Parish profile for the appointment of Priest in Charge

in the proposed
Holy Cross Group
in the Diocese of Worcester

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 Prayer

O Gracious Father, God of our past, present and future,

give us calm strength and patient wisdom
as we search for a priest for your people.

Grant us courage and understanding

to bring forth a priest who will lead your flock,
tend your sheep and nurture us
in word, sacrament and holiness of life;
who will support our growth
as a loving and sharing community.

We ask this seeking a discerning heart and awareness of your will

in Jesus name.
Amen

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Welcome Contents
Welcome 3
Thank you for taking time to find out Person specification 4
about us. The benefice 5
What are we like? 5
Following the retirement of our Our vision 6
previous Priest-in-Charge, we are Outreach 6
seeking a priest to lead us as we walk Church activities 7
together through Gods Kingdom. This Diocese of Worcester 8
document was drawn up after Kingdom People 8
consulting the parishioners in each Local area 9
church and it provides some preliminary Facilities and schools 9
information about us. Clergy accommodation 10
Support for clergy 11
We look forward to getting to know you Music 11
better. Financial matters 11
Belbroughton - Holy Trinity 12
Blakedown St James the Great 12
Churchill-in-Halfshire St James the Great 13
Broome St Peter 13
Fairfield St Mark 14
Useful links/Further information 15

Appendices
A Pattern of services
B Some statistics
C Financials

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Person specification
After prayer, reflection and discussion,
the churches have identified the
following characteristics that they
would welcome and value in a new
incumbent.
A priest who loves God and loves
people; who can prayerfully help
us to discover God's vision for
building the Kingdom in this area.
Has good interpersonal skills and
can communicate effectively and
emphatically with people at all
levels in a variety of situations,
including those of other
denominations.
Able to recognise talent in others
and encourage its development.
Committed to utilising,
supporting and developing lay
ministry including Licensed and
Authorised Lay Ministry and
churchwardens' ministries.
An outgoing personality, young at
heart and open to introducing
modern forms of worship
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alongside the existing more
formal Services.
Committed to mission, outreach
and pastoral visiting for people of
all ages.
Can facilitate change in a
collaborative and sensitive
manner.
An enthusiastic leader who will
involve themselves with the
wider communities of all five
villages, including the local
schools; actively engaging with,
encouraging, and supporting all
existing lay led outreach
initiatives.
A lively preacher of the Bible who
can explain its relevance to
modern society.
Can help us to promote and
encourage stewardship of Gods
gifts.
Is comfortable with using
computers and modern
communication methods. Could that person be you?
The benefice
Following the retirement a few years
ago of the vicar for Belbroughton,
Fairfield and Clent, the first steps were
taken towards the formation of the Holy
Cross Group of churches. The proposed
Holy Cross Group will comprise the
parishes of Hagley and Clent together
with the five churches which are now
seeking a new vicar. The five churches
are:
Belbroughton - Holy Trinity,
Blakedown - St James the Great
Broome - St Peter
Churchill-in-Halfshire - St James
the Great
Fairfield - St Mark
The newly appointed Priest-in-Charge
and the present Rector of Hagley and
Clent will work collaboratively. Each will
have primary responsibility for their
respective churches but each will have
an associate role with the churches in
the other part of the Group. There are
already well-established links between
Clent and Belbroughton-with-Fairfield It
is hoped that those links will continue to
flourish.
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What are we like?
First, having only recently been
grouped together, we are just getting
to know each other and are looking
forward to working together to
promote the Kingdom People vision in
the coming years. The working party
which has prepared this profile has
demonstrated that the five churches in
the benefice can work together and will
enjoy doing so.
The worship tradition in each of our
churches would be described as middle
of the road neither happy clappy nor annual festivals. Morning Prayer is
smells and bells.
During Holy Communion Services and
other formal services, it is the current
tradition for clergy and readers to wear
vestments whereas at other services it
is quite common for vestments not to
be worn.
Hitherto there may have been
reluctance from some parishioners to
alter the number and timing of regular
services but there is scope for
rationalising the timetable of services.
Appendix A sets out the typical monthly
schedule of services across the five
churches. We expect the pattern to
change in future.
Our service booklets primarily follow
the Common Worship pattern. We use
the variations of the Holy Communion
liturgy suited to the annual seasons of
the church and have service booklets
for use at these and non-Eucharistic
services. We have also service booklets
for use at each of the churchs main
occasionally offered in line with the
Book of Common Prayer in some of the
churches.
Appendix B shows some numbers to
indicate the typical size of
congregations and number of
parishioners.
Our vision
Our vision is that Gods will be done in
the area.
In practical terms, we seek
to reach out to our communities and
welcome them into the life of the
Church
to ensure that our churches remain at
the centre of our community
to increase the number of younger
people and families that are involved
in our work, and recognise that this
may involve doing some things
differently to increase our
accessibility to others.
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Outreach
Various congregations support the The Friends of Churchill Church while
Stourbridge Food Bank. There are aiming to raise funds for fabric repairs
annual house to house collections for to the church also have an equal
Christian Aid by some of our churches. mission to grow the church's
In addition there are donations to congregation. The group aims to
several charities including The deepen the sense of community within
Childrens Society, with boxes and Churchill and to keep the church at the
Christingle Service, Worcestershire and heart of that community.
Dudley Historic Churches Trust,
together with Christian Aid and any
emergency appeals in response to
disasters.
Nearer to home some parishioners
organize a care group to provide
transport to medical appointments for
villagers without transport.
There are very strong links with the
local communities in each village and
there is a lot of mutual support for
various social events.
Church activities
Part of the churches mission in the area
is fulfilled by hosting and arranging
various community events. To avoid
excessive detail, this section mentions
only the main activities. Many of the
activities mentioned below take place at
more than one of our churches.
There have been popular coach outings
to places of interest and theatre visits.
Recently the Licensed Lay Minister in
Fairfield has started a new initiative to
bring mums into church with their
toddlers (after having taken an older
child into school) for refreshment, a
bible story, a song, and games.

During 2015 and 2016 Churchill church

has been host to two sell out concerts
by the Kidderminster Male Choir. In
March 2017, the church hosted an
evening with the BBCs antiques expert,
Philip Serrell. There have also been
recent talks from BBC radio Hereford &
Worcester's Reg Moule (Gardener), Lord
Cobham and others.

Blakedown church is used by the CAST

(Come and sing together) choir. In
addition, the church has for several
years held a Messy Church type family
service each month.

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Diocese of Worcester
The vacancy is within the Stourbridge
Deanery, in the Archdeaconry of Dudley
in the diocese of Worcester. The Bishop
looks to appoint applicants who
will work collaboratively with clergy and
lay people in the deanery to encourage
and sustain the wider mission and
ministry of the church.
Kingdom People
As a diocese, we are committed to
mission in every aspect, seeking to bring
the good news of Gods love in Jesus to
all who live in our cities, towns and
villages and to make the gospel relevant
to their everyday lives. We are
developing creative new patterns of
ministry in these changing times.
Although there are fewer stipendiary
clergy than in the recent past, more
people are offering licensed and
authorised lay ministry than ever
before. Differences in churchmanship
are not divisive in this diocese, which
possess a genuine family feel.
Equipped to witness to the gospel of
love, compassion, justice and
freedom
Dedicated to helping children, young
people and young adults to belong
and be nurtured in faith
Devoted to growing deeply in
discipleship, offering our time, talents
and money to God
Resourced and released to minister
to others
Ready to engage with and serve our
community.

We are implementing an imaginative

The Diocese of Worcester covers 671
square miles and includes parishes in
Worcestershire, the Metropolitan
Borough of Dudley plus several more in
northern Gloucestershire, south east
Wolverhampton and Sandwell. It has
175 parishes, 280 churches, around 120
stipendiary and 30 non-stipendiary
clergy and 170 Licensed Lay Ministers
(Readers).
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Kingdom People vision and resource,
which seeks to help churches become
better at their core task of proclaiming
the Kingdom.
As Kingdom People, our vision is for a
church that enables its people to be:
Deeply rooted in prayer and the
study of the scriptures
Renewed and transformed by regular
worship
Local area
The five villages lie in a pleasant, mainly
rural area in North Worcestershire to
the South West of the Birmingham
conurbation and between the three
nearby towns of Bromsgrove,
Kidderminster and Stourbridge.
Belbroughton, Blakedown and Fairfield
are the largest of the five villages and
are served by the usual small shops,
Post Offices, general stores,
hairdressers and public houses etc. In
addition there are speciality shops (e.g.
a wedding dress shop), several garden
centres and various sporting clubs.
There are no major employers based
within the five villages and agriculture
remains a major part of the local
economy.
The area has excellent links to the
national rail and motorway networks.
Blakedown has its own railway station
placed central to the village on the
Birmingham to Worcester line. The area
as a whole is generally well served by
bus services. The shopping and
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employment centres of Birmingham,
Worcester, and Merry Hill all lie well
within easy reach.
As a result of the proximity to the West
Midlands conurbation, many
inhabitants commute to work in
Birmingham and other nearby towns
which boast a very wide range of
industries and trades. Many of the
industries reflect, directly or indirectly,
the birthplace of the Industrial
Revolution just a short distance away at
Ironbridge.
Facilities and schools
There is a thriving golf club in Churchill
and Blakedown, tennis clubs in
Belbroughton and Blakedown (with
floodlit tennis courts), snooker clubs,
and an outdoor bowls club with a newly
installed bowling green. Fairfield boasts
a thriving amateur football club.
Each of the villages has a thriving village
hall which, in some cases, belongs to
the church and in every village the hall
forms a major part of the local
community.
Blakedown boasts an excellent amateur
dramatics society, Theatre 282, which
regularly performs plays at Blakedown
Parish Rooms.

There are History Societies in
Belbroughton and Blakedown. The
latter has recently saved Blakedowns
signal box from demolition; the building
has now been beautifully rebuilt close
to its original site in Mill Lane.
Many other clubs and societies exist in
the neighbouring towns of Bromsgrove,
Kidderminster and Stourbridge.
There are several uniformed groups and
youth organizations in the area.
There are three first schools in the
Benefice - Blakedown C of E Primary
School, Fairfield First School, and
Belbroughton C of E Primary School.
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Clergy accommodation
Both church schools were rated
Outstanding in the most recent SIAMS The Rectory is located at 5 Mill Lane,
reviews. There is a private nursery next Blakedown and is a centrally heated
door to Blakedown School. Blakedown four bedroomed house dating from the
church has a good longstanding 1960's with two reception rooms and a
relationship with Blakedown School study which can be accessed
where previous incumbents have independently of the living
regularly conducted assemblies as well
accommodation. In the past, the
as having been governors; one of
Rectory gardens have been used to host
Blakedown and Churchills Readers has
a Garden Party.
recently become a Governor at the
school. It is planned to start Open the
Book at Blakedown school soon. The Parsonages Board will be
Although Fairfield is not a church renovating and re-decorating the
school there is quite a strong link with property before the new incumbent
St Marks Church and Open the Book takes up residence.
has been running for some time.
Haybridge High School and VIth Form, a
successful Comprehensive, is within a
short train journey and the Rectory is
within the catchment area. There are
also highly respected schools in
Bromsgrove, Kidderminster and
Stourbridge.
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Support for clergy Music Financial matters
There are five Readers and five
Authorised Licensed Lay Ministers Each church has a choir but currently A brief summary of the finances of each
(ALMs) in the benefice. Belbroughton is without an organist. church is shown in Appendix C.

The congregations in each church The churches recognize the need for a
participate actively in services, reading stewardship campaign to assist with the
lessons and writing and delivering financial burden of paying the Parish
intercessions. There are rotas of Share and to spread the load being
volunteers for cleaning and flowers. borne by a small number of willing
volunteers. Furthermore they believe
that the five churches can perhaps do
more together than each could achieve
alone.

There is an Administration Office based

in Belbroughton close to the church.
The office is staffed by two ladies who
job-share. They take responsibility for
different jobs. Originally the
administration office was established to
support Belbroughton, Fairfield and
Clent and its role is being developed to
incorporate some work for Broome,
Blakedown and Churchill.
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Belbroughton - Holy Trinity
The church is a Grade II listed building.
The tower has six bells and an
enthusiastic group of ringers. There has
been a church on this site since Norman
times, the land originally belonged to
Lady Godiva (yes! that one).
The present structure is part 16th
century and part Victorian. Recently the
choir vestry and rectors vestry have
been enlarged and a small kitchen area
has been built together with disabled
and unisex toilets. The church has
chairs instead of pews and provides a
large flexible space for worship and
other activities.
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Internally it has beautiful 20 c. oak pews
Opposite the church is the Church Hall which together with loose chairs easily
which used to be a Tythe Barn. The Hall seats 150. There is a 2-manual organ by
is well used and makes a good venue for Walter James Bird dating from around
wedding receptions. The Hall is used 1909. In addition there is a small
not only for meetings but also shows kitchenette and wc disabled facilities.
and special dinners such as Burns
Night. There is a Management
Committee which looks after the
general running and keeps the Hall in
good condition
Blakedown - St James the Great
St. James the Great started as a chapel
of ease to Hagley in 1860 and as
At the beginning 2017 a faculty was
Blakedown grew with the coming of the
received confirming permanent removal
railway it joined with the neighbouring
of pews from the south aisle to provide
Churchill Parish in 1888. The church
an adaptable open space inside the
was designed by G E Street and is a
church building. Steps are currently
Grade II listed building situated in the
being taken to address issues raised by
centre of the village, next to the school.
the Quinquennial Review of the
building.
Externally the church boasts a unique
and distinctive English Green Oak bell
The church is open daily throughout
turret added during 1864.
daylight hours for visitors and quiet
prayers.
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Broome - St Peter
The Church is a Grade II Listed Building
and situated in a conservation area. It
dates to 1190 when the first Priest
performed Sacramental Services. The
current building was erected in 1780.
The Church today has a seating capacity
of around 70 (including the small
balcony at the West end). There is a
1994 two manual organ by Trevor
Tipple and good toilet and vestry
facilities. The Church and Churchyard
are in good condition and the upkeep of
both is maintained following an Asset
Management Plan designed with the
help of the Diocesan Buildings Adviser.
The well-cared for, blue-carpeted,
interior of the building is clearly visible
from the glass inner door of the porch.
The East window, of Christs post-
resurrection appearance to St Peter, is a
much-loved feature and the visitors
book contains appreciative comments.
The Church porch area is open during
daylight hours and the church is open at
special events where historical details
13
are on display (eg during our Village church has free use of the facilities for
Fayre). 12 meetings a year, and the hall
benefits a wide range of people in the
local community.
Churchill-in-Halfshire - St James the
Great
The current Victorian church building
will celebrate its 150th anniversary
The church and the adjacent village hall
during 2018 and is Grade II listed. It is
are the only public buildings in the small
the Parish church of the Parish of
hamlet of Broome.
Churchill and Blakedown. The building
was designed by W J Hopkins in the
The hall is owned jointly by the PCC and
Decorated style. The one manual
the Worcester Diocesan Board of
organ built by Walter James Bird and
Finance. Two of the custodian trustees
Sons est. 1888, was installed at the NE
are PCC members. The hall is now run
corner of the nave during 1912.
as a secular charity, by a committee of
managing trustees including the Priest-
The church building, apart from
in-Charge, or his or her nominee. This
services, is regularly used for various
arrangement enabled the hall to secure
social events throughout the year
20,000 funding from the Big Lottery
organized by the churchs own very
Fund to improve the facilities.
active Friends of group; ranging from
talks through to concerts.
The hall is used daily by a range of
community organisations and is kept
well-ordered and well-cleaned. The
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The church building can comfortably
seat 110 people in its pews with ample
room at the rear of the Nave to seat a
further twenty people.
The church is open during daylight
hours every weekday throughout the
summer months and the porch is open
every day of the year.
There is an ongoing programme of
repairs and refurbishment at the
church. Recently a new electrical
heating system has been installed, the
churchs exterior lighting has been
replaced/ refurbished/ reinstated, and
the Chancel, Nave, and Porch roofs have
been overhauled replacing all slipped
and broken tiles.
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Planned future work includes:
Refurbishment of the bell tower
Demolition of the redundant
boiler house
Installation of a new external wc;
the DACs Secretary has recently
paid a site visit to the church to
advise on the location of the new
wc.
The church and the nearby village hall
are the only public buildings in the small
hamlet of Churchill. The church has free
use of the Village Hall (recently
refurbished) for holding events in
perpetuity. The hall can comfortably
seat 60+ people when using tables as
well as chairs but considerably more at
events where tables are not required.
Fairfield - St Mark
The church is of simple design, built of
sandstone, in 1853 and consecrated in
April 1862 as a Chapel of Ease to
Belbroughton. It is surrounded by a
small burial ground enclosed by a stone
wall. The church has a 2-manual
Nicholson organ. The church stands in a
prominent position in the centre of the
village, with the Village Hall next door
and the Village First School immediately
behind.
On the opposite side of the road we
have the Village Store & Post Office and
a small coffee shop a recent addition by
the owners to boost a declining
business, which is proving to be a
welcome meeting place for residents.
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The village has a well-supported football
team with their own facilities on the
Parish Council owned Recreation
Ground.
The Village Hall is well used and
provides a venue for a variety of
activities including - a Pre-school,
various social clubs, activity groups,
dancing. The hall is available for hire
and is managed by an enthusiastic
committee including several members
of our congregation.
The Church enjoys excellent links with
the School. They hold services in church
for the main festivals, and a small team
from church take Open the Book once
a month.
15
Useful website links
Church websites
www.cbbchurches.weebly.com
www.friendsofchurchillchurch.weebly.com
www.bfc-worcs.co.uk
Diocese of Worcester
www.cofe-worcester.org.uk
Do you want more information?
Thank you for taking the time to find
Videos of recent social events out about us. If you require any further
information please do not hesitate to
https://youtu.be/7ctGy-Is7Dg telephone the Archdeacons office:
Harvest Supper 2016
https://youtu.be/SRIuj-1fb20 The Venerable Nikki Groarke
Queen Elizabeth II 90th Birthday Celebration
Archdeacon of Dudley
Bonfire on Churchill Hill
01905 773301
https://youtu.be/upL47c4-vf0
Guitar recital by the Stableford Guitar Trio
https://youtu.be/GK0KAuKds2Y
Rectory Garden Party.
ParishProfile_v014
Typical current monthly pattern of services Appendix A

Belbroughton Blakedown Broome Churchill Fairfield

First Sunday Morning Prayer CBB - Holy Communion Holy Communion Service Holy Communion Service
Service.

Mid-week 1662 said Holy Communion

Service

Second Sunday Holy Communion Service Parents & Children CBB - Benefice Holy Worship for all
Together (PACT) Communion Service.

Mid-week 1662 said Holy Communion Holy Communion Service

Service

Third Sunday Holy Communion Service Informal Service. Holy Communion Service Informal Service. Evensong

Mid-week 1662 said Holy Communion

Service

Fourth Sunday Worship for all CBB - Holy Communion Holy Communion Service
Service

Mid-week 1662 said Holy Communion

Service

Fifth Sunday Communion in turn for all 8 Communion in turn for all 8 Communion in turn for all 8 Communion in turn for all 8 Communion in turn for all 8
churches in Group churches in Group churches in Group churches in Group churches in Group

Notes:
1) CBB is shorthand for Churchill and Blakedown.

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Some church statistics Appendix B

Belbroughton Blakedown Broome Churchill Fairfield

Number on electoral roll 42 51 34 15 28

Average attendance at main weekly service 28 31 14 16 18

Number Easter communicants 56 16 35 36 28

Number main Christmas service (Note 2) (Note 3) 264 (Note 4) 230 61 (Note 4) 107 133

Average annual number baptisms Around 5 3 0 Usually 2 or 3 Usually 2 or 3

Average annual number weddings Around 5 1 0 Usually 2 or 3 Usually 2 or 3

Average annual number funerals Around 5 7 3 Usually 2 or 3 Usually 2 or 3

Notes
1) The figures relate to 2016 but adjusted if the actual 2016 figure was out of the ordinary.
2) Includes the number of children.
3) Crib service
4) These figures relate to combined services in Blakedown and Churchill - Christingle Service for Blakedown and a Service of Lights for Churchill

17 ParishProfile_v014
Summary of finances Appendix C
Income & expenditure for 2016 and Fund balances as at 31 December 2016

Financial activity unrestricted funds during 2016 Belbroughton Blakedown Broome Churchill Fairfield
Income from collections/ planned giving/gift aid 17,576 13,410 7,831 3,281 Included in
Other income 28,018 11,748 12,992 2,577 Belbroughton figures
Total income (unrestricted funds only) 45,594 25,158 20,823 5,858

Parish share 29,538 12,543 10,413 2,400

Other expenditure 14,128 13,624 11,595 8,931
Total expenditure (unrestricted funds only) 43,666 26,167 22,008 11,331

Surplus/(Shortfall) during year 1,928 (1,008) (1,185) (5,473)

2016 Parish share paid in full yes/no yes No Yes No

Net assets at year-end

Restricted/Endowment funds 18,007 29,449 478,941 11,828

Unrestricted funds 270,084 24,877 129,825 4,308
Total funds 288,091 54,326 608,766 16,136

Notes:
1) The figures have been extracted from the unaudited accounting information being prepared for the annual parochial church council meetings.
2) The accounts were prepared on a cash accounting basis for each church except Broome for which the figures were prepared on an accruals basis.

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