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DIOCESE OF CHELMSFORD TEAM MINISTRY REVIEW PARISH: Southend Team Ministry AREA: Bradwell REVIEWER: Ian Jorysz DATE: March 2006 CONTENTS
1. Introduction This review was carried out in accordance with the terms of reference reproduced in the appendix to the report. It was initiated by the Area Bishop and the timetable for the review was as follows, agreed with the Team Rector, Stephen Burdett. The completed review questionnaire was completed on 18th November 2005; following a meeting with the clergy team as a whole on 21st November, interviews were conducted 17th January to 10th February 2006. The questionnaire responses are reproduced in the appendix. An external Team Rector assisted in the review process, whom Stephen Burdett nominated to be Philip Kearns of the Wickford and Runwell Team Ministry. He attended the initial meeting with the clergy team and the final interview with the Team Rector. Philip Kearns discussed his insights with the reviewer and these have been incorporated into this report. Nevertheless, responsibility for the content of the report remains with the author. Of their nature, team ministries involve many and complex relationships, both institutionally and personally. In planning how many people to interview, a compromise has therefore to be reached between depth of coverage and a practical time scale. In this review, the six clergy were interviewed both individually and also together as a team; wardens, one of whom is also a Pastoral Assistant in the team, were interviewed in pairs (although a commuting delay resulted in those from St Alban's being interviewed separately); the Reader and a representative from each district church were interviewed individually. The latter representatives were nominated by the clergy as people with a good knowledge of the church but with a certain distance from the leadership of the team. The Rev'd Colin Baldwin is loosely connected to the team in his capacity as Chaplain to South East Essex College and the University of Essex. However, he played no role in this review. In total, sixteen interviews were conducted; these are listed in the appendix. Team ministries operate at district and parish levels. Although recognising that these levels cannot be wholly separated, this review concerns itself as far as possible with the operation of the team ministry at parish level. It has avoided looking at issues of relevance only to individual district churches, except where these may impinge on the wider team. The reviewer acknowledges the friendly and open reception given him by all whom he met during the review process, as well as the help given by Philip Kearns. It made his task interesting and he hopes the process will prove of value to the ongoing life of the parish. 2. Overview of the Parish Fuller details of the parish and its history are to be found in the review questionnaire reproduced in the appendix. The following is a brief summary. The parish covers the central area of Southend with a population of some 22,000 representing the two most deprived wards in the region. There are a number of social problems caused by drugs, prostitution and gambling. The University of Essex is to become present ill a hew building in the town centre which, with the South East Essex College, will comprise the Southend Campus. This development is key to the development of Southend as the 'Cultural and Intellectual' hub of the Thames Gateway regeneration project. The parish has been in existence for nearly 30 years and consists of four district churches: All Saints', St Alban's, St John's and St Mark's. Typical Sunday morning congregations number 50 for All Saints' and St Alban's, with the former in particular having a growing number of young families and children. St John's gains congregations of thirty to forty and St Mark's a congregation up to twenty. All except St Mark's were parish churches before the formation of the team. St Mark's is well known in the borough as the home of the Milton Community Partnership which began in 2000, employs three paid workers for its community and social work, and operates from St Mark's centre next door to the church. All Saints' has begun a project working with Christians with mental health needs. Six clergy minister in the parish. The Team Rector, Stephen Burdett, is based at St John's whilst two Team Vicars, Rob Cadman and Phil Roberts, minister at All Saints' and St Alban's respectively. Susan Sayers looks after St Mark's in a non-stipendiary capacity giving two days a week; she also has a significant ministry at Bulwood Hall Women's Prison. An assistant curate, Phyllis Owen, was made deacon in July 2005. Phyllis was already well known in the parish, having been a worshiper for many years and latterly PCC Secretary. A retired priest, Sheila Waring, is very much a part of the clergy team and has taken the so-called role of 'mother' to the parish, without being based at any one church. 3. The lay perception of the parish In common with the majority of team parishes, the focus for church members is their district church. Most of the laity only have a secondary awareness of the parish as a whole and, it was felt, would not see themselves as members of an entity called the Parish of Southend. As always, it appears that cross-parish events tend to be supported by particular sections of the congregations. Nevertheless, it is apparent that appreciation of the wider parish is increasing significantly. This has been encouraged by the joint services held on the weekday major festivals and on the Feast of Christ the King each year when there is only one main morning service in the parish. Also, although most of the clergy very much minister in particular churches, all move around on an occasional basis to take Sunday services elsewhere in the parish. So it was mentioned, for instance, that ten years ago people would not consider attending the licensing of a team vicar unless in their own church; now it would be natural to attend whichever church was involved. It is evident in speaking to lay members that the parish has had a chequered history as a team ministry, which has acted in the past to undermine confidence in the parish. As those interviewed reflected upon the congregations' perceptions of the parish, perhaps one can also hear the experience of a town community which knows disappointment and by no means an easy life. Confidence is growing, although there remains an air of caution. For instance, it was said that St Alban's is pleased simply to have its own priest, yet realises that it is the parish which gives it this stability. Thus a positive outlook within a congregation is enabling it to look outwards more positively to the rest of the parish. A particular marker of this nascent confidence is that the parish has been able to pay its parish share for the last few years, in turn further boosting morale. The laity view the parish as encompassing a great range of church style. Most saw St John's as being very much low church, although one person thought St Mark's was more so. One person thought All Saints was higher than St Alban's. It was mentioned that, in the 1930's, members of St John's demonstrated outside All Saints' against its liturgical practice. There was no suggestion that these differences lead to any animosity; however, they do appear to affect the dynamic of the parish. Whatever the reality, given that the clergy are all broadly liberal catholic, there is an element of congregations' defining themselves against the other churches in the team. One person mentioned that he would never attend a service in All Saints, simply because of the style of worship. It is felt by some that such barriers of church style need further to be overcome by greater familiarity if the congregations are to grow further together. Although members of the churches view each other as having a very different style, there is little sense of hierarchy between them. To the extent that there is, St John's is seen as the most important church. However, this arises because it is viewed as the natural parish church for Southend. No congregation feels that it is inferior to another; and the smallest at St Mark's is held in esteem for the community work undertaken there. In all of this, the laity are positive towards the clergy and appreciative of them. It is perceived that the parish is privileged to be so well staffed. In addition, the leadership of the Team Rector is held in high regard. It is clearly felt that the parish as a whole has never been in better shape. 4. The operation of the parish structures The formal parish structures consist of the Parochial and District Church Councils. The PCC is perceived to be a useful body. Although inevitably there is a degree of rubber stamping, it is said that there is now more true discussion and decision making. It is thought to be an effective body which is in a position to exercise a real function of oversight in the parish, including the support of individual churches when necessary. The PCC is now taking a stronger role in leadership than has been the case previously. The clergy team is, as a matter of strategy, a powerful body in the parish. However, although this is recognised by the laity, they neither mistrust it nor feel oppressed by it. Major initiatives are frequently introduced into the PCC from the clergy, yet initiatives are able to flow in every direction. As one person put it, there is no sense that a series of 'thou shafts' is being sent down the line. As someone else said, people would feel comfortable in putting another point of view against any particular initiative; the clergy are regarded as 'a good bunch and friends'. It was also commented that the present Team Rector is the most team minded of any the parish has had. One of the inherent weaknesses in any team ministry is communication. It was acknowledged by some of the clergy and laity that this is true of Southend also. It is easy for clergy to assume that because they know what is going on across the parish, then so does everyone else. Occasionally, events are publicised rather too late as a result. There is a weekly newsletter published in every church which helps in this regard. Also, people mentioned the positive effect of a new parish office. However, two examples may be given where communication has been evidently weak. One is where the reviewer was told by someone at one of the two churches to which the assistant curate is attached, that he thought she was linked to St Mark's. Another example was of someone who mentioned the priest of his church had been absent that Sunday: he imagined he was sick, or perhaps on holiday. In fact, it is understood that it was one of the Sundays when the clergy had swapped churches. 5. The clergy team Almost universally in the parish, the term 'team' was applied to the clergy alone. This is not unexpected, as it has been a matter of strategy that the clergy team should be a strong, cohesive unit. The parish is not an easy place to minister, with many of the lay leaders themselves touched by the problems of the area, and it is firmly believed by the Team Rector and others that it is vital that the clergy have a high degree of mutual support. It is said that the clergy team in the parish has never been stronger. Of importance, therefore, in the life of the clergy team is the weekly staff meeting together with two whole days spent away from the parish each year. The weekly meeting is not merely for planning; it is a time when "not a lot of advice is given, but there is always someone to listen". The clergy indicate that these weekly meetings are valued. Because the team includes non-stipendiary ministers, a view has had to be taken about their attendance. Thus, Phyllis Owen is unable to attend: although there are monthly evening meetings at which she is present for drawing up rotas, etc., and the team makes sure that she is otherwise kept well informed, nevertheless there is inevitably a loss from this. On the other hand, the staff meeting represents almost a quarter of the working time Susan Sayers is able to give to St Mark's each week. The clergy indicate that they have confidence in the staff meetings and their leadership, which is not to say that relationships are always easy. As team members come and go, the dynamic of the team changes and is renegotiated. Although the team is broadly liberal catholic in ethos, many members have travelled far in their spirituality and reached similar places from very different starting points. This means it is possible that significant differences of outlook may be somewhat masked. The feeling of the clergy is certainly that the team is strong enough to contain and work with any differences constructively. However it is recognised that continued communication is vital and that aids to group understanding, such as Myers Briggs indicators, may have their place. It should be reported that a number of the clergy mentioned an element of job dissatisfaction, for want of a better term. For some, this might arise through wanting to achieve more than the working time available permits. For others, it is a sense that their work is not fully stretching them. There is a question on the horizon about whether, and if so in what way, the term 'team' should ever become applied to a group broader than the clergy alone. Recently a reader and pastoral assistant have been commissioned in the parish. The Reader attends the monthly evening meetings; the Pastoral Assistant attends none (although it should be emphasised that this is not an issue for her). In the lay interviews, when asked to whom or to what the word 'team' applies, there was an awareness that the team may currently be in transition. The reader and pastoral assistant were mentioned as being on the edge of the team, but it was also said that the development is too new to know how it will work out in time. Whilst the laity contribute significantly to the life of the parish (for instance, in a successful treasury team), the view was represented amongst the clergy that it is becoming time to consider how to develop further the concept of lay ministry teams within the parish. 6; Ministry to the town The Team Rector has had three objectives for the parish: to strengthen the clergy team, to make St John's the "shop window" for the parish and to develop a civic ministry. The first has been achieved; the second is in progress, with the 'Calm Place' building project at St John's; the third also appears to have been realised. For instance, the Team Rector is chaplain to the mayor and the R.N.L.I., whereas Rob Cadman is chaplain to the police. Success is indicated by well attended civic services at St John's and the Team Rector's profile in the local media. For example, the laity readily cited examples of contributions to the debates about the building of casinos in Southend and the desirability of staging 'Jerry Springer - the Opera'. However, in this important public ministry and witness, it is apparent that the parish does not feel well supported by Anglican and other local churches. It is difficult for the church's voice to be heard in Southend and the fragile history of the parish means it all the more easily feels threatened by other, confident churches wishing to make use of the central public space of the town. The implication appears to be made that the church is doing nothing in central Southend. In addition, there is sometimes a readiness to speak in the name of the churches of the town when these statements sometimes conflict with the outlook of the team. The pity is that the Deanery and ecumenical groupings such as 'Love Southend', become potential problems for the parish rather than the supportive resource and partners in mission that they could be. Fortunately, to balance this, there is a warm ecumenical fellowship of churches known as Christians in Central Southend. CICS has successfully staged a Christian Fair in the town centre as well as the Good Friday Walk of Witness. It may be argued that these wider church relations fall outside the scope of this report. Nevertheless, they are felt to cause significant stress to the parish, with the questions they constantly raise about how much the team should support well-intentioned initiatives and pronouncements, and to what extent it needs to defend itself against them. 7. The benefits of being a Team Ministry and future developments The laity see a good number of advantages to the parish being a team ministry. Primarily is the mutual support the four churches give one another, financially and otherwise. It is believed by many that, as a result, the parish is more than the sum of its constituent parts. There is also the advantage of clergy with complementary skills who can support one another; more wryly, perhaps, it was noted that there is greater flexibility when things go wrong. These advantages agree closely with those enumerated in the completed review questionnaire. When asked about the disadvantages of being a team, the great majority of the laity saw none whatsoever. The only possible downside mentioned was the dependency upon having the right personalities for the team to work well. Interestingly, and unlike many other team ministries, no mention was made of the increased bureaucracy of a team structure as a disadvantage. Likewise, when asked about developments, all simply looked for more of the same: clearly, people are very pleased with how things are going. This very much concurs with the view of the clergy, who also see no need for any radical developments. If there is an uncertainty about the future, it centres around the sustainability of a parish with four churches and the current staffing level. As has been mentioned above, there is a widespread awareness that the parish is privileged to have so many ordained ministers. Comments were also made by the laity such as, "If it were a business, St Mark's would be closed down." Most of the clergy believe having four churches is currently stable, although the view is represented amongst them that the situation is untenable at least in the longer term. Because central Southend has a transient and somewhat troubled population, there is an anxiety about how secure is the size of any of the congregations. Congregational growth arises mainly from pastoral ministry, for instance through the schools. Occasional offices are divided geographically, except in instances where there is good reason otherwise. It is not felt that there are any structural reasons for the congregations being differently sized; indeed, between three of the churches, the differences are not proportionately great. With regard to the smallest church, St Mark's, it is felt that a major reason for its current size has been the lack of ministry there. It is hoped that the presence of Susan Sayers will enable growth, although the existing congregation is elderly and a lack of time limits the number of occasional offices possible with the contacts these enable. There is no desire to change the current arrangement of churches, especially as each is valued and has something to offer the parish as a whole. Nevertheless, looking to the future development of the parish, the number of churches appears to be a question which will always hover in the background. In conclusion, as the parish looks to the future, it appears to be in cautious good heart, despite the difficult context in which it operates. The strategy which the Team Rector employed for the parish is widely recognised to have been successful. As one lay person commented, "The parish is working in a way in which it did not in the past; it is stable now." It is telling that someone else commented, "Nowadays you don't hear a lot of gossip in the parish". The policy of encouraging individual churches has borne fruit for each, and for the parish as a whole. 8; Summary conclusions The findings of this review may be summarised as follows, i. The parish is cautiously growing in confidence and is positive towards the clergy and appreciative of them. Although worship style may yet create a barrier between the churches, there is little sense of hierarchy between them and congregations are becoming more willing to look outwards towards each other. The PCC is perceived to be a useful body and the structures of the parish work well. As always, communication constantly needs honing. ii. The clergy team is intentionally a strong body within the parish. Time is invested in maintaining good relations between the clergy. Although these relations are not always easy, the clergy have confidence in the staff meetings and their leadership such that strains can be worked through positively. With the commissioning of a reader and pastoral assistant, there is a question whether and, if so, in what way the concept of team should be broadened in the parish. There is an issue for the parish with the involvement of other churches in central Southend. iii. The laity see great advantage in the parish as a team ministry, and very few drawbacks. The Team Rector's three objectives for the parish are each bearing fruit: to strengthen the clergy team, to make St John's the parish's "shop window" and to develop a civic ministry. If there is uncertainty about the future, it centres around the sustainability of a parish with four churches and the current staffing level. Nevertheless, the parish is in good heart with the team ministry perceived to be in as good a state as ever. The terms of reference of this review ask that three questions should be central. They are listed here, with the conclusions reached by this review. Does the team function well as a collaborative unit of ministry? Undoubtedly yes. Are there any changes or modifications that could be made in the organisation of the team, or the structures of the parish that could improve the effectiveness of the team? No. No one in the parish had any desire to make any modifications to the current structures. Is a team ministry the most appropriate form of ministry for the parish? Amongst those interviewed, no one expressed the opinion that the Team Ministry was not working well and in the interests of the church in Southend. They were also positive about the team's future. The reviewer found nothing to suggest otherwise. 9. Appendices A. TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR TEAM MINISTRY REVIEWS Introduction Team ministries are reviewed every five years, following the recommendation in The Code of Practice for Teams and Group Ministries. The review is done by means of a questionnaire and interviews undertaken by a person appointed by the Area Bishop. The aim of the review The review is of the team ministry as a functional unit providing ministry for the parish. It is a 'health check' for the team ministry. The review will therefore be concerned with the way the team functions, the way in which it interrelates with the congregations and structures of the parish and with its effectiveness as a form of ministry for that parish. This means that the review will have a wider concern than just the work and organisation of the team itself, but it will not be a parish audit, covering every aspect of the life of the parish. The key considerations will be: 1) does the team function well as a collaborative unit of ministry? 2) are there any changes or modifications that could be made in the organisation of the team, or the structures of the parish that could improve the effectiveness of the team 3) is a team ministry the most appropriate form of ministry for the parish? The review process The period for the review will be set by the Area Bishop. The reviewer will contact the Team Rector, agree dates for the submission of the completed questionnaire and interview dates, and supply copies of the questionnaire. The Questionnaire is to be submitted by the due date. Using the questionnaire answers as a basis for his review, the reviewer will undertake interviews with the Team Rector, the team as a whole, Churchwardens and such church officers, church members and parishioners as he decides is necessary for the review. The reviewer will prepare a report which he will present to the Bishop and the Team Rector with copies for members of the team. At this stage the report remains confidential. The Team Rector, or any member of the team may submit any comments to the Bishop, copied to the reviewer on any point on which they believe the report to be inaccurate, within three weeks of the receipt of the report. The Bishop will then meet with the team to discuss the report and any recommendations contained in it. Following this the Bishop may issue instructions or recommendations for the team. B. DOCUMENTATION RECEIVED AND INTERVIEWS CONDUCTED The following documents were received: a map of parish showing some main features and the churches and their districts; the parish strategy for six years, dated 2001 the treasurer's report on the accounts for the year ended 31sl December 2004; parish notice sheet for Sunday, 20th November 2005; the completed review questionnaire. Interviews were conducted with the following. Clergy: Stephen Burdett (Team Rector) Phil Roberts (Team Vicar, St Alban) Rob Cadman (Team Vicar, All Saints) Susan Sayers (NSM in charge of St Mark) Phyllis Owen (NSM Assistant Curate) Sheila Waring (Associate Priest) Reader: David Booth Church Wardens: Penny Alexander & Gareth Weir (All Saints; Penny Alexander also Pastoral Assistant) David Dromgoole & Maurice Jardine (St Alban) Sheila Thorogood & Kay Ward (St John) Alistair Ker & Rod Vickers (St Mark) Lay representatives: Norman Boyd (All Saints) Ernest Harris (St Alban) Suzy Weir (St John) Fiona Graves (St Mark)
C. THE COMPLETED REVIEW QUESTIONNAIRE Section A A map of the parish is to be included in the appendix. Please include appropriate references to this in the answers in this section. 1) Give a description of the area of the parish, including a map, an account of the typical life styles and range of occupations of residents, of the local government for the area in which the parish is situated, of the institutions, including places of education and hospitals, of industry and commerce, and of any other significant features. The Parish of Southend covers mainly the Victoria and Milton wards, of which, Victoria Ward has as an estimated population of 12,000 and Milton Ward, 10,000. Both wards were identified by the Index of Multiple Deprivation 2000 as the two most deprived wards in the region. The borough census 2001 shows the following statistics for these wards Residents of Pensionable age: Borough 19.18%; Milton Ward 20.65%; Victoria Ward 17.64% Residents with limiting, long term illness: Borough 19.14%, Milton ward 21.76%, Victoria ward 22.75% Minority Ethnic population : Borough 4.23%; Milton Ward 8.51%; Victoria Ward 7.69%
Victoria Ward: 3rd highest % of households with dependant children: 8.4% Highest % of households with no car : 47.55% Owner occupancy is 50.5% (highest ward figure is 90%) Highest % of people in Local Authority rented accommodation (21.97%) Milton Ward: 3rd highest % of employed males in borough (2.19%) There are streets and until this year, a large hotel, in the parish turned over to bed sit accommodation where an increasing number of homeless young people and one parent families find themselves placed by the local authority. There are a number of social problems caused by drugs, prostitution and gambling. Southend suffers generally from a high unemployment rate of 20%. Southend became a Unitary Borough in 1998. The Council is Conservative led at present. The main employers are Customs & Excise, just to the north of the parish, and the newly relocated South East Essex College in the Town Centre. The University of Essex has been present in the Town in embryonic form for the last 3 years and will move into the new building in the Town Centre which will comprise, with the College, the Southend Campus The Campus is the key to the development of Southend as the 'Cultural and Intellectual' hub of the massive Thames Gateway Initiative. There is considerable employment in the retail outlets of the High Street. There are three schools: Barons Court Infants School, Porters Grange Primary School and St Bernard's Roman Catholic High School for Girls. The Parish also contains, the Golden Mile, the Kursaal Entertainments complex, Adventure Island, the world's longest pleasure pier, and the Cliffs Pavilion, the biggest Show and Concert venue in South Essex. 2) Give a description of the parish as an ecclesiastical entity, with an account of the congregations, the church buildings, of the way in which the team parish is organised and of the parish structures. A brief history of the team since its formation should be included. (Documents relating to the formation and structure of the team are to be included in the appendix.) The Parish of Southend has been in existence for nearly 30 years and consists of 4 district parish churches with a complement of a Team Rector, two stipendiary Team Vicars and a non-stipendiary Team Vicar, a non stipendiary Assistant Curate, a retired Priest, a Reader and a Pastoral Assistant. A new part-time Chaplain to the College and University is attached in terms of Pastoral Support. The four churches cover the centre of Southend and Westcliffe. The PCC is responsible for legal matters and the development of policy throughout the parish. As well as the statutory Standing Committee, the Church Council is served by a Finance & General Purposes Committee. There is a Treasury Team which comprises, the Parish Treasurer, the 4 District Treasurers, and the Team Rector. The following Mission Statement was established in 2002 following a cross parish consultation: We are here to serve you, worship God, and love the community, in Jesus Christ'. Also, at that time, the parish logo was designed by means of a competition within the Design Department at South East Essex College. St John's Church St John's is situated on Pier Hill at the south end of the High Street, right alongside the towering Palace Hotel and the Royals Shopping Centre car park. It is the original Parish church of Southend and was built in 1842. It is actually in the Town Centre although has suffered by being well concealed with few passers by. Over the last 30 years the residential population has dwindled through town planning in the vicinity. The recent development of Pier Hill and the renovation of the Palace Hotel inspired by the investment of the University of Essex means that the immediate situation of St John's will change. A large bequest to St John's by a deceased member of the congregation is being used as the basis for the development of a community centre attached to St John's .(The 'Calm Place') This is hoped to take advantage of the coming developments in the vicinity. The congregation numbers 30-40 at the 9.45am Sung Eucharist with up to 6 of these being children. A new experimental monthly act of worship on Sunday afternoons, called 'Refresh', attracts about 20 people. The Church has been successful in large civic events, with up to 390 attending for the VE/ VJ 60th Anniversary celebrations and similar occasions. This has developed through the Rector's Chaplaincy of the RNLI, the Naval & Military Club, and occasionally as Mayor's Chaplain. St Mark's Church St Mark's serves the area of the Parish to the west of the High Street and is within the Milton Conservation Area. It is a mixed community including the elderly and single parent families and there is a high proportion of flat and bed sit accommodation. The District has become increasingly vibrant through becoming the hinterland of the Southend Campus. St.Mark's was originally a Baptist chapel and dates from the beginning of the 20th Century. Hugely significant for St Mark's is the Milton Community Partnership which began in 2000. This operates from the St Mark's Centre next door. There are 3 paid workers. The MCP is much renowned for its community and social work throughout the Borough. The present Team Vicar is a Trustee as also is the Team Rector. The Sunday congregation numbers up to 20. There is a dedicated band of members who visit and administer home communion. St Mark's has recently become the home for a Zimbabwean Christian Community which also worships in the building on Sundays. St Alban's Church The district of St Alban's (Westcliffe) is a densely built up area of housing, most of it late Victorian and Edwardian. Many of the streets comprise large terraced housing, much of which is divided into two or more flats. There are a number of roads with larger, individual, mainly detached properties some of these being nursing homes or sheltered housing. Within two hundred yards is a mosque, with a Baptist, and Roman Catholic Church close by. Hamlet Court Rd which is the other main shopping high street in the parish (after Southend High St) is in the St Alban's district. This has recently seen much economic rejuvenation and has a large number of restaurants and bars. The Church was built in 1888 and was described by John Betjeman as a 'hidden jewel' The congregation at 1 lam Sunday Sung Mass is 50+. There is a growing number of young families with young children attending. A monthly Evensong & Benediction attracts up to 12 people.
All Saints All Saints is located on a traffic island adjacent to the High St and Sutton Road, facing the Mayor's Parlour on the south side, with high rise housing to the east and west. There are dense streets which are a mixture of housing and industry. The church is close to Queensway and the Taylor Centre where Health Care takes place, and close by is office accommodation and the shopping areas of Southend. The Church was built in 1888 in a red brick Gothic style. In the last year, a new sound system and renovations to the West end, have been completed, including disabled access. The Sunday 10am congregation number is in the region of 50 with a significant proportion of children catered for by Young Church. Regular Sunday evening worship of a more informal kind attracts up to 20 people. It is variable in style and uses image, sound and group activities as well as more traditional elements. A project working with Christians with Mental Health needs is to begin in January 2006. There is significant contact with Southend & district Mental Health Association in relation to this work. St.Alban's is firmly within the Anglo-Catholic tradition, as also is All Saints. St Mark's is moderately Catholic whilst St. John's is middle of the road. The Southend Team has paid the 'Family Purse' in full for the past 3 years and is set to do so again for 2005. 'CICS' — 'Christians In Central Southend' The Parish works within the above organisation ecumenically. CICS comprises Avenue Baptist Church, Clarence Rd Baptist Church, Clifftown URC Church, the Salvation Army, Southend Vineyard, St Helen's RC Church and the Southend Team. There have been various successful initiatives foremost among them being the 'Christian Fair' held annually in Victoria Circus at the top of the High Street. 3) Provide a list of the team personnel with very brief biographies of each member, with statements of the ministerial roles taken by each person within and outside the parish, including any participation in secular agencies or institutions, and of the dates of licence periods. Stephen Burdett: Aged 55. Deaconed 1974, Priested 1975 Former ministry in Southwark Diocese until becoming Team Rector in Southend Team in August 1999. Chaplain to Southend RNLI, the Naval & Military Club and Mayor's Chaplain 2001-2 and will be again, 2006-7. Chairman of Borough's Standard Committee. Governor of Porter's Grange Primary School 1999-2005. Assistant Area Dean from 2005. Based at St John's. Phil Roberts: Aged 45. Deaconed 1988, Priested 1989 Former ministry in London and Oxford Dioceses. Became Team Vicar based at St Alban's March 2002. Chaplain to The Cliffs Pavilion. Member of Parish Social Committee. Rob Cadman: Aged 56. Deaconed 1978, Priested 1979. Formerly in Sheffield and Winchester Dioceses he spent 8 years in teaching before becoming Team Vicar based at All Saints, October 2003. Chaplain to Southend Police. Seminar Instructor for 'Walk Thru the Bible' Susan Savers : Aged 59. Deaconed 2002, Priested 2003. Became Team Vicar based at St Mark's September 2005. International Writer and Speaker, Sub Chaplain of Bulwood Hall Womens' Prison. Governor of Baron's Court Infants School. Phyllis Owen: Became Assistant Curate July 2005 and is based at St John's and St Alban's. Secular work is at the Norwich Union Insurance Company. Also PCC Secretary. Sheila Waring: Assistant Priest (retired). Joined Southend Team in 1997. Has cross-Parish role. David Booth: Licensed as Reader July 2005. Head of RE at Eastwood School. Penny Alexander: Commissioned as Pastoral Assistant July 2005. Also Churchwarden at All Saints and Lay Chair of PCC. Palliative Care Community Nurse. Colin Baldwin: Became Vicar of St Stephen's Prittlewell, and Chaplain to South East Essex College and the University of Essex in July 2005. He is more loosely connected with the Team in a pastoral support role. 4) How far do you think the team possesses a good balance of temperament, theological outlook, expertise and ministerial skills amongst its members? Indicate whether you think there are further capabilities that could be developed with specific training and whether there are gaps that could be filled by others, especially lay ministers, being appointed to the team. The Team commissioned a Myers-Briggs assessor in Summer 2003 to undertake a study of the members and we were found to be ideally matched for covering all aspects of an issue to be discussed! There is a wealth of experience amongst members but we are open to new possibilities that might be suggested. Each of the Clergy Team members (except for Colin) are broadly speaking of the 'Affirming Catholic' style. This has been a deliberate decision. The Clergy Team give time and care to building the Team in terms of thinking, planning, and enjoying themselves together. We meet for morning prayer each Monday prior to the weekly Team meeting. Each year we have two thinking days at Pleshey for review and forward planning. The Team also meets for a monthly evening meeting in order to include Phyllis and David who both work during the day 5) To what degree do team members minister in one congregation and to what extent do they minister throughout the team? Each Team Member is based within one Church (Phyllis is based in both St John's and St Alban's). However they each visit the other churches on a rota basis so as to ensure that the congregations relate to the whole Team. The major weekday Festivals, such as Ascension Day and Corpus Christi, are recognised by means of one Parish Eucharist occurring at each of the Churches in turn. This usually takes the form of a Concelebrated Eucharist. On the Sunday Feast of Christ the King, three of the Churches are closed for one united Parish Eucharist to take place. Again, this moves around each Church. Section B 6) Does the team have a consultant? No If the answer is yes, please state:
If the answer is no, please state: a) the reasons why a consultant has not been appointed; We considered this within the Team two years ago but made the decision not to appoint a Consultant.
b)
whether
there are any proposals to appoint a consultant. 7) Which areas of ministry, mission, management and administration are planned and managed mostly by the team as a whole, or the PCC or other central body, and which are delegated to, or dealt with as a matter of course by, individual members of the team, or another body? Please indicate if there has been any notable change in the way these responsibilities are held in the last five years. Much of the planning in these areas is initiated by the Clergy Team (particularly on our Thinking Days) and then discussed with the PCC. However the PCC itself frequently initiates Forward planning and has done so particularly on the PCC Away Day. The Treasury Team is the main forum for developing financial strategy. Each District Church Council plans with its Priest, the mission & ministry, for th |