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STANTONBURY ECUMENICAL PARTNERSHIP

Milton Keynes

Diocese of Oxford

ASSOCIATE MINISTER (HOUSE FOR DUTY)

WITH SHARED RESPONSIBILITY FOR

ST ANDREW’S, GREAT LINFORD

MINISTRY DESCRIPTION

and

PARTNERSHIP PROFILE

August 2016

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What are we looking for?

We are looking for an ordained Anglican minister to be an Associate Minister (House for Duty) at

St Andrew’s, Great Linford, within the Stantonbury Ecumenical Partnership (SEP), who will:

Lead worship at St Andrew’s for up to three Sundays a month

Offer a further two days of ministry a week, or equivalent, in the church and community

The House for Duty minister will be a member of the SEP ministerial team, and will work

particularly closely with Rev David Lewis, our full-time Baptist minister. The two ministers will share

leadership at St Andrew’s and divide the tasks and responsibilities of ministry between them. Within

the St Andrew’s congregation there are also a number of lay and ordained ministers who are willing

and able to share in this ministry.

Working together we will:

Offer pastoral care to the congregation and the wider community

Respond positively to requests for baptisms, marriages and funerals, and the mission opportunities these present

Enable growth in discipleship in the church membership

Encourage the development of the children’s work at St Andrew’s

Engage with our local primary schools, particularly St Andrew’s CofE Infant School

Pursue opportunities available for worship and pastoral care in the residential care homes in the Great Linford pastoral area

Continue our mission engagement with the community of Great Linford

We hope that you will have:

A strong faith rooted in worship and prayer

A willingness to work in an ecumenical situation with colleagues from different traditions

A desire to offer relevant and practical preaching and teaching from the Bible

An ability to relate to people of all ages

A pastoral heart

A passion for mission

A team spirit

What will we offer to you?

In return for your ministry among us we offer to you:

The opportunity to live and minister in the beautiful village setting of Great Linford, yet just minutes from the abundant amenities and transport links of Milton Keynes

A church steeped in history and yet looking forward to the future

A lively, active, vibrant, ecumenical congregation

A committed membership of over 100, many of whom are actively involved in ministry in St Andrew’s and the Great Linford community

A friendly and supportive team of ministerial colleagues to work with

A flexible way of working which will be open to your gifts, strengths and needs

Financial support for retreats and ministerial development

Full monthly remuneration of working expenses

A comfortable, modern, four-bedroom Rectory

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STANTONBURY MINISTERS

The Ministerial Team

Team Leader / Team Vicar Rev Andy Jowitt (CofE)

Pastoral responsibility for St Lawrence, Bradwell and Cross and Stable Church,

Downs Barn

Length of service in Stantonbury Ecumenical Partnership: since September 2000

Baptist Minister

Rev David Lewis Pastoral responsibility for Christ Church, Stantonbury and shared responsibility

for St Andrew’s, Great Linford

Length of service in Stantonbury Ecumenical Partnership: since November 2015

Methodist Minister

Rev Nicola Martyn-Beck

Shared pastoral responsibility at St James, New Bradwell (and also

Circuit Minister for Newport Pagnell, Woburn Sands and Hanslope) Length of service in Stantonbury Ecumenical Partnership: since September 2015

Team Rector

Rev Paul Smith (CofE)

Pastoral responsibility for St Mary Magdalene, Willen and St James,

New Bradwell

Length of service in Stantonbury Ecumenical Partnership: since September 2002

Baptist Lay Preacher

Mrs Maggie Prisk (Accredited and with permission to preside at Baptist Holy Communion) Lay Chair of Stantonbury Ecumenical Council and co-opted onto the Ministerial Team by agreement

Length of service in the Stantonbury Ecumenical Partnership: 20 years

Ministers attached to St Andrew’s Congregation

Rev Judy Rose (CofE) formerly NSM in the Stantonbury Ministerial Team

Rev Peter Dudeney (Methodist Supernumerary)

Rev Dr John Beazley (CofE) with Bishop’s permission to officiate Mr Arthur Chadwick (CofE) Licensed Lay Minister

Mr Colin Taylor (CofE) Prospective Licensed Lay Minister

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DESCRIPTION OF THE RECTORY

The Rectory is situated just off The Green in Great

Linford village. It is an early 1970s large, brick-built

family home which is in a secluded location set back from the access road with a large garden.

The Rectory is within walking distance of Great

Linford village, which includes the High Street,

village pub (The Nags Head), the Grand Union Canal, Great Linford Manor and Park, and St Andrew’s Church. A local centre, including Co-op Supermarket, is also easily accessible. By car

central Milton Keynes, which includes one of the county’s largest shopping malls, is less than 10

minutes away. The M1 and A5 can be reached in 10 minutes, as can MK Central railway station,

which is on the West Coast Main Line to London (35 minutes) and other major UK cities.

The property comprises:

Downstairs

Kitchen/diner with adjacent utility room (which includes access to the garage)

2 large reception rooms

Hallway and stairs to first floor

A study for church business; this is accessed by the front-door area (which includes a

cloakroom) which can be locked separately from the rest of the property

Upstairs

Four good-sized bedrooms (two of which have wash basins)

Toilet with shower

Family bathroom

Additional

Large double garage

Small patio area accessible from main reception room

The property has gas-fired central heating.

A fully operational burglar alarm system is in place.

Great Linford Rectory

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ST ANDREW’S, GREAT LINFORD

Membership and Worship

There are currently 105 on our membership roll. The basic pattern of Sunday worship is:

1st Sunday of each month: Open Door – an informal family service 2nd, 4th and 5th Sundays each month: Holy Communion

3rd Sunday of each month: usually Baptism, followed by Holy Communion

Average Sunday Attendance = 60

On the 1st Wednesday of each month the church is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. with a Communion Service at 10 a.m. followed by refreshments. Average attendance = 25. This service is led by one of

our retired Priests and is growing in popularity.

Some services have been led by lay members of the congregation (particularly during the

interregnum) with support from the ordained ministers in service planning and practical tips on leading a service. We have had successful house groups, prayer groups, study groups, Lent courses

and Lent lunches, which have been mainly lay led.

Music plays an important role in the life of our church with an enthusiastic four-part choir for special

services, particularly Christmas and Easter, encouraged and supported by professional singers and instrumentalists from the congregation. A small children’s choir sings at the monthly Open Door

service.

Cream Teas are served on Sunday afternoons in August and are accompanied by our musicians.

These afternoons are very popular, as are the occasional concerts organised as fund raisers either for the church or for Christian Aid or other charitable causes.

The church is popular for weddings. The attractive location may be a factor in this, along with long-

held family links. The number of young families moving into new housing areas near to Great Linford is reflected in a steady stream of infant baptism enquiries.

Leadership

The Church Council meets on a bi-monthly basis, with Congregational Meetings held in the

intervening months.

School Links

St. Andrew’s CofE Voluntary Controlled Infant School has close links with St. Andrew’s – holding

services in the church. Members of the congregation are on the governing body and volunteer at the school.

History of the building

The church dates back to Norman times with Norman arches, mediaeval floor tiles, Georgian wall

paintings in the roof above the plaster ceiling and Victorian glass windows. The pews were removed

35 years ago and replaced with chairs. The boiler was replaced in 2015 but the church is in need of redecoration which it is hoped to carry out in the next year or two. The church tower houses six

bells (refurbished in recent years) and there is an active bell-ringing group.

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The six churches of the Stantonbury Ecumenical Partnership

St Andrew's, Great Linford Christ Church, Stantonbury

St Mary Magdalene, Willen St James, New Bradwell

St Lawrence, Bradwell Cross and Stable, Downs Barn

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STANTONBURY ECUMENICAL PARTNERSHIP The ‘SEP’ is a local ecumenical partnership of the Church of England, the Baptist Union, the

Methodist Church and the United Reformed Church. It includes the six churches featured on page 7.

Each has a ‘pastoral area’ within the parish boundary; in most cases the grid roads that run between the grid squares of the new town layout provide neat boundaries. We respect those pastoral areas

as designating to the local church the priority for mission and pastoral care in that area. Most of the

churches in the partnership, including St Andrew’s, have full ‘sharing agreements’ signed by the four

denominations.

When the SEP was inaugurated in 1982 the Constitution stated:

“The overall purpose of the LEP shall be to share together in the ministry of Christ to the world, and within

this context to explore further the meaning and possibility of Christian Unity in worship, mission, service and education …”

We have been working recently on thinking through the vision and defining mission purpose of the

SEP and have drawn up these statements:

Our Vision

Six thriving and growing churches, making Christ known in our area of Milton Keynes.

Our Mission

o To live and proclaim the good news of God

o To make a difference for good in our communities

o To support each other in love and fellowship

Our Priorities

i. to help and encourage the six churches to engage with the needs and opportunities for

mission in their local areas and through their congregational life;

ii. to provide a helpful structure and effective support system for the above; and iii. to work together in partnership where working together creates possibilities for mission.

Membership

Each church has its own membership list and members are listed as Baptist, Anglican, Methodist,

URC, Ecumenical or ‘other’. Those ‘ecumenically confirmed’ are recognised as full members of the

four sponsoring denominations. There are currently approximately 400 members of the partnership as a whole.

Governance

Each of the churches has its own decision-making bodies (church council or church meeting, or a

combination of both).

Each church nominates representatives to the ‘Stantonbury Ecumenical Council’. The SEC meetings

are combined with PCC meetings, and most of the PCC business is delegated to the SEC. The SEC is

chaired by an elected Lay Chair, supported by the ministerial team leader and a Standing Committee.

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Each church manages its local financial responsibilities and contributes a ‘share’ to the Partnership.

The amount is agreed by each church according to their capacity, after discussions between church treasurers and the partnership treasurer.

The SEP employs the Baptist minister and pays other ministry costs through denominational

payments. Ministers’ expenses are also paid through the SEP.

Each church is asked to arrange service plans on a quarterly basis to fit in with the Methodist

preaching plan. We increasingly depend on and benefit from lay preachers/ministers and retired

ministers who are willing to serve in our churches. For some, their ministry is focused mainly on one

particular church, but others are able to help more widely across the partnership.

The SEP website is: www.stantonbury.net

The Ministerial Team

The team meets several times a month: once for a formal meeting to deal with business, and also for

more informal meetings for support, accountability and communication.

The team elects a team leader to serve for a period of three years as convenor and facilitator of the

team, and to work with the Chair of the Ecumenical Council in developing the work of the

partnership.

THE WIDER CONTEXT

Milton Keynes Mission Partnership acts as an intermediate body for Churches

Together in England. It has moved in recent years from being a converged decision-

making body for the sponsoring denominations of the ecumenical partnerships (i.e.

Deanery Synod, Methodist Circuit Meeting, etc.) towards a focus on building capacity

for mission with a variety of projects, including adult learning courses and leadership training. Its vision is to see “Milton Keynes: a City Alive to God”.

www.missionpartnership.org.uk

The Deanery of Milton Keynes is roughly equivalent to the city of Milton Keynes.

There are thirty churches in ten benefices, some part of ecumenical partnerships, some

not. There is a full-time Area Dean.

http://mkdeanery.org/

The Diocese of Oxford is a large diocese with over 600 parishes serving

more than two million people. It is divided into three areas and five

archdeaconries. Milton Keynes falls within the area and archdeaconry of Buckingham.

www.oxford.anglican.org

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LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

The Great Linford pastoral area The pastoral area served by St Andrew’s includes areas of

new housing as well as the old village of Great Linford. Parts

of the area retain the old country feel. Fishermen sit beside

the canal while narrowboats glide past and walkers and families enjoy the trees and grassy areas.

There are three primary schools, several nurseries, sheltered

housing complexes, a residential nursing home and a small

hospital.

There are three popular pubs, all providing meals, as well as various local businesses and an arts

centre with studio space. The local centre built as part of the new town development plan includes

useful local shops as well as parish council offices.

The Stantonbury Ecumenical Partnership (parish) area

The SEP area is a segment of Milton Keynes north of the city centre roughly bounded by the M1 to

the east, the A509 to the south, the river Ouse to the north and the A5 to the west (but not including the town of Wolverton).

The population is roughly 50,000 and has become increasingly multi-cultural. Within the area are

mosque, Buddhist temple, synagogue and Kingdom Hall as well as a large Roman Catholic church and a Salvation Army citadel, and a large number of independent, often ethnically-based Christian

congregations meeting in various venues.

The housing is diverse. There are some areas of housing which pre-date Milton Keynes, but the

majority is part of the development of the new city and is very varied, ranging from social housing to the more up-market. Residential areas are balanced by areas of light industry, shops, parkland and

green space.

Milton Keynes

Milton Keynes is famous for its iconic concrete cows, 300 roundabouts and 150 miles of ‘redway’ (for

cyclists and pedestrians) but is much more than that.

Its excellent transport links (including motorway, coach services and rail links) make it a good location for businesses, distribution and commuting. It is also a good place to live, and those who do

live here are usually much more positive about the place than those who have only heard the

stereotypes.

As well as over 200 shops and an outdoor market, central Milton Keynes now includes a theatre, an art gallery, an exhibition area and many eating places. Around the city there are other theatres as

well as cinemas and music venues, including ‘The Stables’, famous for hosting quality performances of

different musical genres (jazz, blues, folk, classical, and more). There are outdoor venues, too, for

theatre and music.

Grand Union Canal and Wharf Houses

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The City Discovery Centre is a focus for disseminating information about the layers of history in the

area. Milton Keynes straddles an important Roman road (Watling Street) and includes the sites of abandoned mediaeval villages. Within the borough are old coaching towns, a popular hands-on local

museum, and Bletchley Park, famous for the codebreakers.

The Snozone (indoor snow slope), Airkix (indoor skydiving), Go Ape (high ropes) and cable waterskiing on Willen Lake are attractions which draw visitors to Milton Keynes. The MK Dons are

building up a family fan base to fill their impressive new stadium, and the Lightning ice hockey team

have a good following too. Gulliver’s Land theme park is one of many attractions for younger families.

These are ‘headlines’ but many more modest local facilities, coupled with the green spaces and

parkland areas, enhance the quality of life for those living here.

It is a green city: trees, green spaces and spring bulbs are a big part of the plan, and there is huge

scope for the birder, the nature lover, the fitness enthusiast and the dogwalker.

Oh, and we are to have the first driverless cars too!

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MAP Key:

Blue line: the St Andrew’s pastoral area

Black line: the rest of the boundaries of the Stantonbury Ecumenical Partnership

Red dots: the 6 churches in the Partnership