St Thomas’ Parish Profile Associate Minister Director of Mission and Evangelism www.st-thomas-brampton.org

Welcome

Dear friend and potential colleague,

Thanks for taking the time to look at ministry possibilities at St Thomas’.

Remember when John said that if all the things that Jesus did were written down the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written?Well, I feel a little bit like that as I try and describe all that is St Thomas’. Every church is distinctive and special but I passionately believe that St T’s is uniquely so. With so many talented people, God-given resources and incredible connections with our local neighbourhood, wider town and the world, we find ourselves living in truly exciting times.

To match this unique church we’re looking for a unique minister (male or female) who can come and work with us and take a significant lead amongst us. As I find myself increasingly holding other responsibilities in the diocese and beyond, Bishop Alastair wisely recognises that another significant colleague (incumbent level, full diocesan stipend) is the right resource to deploy amongst us. There is a special place here for not just ‘another pair of hands’ but for an exceptional leader to step forward and take us to a new level in worship, mission and discipleship. We’re looking for someone to lead our family worship service (80-110 adults + children) and related ministries and take responsibility for coordinating our mission and evangelism. That person will manage an incredibly supportive team of staff and laity who are committed to working out our vision of Local Church – Loving Jesus – Changing Lives.

I’m so thrilled that, for whatever reason, you feel your heart is stirring and you sense God calling you to a new place – maybe to work with us here in Brampton. We’re not a perfect church and we’re not looking for a ‘perfect’ leader – just an obedient servant of our Lord who is willing to stand-up and be counted amongst God’s people.

I hope in this document you find all you need as you think about applying; as I’ve said, I’m sure things are missing so should you wish for more details or information, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Thank you once again, my prayers are for you as I ask you pray for us.

Yours in Christ,

Revd. Canon Matt Barnes

Rector

About Us

Our Parish We are the parish of St Thomas’ Brampton with St Peter’s Holymoorside in the newly formed deanery of North-East Derbyshire (Chesterfield Archdeaconry) in the Diocese of Derby.

is a lively and growing evangelical church situated in the popular suburban area of Brampton in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. The Church campus covers about 4 acres of grounds and is situated about a mile to the west of the town centre on the main A619 Chesterfield link road. The majority of the Church family gather from around the town but many (about 40%) live within the parish boundary. In 2016 our electoral roll was 297 adults and about 60 children. We’re privileged to have a truly multi-generational Church family with people of all ages actively engaged in growing our church. We have hundreds of contacts with people who visit our parish centre, engage in one of our community / activity groups or hire our high-quality community space.

is a charming village church with a committed congregation of about 40-50 adults (ER 58) based in the small community of Holymoorside adjacent to Brampton on the western edge of Chesterfield. This congregation is led by our Associate Minister (House for Duty) Rev. Bill Bazely. As we’re committed to supporting one another there will always be times when the Associate Minister may be called upon to help out at St Peter’s but the main ministerial responsibilities will be extensively based at St Thomas’.

St Thomas’ St Peter’s

About Us

St Thomas’ Church was built in 1831 and has over the years been maintained and upgraded to ensure it continues to meet the needs of its worshiping community. With flexible seating, extensive AV and lighting systems, as well as a well-maintained organ St T’s proves to be a highly flexible space for worship, concerts, m e e t i n g s a n d m o re . S t T ’ s comfortably seats 350 people in the nave of the church. Also housed in the church building are our parish offices. The St Thomas’ S u i t e , a n a n n e x e b u i l d i n g attached to the main church, offering meeting spaces, toilets and cater ing faci l i t ies , was completely renovated in 2014. The church tower, tower roof and pinnacles are currently the focus of a £150k repair programme which is due to be completed in 2017.

St Thomas’ Eco-Centre was completed in 2012 and opened by Archbishop Rowan. The Centre gives St T’s an amazing opportunity to engage with its local community. A large hall, two smaller meeting rooms, coffee bar, toilets and office facilities have proven to be amazingly popular with church and local community alike. With over 1,000 visitors a week the Centre gives us a ready-made context for fruitful mission.

St Peter’s Church is a well maintained, more traditional space, ideal for prayer and worship. Seating for about 100, with breakout rooms and kitchenette, means that St Peter’s can offer a very valuable space for not only those attending Sunday worship but also those looking for a quiet retreat space.

Our Buildings

About Us

Our Vision

There’s more to St T’s than meets the eye. We’re one church community that come together across many different congregations, groups and activities. We think it’s helpful to think of St T’s as more of a village, made up of many different families than as a single entity. With that said, we are deeply united, even in our diversity, around our common values and vision to be Local Church – Loving Jesus – Changing Lives. We see our difference as a strength that creates room for many different people of all ages, backgrounds and understanding. Our heritage is firmly within the Evangelical tradition and we seek to understand God in our lives through that prism with a deep openness to the Holy Spirit (charismatic).

Our vision recognises God calling on us to be:

• Local Church [Community] To create a God-centred community that welcomes and draws in others.

• Loving Jesus [Worship] To experience the life changing presence of God in action, prayer and worship.

• Changing Lives [Discipleship] To equip God’s people to live confidently and effectively on the ‘frontline’ of their lives.

Our Values

Our core values are those of:

• Hospitality welcome to the stranger.

• Generosity in all the resources we have we seek to share.

• Excellence that what we do, we do to the best of our ability for the Lord.

About Us

Our Future

Our vision and values (practically encapsulated in our Mission Action Plan) helps us shape the kind of church we aim to become. The PCC is committed to St T’s becoming:

A ‘Missional’ church The PCC mission strategy consists of generating positive community connections within the local neighbourhood and through the extended personal networks of its members by (i) relevant advertising and media presence, (ii) thoughtful worship and pastoral care (emphasis on occasional offices and major festivals), (iii) quality hospitality and (iv) imaginative church-b a s e d c o m m u n i t y a c t i v i t i e s a n d participation in/and with community-led initiatives.

A ‘Resourcing’ church At its 2014 annual away day the PCC reaffirmed its resolve to be a 'resourcing / enabling' church that seeks to 'equip and release' its members to confidently offer Christian ministry either within the local or in the wider church. The PCC was clear that its aim was to be 'a generous resourcer of ministry' across the parish, town/deanery and country. Whilst the church has seen significant success in training and releasing people in gifting and ministry to take up leadership roles, both within the local parish and more widely through the diocese and across denominations, there remains much untapped potential amongst us. The PCC is open to St T’s developing as deanery ‘resourcing’ church in line with the wider diocesan vision.

A ‘Growing’ church St Thomas’ has long recognised that being a larger church offers greater opportunities. Whilst not every church is called to be a larger church, St Thomas’ has that potential. The parish’s electoral roll (currently 355) has grown year on year for the last seven years and the PCC recognises that potential member contacts exist in abundance. The church has a very positive rapport within its local community and there is a general openness towards the ministry of the church within the wider community. St Thomas’ stated aim is to become a church in excess of 500 within 5-years.

Where we are

Chesterfield Chesterfield, the gateway to the Peak District, is a market town in the North-east of Derbyshire and home to approximately 100,000 people. It is famous for its Crooked Spire (the parish church of St Mary’s and All Saints), its 800 year old market (which is the largest open air market in the country) and its proximity to Chatsworth House, the stately home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire.

Chesterfield has experienced significant investment in recent years with a new Tesco Extra superstore, 4-star hotel, football stadium and sports centre all being completed recently. A major new canal-side development is planned for the town in the near future as well as a £400m Peak Resort holiday village. Chesterfield is set to become a university town in the autumn of 2016 as Derby University opens a new campus in the town.

Derbyshire

Derbyshire is often described as England's great outdoors in the heart of the country. The county boasts large areas of outstanding natural beauty made up of moors and dales, rivers, springs and caverns. At its heart lies the Peak District National Park, known and loved by millions for its breath-taking landscapes, relaxation, inspiration and adventure. Nestled between the dales are Derbyshire’s charming market towns, pretty villages, historic houses, famous attractions and hundreds of traditional events. It’s not all rural idyll; Derbyshire is also a place of thriving commerce and industry, powered by Derby and Chesterfield. All in all, Derbyshire is a great place to live and work!

Brampton & HolymoorsideBrampton (pop. circa 5,000) is a relatively affluent suburb of Chesterfield. Whilst the area is mostly residential there are a number of retail outlets in the neighbourhood and some light engineering works. At the heart of the district is the main A619 Chatsworth Road. Chatsworth Road has recently become a popular out-of-town shopping destination with a wealth of bespoke independent shops, restaurants and cafes . A regenerat ion mixed-development plan is set to breathe new life into the former ‘Walton Works’ which will accelerate Brampton’s status as ‘the place to live’ in Chesterfield.

Holymoorside (pop. circa 1,500) is a picture postcard village situated about three and a half miles to the south-west of Chesterfield on the edge of the Peak District National Park. Today Holymoorside is a much-sought-after place to live, with most people earning their living outside the village, commuting daily to Chesterfield, Sheffield or even further afield. There is a strong ‘village’ feel to the community which is well established and close-knit. Holymoorside is famous for its proximity to the Stone Edge (pronounced 'Stanege' locally) Cupola, Britain's oldest free standing chimney!

Where we are

Local Amenities and Facilities

Education Catchment for Walton Holymoorside Primary and Brookside Secondary School.(Places at these schools are highly desirable.)

Chesterfield College caters for a wide range of learners, providing foundation courses, A-leve l s , vocat iona l and p ro fes s iona l qualifications, diplomas and degrees to both full and part-time students.

Derby university (Chesterfield Campus) opening in 2016.

Sport Full range of sports clubs and leisure facilities in and around Chesterfield, including the recently built Queens Park leisure complex. The town is home to the Spirites (Chesterfield Town FC) and is also host to the popular Chesterfield Festival of Cricket (at least 6 days of county cricket played in the town annually). For the more active there is an annual marathon run through the streets of Chesterfield. Health

Local GP services in Brampton (0 miles)Large general hospital in Chesterfield with new MacMillan cancer centre (5 miles). Regional and specialist care in Sheffield. (15 miles)

Transport Links Bus Regular bus service to and from Brampton to Chesterfield bus station. Train Chesterfield, mainline to London (average 1hr50m) and most parts of the country. Flights Manchester, Robin Hood or East Midlands Airports.

Shopping Vibrant town centre in Chesterfield offering excellent shopping opportunities.

Leisure shopping at Meadowhall shopping centre (20 miles) or Sheffield or Derby city centres. Different and attractive shopping experiences in the market towns of Bakewell, Matlock and Buxton are close at hand.

Local Media Derbyshire Times. (newspaper) Peak 107FM. (commercial radio)

Eating Out Wide range of cafes, bistros and restaurants in Chesterfield and surrounding areas.

Entertainment There is one large multiplex cinema, two theatres and a museum in Chesterfield together with a wide variety of other bars, clubs and entertainment venues.

Who we are

Our Diocese and Deanery

The Diocese of Derby roughly covers the same area as the County of Derbyshire. Its diocesan bishop is the Bishop of Derby (Dr Alastair Redfern); he will be assisted by the new Suffragan Bishop of Repton (Jan McFarlane) when she is consecrated later in the year. The Archdeaconry of Derby was originally part of the Diocese of Lichfield, but was moved to form part of the Diocese of Southwell, when that diocese was created in 1884. In 1927 the archdeaconries of Derby and Chesterfield became the Diocese of Derby. There are 255 Parishes in the Diocese and 333 churches. Website www.derby.anglican.org. The Diocesan vision is to be “Christ’s presence in every community” and seeks to do that by Growing, Learning, Being Healthy and Outward facing together.

The newly formed deanery of North-East Derbyshire will be formally launched in May 2016. Made up from parts of the old Chesterfield, Bolsover and Staveley deaneries the new deanery has been created as part of the diocesan/deanery reorganisation programme. The Area Dean will be the Revd. Karen Hamblin who will be half-time Vicar of St Mark’s Brampton (our neighbouring parish) and half-time Area Dean. Clergy meet for pastoral support, worship and information sharing monthly over lunch. The deanery is currently in a state of transition but Synod will soon begin to address the deanery strategy which will focus on mission, training and support.

Staff Team

Revd. Canon Matthew Barnes - Rector Matthew is married to Melanie; they have three teenage children (Ellie, Jack and Amy). Matt has been Rector at St Thomas’ since 2008, his main focus is leading the Parish family but he also has other responsibilities including being Chair of the Diocesan Advisory Committee, a member of the Diocesan Business Committee and the lead Director for STB (Chesterfield) Ltd to name but a few. His special interests include the missional use of ecclesiastical buildings and creative parish financing. For leisure Matt runs and canoes.

Revd. Ben Griffiths - Curate Ben is married

to Claire and they have two teenage boys (Aaron & Noah). Ben has been curate at St Thomas’ since 2013; he will be leaving in the autumn of 2016 to become Rector of St John’s, Newbold (a parish close-by).

Revd. Bill Bazely – Associate Minister (House for Duty) – p/t Bill is married to Mogs

and they have two grown-up sons. Bill joined the St T’s team in 2015 after a career in mental health chaplaincy. Bill is the congregational leader of St Peter’s Holymoorside as well as supporting our parish pas to ra l m in i s t ry . B i l l en joys photography, birdwatching, visiting National Trust properties and being a grandad!

Revd. David Mouncer - Associate Minister (Deanery) - p/t David is married to

Lisa; they have four grown-up children (Ben, Liz, Josh and Sam). David was until 2007 Rector at St Thomas’. David left to take on wider responsibilities but in 2016 returned to the St T’s family. Now St T’s is David’s ‘base-church’ which means when he’s not deployed elsewhere in the deanery he’s on the team here. David’s gifts of preaching, pastoring and praying are welcomed amongst us. Sadly he supports Leeds United.

Sally-Anne Beecham - Operations Manager Sally-Anne has been on the staff team

s ince 2011 leading our par i sh of f ice and administration. She is married to Jeremy and they have two children (Jakob and Grace). Amongst her responsibilities is facilitating our Ministry Team leaders and sharing in the strategic leadership of the church.

Mark Depledge - Worship Pastor ¾/t Mark is married to Michelle (Shell) and they have been on the St T’s staff team since 2014. They have four boys (Daniel, Liam, Oliver and Jacob). Mark is responsible for our musical worship and leads our Late Service. He also has responsibility in pulling together our Men’s ministry, Momentum (our 20’s & 30’s++ group) and supports our outreach children’s ministry (Energise). Mark is a real man of faith, he supports Sheffield Wednesday.

Staff Team

Carolyn Baker - Ordinand in training Carolyn is one of our own ‘home-grown’ ordinands currently on placement with us. She’s studying on the All Saints training course and hopes to be ordained in 2018. Carolyn has two boys still at home, who keep her very busy.

Michelle Depledge - Communications officer - p/t Shell is married to Mark and has worked in

the parish office since 2014. Shell is primarily responsible for our written communications producing our paper-based and web content. She loves caring for her four boys whom she home educates with Mark.

Letty Underdown - Youth Worker - p/t Letty is married to Ian and they have two

young daughters (Elsey and Ezmae). Letty has worked for St Thomas’ since 2012 and currently serves as our Youth Minister. Letty is passionate about mission and is a key leader of our Late Service.

Emily Stockton - Children & Families Worker - ¾/t Emily is married to Adam and they

have two boys (Josh and Ethan). Emily’s been leading our Children’s ministry since 2014 and has responsibility for our Sunday Kids’ Church, Tot’s Café, Baptism ministry support and schools work.

Jane Simmonds - Community Worker - p/t Jane is married to Dave and

they have two grown-up boys. They’ve both been a part of St T’s for many years but Jane joined the staff team in 2016 to head-up our community engagement. This involves so many things, not least facilitating our Knit n’ Natter group, leading our Community Fund (practical social care) initiative, as well as organising various community festivals and celebrations. Jane loves all things Welsh!

Jackie Santos - International Volunteer Jackie joined us in 2015 for a

nine-month visit from Swaziland (Southern Africa). Jackie is here to help us learn about the world wide church as he shares in various different aspects of parish life. Jackie’s the third volunteer intern (second international) we’ve had as we invite people from each inhabited continent of the world to worship alongside us. Jackie has played semi-professional football in Swaziland and loves the beautiful game in the UK too.

Who we are

Together as staff

As a staff team we’re committed to looking after one another. Clergy meet for coffee on a Monday, there is prayer together as a whole team on a Tuesday morning and following this there is a short weekly team meeting. Everyone meets for contact time or supervision with a senior leader to agree priorities and review progress about every 2/3 weeks. Bill Bazely has a watching pastoral brief over members of the staff team and is available for confidential prayer, conversation and support. About every six weeks staff have a ‘stepping back’ day when they withdraw and have a longer time together in order to pray, open the Scriptures, do staff training, refocus on vision etc. In addition to this they are invited to an annual three-day staff retreat when they get away, pray, eat, talk, walk, laugh, cry and care for one another. The highlight of the year is the staff Christmas party!

The Parochial Church Council meet four times a year and gives prayerful strategic direction to the parish by establishing budgetary control, maintaining the parish risk management register and ensuring the church (as a registered charity) is legally compliant. It is the primary role of the PCC to oversee the Parish’s Mission Action Plans (the primary documents that shape future activity). The PCC has a permanent personnel sub-committee. In addition to the PCC there are two District Church Council’s (which meet about six or seven times a year) in the parish; one each for St Thomas’ and St Peter’s. These groups ensure the operational effectiveness of their churches and enact their respective Mission Action Plans. To further support this effort St T’s also has twelve Ministry Teams that work symbiotically with the DCC in directly delivering ministry. These teams are facilitated by leaders who meet together regularly to manage activities. The staff team exists to resource and serve these groups together with many gifted and able lay people. All committee members, Mission Team leaders and staff are invited to join together on our annual leadership ‘away day’ when we retreat, pray and shape future direction.

Twice a year we hold congregational meetings when everyone in the church is invited to come along and hear what’s been happening, ask questions, be refreshed in our vision and pray together.

Our Leadership Structure

Our Communication

With so much going on communication is a constant challenge. Facebook (415 likes) has become our information vehicle of choice which supports more traditional tools like our weekly notice sheet, parish magazine and mail chimp email alerts. We have Twitter, YouTube and other social media feeds that are used less regularly. We are currently involved in a major new website re-write – we have commissioned a top marketing firm to guide us through this process.

Who we are

Our Ministry Teams Every area of ministry at St T’s comes under one of our twelve Ministry Teams. Individual teams come together to plan, pray and support one another regularly.

Children and Families Emily Stockton Communications Michelle Depledge Community Jane Simmonds Discipleship Sue Wheeler Estates Robin Dawson Finance Phil Johnson Men Mark Depledge Mission John Small Pastoral Tim Wheeler Seniors Nanette Sanderson Worship Ben Griffiths Youth Letty Underdown

Our Enterprise Company STB (Chesterfield) Ltd is St Thomas’ very own enterprise company. The company (founded in 2012) operates all St T’s commercial activity including retail, food and drink hospitality, conferencing, etc, and is set to have a turnover in 2016 in excess of £150,000. The company’s twelve strong staff team are led by Beth Robson (Centre & Business Development Manager). The trading ethos of the company is to trade firstly ‘not for loss’, secondly to ‘support the ministry of the church’ and thirdly to trade ‘for profit’. Last year the company gifted the PCC about £10,000 (to appear in 2016 accounts).

Lay Leadership

At the heart of the parish is a ded icated team of lay leaders led by the parish church wardens, Mark Hoare ( top le f t ) and Ph i l B i rd (bottom lef t ) . Volunteer l e a d e r s a n d m i n i s t e r s , including five Readers form an essential part in the development and delivery of parish mission and ministry.

Who we are

Our Financing

St Thomas’ Church only (excludes St Peter’s): Unrestricted funds – Year to 31st December 2015

EXPENDITURE

Mission 17,500 17,400 Common Fund 56,304 54,132 Clergy Expenses/Housing 13,402 9,327 Associate Minister - 6,962 Youth & Children Workers 8,873 6,116 Repairs & Maintenance 4,890 7,015 Church Running Expenses 23,179 31,659 Administration Staff/Costs 40,859 30,012 Church Centre Costs 15,901 28,367 _______ ______ Total Expenditure £180,908 £190,990

SOURCE OF INCOME £ 2014

Gift Aid Donations 119,226 113,092 Tax Recovered 28,087 27,960

Other Giving 26,217 33,088 Grants - 1,250 Income from Diocese 4,500 8,908 Sundry Income 260 59

_______ ______ 178,290 184,357

Lettings 26,028 35,599 Fees 6,058 3,675 Books/Magazine Sales 871 1,160 Bank Interest 28 42 STB Chesterfield 4,000 273 _______ ______ Total Income £215,275 £225,106

NB – Under new formula arrangements for Common Fund share calculation (coming into effect in 2017) the parish request is set to rise by approximately £25,000 presenting the church with a stewardship challenge.

Our Gatherings

Our Music If it can be banged, plucked, blown, strummed, played or sung we’ll incorporate it into our musical worship

Sunday, 9.30am - USAA 60-75 adults Time

honoured worship that is usually centred on a celebration of Holy Communion (Common Worship) three Sundays out of four. This warm and friendly congregation is ideal for anyone looking for a more traditional service and a musical tendency that draws on the rich heritage of the church. The service features robes, liturgy, hymns, established choruses and readings and preaching from the lectionary.

Sunday, 11am - USAA 80-110 adults Relaxed and friendly, worship is

usually the first choice for our families with children as we offer a crèche and children's activities. Less liturgy and formality this service has a more contemporary and often charismatic feel. The service features a worship band, themed teaching, prayer ministry and Holy Communion once a month.

Sunday, 6pm - USAA 30-40 adults Sunday evening is a time to soak in the

presence of God. Our worship is more reflective and relaxed. The service features a worship band, systematic bible teaching, prayer ministry and Holy Communion once a month.

Sunday, 7.30pm ‘Late Service’ [monthly] – USAA 50-80 adultsRelax in our bar before the service and enjoy pizza afterwards! Our Late Service offers a fresh and contemporary look at Christianity that works best for the young (or young at heart!). Often with guest ‘national’ speakers and lively worship this service pushes boundaries and sharpens lives.

Our Gatherings

Saturday, Messy Church (Bimonthly) 20 families, 40

children Two hours on a Saturday afternoon with themed crafts, music, creative

prayer, a short family friendly service and food. Aimed at young children and their parents and carers.

Our Leading & Preaching team In addition to clergy other regular members of the preaching team

include our five Readers … Julie Lomas, Robin Dawson, Bill Galloway, Tim Wheeler and Dee Ashton (based at St Peter’s). Other ad-hoc preachers include David and Nanette Sanderson (retired Church Army officers), Brian and Marie Rice (former Salvation Army officers), Robyn Riggins (Director of WORTH project) and other members of the congregation and staff team. We welcome guest speakers from our partner organisations and other friends of St T’s regularly. Congregational leaders, preachers and worship leaders get together quarterly to review worship and refresh vision.

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Our Small Groups Small groups are an important part of church life for many people. Most

groups meet weekly in the homes of members. By providing a more relaxed, informal and open environment group members can explore their faith and grow friendships in a deeper way than is possible in a congregation. Everyone is encouraged to be a member of a small group. At St T’s we encourage the Willow Creek model of small group ministry to LOVE (engage with one another), LEARN (engage with the Scriptures), SERVE (engage in practical service) and REACH (engage in mission).

Our 13 groups are coordinated by our Discipleship Ministry Team leader and have on average a membership of about 10 members per group.

Our Gatherings

Our missional communities

We define our missional communities as groups built on the foundations of prayer and genuine relationship centred around an interest or activity that has at least 33% of its membership drawn from outside of the St Thomas’ family. We expect the group’s leadership to be a praying group of Christians that have an ‘intentionality’ towards evangelist mission. St T’s has established eleven ‘missional communities’ which connect with approximately 400 people of which over 180 are currently not a part of the St Thomas’ church family.

Tots’ Café Weekly mums and toddlers group

Rendezvous Monthly Seniors Social group

Thom’s Blokes Monthly ‘Gentleman’s’ group

5-aside Football Weekly Men’s Football Group

Knit and Natter Weekly craft and conversation group

Running group Social running group/ online community

Cricket team Ad-hoc social cricket team

Stepping Forward Group Monthly post bereavement group

Carers of children with hidden illnesses Supporting parents and carers of children with ADHD

Walking group Monthly (spring / summer) social walking group

Community evening Weekly community gathering for social and support purposes

Our Gatherings

Our Occasional Offices

In 2015 we had 21 baptisms, 8 weddings and 38 funerals. Clergy share in these ministries, usually on an availability basis. Our Baptism policy welcomes everyone to explore the Christian faith and decide whether baptism or a service of thanksgiving is the most appropriate for them. Baptism exploration groups are run during our 11.00am service (parents leave the service when Kids’ Church children depart). For non-church family members baptisms take place at 3.00pm on a Sunday afternoon, the ‘welcome’ liturgy is omitted and just parents and child(ren) are invited to return to complete the sacrament, collect their certificate etc at a convenient 11.00am service.

Our ALPHA programme

We run the Alpha course about once or twice a year as a way of helping people explore the Christian faith. These sessions usually take place mid-week in our Coffee Bar, with food and ‘live’ talks. Our last Alpha course was joined by 20+ participants.

How we care

For ourselves

At St T’s we recognise that we have a responsibility to care for everyone in every way. The ‘God stuff’ is really important but actually as people we need to stay health physically, mentally, socially as well as spiritually. Our @health4church programme links many of our activities together a s i t p r o m o t e s a w h o l e - l i f e philosophy.

For children and young people

Children hold a special place in the life of St T’s and we are passionate about teaching and releasing the next generation to love Jesus and walk in his ways. There are approximately 60 children and young people in our church family who attend one of our regular events. We are heavily involved in Home for Good Derbyshire and pride ourselves on the number of adopted and looked after children who worship with us regularly. We actively support the many parents and carers of adopted or fostered children in our congregation too.

Kids’ Church – Our weekly kids ministry held during our 11.00am service.

All age worship – We seek to worship together as a church of all ages regularly. This usually happens around the major festivals of the year. Currently our worship designed for all-ages at the following services … Nativity, Christmas Day, Mothering Sunday, Good Friday Hot Cross Bun Service, Easter Day, Pentecost and Harvest.

Youth Group – An incredible group of teenagers who meet and support one another. Soul Survivor, always a favourite time of year!

Tot’s Café – Weekly (term time) parents, carers and pre-school children’s group. Tot’s has proved to be amazingly popular with the local community; is it the friendly staff and volunteers or the incredible facilities or the caring environment that makes it so popular? Or is it we’re the only toddler group in the area that serves a decent cappuccino?!Messy Church – Bimonthly service that attracts ‘fringe’ families many of whom have come through Tots Café or baptism contacts.

Energise – A fairly new monthly initiative that’s building on our 2015 holiday club. Targeting children outside of the church family Energise seeks to provide age appropriate bible teaching with an emphasis on fun, and helps to build new relationships.

Holiday Club – Our annual summer holiday outreach programme – usually run over the mornings of a week in August that culminates often in a families gathering event.

Schools ministry – We are actively involved in all our three primary schools in the parish and connect with our secondary school in less direct, but positive ways.

How we care

For Men & Women

It’s great to be together and we love meeting as a whole family but sometimes it’s good to meet in gender only groups. We have dynamic men’s and women’s ministry at St T’s that engage in both spiritual and social activities.

For seniors

We value the wisdom that comes with age and we are deeply committed to supporting folks through all the stages of life. We have weekly, monthly and annual gatherings that are particularly suited to the more mature in years. Older age does not necessarily mean ‘infirm’ and so we have a number of more ‘active’ groups that our seniors enjoy as well as more restful activities. Social Services regularly refer people to our groups as they recognise St T’s as a safe, caring environment that looks after the most vulnerable. St T’s is always innovating and finding new ways to meet needs. For instance, we were amongst the first churches in the country to run a regular summer ‘holiday club’ for seniors.

For our community At the heart of our mission strategy is a deep commitment to our local community. Young or old, rich or poor, with faith or without – we see it as our calling to care for and support those who come to us (and those who don’t!)

In what has become difficult financial times for many St T’s is constantly working on programmes that will help alleviate suffering and distress. For instance, St Thomas’ is a Food Bank collection point and active supporter or the Chesterfield Food Bank project. A number in our congregation volunteer as Chesterfield Street Pastors, serving the night-time economy of our town. We are the base-church for Church on the Bus, a bus-based homeless ministry to the least, the lost and the lonely of the greater Chesterfield area. We run a ‘Community Fund’ designed to offer one-off financial help to local people in need. We operate a ‘Share list’ where useful items can be borrowed from one another avoiding the need to purchase or hire.

The jewel in the crown of our community ministry is our parish eco-centre which welcomes over 1,000 each week to our licensed coffee shop or events as varied as our monthly farmers markets to local business leaders meetings. We have become a firm favourite with individuals, local community groups and businesses as the party, meeting, conference venue of choice. https://stthomascentre.com

As a church we play a full part in the wider community. We are represented on the Walton and West Community Forum andhaveexcellentcontactswithourlocalcouncillorsandMP(wholivesintheparishandregularlyusesourcoffeeshop!).Wearedeeplyinvolvedintheorganisa=onanddeliveryoftheChatsworthRoadFes.val(afes=valorganisedprimarilybysmallbusinessintheChatsworthRdarea)tocelebrate‘livingandworkingontheChatsworthRd’.WeorganiseanannualChristmasTreeFes.valthatisenormouslypopularwithschoolsandlocalresidentsalike.

How we care

For the World (our mission partners)

St T’s are committed to working in partnership with other Christians around the world. We seek to distribute 10% of our received committed giving to our partners but our commitment is more than about giving money. As a church we seek to learn from and support our partners through regular ‘Partner Sundays’ and prayer events during the year.

Currently our mission partners include: Church on the Bus (social action) – Christian Vision for Men (evangelism) – Walbrook Epiphany Team (link Diocesan partner church) - Tear Fund (emergency relief) – CMS (mission partners: Paul & Sarah Tester) - Christian Solidarity Worldwide (advocacy). We also hold a Rapid Relief Fund that can be quickly targeted to programmes, projects and areas of need.

As further commitment to learn from the wider church we as a church have decided to invite a ‘potentially significant future leader’ from each of the inhabited continents of the world to join us for 9-12 months over a seven-year programme through our International intern programme. This partnership gives valuable western experience to those who come and invaluable insights to other cultures and practices from around the world to us. This programme is complimented by our mission’s trips. We aim to send mission teams out into the wider world every couple of years to serve and to learn.

Our Strengths & Weaknesses

Like every church St T’s has strengths and weaknesses – we don’t claim to be perfect or free from problems or difficulties. We want to be honest about the challenges we face:

Strengths

Strong church family

Good core of gifted, willing and able people who are loving and friendly.

Financially secure but...

Amazing connections into the local community.

Arguably the best parish church facilities in the diocese.

Weaknesses

We are a growing church, but statistically we now worship in church less often and so our potentially large congregation can sometimes feel depleted.

Many folks lack in confidence and struggle to positively articulate their faith outside of the church environment.

...we face significant financial challenges in the future.

With so much going on we struggle to communicate as effectively as we’d like

What we are looking for...

The job: Associate Minister, Parish Director of Mission and Evangelism

General role

o To support Derby in being a Growing, Outward Facing, Learning and Healthy diocese by making a significant contribution towards its stated aim of being a growing diocese both numerically and spiritually with a reducing age profile.

o To work within the newly-formed North-East Derbyshire deanery as it seeks to establish itself as a centre of learning and mission.

Specific role The role specifics of this post fall into three main categories:

Incumbent-status responsibilities In keeping with an incumbent-status appointment the post holder will play a full part in the leadership and management of the parish including the leading of meetings, oversight of staff members and support of the administrative structures of the church. They will work together with other clergy and lay leaders in delivering challenging teaching and discipleship training that will resource congregation members to live confident and effective Christian lives. The post holder will engage in the general pastoral, evangelistic, social and ecumenical activities of the church and be a key representative of the church in the wider community.

Parish-wide The post holder will offer strategic leadership in mission and evangelism across the parish in pursuit of St Thomas’ MAP stated ambition of increasing combined congregational attendance/ church membership to 500+ adults. The post holder will achieve this by:

o Coordinating parish resources to prioritise growth. o Growing lay confidence in personal/relational evangelism through training, opportunity and personal example. o Developing both existing and new missional communities to ensure maximum growth potential is achieved. This will primarily involve coordinating and

empowering missional community leaders and supporting them as they develop their own unique missional strategies. o (If appropriate) the post holder will take a lead in Men’s Ministry. o Delivering evangelistic outreach courses including Alpha and Emmaus. o Being the lead professional in developing the missional opportunities afforded through occasional offices. o Planning and delivering community based mission. o Being a clerical ‘presence’ / chaplain to the parish centre.

11.00am Congregational leader To become the primary congregational leader of the St Thomas’ 11.00am ‘family’ congregation (USAA 80-110 plus 25-35 children – open/charismatic/New Wine affiliated). This will be a significant responsibility in working directly with the congregation supporting them spiritually, pastorally and in mission. It will be the responsibility of the post holder to support discipleship and stewardship growth amongst congregation members at all levels of Christian maturity, and none, through the preparation and delivery of relevant teaching programmes, prayer ministry and spiritual experience. They will oversee the qualitative improvement of the whole worship experience. The minister will work with colleagues and lay leaders in developing the extensive lay involvement in the leadership and management of the service / congregation in its gathered and dispersed form.

What we are looking for...

The Person

We would like our new Associate to be someone who is …

• a person passionately in love with Jesus who lives out that relationship in every area of their lives. • an ordained priest (male or female) within the Church of England who is in sympathy with the Anglican evangelical tradition and comfortable ministering in

a charismatic context. • an inspirational leader with energy, ambition, vision and ability to work collaboratively as part of a dedicated and enthusiastic team (both team leader and

team player). • a people person with a heart for evangelism, comfortable to convincingly convey the Gospel story to both those inside and outside of the church, one to

one and in larger gatherings. • a lover of the Bible who accepts its authority in all matters of creed and conduct.

Personal Competence and Vision • A person able and willing to teach, encourage and foster the gifts of others. • A person with the ability to relate across gender, social and age boundaries and to nurture and inspire them in the way of Christian discipleship. • An able communicator skilled at preaching in both a thematic and expository style. • A capable administrator able to maximise the use of contact databases, track and process pastoral information, etc.

Ideally our Associate will have ….

• some experience of multi-congregation larger church. • skills in people management and volunteer leadership.

This will be an ideal post for a person with a discerned vocation to larger church ministry within the evangelical tradition. This post is not a second curacy / assistant post as it offers significant scope for the individual to exercise autonomous leadership.

Ultimately, we are looking for someone who has read this profile and genuinely senses that God may be calling them to this post.

What can we offer ...

A team

You’re not alone! Jesus didn’t expect his disciples to be a one-person band and neither do we. From Bishop Alistair down there will be a team of people committed to supporting and releasing you into your ministry. Of course there will be moments when things are tough and at those times there are others on hand to discuss, pray and work things through with you. That said, our overwhelming experience of ministry is fun, we really are having a blast!

A house

The Associate Minister’s home (15, Old Pheasant Court) is just a short walk from St Thomas’ and is close to local schools, shops, doctors and open spaces (suitable for dog walking etc.). The south facing, modern five bedroomed detached family-home is set over three levels and has gas fire central heating, uPVC double glazing, off street car parking, a garage and an enclosed rear garden. The house has a fitted dining kitchen, downstairs WC, en-suite facilities to the master bedroom, further family bathroom and shower room. All property in Derby Diocese is kept to a very high standard.

Rest & Refreshment

The Associate Minister will be expected to take their full weekly and annual allocation of leave, as per common tenure. Time is made available for personal, staff and clergy retreats and study days. Attendance at Clergy conference is expected and resourced.

Expenses

All clergy expenses are reimbursed in full.

What to do next ...

Who to talk to and what to do next

Revd. Canon Matthew Barnes Rector, St Thomas Brampton

674, Chatsworth Road, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S40 3NU

(01246) 567634 (07711) 964451 rector@st-thomas-brampton.org

Closing Date for Applications: Noon, Friday, 3rd June 2016

Interviews Friday, 17th June 2016

(an informal tour of the area can be arranged prior to interview day by arrangement with the Rector)

This appointment is subject to an ENHANCED CRB disclosure.

PHOTOS: Every picture has been taken in the last 12 months.

The Venerable Christine Wilson Archdeacon of Chesterfield

The Old Vicarage, Baslow, Derbyshire, DE45 1RY

(01246) 583023 archchesterfield@derby.anglican.org

Revd. Karen Hamblin Area Dean

The New VicarageMorton RoadPilsley, Chesterfield S45 8EF

(07432) 705285 khstmarys@gmail.com