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The Ecclesiastical Parish of Swanley St Paul and Hextable St Peter
Parish Profile 2017 http://www.stph.org.uk
NewWine Local churches changing nations
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Contents
Introduction 3
What We Are Looking For in Our New Vicar 4
What We Are Committed to Offer 5
Services and Tradition 6
Ministry and Mission 8
Ecumenical Involvement 12
Parish History 13
Village Demographic 14
Dartford Deanery 15
Contact Details and Internet Links 16
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Introduction
St. Paul’s, Swanley Village, and St. Peter’s, Hextable is one church with two buildings, giving different expressions of worship in the parish. For more than forty years, we have enjoyed a tradition and culture of renewal and of being at the heart of our community. Our intention is to develop a lifestyle of:
• Equipping people to put Jesus at the centre
• Being in love with Jesus
• Seeing what God is doing and getting behind it
• Ministering in the Power of the Spirit
• Developing a worshipping heart
• Seeking God’s manifest presence in everything we do
• Resourcing other churches
Our vision is to play a central part in the life of Hextable and Swanley Village and, as a church, we are seeking to equip and resource the wider Christian community.
St Paul's Swanley Village St Peter's Hextable
So Christ himself gave the apostles, prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip His people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.
Ephesians 4:11-12
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What We Are Looking For In Our New Vicar
We are looking for a vicar who holds to the vision and values of New Wine, namely to see the community transformed through Christians experiencing ‘the joy of worshipping God, the freedom of following Jesus, and the power of being filled with the Spirit’. Therefore, the qualities we seek are:
• A worshipper
• A Spirit-filled life and ministry rooted in the Bible, seeking God’s will and purpose for his/ her own life,
and the life of the church.
• A passion for communicating God’s love to those within the church and in the local community, and a desire to see individuals having a personal encounter with Jesus.
• A decisive team leader with good management skills who is able to motivate others and who has a
collaborative and enabling style, skilled at inspiring, equipping, and releasing people into ministry.
• Comfortable in embracing diversity, including different styles/traditions of worship and able to preach effectively to different congregations and age - ranges.
• Unafraid to develop and encourage new ways of drawing people into church and closer to Jesus
through deeper discipleship.
• Experienced with Holy Spirit Ministry
• The ability to foster renewal in other churches as we continue as a host church for the New Wine Network in the North Kent region.
• Loving God, their family and the Church
I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
Psalm 9:1
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What We Are Committed to Offer
• A vibrant church family committed to honouring God through our worship, witness, service and fellowship.
• An appreciation that ministry belongs to the whole church community and that we do
not expect our Vicar ‘to do everything’, but rather to enable and encourage ‘the body of Christ’.
• An understanding that the new Vicar will come with his/her own vision, strengths,
gifts and needs.
• An openness to engage in new things that will help us to expand our ministry and grow as a church for the glory of God.
• A prayerful, supportive and friendly church community within a thriving village
community.
• A recognition that the vicar needs support, adequate time off and time for his/her wider family and interests.
• A new vicarage close to the church.
The official title of the parish is The Ecclesiastical Parish of Swanley St. Paul and Hextable St. Peter. It is two buildings with one PCC. There are currently 14 members on the PCC who meet once a month. There is also a Leadership Team consisting of the 2 churchwardens, the Children’s and Young People’s Minister, and the Life Group Coordinator. There are two advisors to the Leadership Team for the period of the Interregnum, the Worship Leader at St. Peter’s and the Pastoral Care Leader. We employ a church administrator, who works every morning during term time, plus a part time assistant administrator for the Kindergarten. We also employ the Children and Young People’s Minister, and the staff of the Kindergarten. There are currently two Interns who contribute towards the Worship Group and also help to run the various children’s and young persons’ clubs. Our Young People’s Minister and Youth Intern run weekly assemblies at St. Pauls School. This, together with the two Foundation Governors from our fellowship, contribute to the Christian ethos of the school. Our Youth Intern is also the Chaplain to the Air Cadets, who are currently undertaking an Alpha Course. There are three Safeguarding Officers at present, one of whom is on the PCC, and one is the Designated Safeguarding Lead for the Kindergarten.
Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Philippians 4:4-6
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord.
Colossians 3:23
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Services and Tradition
Corporate worship is an extremely important part of St. Peter’s and St. Paul’s. The way this is demonstrated at each congregation is different, but both are valued. We are one church with two buildings giving different expressions of worship in the parish. At both St Peter's and St Paul's we desire above all to see God’s kingdom break out and transform our local community and beyond.
St. Peter’s Church, Hextable
St. Peter’s is vibrant, charismatic and evangelical where we seek to enter God’s presence through creative worship, ministry and mission.
St. Paul’s has a more traditional style of worship with a smaller congregation. The church is set within a beautiful glebe which is where our church school of St. Paul’s CEP School is also situated. The church has a live graveyard and a Garden of Remembrance.
...and where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
2 Corinthians 3:17
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Our Sunday Services
8:30 am St. Paul’s, Swanley Village • A short communion service at 8.30 am. This is a liturgical service including a short talk, usually a
synopsis of the 10:30 sermon at St. Peter’s. Between five and twelve people attend.
10:30 am St. Peter’s, Hextable • This is our most well-attended service of around one hundred and thirty people and has a relaxed, friendly,
informal feel. It is a great place to meet together to praise God through extravagant worship, insightful Bible teaching and powerful times of ministry. Worship through music forms a significant element of the St. Peter’s service. We have a well-developed music team whose focus is to facilitate worship for the church, encouraging a tangible sense of the presence of God. Whilst the music team seek to attain a high standard of musicianship their ethos is primarily a wish to facilitate worship to allow the Holy Spirit to move.
10:30 am St. Paul’s, Swanley Village (Second Sunday of the month) • A relaxed but traditional service with a congregation of around thirty people. On the remaining
Sunday mornings there is coffee and prayer available for the community of Swanley Village
6:30 pm St. Paul’s, Swanley Village (No service second Sunday of the month) • Services at St. Paul’s are traditional in style, within the format of Common Worship, offering a
welcome place of quiet, contemplative and prayerful reflection with monthly communion for about twenty people.
7:30 pm St. Peter’s, Hextable, - Overflow (second and fourth Sundays of the month).
• Overflow is our twice monthly evening service for worship and ministry. The service is open both to church members and leaders and members of other churches in the area.
• It is an opportunity to lead worshippers deeper into God’s presence, with powerful times of worship and ministry.
• This service starts at 8 pm (7:30 for coffee and cake) to allow people from other churches to attend. This has proved to be a valuable way of meeting and working with other churches. The worship team for Overflow often consists of musicians from other churches which also helps to bring a sense of togetherness and celebrating what we have in common.
• On the second Sunday of the month a guest speaker is usually invited to teach and lead ministry. On the fourth Sunday we have recently started ‘Overflow Deeper’ which focuses more on allowing time for God to speak.
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Ministry and Mission:
We believe that the Gospel of Jesus is good news for the whole world and so we seek real social change in and around our community.
We hold a number of annual events including Amazing Conference for women, with national guest speakers; the Transform Youth Conference for young people attending from churches and youth groups in the area; Holiday at Home, for the elderly, held over two days in August; Christmas Craft Fayre; Christmas concerts and services and a Christingle service for children from the local schools. We have strong links with the New Wine network of churches. Church members attend the New Wine summer conference, New Wine teaching and leaders conferences. Our young people go to Soul Survivor, Emerging Leaders and Naturally Supernatural. We have also hosted a number of New Wine events. We regularly host fundraising events both for the church building fund and external charities. We also invite speakers from organisations with which we are connected to share their ministry with us. We have a range of ministries that are dedicated to spreading the love of Jesus.
1. Mission to the church family
Life Groups are an integral part of the life of the church. With eight groups and over ninety people attending every two weeks, in homes and in church, we see this as an opportunity to learn, grow, pray, worship and make deeper friendships. It’s an important area of caring and support for members.
Caring Ministry (Pastoral Care) has for many years been an important and vital aspect of our church life, providing care and support through the many groups that meet, and a team of people who have ensured that those who aren’t in a group are supported. Our vision in 2017 is to take what is already happening, and to re-launch our caring ministry; to help everyone know they have a part to play; to train; to use the professional skills we have; to acknowledge the many informal acts of caring and to ensure our caring ministry is an intrinsic part of our outreach, mission and growth.
Prayer Ministry is available at the end of each of our services. Prayer Ministry training is available each year, which also includes those involved with the Healing Centre. For those needing ongoing prayer ministry, further assistance is available on request.
Quiet Space meets weekly at St. Paul’s. After a welcoming coffee and a short Bible reading, there begins a period of silence, waiting on God. After an hour, members share their words and pictures. We are always blessed by taking time out from the busyness of life.
Lord, I have heard of your fame and deeds; Repeat them Lord and make them known
Habakkuk 3:2
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2. Mission to the Young Junior Church takes place most Sunday mornings from 11 to 12 o’clock in different groups for 0 – 18 year-olds. Tinkers is a group for Mums, Dads, Carers and Grandparents with pre-school aged children which meets one afternoon a week during term time. As well as toys, there is craft work, singing and a Bible story, with special emphasis on Easter, Harvest and Christmas. The majority attending come from the local area, some of whom have come to faith.
Kindergarten, based at St. Peter’s, allows pre-school children to develop and learn in an environment that is playful, stimulating, challenging and safe, and where all children are valued and accepted within a Christian ethos. Kindergarten has recently been re-launched, its Christian roots re-established and its connection to the church restored
Kidz Klub is our action-packed after- school club for five to eleven year-olds, term time. There are games, craft and sports, as well as a relaxed place where kids can come and build friendships and have fun together. There are weekly Bible Stories plus ‘Friends and Heroes’ cartoons about the adventures of Macky, the friend of Jesus. Live Play (K) is a youth group for elevens to eighteens in two groups with a range of activities from games, football, table tennis, pool, air hockey, film nights, sports and off-site visits. To date our youth groups have been snowboarding in Switzerland, Austria and France, on a mission trip to Valencia, summer camps at Soul Survivor, as well as to Soul Survivor Watford and to Centre Parcs in April 2017.
Transform Youth Conference is organised by a group of local youth workers and hosted by St. Peter’s. Based on Romans 12:2, we aim to transform a generation of young people to stand out in their communities with their faith. The next conference is in July 2017 where we will see what God is doing.
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3. Mission to the Elderly
Thursday Fellowship is run by a team from church and is for older folk in the Church and the Community. In the first hour there are refreshments followed by a variety of entertainments, ranging from guest speakers, music, games and in-house activities. The fellowship caters for those at various stages of life among the older generation, some of whom have mobility problems and/or early stages of Dementia. Three of the team have become Anna Friends, and the plans for the future include more work with Dementia sufferers, and developing a befriending scheme.
Holiday at Home is a once a year event over 2 days in August. Many elderly people are often unable to go away on holiday, so we aim to bring the holidays to them! We’ve been to the seaside, the Highlands, an Italian Cruise, to Ireland and on ‘Steam Days’. There are a variety of activities with entertainment, including musical items, chair based exercises, plus puzzles, games, flower arranging, bingo, nail bar and many more. We provide Fish and Chips for lunch, as well as tea and cakes in the afternoon. The days finish with a Bible Reflection and some Hymns.
Hymns of Praise takes place 4 times a year on a Saturday afternoon at St. Peter’s. Based on the church year, these afternoons consist of well-known Hymns, readings from the Bible, and a thought for the day. This is followed by afternoon tea. It is a time for fellowship, especially for those who are unable to attend church more often. Fully DBS checked drivers collect any who are losing mobility. The more volunteers, the more often this ministry can happen.
4. Mission to Women
DIVAS: Divinely Inspired, Victorious And Serving. We aim to bring women of all ages together for friendship, support and fun. We meet at regular intervals throughout the year and have events including breakfast, curry nights, creative evenings, afternoon tea and bake-offs. We invite guest speakers to some events as we reach out to friends and the local community. From this grew the hugely successful Amazing Conference, now in its fourth year.
5. Mission to Men
Leave No Man Behind (LNMB) aims to create an environment that makes the Christian faith accessible to the average UK man. This isn’t about a men’s club, nor a male dominated church, but a place where men can be gripped and excited by Jesus.
To date we have a monthly curry night, men’s breakfast with guest speakers, fishing weekends and an annual ski/snowboard trip to the French Alps.
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6. Mission to the Community
Pop In has been running for many years and is held in the lounge at St. Peter’s on Saturday mornings. It is open to all and provides a time of relaxation and conversation over tea or coffee, with friends, family and others.
Pop In for Craft is held once a month all day on a Saturday at St. Peter’s. There are several activities including fabric-based crafts, card making, scrapbooking, and even knitting, crochet and rug making. It is open to all, run by a small team from St. Peter’s, for the benefit of the community.
Sunday Afternoon Games is run once a month in St. Peter’s lounge for adults to have fun and fellowship whilst playing board and card games. Several from outside the church attend, and the quiet and orderly nature of the afternoon has been shown to provide good opportunities for Christian witness.
Treasure Hunting where a small team reach out to the weekly Swanley Market and once a month to the Swanley Shopping Centre. These excursions have borne much fruit. We have been able to present the gospel to many folk. Many stall holders and members of the public have been open to us praying with them. In more than two years, seven people have made prayers of commitment to Christ, two of whom are now regular members of the church. The team also reach out to the sheltered accommodation in Hextable where prayer is offered and the gospel presented to the residents on a weekly basis.
Alpha has been strongly supported for more than twenty years. Over this time we have facilitated a church-wide group, small groups in the Church and in people’s homes. Last year we joined forces with one of our neighbouring churches to host a very successful Alpha in Costa Coffee. One of the guests on this course recently celebrated his 90th birthday, going on to be baptised. We believe Alpha is still a powerful evangelistic tool.
Pop In Pop In for Craft Sunday Afternoon Games
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Hextable Healing Centre held at St. Peter’s monthly on a Saturday morning, is a place where we love to see people touched with the power and love of God. We believe the Bible clearly shows us that Jesus healed people and He gave His authority to His followers to do the same. Our love for Jesus and our love for praying for people is the reason for our desire to pray for healing. We believe that God is a loving Father and that His heart is for all people to be well and living without the burden of sickness and disease.
Swanley and District Food Bank was set up 3 years ago by Churches Together in Swanley and District. St. Peter’s and St. Paul’s are major contributors to the Food Bank both financially and with volunteers. The Food Bank provides an essential service to those in the district who have fallen on hard times. Under the guidance of the Trussell Trust, the Food Bank is becoming a witness to God’s work in the local areas that it serves.
7. Mission Abroad
Project Hope is a long-standing ministry, founded by St. Peter’s and St. Paul’s in 1993 and is based in Podari in the southwest of Romania. It is a large building with 2 acres of land bought by the church, and we employ a Christian couple, Costica and Gabi Lazar, who have developed the property into a small farm. From here they reach out into the community, practically and spiritually, with the love of Jesus and the message of the gospel. Costica is a gifted evangelist. He leads a Vineyard Fellowship in the nearby city of Craiova and is very involved with the gypsy church in the village. In December 2016, an evangelistic Tent Mission was held at the project and many people came to faith and were baptised. A small number of people within the church take an active interest in the work, and spend time going out to help practically, spiritually and to evangelise.
In addition the church supports several organisations and individuals working overseas including Mission Direct, Release International, Sharing Of Ministries Abroad (SOMA) and South Asia Concern. A member of the church, who has a missionary background, is the CEO of South Asia Concern.
Ecumenical Involvement
Ecumenical ties have developed over the past fifteen years. Our parish forms part of Churches Together in Swanley and District which currently has seven member churches. Ministers and Lay representatives meet on a regular basis. Joint services are held on Good Friday, an open air witness, Easter Sunday Evening and Advent Sunday. This year a further open air witness is planned for Whit Sunday, ‘A Picnic in the Park’. Termly prayer Breakfasts take place and our Local Councillors are invited to attend. Other shared activities are Lent Groups and Youth Events. Training events such as First Aid, Food Hygiene, Health and Safety, Child Protection and a Listening Course are also shared activities. The Swanley Foodbank is also run by Churches Together.
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The vicar is invited to lead Remembrance Sunday for the Royal British Legion, Civic leaders and the community of Hextable and Swanley Village at the Remembrance Hall at Five Wents. Our Life Group in Swanley Village is essentially an ecumenical group of around twenty people in the village, from different churches in the area, but sharing a common desire to worship God together in love and practical ways.
Parish History
Swanley Village was originally a hamlet within the parish of St. John the Baptist, Sutton-at-Hone, a village just under two miles further down the lane. In 1860, a railway station was built one and a half miles away close to the main road to London and, with the rapid development in this area that followed, this became known as the town of Swanley. Green fields separate Swanley from Swanley Village and the village remains a tranquil quiet location which has seen little change for a century or more. St. Paul’s Church was consecrated by the Archbishop of Canterbury on 29th October, 1861. Various additions and improvements were made over the next thirty years resulting in the beautiful Grade II listed building that we have today. In 2005, the interior of St. Paul’s Church was re-ordered, creating a more flexible space and adding toilets.
St. Peter’s Church had its beginnings in the very late part of the nineteenth century when Rev. Michael Seymour Edgell, the first vicar of St. Paul’s, bought five plots of land in Hextable for the construction of a mission church and village school. A small iron building was erected, overseen by Edgell’s successor, Rev. Sir Charles Shaw, which was soon outgrown and a larger brick building replaced it in 1906. Much of this building exists today as our rear hall and is the location of our weekday Kindergarten pre-school. The building was extended in 1953 and was re- dedicated as St. Peter’s Church. A further huge extension took place in 1980, primarily giving the building a new and modern octagonal worship area, mostly replacing the 1953 additions. The highest point of the building was now moved closer to the village centre which became a prominent and attractive sight from The Crossways. Further building works in 1988 added a lounge area and chapel.
At present, St. Peter’s is being extended again because our building is well-used by many different Christian and secular organisations. The vision is to offer improved, but also new facilities for the benefit of the church and the local community.
Planning consent was granted for an extension for community meeting rooms of different dimensions over two floors, new toilets, kitchen, café area, lounge and chapel. Work on this first stage commenced at the end of 2016. Having constructed the footings and following a value engineering process with the builder, structural engineer and architect, revised plans are under consideration.
The present lounge will become the new entrance into a community café, with the existing chapel becoming an industrial kitchen. This will make the Church truly the centre of the village and the heart of the community. Our current patrons are the Merchant Taylors’ Company.
How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity.
Psalm 133:1
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Artist’s impression of the new vicarage (neither car supplied) A new, well-appointed, 4/5 bedroomed purpose-built vicarage, in accordance with the Church of England Green Guide, is in a small cul-de-sac close to St. Peter’s and will be completed by the end of October, 2017.
Hextable Village
Village Demographic
The villages of Hextable and Swanley Village lie within the North West corner of Kent between the towns of Dartford and Swanley and on the fringe of the administration of the Sevenoaks District Council. Central London is just sixteen miles away and the boundaries with both London Boroughs of Bromley and Bexley are just a mile or so away. Despite this closeness to outer London, the two villages are surrounded by attractive rural landscapes and green-belt land.
St. Peter’s Church in Hextable is located on The Crossways right in the heart of the village, while St. Paul’s Church, with its attractive surroundings, is located in a very quiet and secluded corner of Swanley Village in an area known as The Glebe. The two locations are approximately one mile apart and are easily walkable. Other churches in the area include Hextable Methodist Church in close proximity to St Peter’s Church, and several denominational churches and independent church fellowships in nearby Swanley.
Hextable has a population of approximately 4,400 and Swanley Village of about 450. There are infant and junior schools in both Hextable and Swanley Village. Hextable has the benefit of both a GP and dental surgery. It is served well by public transport and the villages lie very close to the M25, M20 and M2 road networks with the local towns of Swanley and Dartford both having good rail links to Central London.
For more information please refer to our website http://www.stph.org.uk
Stand at the crossroads and look; follow the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.
Jeremiah 6:16
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Dartford Deanery
Dartford Deanery comprises thirteen churches from twelve parishes in Swanley, Dartford and surrounding areas with 12 vicars/priests in charge. The Clergy of the deanery meet in chapter, share in fellowship, take part in an annual residential outside of their respective parishes and offer each other support in their work as parish priests. The PCC Secretary is the elected representative who attends the deanery synod of laity and clergy. Three such meetings have been held in the last year for prayer and worship and to plan and discuss ways for parishes to work together more effectively.
Each of the seventeen Deaneries in the Diocese of Rochester has produced a Mission and Ministry Plan (MMP), with the support of the Director of Mission and Community Engagement. The MMP is reviewed at Deanery meetings. There have also been discussions in relation to Ecumenical Outreach Initiatives in Dartford & Swanley, the Dartford Winter Cold Weather shelter, local Food Banks and plans for a Homeless Hostel.
In the last year meetings have been addressed by the Chaplain to Thames Gateway YMCA (a former member at St. Paul’s/St. Peter’s), and the Anna Chaplain for the Dartford Deanery (based at St. Mary, Stone and at St. Edmunds, Temple Hill). Anna Chaplaincy is an ecumenical, community-based approach to providing support to people suffering from Dementia, whether at home or in care homes etc., and also supports their carers. As well as Anna Chaplains there are Anna Friends. Parish representatives have been involved in the scheme and St. Peter’s have hosted a hub meeting. One Deanery meeting was also devoted to exploring issues related to ethnicity and how Anglican parishes create and demonstrate Christ-centred fellowships that encourage diverse role models to engage with those from minority backgrounds.
Safeguarding and Links with CCPAS
As a church we are fully committed to the safeguarding, care and nurture of everyone within our church community and to ensure that we follow legislation, guidance and recognised good practice.
In 2015 the PCC carried out a complete review of our safeguarding practice within the church and kindergarten, in the light of the latest House of Bishops’ and Diocesan requirements. We also provided safeguarding training in late 2015/early 2016 to all our workers (in excess of forty).
The Churches’ Child Protection Advisory Service (CCPAS), a national organisation, is based in the same road as St. Peter’s in Hextable and has close links with the church.
How much better to get wisdom than Gold, to get insight rather than silver.
Proverbs 16:16
“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these”.
Luke 18:16
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Contact Details and Internet links The Parish Office is located at St. Peter’s Church and is manned during term-time mornings, with answering and call-diversion facilities at other times.
Address: St. Peter’s Church, College Road, Hextable, Kent. BR8 7RH St. Paul’s Church, School Lane, Swanley Village, Kent. BR8 7PJ
Telephone: (01322) 662320 Fax: (01322) 660232
E-mail addresses: [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]
Our own websites: http://www.stph.org.uk/ http://www.hextable-kindergarten.co.uk
St Paul's C of E Primary School: http://www.st-pauls-swanley.kent.sch.uk Hextable Primary School: http://www.hextable-primary.kent.sch.uk
Broomhill Park School: http://www.broomhillbank.org.uk
Beams: http://www.wearebeams.org.uk
Hextable Information Site: http://www.hextablevillage.com Hextable Heritage Society: http://www.hextable-heritage.co.uk Hextable Parish Council: http://www.hextableparishcouncil.com Swanley Village Residents’ Association: http://www.swanleyvillage.com Swanley History Group: http://ww.swanleyhistorygroup.weebly.com Swanley Town Council: http://www.swanleytowncouncil.gov.uk Sevenoaks District Council: http://www.sevenoaks.gov.uk Kent County Council: http://www.kent.gov.uk
Churches’ Child Protection Advisory Service: https://www.ccpas.co.uk Church of England: https://www.churchofengland.org Diocese of Rochester: http://ww.rochester.anglican.org
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