundays and occasional other events

takes place, which during this vacancy is developing into an

active group forming and shaping teaching themes and styles of

worship in both churches.

Prayer Groups The church community is supported by prayer in a number of ways. There are many

prayer events to encourage the church to join together in prayer. These include prayer

evenings, prayer lunches, prayer walks, and prayer meetings at various times over

several weekdays. An intercessory prayer group is just being re-established, with a view

to meet regularly to pray and listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying to the church.

Prayer ministry is offered at church services, with training sessions for team members.

The team meets beforehand to pray and listen to God. Prayer ministry team members

are available for prayer either during or at the end of some of the services.

Mother’s UnionThere has been a branch of the Mothers’ Union for many years in St John’s and its 40

members are actively involved in many

aspects of church life, supporting our own

church family and leaders both practically and

prayerfully. There are monthly branch

meetings and other social events, where the

aims of the Mother’s Union are shared with

others.

Network HubsMuch of the ministry grows out of the Network Hub structure. During 2003, in order to

change from the church being ‘Core Leadership’ led to one of ‘Missional Community’ led,

the Cell Group structure was changed into five Missional Networks, comprising Pastoral

& Mission, Youth & Children, Homeless, Families and Community. A Leadership Hub,

accountable to the PCC, was formed from the leaders of these Networks, along with the

Clergy and Churchwardens. Within this Leadership Hub the Clergy has particular

responsibility for the Worship and Teaching Group and the Wardens for the operational

side of our church life.

Each of these networks has a network leader, and these leaders form a hub which (until

the vacancy) met together regularly. Each network comprises one or more small groups

which offer nurture and support to church members. We recognise that this structure

works better in some areas of church life than others; there are a significant number of

people within the church who are not part of a small group and see themselves as

outside the networks. We are therefore open to this structure being reviewed and

revised to be more inclusive.

Beacon network The Beacon is a project which offers support to homeless and vulnerably housed people

in Mansfield. The former church hall has been adapted to provide facilities comprising a

full kitchen, a shower room, utility room, medical room and office, in addition to the

large central space. The project employs a part time manager, but relies heavily on

volunteers who come from a number of local churches.

The Beacon opens across lunchtime 3 days a week to offer meals, snacks, showers,

laundry, medical support, food parcels, support with addiction and finding housing. The

work is rooted and grounded in prayer. A small group meets regularly for prayer and

Bible study.

Community Network This is led by a volunteer community worker

who has established good community

relationships, particularly on the Ladybrook

estate. Links have been forged with three

primary and one special school where she

regularly takes assemblies.

Twice a year (Christmas and Easter) ‘Experience’

workshops are run in St Mary’s over 4 or 5 days to teach the Easter/Christmas stories,

where school groups visit for half-day workshops. These are now embedded and

enhance the good links with the schools.

Messy Church has been running at St Mary’s once a

month. This is now developing into a fortnightly

event in order that better relationships can be built

with children and parents.

Free to Be is a group which meets weekly in a

community centre on the Ladybrook estate as a safe

place for those who are older, and/or lonely to gather. Relationships are being built up

with a number of these. An Afternoon Tea is held in St Mary’s on a Sunday afternoon

several times a year to provide a social opportunity and also a gentle way to invite people

into church. A very short service is held.

Twice a year a small team take cakes to business and community groups within our

combined parish. We have many contacts with those in our community, and seek to

increase the opportunities for sharing the Christian message and for deepening

relationships.

Families Network This network oversees our Sunday school groups (Light Groups) which meet during the

10.30am service at St John’s most weeks. This group became very small but is beginning

to grow again. There is also a small Sunday school at St Mary’s twice a month; this is an

emerging group as a few children are beginning to attend St Mary’s.

Mini Messy Church meets in St John’s Centre weekly during term time. This is a distinctly

Christian group for parents/ carers and pre-school children. They also offer a ‘Tuesday

Talk Time’ which provides an opportunity for prayer and Bible Study. These groups are

slowly growing, and have a small and very committed team of volunteers.

The network has a weekly small group, and also organise social outings from time to

time. This network also oversees Baptism preparation, inviting those wishing to have a

child baptised to attend an evening to find out more and discuss their child’s baptism.

These are offered monthly.

Pastoral NetworkThis oversees pastoral needs within the parish, and organises home/hospital visits and

home communion where required. They offer follow up support to bereaved families.

There are annual services held in each church to which families of those for whom we

have taken a funeral are invited.

Youth and children

Groups for young people over 11 ended earlier in 2016 due to a

lack of leadership for those groups. This was regrettable, and we

recognise that this area needs a lot of development. The families

network is planning to start a group for 11-13 year olds to run

alongside the Sunday Light Groups in Autumn 2016, and a Light

Party is planned for October 2016.

Church Buildings and Worship Patterns

St Mary’s Church buildingSt Mary’s Church is situated in the centre of the

Ladybrook Estate approximately one mile from the

town centre. It is a substantial brick building

constructed in 1957 with a small car park and

surrounded by grassy areas. The church inside is

welcoming and well-kept and, and since the addition

of CCTV, there is little antisocial behaviour in the church grounds. The quinquennial

report (2015) has identified some minor works (replacement of slipped tiles and

rainwater goods) to be carried out within the five year period. There is a small kitchen

area but no separate hall and all activities are carried out in the church, which would

benefit from extra space adding on to the church in due course.

St John’s Church building

The quinquennial report for St John’s church is no longer accurate. The church has some

significant issues which are being addressed.

Advice from an architect in 2013 was that we

should immediately attend to the roof.

Following that advice, we applied for and have

been awarded a substantial grant from the

Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for roof repairs

and replacement of the high level interior

lighting. During July 2016, the church was

temporarily closed to allow for the roof

repairs to be carried out, with an estimated

completion of February 2017. Worship for the congregations of St John’s is taking place

in the adjoining St John’s Centre.

It has been a long term vision that the church of St John’s be

re-ordered. Our church development team together with

the PCC and the architect have identified a possible scheme

following a series of comprehensive consultations with the

congregation and various local bodies and associations. The

PCC passed a resolution for this re-ordering scheme in 2015.

Some minor work of this will be implemented whilst the

church is closed for the roof repairs, including flooring the

organ chamber after organ removal. The other major works

of the re-ordering scheme including a new floor, under floor heating and new AV system

have been postponed as we entered this period of vacancy.

The tower and spire of St John’s church is in need of attention. It is the intention of the

church development team to bid for a second HLF grant upon completion of the roof

works. Part of the HLF grant process is for Historic England to survey the building, and as

a result of this, St John’s church building is now been entered on their ‘at risk’ register.

Worship Patterns

There is a regular pattern of services throughout the month at both churches.

St John’s.

At St John’s there are three regular Sunday services, where the aim of our worship is to

be passionate, intimate, joyful and inspiring, enabling individuals to encounter God.

Sunday services are based around worship, teaching and prayer ministry. We seek to

worship God in a relevant and contemporary style. At the 10.30am and 6.00pm services

there are members of the prayer ministry team available to share what God is saying and

to pray with individuals. Worship at these services could be described as evangelical,

with a gently charismatic openness to the Holy Spirit.

The 8.30 service is quiet and reflective in nature. The first Sunday morning of the month

includes hymns, and a simple breakfast is shared following the service. On the third

Sunday of the month, the normal Holy Communion service has been replaced with a

Morning Prayer service during this vacancy. On the fourth Sunday of the month this

service follows the order of the Book of Common Prayer. Around 17 people attend this

service. Lay and clergy ministers robe for this service.

The 10.30am service has a number of

different formats and is much more

informal in approach. On the first

Sunday of the month we celebrate Holy

Communion. Children who have been

suitably prepared are admitted to Holy

Communion following the Diocesan

Guidelines of Communion before

Confirmation. We hold a Healing and Thanksgiving Service on the second Sunday of the

month, where members of the church are invited to give thanks to God for all that He

has been doing recently in their lives. Those who wish to receive prayer for healing are

invited to come forward and be anointed with oil. Further prayer is available, as on all

Sunday mornings, from the prayer ministry team. On the fourth Sunday morning the

service is an All Age Service. Average attendance of adults at this mid-morning service is

60. The leaders do not robe for this service.

The evening service has taken the form of a fresh expression, where different styles of

worship were pursued. We have now settled to a café style, incorporating seating at

tables with refreshments available throughout the service. Holy Communion,

Thanksgiving & Healing, Evening Worship, and Café worship themed services are

conducted during the month. Attendance at this service is around 30. The leaders do not

robe for this service.

St John’s Sunday services – at a glance

08.30 10.30 18.00

1st Sunday Holy communion Holy communionThanksgiving &

Healing

2nd Sunday Holy communion Thanksgiving & Healing Holy communion

3rd Sunday Morning Worship Morning Worship Evening Worship

4th Sunday Holy communion All age Café Church

(5th Sunday) Holy communion Morning Worship Evening Worship

St Mary’s

At St Mary’s there are two regular weekly

services, where people encounter God in a

more traditional and quiet manner. The

Sunday services at St Mary’s are based

around worship, teaching and prayer.

There is a Thursday service at 09.30, which

is Holy Communion, and is quiet and reflective in nature, following the order of the Book

of Common Prayer. This is an intimate and peaceful service, being held in the chancel.

Around 15 people attend this service.

The Sunday 10.00 service follows a number of different formats and has a more formal

approach with some flexibility and a mix of traditional hymns and more modern worship

songs. On the first and fourth Sundays of each month the service is Morning Worship.

On the second Sunday the service is Thanksgiving and Healing, and on the third Sunday

we celebrate Holy Communion. Children who have been suitably prepared are admitted

to Holy Communion following the Diocesan Guidelines of Communion before

Confirmation. Average attendance of adults at this service is 30, and, with the exception

of occasional ‘all-age’ services, the lay and clergy ministers robe for this service.

St Mary’s services – at a glance

1st Sunday Morning worship

2nd Sunday Thanksgiving & Healing

3rd Sunday Holy Communion

4th Sunday Morning worship

(5th Sunday) Morning worship

Worship team and music

The worship team at St John’s with St Mary’s serves both churches. The organ has been

infrequently used at St John’s due to its poor condition and is currently being removed,

whereas the organ at St Mary’s is used on a regular basis. There are pianos at both

churches which are used weekly, and St John’s has a professional grade keyboard. There

are audio systems at both churches, allowing the singers (together with preachers and

leaders) to be amplified. At St John’s worship songs and hymns are taken from a variety

of sources, and projected to an elevated display screen. At St Mary’s, hymns and songs

are taken from the combined Mission Praise (2005) books which are provided for

worshippers.

For all-age services at St John’s a group of younger singers take the lead.

Despite a good reputation for delivering a range of worship and styles, the worship team

is currently short of musicians. At St John’s, we have other equipment (drums, guitars

etc.), but the recent loss of some key musicians who have moved away is stretching our

resources.

Parish Share

The PCC of St John’s with St Mary’s pay their full parish share, and makes use of the

advice and support that the diocese has to offer.

Linked Organisations

Rainbows, Brownies and Guides attached to St John’s meet in St John’s Centre. Growing

links are being established with these groups. Beavers, Cubs and Scouts meet in their

own premises within the parish. Some of these groups attend parade services which take

place at key times in the year including Remembrance Sunday.

Churches in the deanery have a good working relationship, with regular deanery synod

meetings. Three members of St John’s sit on Mansfield Deanery Synod. St John’s

regularly takes part in Deanery forum events and also supports the work of Mansfield

Churches Together which includes joint services and seasonal events. One of our PCC

members is their treasurer.

A Reader in the parish works for Southwell and Nottingham Diocese as Children’s

Ministry Adviser and DBS Manager, and sits on General Synod. Members of the church

are actively involved in the work of the diocese, including our worship teams who have

supported major diocesan events on a number of occasions.

The parish is one of the founding members of Maun Valley Citizens, a local body of

organisations, charities, churches and educational institutions that work together to

motivate communities into positive change and social action. This is part of Citizens UK

and linked to Nottingham Citizens.

Deanery

Area Dean, Revd Angela Fletcher writes:

Mansfield Deanery covers a population of around 124,000 including urban, suburban and

rural areas. It currently has 17 churches, 9 full time equivalent clergy (2 of which are

vacant), 2 curates, I lay church leader, 11 active retired clergy and over 21 active readers.

The Deanery Synod meets 3 times a year and is currently working together with the

Diocesan initiative to “Grow disciples Wider, Younger, Deeper” and there have been

extra meetings recently to explore strategies in which we can support each other to this

aim.

There are several types of Deanery Chapter meetings which meet once a month

including; informal clergy lunches, training or business meetings, times to worship and

pray together, to share good practice and discuss wider mission and ministry issues, and

wider ministry chapters with retired clergy, and others. We would expect the incumbent

at St John’s with St Mary’s to make these a priority and share in the mutual support and

learning they offer.

We would look forward to the new post holder joining the Deanery and working

alongside as we continue to work with the “Transforming Mission of God” in and around

our churches and communities.

The people of St John’s with St Mary’s look forward to God’s plan for us, and are keen to

work with our new leader to set and pursue our vision.